Category Archives: Weekly Wanderings

Man vs Wild. . . the desert

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Harsh, arid, desolate, barren are all adjectives which can be used to describe a desert. On a trip to the Mojave desert I explored an abandoned army post outside Kingman, AZ and wondered why this group of dilapidated buildings is now left to deteriorate and be used for what looks like target practice. In the spring, the buildings are shaded by some trees and the vegetation is mostly green. It’s a picturesque scene. I learned the old highway used to run next to the outpost.The desert is full of items left behind to rust, decay and crumble. Remnants of a past once useful now discarded.

Hardy, tough, prickly, sturdy can all be used to describe the plants of the desert. They must posses some or all of those qualities to survive the harsh climate. In the spring, many of them are flowering and I find a certain satisfaction that something can not only survive but thrive beautifully in the desert. Thus I turned my lens to the desert and the natural beauty mixed with the remains of man’s existence in one spot.

Man,

vs.  Wild,

Man,

vs. Wild,

Man,

vs.  Wild,

Man,

vs. Wild,

I think both are intriguing. How about you?

~ Sue

Flashback, the Summer of Color

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Occasionally, I will take a trip through the years via my photo archives. This is often spurred on by the need of a certain photo for a child’s assignment or a yearbook ad, etc. But this time I just wanted to look back on the last few years photographically and I came across these. Since summer will soon be upon us I decided to share these. A couple of years ago a group, Portraits of Hope, created the largest public art project in the US. They transformed the Lifeguard towers of the LA County beaches, from Zuma to San Pedro, into brightly colored works of art painted with flowers, geometric shapes and fish designs. The colorful towers  reminded me of the art of my youth.

For me, these towers brought fun and a touch of whimsy to the beach.

According to their website, “The Portraits of Hope program is aimed at enriching the lives of children and adults – many who may be coping with adversity or serious illness – through their participation in creative, educational, high-profile, one-of-a-kind projects.” They have completed many projects throughout the US and one in Japan.

I like to say, ” a little pop of color never hurt any one!”  Can’t we all use a little more art in our lives?

~Sue

Farther Afield

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I wandered into new territory a few months back. Feeling the call of the open road my family and I hopped in the car and headed north with the  idea of exploring the redwoods of northern California. The journey took us through some of California’s farmlands. It was winter. I find there is beauty in the browns and grays of the winter landscape.

Roadside Ducks

was it something I said?

What I captured from the road . . .

shore pastures

Sure would love to celebrate with them!

ha, ha, ha

CA country

Got up early for the golden hour and wasn’t disappointed.

golden cows

lone fisherman

We made it to Humboldt Redwoods State Park and cruised the Avenue of the Giants Highway.

The Founder’s Grove

moss

Founder’s Grove hiker

Hiking the Founder’s Grove trail  is an experience of truly walking among giants!

The Founder’s Tree

what’s in there?

Click here to learn more about the redwoods and hiking options in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

~ Sue

Close-Up and Patterned

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Occasionally, to add variety to my workout routine and have a nature interlude I will head to the Santa Monica mountains for a hike, with my camera, a “photo hike” if you will.  The Solstice Canyon trail was my recent destination. It is a serene and relaxing park with a few trail options of differing difficulty levels. I decided to focus on something different to photograph this time. Instead of capturing the big picture, which I usually do when hiking on this trail, I looked to the small details.  The patterns in the leaves, rocks and tree trunks were the subjects that day. The delicate leaves of this plant still have dew drops lingering.

ground cover green carpet

A tree trunk caught my eye. . .

“A” bark

Then this fungus.

false turkey tail fungus

And the water of the stream gently flowing over the rocks.

creek-size cascade

Suddenly a loud squawk overhead pulled my attention from the quiet details of the flora to the noisy insistence of the fauna as I was joined by two parrots.

parrots

Solstice Canyon is full of opportunities to experience the beauty of the Santa Monica mountains and get exercise at the same time.  The area has been hit with many wildfires over the years and there are remains from a few of the homes that used to stand there. Next time, I will be exploring some of these; always with an eye for the details but not forgetting the big picture!

If you would like to learn more about Solstice Canyon here is a link to the National Park Service information  

~ Sue

The Super Moon

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This week I was on a quest to capture the super moon Saturday night. It was the closest it will be to earth this year and full at the same time. I started on the top of a parking structure which overlooks the city of Los Angeles and arrived at dusk just in time to witness the rising.

Then I zoomed in . . .

closer

Later in the night when I was in my own backyard, I turned my eyes towards the sky and captured the moon alone.

super moon

Photographing at night is challenging and fun.

The Tide Is Low and the Spirits Are High

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A few days ago I did something I don’t do enough . . . went on an early morning walk at the beach with my camera. To my delight it was a low tide which created beautiful reflections at the water’s edge and brought many shorebirds feeding as well.

I was even treated to an appearance by a snowy egret!

Since it was low tide, some areas in the tide pools were a bit dry and the anemones had closed. These two struck me by the possibilities of images they create!

It was an inspirational and exhilarating way to start the day and I am going to do that more often!  One thing I’ve learned from frequent trips to the beach; it’s different every time.