The Great Divide

I don't refer to the Continental Divide when I speak to the title of this post. No, I'm talking about the cultural, generational, philosophical divide.

What a difference a week makes! This photo was taken at sunset at Minaret Summit, in the Sierra's. It sits at an elevation of 9600'. The wind was moving through and the temperature was hovering in the high 30's. The only sound you could hear was the rustling of pinion, juniper, and wildflower.

Flash forward a week to last night. Took the boy to his first concert. Not just any concert, but KISS. And not just KISS, but the full make-up, fire and blood, leather wearing, guitar smoking, nothing but kick-ass rock KISS. When I was 12, I would've killed to see KISS. If someone said "You'll see them, but it will be with your own 12 year old son," I would have thought them to be crazy. The irony, as well as the juxtaposition were not lost on me.

Still, it was a great night and yet another memorable moment in a great summer vacation. Now, if my ears will just stop ringing......

Still More.....

So, it was a great trip into the Sierra's. Lot's of hiking, biking, paddling, fishing, and relaxing. The Mammoth Brewery serves up a real nice India Pale Ale, and for gourmet dining, the Mobil Gas Station in Lee Vining is hard to beat. Seriously, lobster taquito's rolled in chipotle' tortillas, with mango/papaya salsa, cilantro black beans, and shredded cabbage in a citrus vinaigrette. Or grilled tombo (fish) top with shoestring fried onions, chipotle mayo, tomato, on ciabatta bread. I kid you not... Best food around!

Anyway, the highlight was Kyle's first real fishing experience. We caught our limit of rainbow and brown trout on the Owens River. A great trip!!!

A Picture's Worth......

No descriptions necessary.....

Through the Lens

By my definition, harmony is when the person that I am, and the person that I am seen as, are in balance with the person that I want to be. When one or more of those facets are incongruent, I find that I have angst and things don't flow as smooth. But, when they compliment and achieve balance, I find harmony. That's my tip for living.

Same applies to photography. When the view is in harmony with the vision, and others feel it at a gut level, you have a great photograph. Recently, I started testing a new program by Tiffen filters which can take nearly any photograph and bring your vision out of it. Good photography is about good composition and control. This program certainly gives you creative control.

Compare the two photo's; the original, while composed well, is pretty blah. I wanted to achieve an antique look. Not an Ansel Adams style, but something along the line of photography from the late 1800's. I wanted it to look like the original surveyor's of Mt. Whitney took a photograph to show the highest point in the continental U.S. to the powers in Washington DC. I softened the peaks and blurred sections of the photo to mimic old lense capabilties and washed it in a silver process with sepia toning.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

A Friendly Reminder

So, we'll be heading up to Mammoth for a week. There are few places that can match the Eastern Sierra's for scenery on a grand scale. and trying to capture the emotion you feel upon looking at a vista can be a challenging pursuit. Often times, I'm disappointed with my landscapes because they lack the drama of the real thing.

Rather than fretting, I make sure not to overlook the small stuff. Whether it be a pollen laden bee, or an interesting pattern in a rock, I always take the time to look in places that I might normally not for a good vacation photo.

This photo was taken while I was brushing my teeth in a campground on the Kern River. I looked down in the sink basin and thought I saw the backflow holes moving. Now, granted, I'm having some eye issues, and I was pre-coffee at that moment, but I knew I wasn't hallucinating when a happy little head popped out to say good morning. Apparently, frog's live in the backflow pipes in order to keep moist in the low humidity of the Sierra's. A simple, uncluttered shot, it's one of my favorites for it's fun-factor!