Here are a few more of the rocks and minerals I found on display in the Mining and Ranching building of the Angels Camp Museum. Borates are crystallized salts that contain boron. They are used in many different applications, from fertilizing plants to forming heat-resistant glass and fiberglass insulation. They’re most heavily concentrated in dry, waterless environments like California’s Mojave […]
You may remember a couple of weeks ago I published a post about the California State Mining Museum in Mariposa and mentioned that I wished I could find a mineral museum nearer to where I live. Well, it just so happens that I did find a very nice if small collection of minerals from various places around the world on […]
Sometimes I have to look really hard to find the beauty that inspires me to use my camera. And other times, the beauty just pops up at me unexpectedly, where I least expect it. Like the oleanders I had just trimmed and tossed into the green waste bin. Or the late afternoon sun glowing orange on the side of a […]
One reason I enjoy staying at the Fort Ross Lodge is the open field between the motel buildings and the ocean cliffs. There is plenty of room to wander and enjoy the view without risking your life along the narrow, winding road that is Highway 1. Our previous stay here was back in November 2020, and while the natural area […]
I’ve shared photos of tafoni before, but there are so many incredible variations that I never get tired of looking at them. Portions of Salt Point State Park (including the area of Gerstle Cove) are fairly covered in tafoni. I sometimes find it hard to tear my eyes away from these natural works of art long enough to enjoy the […]
It’s been an interesting spring, and I’ve been shooting a lot of pictures. So sometimes it’s nice to go back a bit and share some of the images that I may have overlooked the first time around. Even the ones that aren’t so great have good memories attached to them. I shot these photos with my 600mm lens at Clear […]
I’ve played around with this fun photo editing website a few times now since I first discovered it in January this year, and I do like some of the finished products. But I’ve also realized a couple of things. I can’t help wishing there were more options. Although there are nearly 40 different cool effects to choose from, after using […]
Even when you plan a photography outing with specific goals in mind, it’s always the little surprises that make the trip especially memorable.
Lately it seems like everybody in my area is going crazy over the purple lupine at Folsom Lake, so naturally I had to go and find some alternative wildflowers. Besides the Douglas iris which I found near Gualala growing almost as thick as the lupine at Folsom, there were so many other shapes and colors. Some of them were familiar […]