Dunes (Death Valley 2010)

Dunes, Branch - Death Valley  2010

Dunes, Clouds - Death Valley  2010

Photos taken around 10:00 AM. It was interesting to view the dunes during an overcast sky.

Monday Rabbit Blogging

Jackrabbit - Death Valley  2010

Walking around the desert hills surrounding the Texas Springs campground.

Sandstorm (Death Valley 2010)

Sandstorm, Clouds - Death Valley  2010

Sandstorm and Clouds - Death Valley  2010

It seems that the last time I was in Death Valley was in April, 2010. I was using a Nikon D90 DSLR at the time. I remember being pushed around by the wind as I took some photos of the sandstorm taking place in the valley below. 

I guess that I should consider going back, but I'd be worried about the crowds. 

Campground - Death Valley  2010

Sage, Hills (Death Valley 1984)

Sage, Hills, Clouds - Death Valley  1984

Sage, Hills - Death Valley  1984

As I've said before, I label all desert plants as "sage," even though that's most likely not correct.

It's interesting that there are no 35mm negatives taken on this trip. Just medium format film. I should have brought my Olympus OM-1 SLR, but I didn't. 

Dry Lake Bed (Death Valley 1984)

Rocks, Lake Bed - Death Valley  1984

Rocks, Lake Bed, Mountains - Death Valley  1984

I'd like to think that these photos were taken at the famous "Racetrack" in Death Valley. But probably not, since the celebrated moving rocks there are not on any of the other photos on the roll. 

Also, I guess you can notice in the above photos that one sky is clear, and the other one has clouds. This is the result of my experimenting with Photoshop's sky replacement feature. I wouldn't consider using it on a regular basis, but the skies in the scans definitely needed help, being completely covered in dust spots and scratches. The replacement skies were too digitally perfect, so I had to add some digital noise to them.

Below, a 1977 35mm photo definitely taken at the Racetrack.

Rock, Racetrack - Death Valley  1977

Sand Dunes (Death Valley 1984)

Sand Dunes, Clouds - Death Valley  1984

Sand Dunes, Plants - Death Valley  1984

Probably taken in early morning (best time to avoid footprints). 

Road, Clouds / Charcoal Kilns (Death Valley 1984)

Road, Clouds - Death Valley  1984

I must have been in a medium/large format film period at the time. All the 1984 Death Valley photos were taken using 120 roll film, which would supposedly result in reduced film grain. So it's interesting that the above photo certainly has a lot of visible grain. Maybe it got overdeveloped?

Below: a photo of my brother Joe hanging out in one of the charcoal kilns just off Emigrant Canyon Road.

Joe, Charcoal Kiln - Death Valley  1984

Aguereberry Point (Death Valley 1984)

Aguereberry Point Road - Death Valley  1984

In 1984 my brother Joe and I took one of our trips to Death Valley - for the scenery and the overall enjoyment of being in the desert. 

Here's one of the photos from that trip, taken as we drove to the viewpoint at Aguereberry Point. (There's an earlier 1973 photo of the same area already posted on the blog.)

Monday Coyote Blogging

Coyote - Marin County  2024

Drinking some water from a rain pool on the fire road up the street. Luckily I had an Olympus E-M1II camera with a 14-150mm zoom lens that gave me some extra reach.

Clouds, Trees

Tree, Clouds (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Branches, Clouds (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

iPhone and Olympus photos near our house in Fairfax.

Santa Cruz 1984

Palmist - Santa Cruz  1984

Sea Food - Santa Cruz  1984

So . . . Santa Cruz? Maybe. Could be Pismo Beach, I guess. Alas, no extra surrounding photos on the contact sheet for context. Photos taken using a Mamiya twin-lens reflex.

Morning Walk Sightems

Madrone, Oaks, Fog - Marin County  2024

Fire Road, Rock, Tree - Marin County  2024

This is my more strenuous morning walk, up the fire road to some water tanks.

Clouds, Branches

Redwoods, Clouds (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Oak Branches (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Top photo of trees in back of our house taken with a small Canon G5XII. The bottom one taken with a much larger Nikon Z7II.

January Sightems

Mount Tamalpais - Marin County  2024

Moon - Marin County  2024

Early morning photos taken last January.

Winter Fog

Buckeyes, Redwoods, Fog (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Oak Branches, Fog (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Top: Canon G5XII. Next: Nikon Z7II.

Monday Snowy Plover Blogging

Snowy Plover (Limantour Beach) - Point Reyes  2024

Little bird, hopping around not that far from the camera. Turns out that it was in the midst of some By-The-Wind sailors, maybe deriving some benefit by being there. 

I saw a Peregrine Falcon in a Snowy Plover nesting area in 2016.

Limantour Beach Waves

Waves, Cliffs - Point Reyes  2024

Waves - Point Reyes  2024

There was a stiff breeze pummeling the tops of the waves.

Dune

Dune Poster (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Dune Theater Interior (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

I think that there were a few people sitting in back of me, maybe. A new experience for sure: reclining seats! Wow!

This was Dune II . . . I had seen Dune I on Netflix already. I liked it well enough . . . it's probably better than the book anyway. 

I remember seeing the Dune recommendation in the 1968 Whole Earth Catalog when I was in Berkeley at the time. "The metaphor is ecology. The theme revolution."

Limantour Marsh

Limantour Marsh - Point Reyes  2024

Crossing a bridge over the marsh in order to get to the beach. 

Giacomini Wetlands

Grass, Fence, Barn - Marin County  2024

Wetlands - Marin County  2024

 Some photos taken on a return trip to Point Reyes March 30. 

Abbotts Lagoon Sightems

Lagoon, Ranch Buildings - Point Reyes  2024

Log - Point Reyes  2024

March 7th photos, taken with a Nikon Z7II.