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Unbearably Beautiful

American black bear, Ursus americanus, Hope Valley (10/14/18) Clayton Peoples

Red Lake Creek Cabin, Hope Valley (10/14/18) Clayton Peoples

Red Lake Creek, Hope Valley (10/14/18) Clayton Peoples

The High Sierra is “unbearably beautiful right now,” color spotter Clayton Peoples reported.

He was in the Hope Valley over the weekend, photographing along CA-88 and CA-89.

“While taking in fall colors, I was lucky enough to spot what is probably the largest black bear I have ever seen. It was feasting along a creek that passes under Highway 89,” he wrote.

What Clayton did to get this shot was to be as unobtrusive as possible, not approaching the animal and letting it act naturally.

Should you encounter wildlife and wish to photograph it, stop and don’t move. If you run to get closer, the animal will run away. But, if you stop, wait and watch, the animal may not notice you or will become used to you and not perceive you as a threat.

As long as the animal is not bothered by your presence, he will go about his business, which makes for great fall photography.

A long lens (200mm or greater) and sturdy tripod are useful for close up, sharp images. My favorite working lens is a 28 – 300 mm, f3.5-5.6. It provides enough length and range to capture either closeups or environmental shots of mammals.

Animals are creatures of routine. They tend to return to the same locations (watering spots, food sources) at similar times of day, and forage during he first couple and last two hours of daylight.

Aspen, Hope Valley (10/14/18) Clayton Peoples

American black bears are not generally a threat to people, unless they are protecting young or sense that you have food. They usually can be intimidated from approaching by raising arms above one’s head, shouting or making loud sounds (banging a pot), but if they do not, walk away.

In addition to the bear, Clayton found more “bare” branches among the Hope Valley’s aspen, though said the trees surrounding Red Lake Creek Cabin are “still stunning, and the highway (and nearby hillsides) are still sporting a patchwork of gorgeous color. I’m not sure how long it will last, but it is still very pretty right now.” 

  • Hope Valley(7,300′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

 

 

 

Hope Valley (10/14/18) Robert Kermen

Hope Valley (10/14/18) Robert Kermen

Hope Valley (10/14/18) Robert Kermen

Hope Valley (10/14/18) Robert Kermen

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Eastern Sierra Portfolio

North Lake Fisheye (10/5/18) Elliot McGucken

Elliot McGucken has captured some of the most compelling images we’ve seen of Bishop Creek Canyon.

He was there on Friday and returned by way of Sonora Pass on Saturday, sending this selection of his favorites from that trip.

The intense color seen in these shots is no longer seen at the same locations. Though, there are still many great images to be captured in the canyon for another week to two weeks, at descending elevations. 

  • Bishop Creek Canyon – Past Peak (9,000’+) YOU MISSED IT.
  • Bishop Creek Canyon – Peak (8,500 – 9,000′) GO NOW!
  • Bishop Creek Canyon – Near Peak (below 8,500′) GO NOW!
  • Sonora Pass – Past Peak (above 9,000′) YOU MISSED IT!
  • Sonora Pass – Peak (below 9,000′) GO NOW!

North Lake Rd, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/5/18) Elliot McGucken

Twin aspen, Lundy Canyon, Mono County (10/6/18) Elliot McGucken

North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/5/18) Elliot McGucken

Sonora Pass (10/6/18) Elliot McGucken

Sonora Pass (10/6/18) Elliot McGucken

 

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Catching Attention

North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon (10/2/18) Phillip Reedy

Bishop Creek (10/2/18) Phillip Reedy

There’s one sure way to catch attention in Bishop Creek Canyon. Cast a fly rod at the east end of North Lake. That’s where photographers stand to get the classic shot of North Lake at peak.

Earlier this week, Phillip Reedy stood “shoulder to shoulder” with about 30 other photographers there, waiting for the right shot.

Then, because he photographs a lot of cover shots for fly fishing magazines and is always looking for good backgrounds, he put on waders, picked up a fly rod and began fishing. Soon, the other photographers there wanted to take pictures of him posing in his fly gear as he fished.

Phil joked to them that he could pay for his trip if they would each pay him a $5 modeling fee. All joking aside, Phil got his compensation another way. He found, “that North Lake is packed with eager brook trout so I caught a number of those during the day while waiting for the light to get better.”

Also, one of the fishing shots he took might eventually be purchased for use on the cover of an outdoor magazine.

North Lake (10/2/18) Phillip Reedy

Phil’s humorous story leads me to suggest that fall color photography can be revenue producing, in addition to being an entertaining avocation.

If you have professional equipment and solid skills at photography, consider combining a fall photo outing with taking photographs for possible magazine covers (RV, fishing, hunting, cycling, off-roading, backpacking, hiking, etc.). Here are some tips to successful magazine cover photography:

  • Before shooting, consider which magazines you intend to “pitch” your photos;
  • Know how the magazine (for whom you’re shooting) lays out its cover. Research past covers online and shoot to fit their style;
  • Consider how much space should be reserved for the magazine’s masthead (name/logo);
  • Know whether the magazine allows images to bleed behind its masthead or whether that space should be kept uncluttered;
  • Leave space in the photo to announce articles inside the magazine (often to the left and/or right of the image);
  • Shoot images that fit a specific magazine’s focus or that illustrate a potential topic;
  • All gear seen in the image should appear to be new or not easily recognized (magazines want to appear trendsetting);
  • Outdoor models should be attractive and real (they need not be professional models, but they should appeal and be believable to readers);
  • Magazine covers are vertical, so shoot with that in mind. Shoot both vertical images for covers and horizontal images for inside the magazine. Compose horizontal shots for possible additional use as cover photos;
  • Photograph with seasons in mind. Whatever appears in the photo should be natural to that season;
  • Shoot RAW or high resolution fine images. Magazines only use images of the highest quality for their cover;
  • Models should be outfitted in contemporary clothing, shoes or gear (you’ll never sell the photo if the backpack looks like it was a hand-me-down); and
  • Be prepared for rejection. Magazine editors choose images to illustrate a story that’s already been written (the cover story), to relate to the month of issue or season and to reflect events, trends and topics of interest to readers. Even the best photographs get turned down, when they lack relevance to the magazine and its readers. 

North Lake (9,225′) – Peak to Past Peak – GO NOW as YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!

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Middle Martis Creek at Peak

M. Martis Creek (10/1/18) John Poimiroo

M. Martis Creek (10/1/18) John Poimiroo

M. Martis Creek (10/1/18) John Poimiroo

M. Martis Creek (10/1/18) John Poimiroo

M. Martis Creek (10/1/18) John Poimiroo

Aspen surrounding the decaying cabin beside Middle Martis Creek (CA-267) are at peak and will remain good, weather permitting, through this coming weekend.

On Monday, as occurs every day when the aspen are peaking, a steady stream of leaf peepers lingered at the cabin on their way to or after crossing Brockway Summit.

A well-maintained turnout provides parking for a half dozen cars, and there always seems to be one parked there. On weekends, multiple photographers try to work around one another, so a midweek, morning visit is probably best to capture the scene without having to wait for others to move out of frame.

These shots were taken in the late afternoon. By then, clouds had softened the light. I was looking for backlit leaves, but the shaded light kept the leaves from brightening, other than when sunlight would break through gaps between the clouds. I passed the meadow on my return the following morning and the frontlit scene appeared better.

Some of the aspen are dropping leaves, though under 10% of the leaves are still turning from green and lime to yellow and orange. Warm days (70s) and cool nights (30s) have intensified the orange and red tones of the groves. 

Middle Martis Creek (7,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

M. Martis Creek (10/1/18) John Poimiroo

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Heavenly

Lake Sabrina (9/29/18) Surjanto Suradji

North Lake (9/29/18) Surjanto Suradji

Surjanto Suradji submitted a heavenly look at Bishop Creek Canyon, forwarding his vision of fall color at night.

He wrote that the photos were taken Saturday night, as he was “curious to see these amazing landscape and gorgeous fall colors at night time.”

His results were better than he anticipated and truly remarkable, due to “the mystical quality of nighttime, with the milky way and millions of stars … added another level of richness to an already amazing landscape.”

Surjanto began photographing an hour after sunset but before moonrise, so that the milky way could be seen. He continued to midnight, providing for the long star-trails exposure. Heavenly. 

Note: To learn more about taking star trails timelapse photographs, CLICK HERE.

Weir Pond (9/29/18) Surjanto Suradji

South Lake (9/29/18) Surjanto Suradji

South Lake Road (9/29/18) Surjanto Suradji

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Eastern Sierra Photo Jamboree This Weekend

An Eastern Sierra Photography Jamboree will provide photographers opportunities for recognition, exposure and cash prizes this weekend in the Bridgeport Valley.

The photo exhibit/contest is open to all amateur and professional photographers with $200, $100 and $50 prizes presented for the top three framed entries in these categories: Bodie, Ranching and Western Life, Wildlife, Hunting & Fishing, and Nature & Landscape photography. A $15 entry fee applies.

The Photo Jamboree is the first of a half-dozen fun events happening this autumn in Mono County, including:

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Trekking in Snow and Woods

Hillsound Amadillo XT Gaiters (file photo) Mike Crane

An indispensable item for outdoor trekking is a set of gaiters. Designed to wrap around the lower leg, gaiters keep snow and trail debris from saturating pants and out of boots.

Hillsound Armadillo LT (file photo) Mike Crane

That means you can wear cotton jeans or light pants (layering is recommended) without concern that pant legs will get soaked and become uncomfortable to stay outside taking pictures, without having to put on and take off bulky snow pants. Gaiters are also a smart addition to golden-hour photography or when photographing near streams, lakes or in woods where it’s moist.

Of course, they’re best known as gear used by snowshoers and backwoods XC skiers. So, with a major winter storm now dropping from seven to eight feet of fresh snow in the Sierra Nevada, ideal conditions were available to test Hillsound’s new Armadillo LT Gaiters.

Easy to put on and so comfortable that you’d hardly know you’re wearing them, the Armadillo LT Gaiters were so water resistant that legs and socks stayed bone-dry and warm, even in deep powder. Imagine how much more comfortable you’d be when photographing fall color at sunrise or sunset.

Hillsound makes its gaiters of 1000 denier nylon on the bottom half and breathable Flexia, a three-layer fabric, on the upper half. The 1000D lowers resist punctures (useful when wearing crampons), while the Flexia uppers provide four-way stretch and protection from the elements. Though designed for wet conditions, the Armadillo LT’s breathable fabric makes these gaiters  comfortable to wear, year-round.

There’s no wardrobe malfunction that ruins a day of winter photography more than discovering a gaiter has come loose or slipped down. On the Armadillo LT, a waterproof YKK zipper gives a contour fit that won’t fall down or need to be readjusted during outdoor activity, and a sturdy boot-lace hook adds stability and ensures the gaiter won’t shift off boot or shoe. The Armadillo LT’s durable instep strap also won’t wear out or fall off, no matter how long you stay out.

The Hillsound Armadillo LT fits men and women in all sizes, is priced affordably at $49 and comes with a lifetime warranty. They’re sold online at Hillsound.com and at top outdoor retailers.

The Armadillo LT is an indispensable item of outdoor gear that should be in every camera bag.

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Super Blue Blood Moon

Super Blue Blood Moon (1/31/18) John Poimiroo

A super blue blood moon is about as rare as the moon gets. This morning’s event combined a super moon (larger than usual), a blue moon (the second full moon in a month) and blood moon (a total lunar eclipse – the first since 2015), all at the same time.

So, like a lot of other photographers, I was up early to capture it, and – no celestial photographer – I made every mistake in the book.

First, I failed to shift the internal meter to manual. A camera’s light meter is fundamentally useless in this situation. You need to make the adjustments manually.

Begin by setting the ISO to its base level. My camera’s base is ISO 100. I started there, but scrolled up to see what results I would get at various levels. This frame was shot at ISO 1250.

Second, an ideal aperture for photographing the moon is f11. When shooting manually, once you set the f-stop it will stay there.

The same with shutter speed. Set it at 1/125 sec. and leave it there. Because the moon is in constant motion across the sky, 1/125 sec. (1/250 if base ISO is 250) is needed to stop action and provide a sharp image of moonscape details. This shot was taken at far too slow a shutter speed, blurring detail.

Fourth, focus by hand. It’s much easier to focus on small distant objects manually than by trying to line up the focus sensor with the object. Trust what you see and your ability to capture it as you see it.

Finally, be prepared. If you don’t shoot a specific situation regularly, refer to photo sites like PhotographyLife.com, publications like Outdoor Photographer or ask a photo buddy how to do it right, well before the event occurs. As, during the moment, it changes too fast to step away and figure out what you’re doing wrong.

As, when something as rare as a super blue blood moon comes around, you want to get it right, then and there.

Moon (2/1/18) John Poimiroo

 

 

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Mass Ascension

Mass ascension, Midway Rd., Durham ( 11/24/17) Robert Kermen

Redtail hawk, Midway Rd., Durham ( 11/24/17) Robert Kermen

Redtail hawk, Midway Rd., Durham ( 11/24/17) Robert Kermen

When a “mass ascension” occurs at one of the Sacramento Valley’s many wetlands, rice patties or wildlife refuges, virtually tens of thousands of birds lift off all at once.

They take to the air when predators (bald eagle, redtail hawks and falcons) approach.

Similar to the effect of the flashing silver and black flanks of fish in their schools, the swirling mass of white and dark wings in a mass ascension confuses raptors and makes it more difficult for them to snare a meal.

Mass ascensions are breathtaking sights that are often seen, in autumn, north of Sacramento.

Kermen knew to visit a wetland, south of Durham. If you open the California Fall Color map on the right side of this page and search for Durham or Colusa, anywhere you see large ponds of water are sure to be gathering places for waterfowl. For the easiest viewing, visit the Sacramento Valley National Wildlife Refuge or Colusa NWR. Roads pass through both of them and your vehicle serves as your “blind.” Bring binoculars and, if photographing, a telephoto lens and tripod or window camera mount (which turns your car into a tripod).

White-fronted Geese, Durham (11/24/17) Robert Kermen

Snowy egret, Midway Rd., Durham ( 11/24/17) Robert Kermen

Close up photographs of wildlife are best captured with digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras using lenses greater than 300 mm.

A 400mm lens is considered to be an ideal length when starting to shoot wildlife. However, long lenses – particularly those with larger apertures that will take sharp pictures in low light – come with a hefty price tag. For example, Nikon’s 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens (admittedly, a very expensive lens) costs over $11,000 (Canon’s similar lens is $1,000 less).

Snow Geese, Durham (11/25/17) Robert Kermen

Considering the high cost of telephoto lenses with large aperture settings, starting amateur wildlife photographers might consider first purchasing a zoom lens in the range of from 100 to 500mm, but with a smaller aperture setting, such as a Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 ($1,400) or Canon 100-400mm f5.6 ($1,200).

Another way to increase focal length is to add a teleconverter to a smaller focal length lens (about $300 for a 2x teleconverter). They do not provide the sharpness of a set lens, but are not budget breakers and result in fine photographs that impress, if you’re not selling your work or making gallery-quality prints.

For clarity, a smaller f-stop means a larger aperture, while a larger f-stop means a smaller aperture.

Bald eagle (middle right, sitting) (11/22/17) Robert Kermen

With these options, you will lose the ability to shoot action in lower light conditions, but can more affordably begin shooting wildlife and thus gain experience before making the investment on a more expensive lens.

For these shots, Kermen used a Canon 80D with 70-200mm f4L IS USM lens, which he keeps at hand on the console of his vehicle, so that he doesn’t miss a great shot when motoring along one of California’s backroads.

Click on photo to enlarge.

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More Photographic Perspectives

Black oak, bigleaf maple, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

Fridays are a quiet day to catch up on posting photographs that arrived too late to be included in a timely fall color report. The first selection is of photographs taken by Laura Jean near Hayfork along CA-3, two weeks ago.

The color seen in these images has long since fallen, though her shots provide perspective about what it was like to drive the Trinity Heritage Scenic Byway in late October. Click on photo to enlarge.

Hayfork, Trinity Heritage Scenic Byway (CA-3) – Past Peak – You Missed It.

Bigleaf maple, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

Bigleaf maple, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

Dogwood, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

Black oak, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black oak, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

California ash, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

Bigleaf maple, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

Dogwood, Hayfork (10/21/17) Laura Jean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, here is a selection of images contributed by Dona Montuori-Whitaker in mid October. They arrived too late to be posted in a timely fashion, but are now in order to show additional views of Plumas County.

What is particularly striking about the Shasta Cascade region are the number of old wooden bridges, barns and cabins that have aged beautifully and contrast so emotionally with fall color.

Plumas County – Past Peak – You Missed It.

Maple, Quincy (10/16/17) Dona Montuori-Whitaker

Genesee Valley (10/16/17) Dona Montuori-Whitaker

Indian rhubarb, Keddie (10/16/17) Dona Montuori-Whitaker

Long Valley Creek Bridge, Sloat (10/16/17) Dona Montuori-Whitaker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shed, Indian Falls (10/16/17) Dona Montuori-Whitaker

Taylorsville School (10/16/17) Dona Montuori-Whitaker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fallen maple, cottonwood and dogwood leaves, Yosemite National Park (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

As reported here on the day Tracy Zhou took these photos, peak color has shifted from bigleaf maple, dogwood and cottonwood to black oak in Yosemite National Park.

Black oak, Yosemite Valley (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

Black oak, Yosemite Valley (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

Black oak, Yosemite Valley (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

Black oak, Yosemite Valley (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

Yosemite Valley (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

Black oak, Yosemite Valley (11/1/17) Tracy Zhou

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