Joshua Tree National Park, California. Part II

“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”
-Eudora Welty

Joshua Tree has at least one natural arch. This one appropriately enough is called Arch Rock. I see a duckling with his head touching the ground. What do you see?

Back side of Arch Rock. For a bit of human perspective, the inner crest of the arch is a bit over 12 feet in height from what I remember.
 

 

Schnozzola  Rock, Opus I. While roaming around the park looking for photography fodder, it struck me that many of the rocks, boulders and outcropping resembled giant noses. I ran with the idea and took several photos of various formations that suggested large noses, i.e., schnozzolas.

Schnozzola Rock, Opus II. Second of several from the series.

Joshua Tree National Park is well worth the visit for those that like to get out and observe nature. Most, if not all of the park's natural wonders are visible from paved roads, well maintained dirt and gravel roads, or short distances via hiking trails. Situated at a higher elevation, temperatures are more tolerable for a longer season than the surrounding lower elevation desert.

That ends our Joshua Tree adventure. Next we travel up to Fresno, California for a visit to my cousin Bob's glass studio. What treat Bob has in store for us!

Joshua Tree National Park, California. Part I

"A good photograph is knowing where to stand."
-Ansel Adams


Located north of Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park lies within both the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, much of it sitting atop a large rocky plateau at an elevation of up to 5,000 feet. The eastern edge of the park slopes down to 3,000 feet and below into what is part of the Colorado Desert.

Known for its boulder-strewn beauty, it is also internationally known as a rock climbers paradise. Named after the plant that is endemic to the region, its elevation is high enough that periods of snow can blanket the plateau during especially cold weather fronts.

Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) are not actual trees, but giant herbaceous yuccas belonging to the lily family. One can find some especially large specimens growing in the park.

This specimen is one of the larger  Joshua trees I came across in the park. Yours Truly posing beneath.

Flowering bunch of Joshua tree flowers. Individual flowers growing in clusters such as this is normally known as an inflorescence. Judging from the waxy, white flowers and the sweet aroma they release, my guess is that they are pollinated at night by nocturnal moths.

Beautiful and waxy-looking blossoms of the Claret-cup cactus. Quite variable in form and color, this plant can be found growing throughout parts of the American Southwest. Sports wicked looking spines, but are not so menacing and aggressive as those found on the various species of Cholla cactus.

Sunrise at the Cholla Gardens. Growing on a broadly sloping alluvial plain, a veritable forest of Cholla covers many acres here. The best time of day to visit the gardens for a visual spectacle is at sunrise, when its rays light up the spines of the cacti from behind, causing them to glow as if they were plugged in to an A.C. outlet.

I would have missed the photo above were it not for being conscious of the unfolding events surrounding me. There is a wise adage in photography circles regarding being aware of the surroundings one is in. It is natural for a photographer to set up his tripod well before an event takes place such as the backlit Cholla spines, fiddle with composition, tripod height and camera knobs and dials in order to get that perfect shot, and then wait in anticipation for that crowning moment of capture. It's easy to patiently wait there, staring at your subject and be oblivious to what is transpiring around you, missing a gorgeous photo op unfolding somewhere else around your vicinity.

I learned this lesson when photographing Horsetail Fall in Yosemite a few years back. I set up with some other photographers, waiting for the Horsetail Fall phenomenon that happens in February to manifest itself. Intently focused on the fall, we were oblivious to the large moon rising behind us and over Sentinel Peak. Someone mentioned to look behind us at the moonrise. That is when we all grabbed our tripods, reoriented, and proceeded to click off photos of the scene unfolding 180° of the falls. It turned out to be a pleasant shot, but would have been missed if not for the fellow photographer who happened to survey his surroundings and alerted the rest of the group to look behind us.

Cholla Gardens backlit by the rising sun. These things really glow when lit up like that.

The next blog will feature the rest of the Joshua pics. See you then!

Elephant Seals

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer."
-Ansel Adams


On Hwy. 1 along the California coast, 14 miles north from the quaint little town of Cambria and just past Hearst Castle by 4 miles, one can find the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.

Elephant seals are amazing animals to observe in the wild, to which the rookery here provides visitors safe and easy access for viewing. Ample parking next to the elephant seals is provided by the Hearst Corporation, allowing for a quick walk to the rookery beaches. On the south side of the parking lot, a boardwalk leads people along the beach cove, well above the animals for a birds eye view.

For a closer, more intimate view, to the north of the parking lot runs a dirt trail paralleling the shore about 3 feet above the beach. Elephant seals will rest on the sand right up to the trail, allowing for some great photo ops for those armed with a camera. No need for extreme telephoto lenses here; something in the 200mm. range will get you plenty of closeups. Most of the photos below were shot around 200 - 400mm. 'cuz I happen to have the glass, but a nice little compact camera with a decent zoom will yield many a pleasant shot. One can get within mere feet of these lumbering giants and not be in danger, as that little three foot rise to the trail from the beach is plenty enough to keep them at bay due to their bulk and blubbery fat. Freaky at first, until one gets used to having a beast that can approach the weight of a VW Beetle to be almost within arms reach.

For more information on the elephant seal rookery and the history of  the California elephant seal, go to this page from the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce:

Elephant Seals, Big Sur California

I visited the rookery while on my way to a photo shoot up in Big Sur back in May of 2007; the big giant males having already left the rookery for deeper waters, leaving the females and juveniles in sole possession of the beaches. During the height of the breeding season, there can be upwards of several thousand animals calling this rookery home. The ones in these photos are in the process of molting, shedding both skin and fur during this time.

This little (the term little is relative)  guy was basking just below the trail that runs along the north side of the parking lot. I could almost pet him if I reached out far enough. He is approaching adulthood, as can be seen by his prominent proboscis (schnoz) , which will get even bigger as he matures. During mating season, male elephant seals will fight fiercely for females, inflating the proboscis to many times its normal size during bouts ("Mine's bigger than yours." -type macho male thing.).

He was so cute! I ended up taking quite a few photographs of him.

Tilting his head back and making bellowing sounds, I wanted to squeeze him so hard it would have caused his eyes to bulge 'cuz he was so darned cute.

Female striking a sultry and demure pose. Notice the lack of a prominent proboscis as compared to the juvenile male above.

As they bask on the beach and on occasion,  elephant seals will flip sand on to their bodies. I'm assuming this is their version of suntan oil and/or it helps to keep them cool. Even with an air temperature hovering around 50°F, a blubbery creature such as this would be inclined to overheat some. Tending to bunch up in groups though, some of that sand ends up in others faces.

A group of females snoozing in the morning sun. Molting is very noticeable. Many of the elephant seals have a crusty, oozing snot coming out of their nostrils. I don' know what it is. My guess is that they probably ingest fair amounts of seawater while feeding. This may be the way their bodies purge themselves of excess salt from their systems. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.

There seems to be constant bickering and poking and prodding and fighting between animals. Females tend to mass together and constantly disturb and get in the way of each other. Juvenile males will call each other out and practice fighting to prepare themselves for the day when they become fully mature and fight to form their own harems. Here we see two females bickering.

 Immature male reading the riot act to a female.

 I left Big Sur very early in the morning, on my way home from a wonderful photo shoot. I approached the rookery once again and decided to stop by, as it was still very early in the morning and no one else was at the rookery for a visit yet. I had the place to myself, and therefor felt more at ease going down on the beach, in and amongst the elephant seals. They were still all snoozing and didn't give a hoot that I was on their beach and milling around amongst them. A typical Central California coastal fog set in, imparting the ocean and rookery with a calm, but moody sense. These animals are so slow on land, that even if I miffed one, I could outrun it easily... as long as the escape path in front of me was devoid of any other seals.

The air was absolutely still, tinged with a bit of coolness and moisture. Noises traveled far. The Pacific was just that: passive and pacified. What was eerie and disconcerting, was that out in the water, elephant seals were swimming and foraging for food, just out of view. They would bellow and huff and snort and make all sorts of weird noises that carried loudly and well over the water.

All I could picture was this massive male come zipping in up on to the beach with mouth wide open bearing fangs the size of human fingers; its huge proboscis flapping in the breeze like a grotesque, flaccid Polski kielbasa; sailing through the air on a perfect trajectory, intercepting my unwary position by the shore, just like the Nat Geo films of killer whales lunging on to a beach, grabbing an unsuspecting and hapless seal in its fish breath maw and dragging it back out into the ocean. The only evidence of that seal ever having existed is a bloody-tinged splotch of water just off shore... all that's left of my visit is one lonely tripod and camera lying forlornly in the sand. Oh, the horror of it...

The moodiness of the place and the noises emanating from just off shore in the water reminded me of that old computer game from the '90's called Myst. Inhabiting the game was a large creature that lived in a lagoon that looked similar to an elephant seal and made the exact same sounds as one. I'm sure now the creators of Myst were familiar with elephant seals and modeled their creature after them.

That concludes the elephant seals. Next we leave the shoreline and head out to the desert where we will be visiting Joshua Tree National Park, California.


  

Creatures: Opus Two

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into."

-Ansel Adams

 This has to be one of my favorite doggie pics that I've taken. I forget the dog's real name, but I nicknamed him Jimbo Billy-Bob, the hillbilly dog. After looking at his teeth, you'll know why.

That's it for the Creatures gallery. Next come the Elephant Seals.

Creatures: Opus One

Commenting on the Bryce Canyon posts, my friend Beck had this to say:

I still love the reputed comment of Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded the area in the late 1800’s: 
"Hell of a place to lose a cow”


“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”

― Dorothea Lange

The quote from Dorothea Lange (best known for her Depression Era photographs) rings so true in a serious photographer's life.

The big cats were photographed in Wild Animal Park, now known as San Diego Safari Park.

As luck would have it for a photographer: she was fierce, she was ferocious, she was loath to temper her fury and eager to manifest anger and aggression. She was... yawning.

 This coyote was shot in Yosemite Valley, and as luck would have it, turned out to be quite delicious. I love the winter coat this one sports. Our coyotes here along the southern California coastal region where I live don't exhibit such thick and lush winter fur.

Bee Ball. It was getting late in the afternoon when in Alta Laguna Park, Laguna Beach, California once, that I heard the no-mistaking-about-it humming sound of an approaching swarm of bees. I looked around and spotted the dark, amorphous bee blob heading in my general direction. I happened to be near the park's tot lot, when the blob slowed down and proceeded to  mass itself on the branch of an elderberry tree growing next to the tot lot. It took on the shape of a giant pineapple, suspended there in that little tree. Those visiting the tot lot left quite hurriedly, pretty much giving me that portion of the park to myself.

At certain times of the year, bees tend to migrate if the hive they live in gets too crowded. A second queen bee is produced in the hive, after which, part of that colony gathers around her and forms a protective shield. This swarm then takes off to other parts in order to start a new colony.

Over the years, I've seen many swarms pass over and through Alta Laguna Park, as I work there as its park gardener. They seem to generally travel in an east-to-west path and tend to fly low; anywhere between three to twenty feet above the ground. I can always tell when they pass through if I hear panic and pandemonium somewhere in the park, especially from those within the confines of  the tennis courts. Many people freak out when they see and hear them, although there is no real danger of getting attacked by swarming bees. Granted, there are those that are very allergic to bee stings, and are rightly alarmed, but to those that are educated in the life of a migrating bee, the unfolding comedy can be priceless.

Migrating bees have one goal in mind: stay with the queen. They have no desire to make one's day miserable. Where she goes, they go. The queen will lay down and rest somewhere towards the evening, safely ensconced within her living shield of accompanying worker bees. The following morning, the swarm stirs and moves on.  When taking this photo and several others of the swarm, I got as close as six feet without even one nervous buzz from a pair of bee wings. I'm not advocating people to nonchalantly walk up to a bee ball and poke at it with a stick. They are safe though, to approach at a respectful distance and marvel at the natural wonder at hand. It may be a different story with an established hive, as they tend to be territorial and defensive of it.

I did see a car covered in bees once when living in San Clemente, which is located just down the coast from Laguna Beach. Again, it was late afternoon; a woman parked on the street and ran in to get something at a corner liquor store. When she came out, much of her car was draped in a living mass of writhing bees. The cops and a fire engine were called out, that portion of the street was closed off, and I'm assuming they were waiting for a beekeeper to show up and scoop them away. I couldn't stay to see the outcome, as it was getting dark and I had to get home.

Things may be a little different now, that Africanized bees are part of the picture. But remember one thing: a bee is a bee is a bee; swarmers only wish to be with the queen and move on. If the queen happens to land on you, well, that may be a story to save for the grand kids one day... if you live through it.   ;-))

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Series 2

One thing about Bryce Canyon from a photographer's point of view is that it actually is very easy to get stunning photos if one adheres to a couple of principles:

1. Shoot during the Golden Hours: just before and after sunrise and sunset.
2. Compose your shot well.

The geologic chronology and morphology of Bryce Canyon is roughly this: First there is a level area that erodes into a plateau, which erodes more, forming a fin, that further degrades, creating a window or an arch, that eventually crumbles to form hoodoos.

 One of many trails leading down into and amongst the hoodoos.

 

As the sun reaches higher into the sky, those wonderful, rich, vibrant and fluorescent colors become muted and muddied in appearance. The next best time to view Bryce for a Kodachrome moment is at sunset. In fact, below Bryce Canyon in an area which is part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante, is a region named Kodachrome Basin in honor of the once ubiquitous Kodak film which was known for its warm and vibrant colors. Kodachrome Basin is so named for the colors and hues which are showcased within the rock in this area.

I find myself mesmerized by the photo above. The way the hoodoos are lockstep lined up, along with their general shape, reminds me of the columns and colonnades one would find in old and abandoned Hindu temples, far from civilization, guarding the memories of many events of an ancient past tucked away within its myriad rows. I particularly find the uppermost strata to be most fantasy-provoking.

Natural Bridge is one of several arches that inhabit Bryce Canyon. 

This photo of Natural Bridge was created using the photographic technique known as HDR, short for High Dynamic Range. For you geeks out there, below is a definition describing how the technique is achieved and why:

HTG Explains: What is HDR Photography, And How Can I Use It?

This wraps up the Bryce Canyon series. Next comes photos I call Creatures.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Series 1

"Bryce is nice." Bryce Canyon has truly got to be one of the most visually stunning of our national parks.

Located in southwestern Utah, the colors and shapes of the hoodoos are enchanting, mesmerizing, and just plain fun to look at and walk amongst. Bryce Canyon is not an actual canyon, but an amphitheater formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of shallow sea, river, and lake bed sedimentary rocks of an eroded escarpment of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. (phew)

A hoodoo is:
                      "A hoodoo is a tall, isolated rock formation that is common in dry regions.
                           Erosion usually leaves bits of resistant rock that protects the weaker rock layer beneath it."

                                                                                                                             -Wikipedia

 

Thor's Hammer captured at early morning light.

The best time to view Bryce is in the early morning as the sun rises. Early morning rays are not hindered by obstacles such as mountains due to the relatively high elevation of Bryce Canyon, and stream in at low, oblique angles. the rim averages between 8,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation.

As the sun begins to flood the spires and bathe them in that warm, ruddy glow of early morning, the play of colors from the sun, coupled with the natural hues of the rock cause them to light up and reflect the light, bouncing off and amongst the various formations. This intensifies the light and the color to such a degree that the hoodoos seem to fluoresce internally, giving them a glow as if a light were placed inside them. It truly is remarkable to behold! This area of the park is known as Queen's Garden.

 

Named after Queen Victoria, queen of England. Queen's Garden is governed under the realm of a formation known as Queen Victoria, who holds court there. She is sovereign and maintains dominion over this section of the park.

Queen Victoria. No, I didn't take this photo, although my kids might think so.

 Looking down from this vantage point, Thor's Hammer is visible at the right of the photo. Notice the vibrancy of the rock colors in the early morning.

 Taken a little later in the morning, the sun's position is higher and beginning to shift the rays towards the blue spectrum. At the top right one can see "The Wise Men" offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ King baby Jesus.