2014 Scenic Calendar Now Available!

The 2014 edition of my scenic calendar is now available through Zazzle!



Click here for more details and be sure to check Zazzle often for special discounts available throughout the holiday season!

Bill

Ride the Rockies!

Nana and I recently returned from Colorado where she participated in "Ride the Rockies", an endurance bicycle event that spanned 7 days, 545 miles and 22,000+ feet of climb, including the famous Wolf Creek Pass! She did this with good friend and fellow "Mud-Tribe" member, Sheryl Trent from Colorado!

Starting in Telluride on the June 9th, the ride wound through the southern Rockies ending in Colorado Springs on the 15th.  We stopped in the Moab, Utah area on the way out and hiked up to Delicate Arch for sunset.  The next morning, we hit Dead Horse Point for sunrise, followed shortly thereafter by a trip to Mesa Arch for golden hour light.

Here are some photos from the trip...


Delicate Arch near sunset...


Dead Horse Point at sunrise...


The goosenecks at Dead Horse Point bask in the dawn light...


Mesa Arch shortly after sunrise...


Great clouds at Mesa Arch...


Nana hits the road on the first leg of the ride, leaving Telluride in the early morning cold!


Sheryl leads the way into Durango on the third day!


Nana cruises the downhill outside Durango...


Sheryl is all smiles heading into Durango!


Nana is having a great ride in spite of the fact she was running a 101.5 degree fever along with a sinus infection!


Nana cruises down the back side of Wolf Creek Pass, at nearly 11,000'!

Several of the above rider images were taken with the new Canon EF 300 f/2.8L IS II lens loaned to me by Canon Professional Services for the event. I found this lens to be lightning fast on autofocus, razer sharp and wide open, produced a beautiful bokeh! Too bad I had to send it back when I was done with it but I just can't swing the $11,600 retail price!

Take care all and enjoy...

Bill

Canon EF 300 f/2.8L IS II...

I'm headed to Colorado to SAG for Nana during "Ride the Rockies", a 513 mile endurance bicycle event that runs from June 8th - 15th. We are stopping in Moab on the way out and plan to photograph in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park while there.

For the bicycle event, I contacted Canon's Professional Services group and borrowed the new EF 300 f/2.8L IS II lens.



This remarkable feat of engineering is said to be Canon's sharpest and fastest super telephoto lens ever. I can't wait to give it a try...

Stay tuned for photographs from our adventure!

Bill

Klamath Basin and Crater Lake...

I had the opportunity to head over to the Klamath Basin and Crater Lake this week with good friend and fellow photographer, John Gunther for some eagles and sunset photography. We were pleased to see many Bald Eagles and other raptors in the Klamath area but unfortunately, the best spot for close-ups was closed due to nesting eagles. So - most of our opportunities for photographs were from great distances. We still had a good time and saw many birds.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to head northwest to Crater Lake and see what the sunset might bring. There were some clouds building from the west so for a while it looked like it could prove to be a colorful one. But alas, as the sun set, the clouds killed all the color in the sky. But, we were still rewarded with beautiful scenery and good company.

Here are some of the fruits of our labors...


Mt. McLoughlin rises above the Klamath River...


Bald Eagle circles overhead...


Two Bald Eagles enjoy lunch atop a nearby telephone pole...


Crater Lake in the late afternoon light...


Crater Lake in the late afternoon light...


Our sunset never materialized...

Even though we never got a close to the eagles as we wanted and the promising sunset never came to fruition, we enjoyed a great day of photography...

Bill

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Nana and I send our very best Holiday Wishes to everyone...

Here's to good light in 2013!

Disneyland!

Nana and I had the opportunity to visit and photograph Disneyland this week during their holiday season. The lighting and decorations were spectacular as was the fun...


The famous Disneyland Castle!


The ferris wheel glows at dusk...


It's a Small World all lit up!

Merry Christmas All!

2013 Scenic Calendar Now Available!

My 2013 scenic calendar is now available through Zazzle!



Click Here to have a look!

Order now to assure shipping in time for the holidays! Check Zazzle's site for discounts offered throughout the holiday season...

Take care all,

Bill

CrashPlan...

As many photographers know, backing up our precious images is a major concern. Back in the days of negatives and transparencies (slides), we dutifully placed them in sleeves and cataloged them carefully in files so we could always get to them when we needed to. The most anal of us, wrote notes on the sleeves as to exposure information, etc. We also kept copious notes in a small spiral notebook that we carried in our pockets in the field so we would know that same information - where, when, f-stop, shutter speed, ASA (now ISO), focal length, etc.

Now days with modern digital cameras, EXIF data is written to each file with this same information - even GPS coordinates with some cameras if properly equipped. Some of us still take notes but usually not as often or as detailed. Now days, in lieu of file cabinets filled with negatives and transparencies, we have hard drives filled with image files. Each of us has some favorite method to cataloging and arranging our files so we can find them when we need them.

In both of the above scenarios, photographers face the possibility of a lifetime of hard work being damaged or destroyed if our images are not properly duplicated and copies stored in multiple locations. You can make as many backups of your image library as you want but if they are all stored in a central location, you face catastrophic loss if that location burns down or is otherwise damaged.

For this reason, let me introduce you to CrashPlan. CrashPlan is a cloud storage solution that allows you to store a sync'ed backup your entire digital photographic library online, on safe, secure servers that not only provide you with instant access but also provide unlimited storage for a reasonable price.

I know what you are saying - there are dozens of cloud storage solutions out there - why should I choose CrashPlan? I thought the same thing and looked at multiple options when searching for a place to put my image files. The feature which CrashPlan offers that no one else did was seeded backups! For a reasonable, additional fee, they send you a terabyte portable hard drive to copy your first backup set onto - saving you potentially hundreds of gigabytes of upload time (and bandwidth) to get all your files into the cloud. Once you get your backup onto their drive, simply send it back via the pre-paid FedEx box and they upload it to their servers locally. Once complete, turn on CrashPlan in the background on your computer of choice and it will keep your photo library up to date in the cloud. Go out on a shoot - offload your files to your computer - edit in Photoshop - whatever, CrashPlan will quietly and discretely upload all the new files and changes to the cloud.

CrashPlan's free software (Mac's, PC's and Linux) also offers local backup for no additional fee. Not only will it backup of all your selected data to the cloud but you can keep it sync'ed and backed up to another computer on your local network as well.

Now - when catastrophe strikes - your digital photo library is waiting, safely and securely for you when you get everything back under control. You can even have them send your backup files to you on a portable drive for reloading at your end in lieu of downloading the whole thing.

For more information - check out CrashPlan yourself. For an initial investment of around $150, you can have peace of mind that your entire image library is safe and secure in the cloud. After that, it's less than $50 a year to keep it backed up...

CrashPlan

Take care all...

Bill

2012 National Sheepdog Trials...

Nana and I had the opportunity to attend and photograph the National Sheepdog Trials, south of Klamath Falls, Oregon this week.  Handlers and their K-9 companions from all over North America travel to this area to compete in the trials.

It was fascinating to watch these dogs work their magic with the sheep.  The shrill whistles of the handlers result in instant obedience by the dogs, mostly Border Collies, who's energy levels will astound you...

Here are some shots...


Rounding the bend in hot pursuit...


Heading off the herd...


Rounding them up...


Waiting for the next command...


Patiently watching...


Successfully penned!


A nice cool down reward afterwards...

For more information, check out the following website:

2012 National Sheepdog Finals!

Take care all...

Bill

Pacific Northwest Road Trip...

I had the opportunity to explore several areas of the Pacific Northwest recently on a 10 day road trip. Nana was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Rainy Pass in Washington's North Cascades National Park to Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia, a distance of 79 miles. While she trudged through some of North America's most beautiful country, I took advantage of the location and photographed several iconic spots I had yet to visit...

North Cascades National Park...

Washington's Hwy 20 winds its way through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery anywhere as it passes through North Cascades National Park. While Nana and her friend trudged through this beautiful country on foot, I explored by car and photographed many new and wonderful locations. I also was able to visit the highest point in the state you can drive a car - Harts Pass and the Slate Peak Fire Lookout at an elevation over 7400'. This is the only point the PCT nears a road during this stretch. I was able to meet the gals on their second night on the trail and provide them with some BBQ'ed burgers, cold libations and good cheer!


Nana and Julie at the trailhead, Rainy Pass, Washington...


The PCT winds through the high elevation meadows near Harts Pass...


Hwy 20 through North Cascades National Park...


Colorful Fireweed leads the new growth in a burn area near Harts Pass...


Colorful Diablo Lake in the North Cascades...

Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan...

As I wandered north to position myself to be closer to the finish, I next explored the Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan areas. When I arrived, it was a perfect summer afternoon with wispy clouds. blue skies and lots of snow still present on the mountains. I fought the breezes for perfect reflections but managed to get a few shots when it calmed down enough...


Mt. Shuksan with some Fireweed in the foreground...


Mt. Baker basks in the afternoon sun...


Mt. Shuksan reflected in Picture Lake...


Mt. Baker reveals more of itself...

Mt. Rainier National Park...

After the successful conclusion of the hike, Nana, Julie and I wandered south from British Columbia to the Mt. Rainier area. We made our approach from the northeast entrance of the park near Chinook Pass and Tipso Lake. The weather was perfect as were the wildflowers. Mt. Rainier boasts one of the world's premier wildflower blooms in the parks and meadows on its flanks below timberline. We were not disappointed. The late spring storms made for a delayed bloom and spectacular displays everywhere you looked. It was like walking through the most beautiful garden you have ever seen, the smells heavenly. Unfortunately, as we made our way to the south side near Paradise, Mother Nature socked in the mountain for a couple of days but on day three, we were finally able to see it in all its glory. The fog and low clouds of the first 2 days did give me the opportunity to take some wonderful photographs of the flowers without the harsh light of the sun...


Tipso Lake wildflowers...


Wildflowers cling to the slopes below Paradise on Mt. Rainier...


Wildflowers cling to the slopes below Paradise on Mt. Rainier...


Mt. Rainer peeks through the clouds over Reflection Lake at dawn...


Mt. Rainier makes a brief appearance through the clouds at first light...


Wildflowers everywhere with the Tatoosh Range in the background...


The wildflowers were off the hook!!


Trail through the fog above Paradise...


Christine Falls...


Rolling meadows of wildflowers and the Tatoosh Range...


When the sun finally appeared, everything was just that much more beautiful!

Mt. Hood...

After Leaving Mt. Rainier, we headed south to Oregon and the Mt. Hood area. I had wanted to photograph this iconic peak reflected at sunset in Trillium Lake for some time. Conditions were very good with the exception of some drift smoke from one of the many wildfires plaguing the west...


Mt. Hood above Trillium Lake...


Mt. Hood at sunset above Trillium Lake...


Last light on Mt. Hood...

In the 10 days, I covered 2300+ miles and took many wonderful new photographs. All in all, it was a great trip and we made some new friends along the way!

Here's to good light!

Bill