A Trip to the Zoo...

Selected shots from a trip we took to the San Diego Zoo this past Saturday.


House of Blues


The other side of the fence


Cuvier Gazelles [from the rear]


Pink Parade


Patterns


Yield


Tusk


Polar nap


Mother & Child - all San Diego, CA © 2005

Closed for good - Chitina, AK © 1994

On a day drive outside of Valdez, Alaska, I came upon the little town of Chitina. At this point, the road went from asphalt to gravel and, being in a rental, I didn't want to invite a windshield damage repair bill. So I wandered around a bit and found this dilapidated old saloon building. It was an overcast day and the image came out a bit bland. On the pc I played around with the colors, bumping up the color of the fireweed, and toning down just about everything else.

Stack - Chama, NM © 1998

Church in Ramsau - Ramsau, Germany © 1993

Digitally manipulated to garner a poster-type effect.

Flower Garden - near Corvallis, OR © 1995

Thursday Challenge entry: "Motion"

Reeds at Sweet Springs - Los Osos, CA © 1994

In the Summer of 1994, just before I was to head to Valdez, Alaska, for a job assignment, my wife and I took a few days off and headed up to California's Central Coast. This picture was shot one lazy morning as we sat in the quiet solitude of Sweet Springs Nature Preserve, in Los Osos.

Blue & Red - Monument Valley, AZ © 1992

The color in some parts of the Southwest is truly astounding.

Lupine - southern California © 1998

A closeup of a blue lupine in our front yard.

Field of Lupine - near Santa Margarita, CA © 1998

While cruising the backroads of San Luis Obispo County one Spring I would stop, every so often, to get a few photos of the wildflowers in bloom. At one location a local stopped and asked if I'd like to see the flowers at the ranch where she was living. We followed her a few miles and then spent an hour or so wandering among the fields of lupine they had sowed.

Old Shovel - southern California © 2005

Thursday Challenge entry: "Tool"

Springtime - near Los Olivos, CA © 1993

PhotoFriday entry: Rural

Flower balcony - Interlaken, Switzerland © 1993

Fireweed on ISO 400 - Valdez, AK © 1994

Shooting with 400 speed film produce a slightly different color cast and resulted in a slightly more grainy image. I bumped up the grain effect by adding noise to the image.

On the flower covered hillside - S.R. 14, CA © 1995

Sunset at Margo Dodd Park - Shell Beach, CA © 1992

The effect on the ocean in this image was made by shooting a timed exposure just after sunset.

Water and Society Garlic - southern California © 2005

Nasturtiums with water (color) - southern California © 2005

Water droplets on Nasturtium leaf - southern California © 2005

Society Garlic - southern California © 2005

Self-portrait - southern California © 2005

Discarded Shovel - southern California © 2005

Powerline Sequence - southern California © 2005

Storm Aftermath - southern California © 2005

Old Bathroom Tiles - southern California © 2005

Kalanchoe amongst Nasturtiums - southern California © 2005

Gutter Bark - southern California © 2005

Gutter runoff - southern California © 2005

Dusty Millers (yet to be) - southern California © 2005

Rain cleansed freshness - southern California © 2005

Birdbath pedestal - southern California © 2005

Bark jigsaw - southern California © 2005

Backyard Powerlines - southern California © 2005

A gathering of daisies - southern California © 2005

There are several "photo project" websites out in cyberspace (e.g., PhotoFriday, Theme Thursday, etc.). This weekend I decided to have a little photo project of my own. Thursday night the weather forecasters told us that we'd be having a storm roll through southern California dropping about an inch of rain. Well, it rained all Thursday night, all Friday, and most of Friday night. Sigh. With our plans for Saturday morning shot, I asked my 9 year old daughter if she'd like to go wandering about our yard with me shooting photographs. She did, and we both had a great time shooting (over 100 images each). To complete my "weekend photo project" I've selected 19 of the images I shot Saturday, February 12th, (starting with the previous image "A Tangled Web") to display.

A Tangled Web - southern California © 2005

Thursday Challenge entry: "Mess"

U-Pick Strawberries - Nipomo, CA © 1998

The strawberries you pick in the Nipomo / Santa Maria area are just as sweet and juicy as they are big. The best part is you get to sample as you pick!

PhotoFriday entry: "Luscious"

Ristra and White Window (part 1) - Santa Fe, NM © 1998

See the story behind this image in the post below.

Ristra and White Window (part 2) - Santa Fe, NM © 1998

The story behind this shot has not so much to do with when and where it was shot, but with what happened afterwards. I was preparing a "coffee table" book for use at home and wanted to use this image. However, the aspect ratio of the template I was using did not match my original photo. I compensated by turning a 5 x 3 pane window into a 4 x 3 pane window (see the real original in the image above this one). Does this digital alteration cross the line from enhancement to that of potential fraud?

January Bloom - southern California © 2005

The daisies in my front yard have been blooming for over a month now.

Purple and Gold - S.R. 14, CA © 1995

A very fine photo-blog site can be found at A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania.

Ray Doan Photographic Collection - Ed Brayton has directed me to the website of his cousin who has a wonderful collection of nature photography. Check it out!

Gondola over Swiss landscape - near Grindelwald, Switzerland © 1993

During that day hike my wife and I took we half-expected Julie Andrews to come running up, mid-song - but it was the wrong country.

Flower box - Rothenberg, Germany © 1993

The walled city of Rothenberg ob der Tauber is such a kick to visit. A tourist trap? Yeah, but it's still filled with interesting images.

Church in German countryside - Oberndorf, Germany © 1993

On a morning walk, from our inn in Huber, I was intrigued by this tiny church in an equally tiny German town.