Nature Light Photo

Photo of the Day – Mission San Antonio de Padua in HDR

Mission San Antonio de Padua

Mission San Antonio de Padua is located north of Paso Robles in the central coast region of California. It is largely restored to it’s original condition. This is the inside of the chapel from the back.

I had just seen an HDR of Trey Radcliff’s and was inspired to try to recreate it inside the chapel. Using five images each taken with a one stop difference, I put them together in Photomatix. I tried to get the look to be more real and not the surreal, painted affect that you see in most HDR images.

The image was taken with a Nikon D300 and  a Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 lens at 16mm. The exposure varied in duration, but the aperture was at f8 and the ISO was at 800.

Photo of the Week – Spider with Web

Spider with Web

I walked out of my back door and almost into this spider web. I grabbed my camera, set up the flash, and started playing with the light. Finally, I came up with this image.

It took some time to get the lighting right so that the spider was illuminated and the web was visible, but not prominent.

The image was taken with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 105 f2.8 micro lens. The exposure was for 1/60 of a second at f8 and an ISO of 1000.

Photo of the Week – Poppies and Grass

Poppies and Grass

While we had a lot of rain in SoCal during the past winter, the wildflower season was a bit of a disappointment. Even in the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, there were not a lot of poppies. I found these about a mile south of the reserve and liked the composition of the grass and the poppies together.

I looked for an angle that eliminatied anything in the background and had a nice mix of the grass and the poppies. There were lots of clouds and the light was changing constantly, so I waited until the light was behind a cloud. I also had to wait for the breeze to die down.

The picture was taken with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 18-70 f.5-4.5 lens at 70mm. The exposure was 1/50 of a second at f16 and an ISO of 400.

Photo of the Week – 365 Porsche Club

North/South California 365 Porsche Club Get Together

Driving though the foothills of the central California coast on a road where I almost never see another vehicle, I crested a hill and ran into the middle of about 50 of the nicest, well kept vintage Porsches I have ever seen. Usually, I drive looking for wildlife to shoot in the fields near the road or birds that sit on the fences, but this was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. When life gives you lemons,…

The light was fairly harsh, but with a little post production tweaking, I think the images came out nice. We talked for a few minutes before the group got back into their cars and began driving down the road. I stayed and tried to shoot each car as it went by.

While talking to them, I learned that they were going to have a concourse de elegance in Morro Bay the next day. I went and got some more shots there.

The image above was taken with a Nikon D300 and a Nkkor 18-70 3.5-4.5 lens at 70mm. The exposure was 1/200 of a second at f11 and an ISO of 200.

Photo of the Week – Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to fly over Hearst Castle with a life long friend who passed away earlier this year. This is one of the shots I got on that flight. Looking at it reminds me of him.

The image was taken with a D300 and a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 lens at 90mm. The exposure was 1/320 of a second at f9 and an ISO of 1000.

Photo of the Week – Painted Hills Shadows

The Hills Have Shadows

Taken on an extended trip through Northern California and Southern Oregon, this picture of the Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Bed National Monument. The sun was setting and I was looking for an image that captured the feeling of being there. I liked the patterns of the zig-zaging shadows and the texture of the soil.

The picture was taken with a Nikon D70 and a Nikkor 18-70mm 3.5-4.5 lens at 70mm. The exposure was 1/90 of a second at f6.7 and an ISO of 200.

Photo of the Week – Oak Branches in the Fog

Oak Branches in the Fog

Shot in Atascadero, CA during a really foggy morning, I liked the way that the branches weren’t really defined and produced a nice pattern.

The image was taken with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 18-70mm f3.5-4.5 lens at 70mm. The exposure was for 1/200 of a second at f5.6 and an ISO of 200.

Photo of the Week – Santa Rosa Plateau Garter Snake

Garter Snake on the Santa Rosa Plateau

Every spring, after the rains, the Santa Rosa Plateau comes alive with life. The vernal pools are full, the wildflowers are blooming, and the wildlife are coming out of hibernation.

The garter snake population is particularly active and in the middle of mating season. They seem to hang out at the edge of the vernal pools; the thicker females can have as many as 10-15 males around them at a time.

As you walk the boardwalk over the vernal pool, a snake might pop up from the bottom for a breath of air and swim on the surface for a minute or two. That’s what this little guy was doing before he disappeared toward the bottom again.

The image was taken with a Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 lens at 200mm. The exposure was for 1/320 at f8 and an ISO of 640.

Photo of the Week – Roots in Jedediah Smith State Park

Roots in Jedediah Smith State Park

Jedediah Smith State Park is one of the most beautiful places in the state of California and, as far as I’m concerned, an place I’ve been.

This roots of a fallen redwood now support a multitude of fungi, ferns, lichens, and a host of small animals. They also make an interesting image.

The picture was taken with a Nikon D70 and a Nikkor 18-70 3.5-4.5 lens at 18 mm. The exposure was for 1/15 of a second at an aperture of 3.5 and an ISO of 800.

Photo of the Week – Remembering Today

Today is a day to remember those who allow us to fly our flag high above what we have and be thankful for our freedom.

Thank you to all who served and all of those presently serving.

Be safe.