Who goes to San Francisco and not photography the Golden Gate. I have travelled there a number of times now and never miss an opportunity to photograph this bridge. It has so many moods where it be sunrise, sunset, after dark, fog, clear skies or clouds. I personally like the time after sunset when the lights come on and the if there is a little high cloud it lights up with the city lights as a backdrop.

It was a warm saturday evening and folks and families lined vantage point after vantage point from Marin Headlands all the way down to the Bridge to watch the sun go down and watch the lights, light up the bay, while enjoying a beer or glass of wine. The local radio ” 107.7 The Bone” station played the song “Lights” by Journey right as the sun was disappearing over the horizon. Journey being a band originally from San Francisco and “Lights” a tune about San Francisco Bay. It was a perfect way to end a warm San Franciscan day. I never shot the sunset, I just parked the car and stood on the edge of the road looking out over the San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean pondering my last few days of the trip, what I had seen, where I had travelled and what my family was doing the other side of the planet …

After all that …. What did you expect me to do, call it night, no freakin way … I cracked the camera open and started shooting

Enjoy …. and yes its a stitch … 8 image …

Had a play with the Canon 1D Mrk IV tonight and yeah its nice, but too much of a brick to carry round on landscape shoots. Shutter does sound sweet (finally) and while it only had the 200mm f/4 lens attached it did focus very very fast accurate. Never tested the HD movie mode, but with the firmware upgrades the Canon 5D Mrk II will get next year it will be just fine.

The completely new 45-point AF system, with 39 f /2.8 sensitive cross-type points was interesting to use and I can see where it will be very beneficial to most. For me not so much as I am at present manually focusing selective points through “Live View” so is it really needed, nope … for now.

The dynamic range is supposed to be better and thats something I am always looking for, no one wants limitations and we’d all like to drop those filters in the bin one day. In the end I’m sticking with the 5D Mrk II is doing just fine and once that gets an upgrade to the mrk III the dynamic range will be improved along with file size, which I hope is around 30-32mb. What I really did like was the Canon Powershot S-90, that is one SWEET ASS point and shoot camera … I want one! 10mb and it shoots RAW … thats sweet for those times when that damn Coyote will not stand long enough for me to set up the main camera ….

This hands on review was not by any means technical, just my hands on observation from the limited time I had with the camera. Thanks to Ben @ Team Digital for the free camera sensor and body clean, she’s looking like new again, and invite to the Canon night …

My next purchase Its a sweet sweet camera and I could not believe the quality of the images this puppy took …

Another perspective of the falls north of San Francisco. Glad I ventured up there as I was having second thoughts after being told about some nice beach locations a lot closer to where I was at the time. Those locations will have to wait for another visit. Would love to be in a position to photograph areas like this at a moments notice, yes I am having scenic withdrawals already.

After The Rains

Arriving to a somewhat dry Yosemite National Park, we experienced a day of continual rain none stop rain from 5.30am till after 6pm. While a day was lost to photographic opportunities, the BIG FAT UPSIDE was the day after the rains the waterfalls, creeks and rivers where running at good heights and the photo ops went through the roof. Needless to say Luke and Myself when absolutely banana’s shooting for the next few days … With so much stunning scenery surrounding you, you just want to capture every possible vantage point, regardless if they make it to a portfolio or not, in the end I really only care enough to take the images I will in years to come remind me of memories of a stunning place.

Heres my attempt and capturing the grandeur of the valley walls that rise all around you.

Borrowed 300mm lens with 1.4 shot at 420mm, Thanks Mark

Recently had the pleasure of shooting with one of my favorite photographers, Brian Rueb. While I had been reading and checking out his work for some years now, being on shoot with him was like being in one of his little adventure stories.

Finishing up a morning shoot and breakfast of french toast, bacon, eggs, biscuits and chicken apple sausage at Lake Tahoe, I knew I had a long long drive in front of me. Around a hour or so round the south west side of the Lake, up over Donna Summit, through a hand full of small downs on back roads before hitting the interstate 5 for a 3 hour trek north to dump my bags and drive around another hour to the shoot location. What I did not plan on was a snow storm on the way up and over Donna Summit. Hairy shit when a large haul truck jackknifes in front of you on icy roads … This snow storm and reduced speed easily added for a couple of hours to the trip so starting out round 9am and arriving at the location shoot at 4.45pm when I should of been in the location at least 2 hours earlier made for a mad rush.

Arriving at Redding round 3.30pm I basically just found the first hotel by the freeway, drove in threw my bags in the room and took off. I had no time to spare and at least another 50 miles up the road to go …

In the end I arrived just about on time to meet Brian and his two boys waiting my the train tracks. After about a 1.3 mile hike in we arrive at what I can only saw was a location that blew my mind in its beauty, the fall colors, the gentle waterfalls and the quiet peaceful nature of the whole place. We shot for around 2 hours before light was fading and we had to make out 1.3 mile hike back … Brian it was an absolute pleasure to meet and shoot with you, I know we’ll hit another location sometime in the not to distant future.

Below is a 6 image stitch taken at 140mm of the smaller section of the falls. I liked this area because of the greenery and light mist that was playing through the falls and leaves. I tried to capture a few falling fall color leaves but they never showed up in the final captures …

Californian Waterfall Prints

Q. Well what do you photograph after photographing the most beautiful place you have ever photographed ?

A. First you drive around 60 miles before shooting a snow capped mountain against white clouds, take a power nap in the front seat of the car a long side the road just after midday. Then drive a further 30 or 40 miles to another waterfall and shoot the shit outta that one, before driving a further 50 miles for a feed and a motel room sleep.

What a freakin day, I saw no one at the first stop at the dawn shoot, 2 folks at lunch (both inside Burger Barn), no one along the side of the road where I napped and only 2 folks at these waterfalls with just a hand full of cars on the road the whole time … Yet I must of seen 3 of the most amazing scenes all day.

Heres a place that when I arrived from the top rim ( image coming ) looked a shit load like Danger Falls in NSW, then I trekked down and saw it was quite different. Another spring feed falls that would easily be a 150-200 feet high and maybe 400 or more feet wide. And just 2 million years old, The basalt is so soft that the falls will be 100 feet further back in just the next decade or two. Just 2 million years ago it was half a mile further down stream, blow my mind when I think of numbers like that ….

I love the effect of the falls seeping through the cracks of the volcanic rock to provide a almost soft curtain effect, 100 million gallons of fresh water flow over these falls every day, yet it is somewhat quiet and peaceful at these falls with little or no spray that is always a problem when shooting falls *insert Bridalveil Falls Yosemite* I was told about the circular wind that plays havoc with photographing these falls but I must of got lucky that afternoon/evening as there was no wind at all.

This puppy is going to print up so nice at 90 or more inches

Well all good things must come to an end …. for the time being that is

Spent the last few weeks driving round Northern California shooting locations from San Francisco across to Yosemite National Park and up to and near the Oregon/California State Line. Although this particular image was taken in Nevada … Spent a couple of hours this morning scanning through the raw files and I have a ton of them, more than first thought and a few captures I had almost forgotten I had taken.

Hard to know what set of images to start the post production work on, there are so many, from the time I landed we (Luke) dropped our bags at the motel and pretty much headed straight out to the first location on my list, to visiting the most beautiful place I have ever seen with Brian (see new header) and those gorgeous falls colors I had the privilege of seeing for the first time with Leon. So many locations some spent with 3 very cool photographers and some traveled alone. Tons of memories of being in the wilderness, I wish I could do it every month …. If your ever up round the Northern California way, check out Burger Barn just off Interstate 5. Brian those burgers are just too damn close to your home and we are still talking 50 miles ….

BEST BURGER ON THE PLANET PERIOD, END OF ARGUMENT! and I have eaten a shit load of burgers in my time, nothing comes close to this lady’s fare. I had 2

Spent a couple of photo op sessions at this particular location. Some with nice blue skies, white clouds with clear water and some with a fiery late sunset. I had been looking for this location for some time and finally found it. No where the steep hike down and up that I tried in 2008 when I came across the area, although the hike up in the dark is a little hairy.

Stunning blue skies and wispy white clouds during the day, fiery orange sky by evening, what more do you need … I may have a few images from this location for the portfolio as the light was changing so fast I have many alternative povs and colors …

Hiking after dawn around the Marin Headlands I came face to face, well maybe 40 feet away but still close enough that we locked eyes for a few moments.

We being myself and a Coyote … Was one of the most incredible experiences. Just me and not another soul around hiking between hills on the Marin Headlands or so I thought, when two hiking trails crossed and I was face to face with this beautiful animal. We locked eyes for more than a few moments it was incredible not scary at all. Such a calm experience, hard to explain. I guess we just knew each had things to do hat morning, acknowledging that at our brief meeting we carried on our different trails after a few moments. A fair bit bigger than I had thought up close, maybe it was a male?

Having seen countless hours of wildlife doco’s to actually see one with more than just a fleeting glance was incredible. Shot some pics of the majestic animal with my 200mm but by the time I lowered my camera bag slowly and quietly, removed the camera and changed lens and changed it was some 400 feet away maybe more. I shot a bunch of pics will have to see how a cropped version comes on. At one point it when it was almost out of view it turned around and sat, looked back in my direction and then was off into the trees …

I can definitely see how some photographers get hooked on wildlife photography ...

Well today I left lake Tahoe for the 3rd time in 3 years and it does not get any easier each time. So much to see and do and that the more I shot around the lake the more I find I could be shooting. I found a few new location to shoot another time on my way out to Truckie and Elizabeth Carmels Gallery. They have already been plotted on my future maps with little blur google pins.

Ran into a bit of a snow storm on the way through the mountains, hairy driving and watching a big rig jack knife right in front of you going down hill on icy roads at 20 miles an hr is NOT FUN … My first thoughts where, well here we go, this ain’t going to be fun …. He corrected and I stayed even further back from them on down …

Made it up to Northern California, just shy of the Oregon border at 3.30pm. No accom booked and was meeting one of my favorite photographers in 1hr. I still had another 50 miles to drive up the road … I was running so behind thanks to the snow storm.

First motel I saw, I checked in, literally threw my bag in the room and bailed. Straight up I5 no real idea of this location just some notes. Turned off an exit 50 miles further up the road and its 4.40 … I’m lost, took the wrong exit. Pulled into a burger stand (damn they smelt good) asked the very polite lady where is blah blah … she invited me in and proceeded to draw a map. Lady thats great and all, but shit I have less than 5 mins to be there. Back in the car I belt it up the street and find the location (sharp right I was told, more like a swtichback 180) anyway I arrive and meet Brian Rueb (very cool photographer and story teller, check his writings and images at Brian Rueb and his flickR page) I’ve been reading his stories for years and they just make me laugh and smile.

After our quick greet and meet we started the hike to the location … Shit I could of shot from the car boot, as I stepped out the drivers door there was opportunities right there … But we had to get this hike done 1.5 miles. As I am walking along I am thinking thats a photo op, there’s another one, another and another and so on and on.

We get to the end of the hike, I look down through the golden maple trees and I’m like FUCK ME!

Check the second vid, you’ll see why

Going back in the morning as all I shot this evening as 50 and 35mm stuff … tomorrow is 70-200mm stuff … OH YEAH its going to be so cool.

First vid and little pan of the location shoot one evening in Tahoe …

Second vid is a little pano of this evening …. Such a cool place, looking forward to going back in the morning for a few hours … Then onto a curtin falls a bit further up the road.

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Well I am well and truly in the midst of the trip to photograph some new landscape images for the portfolio at Spool Photography.

Things have gone well so far, although the continual wake up at 5/5.30am is taking its toll, when my eyes first open. I have to remind myself, no pain no gain and once you get to a location you quickly forget about wanting to go back to bed, its just not a option PERIOD!

Below is a pretty simple unedited short video from a spot a few mornings ago. I think most will recognize the location. On this particular morning Luke Austin shot with me, well kinda, he took off to the other side of the meadow and I was on the other so we will have very different pov’s. I think Luke was trying to shot as much as he could before his bus trip home just a few hours later …

Currently I am in Lake Tahoe  for the next few days. Last evening scouted the Bonsai Rock location. On the way back after dark had my first outside of a zoo experience with a Bear(s). Crossing hwy 28 after dark was Mother and cub making their way up the mountain, very very very cool. Sadly no pics as I was driving and had to slow down to let them cross I tried with snap a Iphone pic but shit Apple dropped the ball on the camera in the Iphone, its shocking in low light. This morning I headed up to a familiar spot Emerald Bay, watched another gorgeous sunset over Lake Tahoe with no one around, just me siting on a rock in the wilderness with Eagle Falls and a view overlooking this incredible lake. All one could hear was the morning birds, a deer or 2 in the bush and the waterfall, bliss.

Well we have strekky white clouds starting to appear, so no point sitting here, time to get back out there. You just never know when the next killer shot is, but the location is not sitting in from of a computer ….

Unedited movie