Sunrise - Mt. Tamalpais

Sunrise, Mt. Tamalpais - Lake Lagunitas  2026

Taken last January . . . an iPhone photo. The iPhone software has a tendency towards HDR-like dramatic photos . . . although I can't remember now how realistic this rendition is. 

Mt. Tamalpais

Mt. Tamalpais, Morning Clouds - Marin County  2026

Nice clouds! Taken with a Nikon Z7II using a 24-200mm lens.

Oaks, Sunrise

Oaks, Sunrise - Marin County  2026

Oaks, Sunrise - Marin County  2026

On the way to Lake Lagunitas, stopping near the Sky Oaks entry station. 

Morning Clouds / Rainbow

Morning Clouds - Marin County  2026

Rainbow - Marin County  2026

Evanescent phenomena, as they like to say. 

Top, Sony RX100, bottom, iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Rainwater / Sun on Trees

Rainwater Pipe (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Sun on Trees (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Top taken with an iPhone, bottom with a Sony RX100.

Red Hill

Red Hill (Owens Valley) - Inyo County  1976

Looks to be an early sunrise photo (based on the shadows). There's an earlier photo of the cone on the blog taken in 2022.

Mt. Diablo

Mt. Diablo, Sunrise (from Sky Oaks) - Marin County  2026

In 2013 I was able to take a photo of Mt. Diablo from an airplane. Wow!

Bishop Morning

Alpenglow - Bishop  2025

Taken during an early morning walk around Bishop. I passed by a large vacant lot featuring some large cottonwood trees, then I noticed the Los Angeles sign.

I've seen those L.A. signs before.

City of Los Angeles Property - Bishop  2025

 

Coast Camp - Early Morning

Coyote Bush, Moon - Point Reyes  2025

Tent (without tent fly) - Point Reyes  2025

Pre-sunrise photos taken with an iPhone using a headlamp. Once there was enough light I started to pack up. It was supposed to be another hot day, but the fog started rolling in to cool things off.

Backpack, Fog - Point Reyes  2025

Eucalyptus - 2025

Figwort, Eucalyptus - Point Reyes  2025

Eucalyptus, Sunrise - Point Reyes  2025

Both photos taken with a Nikon Z7II.

I used an iPhone for the "figwort" ID. Could be!

Bottom photo was taken early in the morning . . . the sun put in a brief appearance before the fog rolled in.

Monterey Bay Sunrise

Sunrise - Monterey County  2025

Before I return to Marin I like to pay a morning visit down to the bay near the Coast Guard Station. This time the view over the bay was scenic as always, but not quite so serene. What noise! The beach that I was used to walking on had been taken over by a large colony of sea lions! Photo tomorrow.

Ritter, Banner (Campsite View) - 1989

Sunset, Mt. Ritter, Banner Peak, Shadow Creek - Sierra Nevada  1989

1989: Kay found an excellent campsite, dry, up and away from Shadow Creek, and overlooking the famous Rain Trip Meadow. Nice location for sunset photos!

Also could be used for early morning alpenglow photos. Mike returned to the same area in 2010 to get the image below of Ritter and Banner illuminated by the rising sun.

Sunrise, Mt. Ritter, Banner Peak, Shadow Creek - Sierra Nevada  2010

Mt. Tamalpais, Lake Reflections

Mt. Tamalpais, Sunrise (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Branches, Reflections (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Two photos from last February.

December Clouds

Storm Clouds (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Tree, Clouds, Sunrise (Fairfax) - Marin County  2024

Both photos taken with a Sony RX100.

Takayama Sightems #2: Miyagawa River, Morning Market

Miyagawa River, Sunrise (Takayama) - Japan  2024

Morning Market (Takayama) - Japan  2024

We bought something at the market, but I can't remember what.

EDIT: Per Hali, in the comments: "We got some dried Persimmons, fresh Apples, and Pastries. I think there was one more thing, but I can't remember now."

Okawa River

Hotel View, Sunrise, Okawa River (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Sculling, Okawa River (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Our hotel in Osaka had an impressive view of the river below and the skyline in the distance. Lots of sculling taking place on the river!

Also, there was a nice walking path alongside the river with some modern sculptures on view.

Reflective Sculpture, Self-Portrait (Osaka) - Japan  2024

Mt. Diablo

Mt. Diablo from Sky Oaks Road (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Every time I drive up to Lake Lagunitas I pause for a moment at this spot to see if I can spot Mt. Diablo. Usually I can't, but this time I could! Rolled down the window and took this photo using a Nikon Z7II.

Campsite

Campsite (Big Trees Campground) - Sierra Nevada  2024

I last camped in this area in 2017.  Then, as now, the drive from Marin County to the campgrounds west of Bishop was quite long and tiring. (And this year I wasn't able to enter Yosemite until noon - a further delay.)

Back in 2017 I found a nice campsite in the Forks Campground. So I drove there first. But this year the campsites were either taken or reserved. Yikes! So I followed my pre-trip plan and drove down to the next campground. This was the Big Trees Campground and . . . I found a fairly pleasant campsite!

But then: registration, setting up of the tent, blowing up the Thermarest, getting out the sleeping bag, loading groceries into the bear box . . . lots to do. The camp host had to help me figure out the tent's rain fly pole; I had forgotten that it had an odd configuration (back to front.)

Photo was taken with the iPhone at 7:30 in the morning, the campground still in shade but the sun hitting the mountains in the distance.

Kalispell Motel

Motel Window View (Kalispell) - Montana  2024

Toyota, Recycle Plant (Kalispell) - Montana  2024

Usually the motels I visit are located on the outskirts of towns. Not this one though. (As far as I could see, there isn't a "motel row" in Kalispell.)

 A large recycle plant was situated on the other side of the motel parking lot . . . lots of noise and little pieces of fluff floating in the air. A big Volkswagen dealership on the other side.

I was able to do a few early morning walks though.

Morning Walk (Kalispell) - Montana  2024

Monterey Bay Sunrise

Rocks, Bay - Monterey County  2024

Sunrise, Bay - Monterey County  2024

Following my usual routine in Monterey. Quick drive over for photos of Monterey Bay at sunrise.