Catching up.....

It’s been awhile since we returned from the Sequoia’s and we’ve been busy with a show and clients as well as Thanksgiving. That’s my excuse for not posting ….

It’s now December in Tucson and today we hit right around 80 degrees! Getting ready for a trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon where it’s expected to have a mixture of rain and snow. I’ll be up there for about three days attempting to capture a decent panorama for a client back in Tucson. I just picked up Mamiya’s newest 28mm wide angle lens and am really excited about using it there. I figure I can stand three days of rain and snow if it’ll help me get the shot I’m after. I’m also thinking that I might head over to Stovepipe Wells Death Valley for a day or two as I have yet to capture any sand dunes using medium format.

All in all not a bad way to finish up this year.

I’ll make an attempt to post again before the New Year, however in case I don’t, Sandy & I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday. Seeing as how I’m not one to be politically correct – MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!


Sandy & Don

Return to the Sequoias

We liked what we saw so much in September that we decided to make a return visit to Sequoia National Park in October. This time we stayed at the Lodgepole Campground instead of a motel further down the road. No, we didn’t do the tent thing, we stayed in our Lance Pickup camper that includes among other things a queen size bed, cooking, bathing and much needed heat.

We had decided before we left Sequoia in September that we’d return in October to catch the Fall colors and with any hope a little snow. Watching the forecast we saw it was calling for 50% snow on Saturday (10/13) so we decide to pack our gear and head out of Tucson for the Sequoias. We left Tucson stopping overnight in Burro Creek and then Horse Creek Campgrounds getting to the Lodgepole Campground on Sunday October 14th. Weather forecast had been changed. No snow and no promise of snow, but all was not lost. Monday we were blessed with clear, sunny skies that we took advantage of in getting some beautiful fall color images. The weather changed Monday night and went down hill turning very cold – too cold to snow but not too cold for rain. We found ourselves Tuesday (10/16) with slight drizzle low ceilings, cold, and fog. Okay we didn’t get the snow we wanted but our second wish was for fog and we got plenty. Tuesday was spent shooting a combination of fog and fall colors, another great day.

By Wednesday we felt that it was a good idea to come off the mountain and head home as we had a show to get ready for in November (3rd and 4th). We might not have gotten the snow we wanted but we also know that we’ll be in the neighborhood in February when we visit Carmel and Big Sur so there’s still a chance.

You’ll notice that the gallery containing Sequoia National Park has been split into summer and fall. Summer images are done and most of the fall images have been loaded as well. We plan to eventually include spring and winter images but that may take awhile.

So, go visit the images, if you see one you like please vote on it. If you see one you really like, buy it!

Enjoy

Sandy & Don

Las Vegas and Sequoia National Park

I guess it’s time to catch up with things if we ever expect anyone to -
a. read this, and
b. maybe drop a line.

We went to Las Vegas earlier this month for Photoshop World 2007. Learned a couple things and in general walked away with a couple new ways to see/do things with our images. While we liked what we saw and did during the workshop we wish we could say the same for Las Vegas. Las Vegas is just too (fill in the blank) busy, noisy, crowed, expensive, big. Guess we're getting old but we have very fond memories of being able to afford to eat in Las Vegas. Okay the day of the .99 cent breakfast maybe over but com on guys, we still have to eat! More ranting to follow …

Left Las Vegas on Sunday the 9th headed to Three Rivers CA and the Sequoia National Park. Spent three days here and just fell head over heels in love/lust with the Sequoias. In researching this great place we read that in the very early days when logging was being done, a logging supervisor counted the rings on a recently cut Sequoia and after finding it was a couple thousand years old (YEAH that’s right 2,000 years old) he quite being a logger, lobbied to protect the trees and later became one the first superintendents of the newly formed Sequoia National Park. These trees are beautiful and MASSIVE. There’s a sign in the park that equates one Sequoia to three, yes 3 fully loaded jumbo jets. We’re talking a lot of weight. And age …. These are the oldest living things on the face of the planet. We’re talking in excess of 3,300 years! To help put it into better perception, it is currently 2007 that means some of these trees are older by some 1,293 years! Go to the Sequoia Galley and see just a very small portion of what these beautiful trees look like, better yet, plan a trip to visit Sequoia National Park, Sequoia National Monument, and Kings Canyon – all in California.

We liked it so much we’re headed up there in a couple weeks, this time we plan to stay at the Lodgepole campground in our truck camper.

See ya!

Sandy & Don