In my last post, I talked about some of the wildlife one can expect to find in the Mojave Desert on a hot summer day.  As it happens, that’s really only a small fraction of the diversity you’re bound to see.

After photographing birds, reptiles and insects, we headed over to my secret bighorn sheep location in hopes of finding at least one species of charismatic megafauna.  My spot did not disappoint: within about 20 minutes, I spotted a bighorn sheep ewe high on a rock, overlooking the landscape.

The Sentinel, July 2010

The ewe let us walk closer to her, probably because (a) she had a good view of us, and (b) it was too hot for her to care.  Because of her cooperation, I was able to make closer images, especially using my friend’s 800mm lens.

Desert Bighorn Sheep, July 2010

After about 10 minutes, another sheep walked up to join the one we had been photographing.  I made a few more images, then left, so as to not stress them out too much–especially on a hot day!  To see all of my desert bighorn sheep images, click here.

The Sentinel's relief, July 2010

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Last week, a friend and I headed out to Joshua Tree National Park in search of summer wildlife.  There’s no doubt the desert is not a fun place in July–we started the first of three hikes in 80+ degree temperatures and ended up hiking in 100+ degrees, but it was a productive trip.

We started the day near the Black Rock Campground in hopes of finding Scott’s Orioles to photograph.  We did see several orioles, but they buzzed by at top speed, with no interest in stopping for us to photograph them.  Instead, we did find several very accommodating Ash-throated Flycatchers, and I got some nice shots of these pleasant birds.  To see all of my Ash-throated Flycatcher images, click here.

Ash-throated Flycatcher, July 2010

After spending a couple of hours hiking in this area, we headed over to the 49 Palms Oasis trail, which is a fantastic place to photograph Chuckwallas and Collared Lizards.  We weren’t successful in finding many Chuckwallas, but we did find a few flashy and cooperative Collared Lizards.  These are some of my favorites, and I was very happy to find some that were so willing to let us photograph them.  To see all of my Collared Lizard images, click here.

Great Basin Collared Lizard, July 2010

Great Basin Collared Lizard, July 2010

When its over 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, its easy to see why these heat-loving lizards would seek refuge in the bushes rather than the rocks–its much cooler!  Even in the upper photo, you can see the lizard’s toes lifted off the rock–presumably they stay cooler this way.

After these two very hot hikes, we headed into the main part of the park to look for antelope ground squirrels and dragonflies.  No squirrels were to be found, but we did find a scavenger-like scrub jay, as well as several dragonflies, including a new one for me: red saddlebags.

Western Scrub Jay, July 2010

Red Saddlebags, July 2010

In addition to this, we found several desert bighorn sheep (future post), and a few other cool things.  Despite the heat, it was a great day in our local National Park!

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Yesterday, I arrived in one of my favorite national parks: Zion.  Nothing screams summer to me quite like splashing through the pools and climbing on the sandstone in this wonderful national park.  I’m meeting some friends in hopes of descending a couple of technical slot canyons, and despite the ropes, harnesses and dry bags, I’m going to try to throw my SLR in as well.  I’m also hoping to take a day to hike up the Narrows of the Virgin River in hopes of getting some shots of the river, red rock walls, and green spring foliage.  However, that part of the plan may be cancelled…

Due to heavy snowfall in the high country all around the west this winter, all of our rivers and streams are flowing higher than normal; the Virgin River is no exception.  As of 6/9, the Virgin River in Zion is flowing at 190 cubic feet per second (cfs); the park service won’t even let people into the Narrows unless the flow is below 120 cfs.  However, the stream flow rate has been dropping steadily, and I’m confident I’ll be able to get into the Narrows.  Also, please don’t get me wrong; I’d much rather have to scrap a photo trip than have no water in the park.  The drought is far from over in the western US, but every little bit does help.

So, here’s to the Virgin River.  Have a fantastic weekend!

Virgin River, Zion National Park, January 2010

To see all of my images from Zion National Park, click here.

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I took this photo over Memorial Day weekend when I got up early to photograph the morning light on Mammoth Mountain.  I loved the light on this rugged peak very much, and I like the way the light contrasts with the sagebrush in the foreground.  However, I do not know the name of this peak…can you help?

The mountain-whose-name-is-unknown is visible from California 203 (its south of the highway), not far from the junction with US 395.  Any help is appreciated.  If you can’t help, then at least enjoy the image!

Morning light in the Sierra Nevada, May 2010

To see all of my photographs from the Sierra Nevada, click here.

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Despite the fact its one of the more cliché and popular mountains in the Sierra, Mammoth Mountain is one of my favorites.  Why?  For starters, its a very tectonic hill.

Mammoth is a lava dome complex that is known primarily for the large ski area that bears the same name.  Mammoth Mountain was formed in a series of eruptions that ended 57,000 years ago. However, it still produces hazardous volcanic gases that kill trees and have caused ski patroller fatalities in 2006.

In addition to being very active geologically, Mammoth is also well known for its unusually high amount of snowfall–about 400″ annually.  In the summer, mountain bikers take over the mountain, with the Kamikaze downhill run being very popular.

Mammoth Mountain at dawn, May 2010

To see all of my photographs from the Sierra Nevada, click here.

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A while ago, David Leland Hyde asked a simple question, “Why are you a landscape photographer?” I offered my answer, and I even blogged (loosely) on it, but the answer didn’t truly dawn on me until today.

While on a hike this afternoon, we found a carcass of a gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus).  Watching it lay in the grass, I immediately saw in my mind’s eye an evocative black and white photo.  More than that, though, I saw myself.  You see, regardless of how much I work to prolong my life, I will undoubtedly eventually meet the same fate as that fox.  In other words, I will eventually become part of the landscape.

So, perhaps in the same way that other people document their family tree, I photograph landscapes because I want to document my family tree.  My ancestors.  Those who roamed the land before I did.  In this way, I am realizing my sense of place, and am making my connection with the land tangible.

Gray Fox, June 2010

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Yesterday I went hiking near my home in the Santa Ana Mountains, which are a short, peninsular, mountain range found along the southern California coast.  I had a couple of hikes in mind, but on the urging of a friend, was excited to visit a local waterfall.

Upper cascade of San Juan Falls, June 2010

San Juan Creek begins in the southern Santa Ana Mountains, a few miles northwest of Lake Elsinore. Its highest elevation is 5,100 feet (1,600 m) above sea level. Paralleling the Ortega Highway (California State Route 74) the creek flows erratically south, west and occasionally northwest. In the furthest upper reaches of the watershed, the creek is typically ephemeral. The creek channel in the uppermost few miles is a narrow mountain stream with many rapids and waterfalls, which include a series of large 5-to-15-foot cascades, known as San Juan Falls.

I was able to spend about 25 minutes with the falls before the sun peeked over the horizon, making photography difficult.  Hope you enjoy these photos!

Upper cascade of San Juan Falls, June 2010

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Unbeknownst to you, I’ve been hard at work making some important behind-the-scenes changes to the website.  Those changes aren’t so behind-the-scenes any more though, because they’ve resulted in a few really cool upgrades.

First of all, I’ve made the entire site more interactive by removing the simple menu bar and replacing it with a Spry menu that had drop-down features.  Now, no matter where you’re at on the site, navigating somewhere else should be easier.  The menu bar is also now at the top of each page, so you don’t have to scroll all the way to the bottom to navigate.

The first change involved most of my time, but it isn’t the coolest.  I’ve separated images into two groups.  I still have all the images (and layout) you’re used to in the Image Library, but I’ve set a select few images aside in a series of Portfolios.  I have a landscape portfolio, one for flora and fauna, and one of my personal favorite images (with commentary!).   I’ve tried to keep the layout simple, while still leaving it functional and user-friendly.

Check out the new changes and tell me what you think!

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With our recent trip to the Sierra, I’ve been thinking of revisiting some photos that I’ve taken previously.  One that comes to mind is a panorama of Lone Pine Peak and Mt. Whitney (the ‘Whitney Crest’) from the Alabama Hills that I took last fall.  I shot this shortly after sunrise, and after shooting Mobius (Galen’s) Arch in the predawn light.  As one person noted, this is one of my favorite views.  Indeed.

Click on the photo to enjoy this image big.  It would, of course, look better hanging over your couch!

Whitney Crest at dawn, October 2009

Photographic notes: It is a panoramic image created from 5 horizontal frames.  I processed the RAW images twice, once for the highlights, and once for shadows, and blended the two resulting panos using luminosity masks.

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June’s photo of the month comes from one of my favorite summer places–Mono Lake.  Located at the base of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, Mono Lake is one of the few remnants of Ice Age lakes in the West that is still a year-round lake. The lake has persisted for more than 730,000 years, but faces an uncertain future from both natural and man-made causes. The lake is very alkaline and since 1941, has become moreso, due to the diversion of freshwater springs into the Los Angeles aqueduct. By 1982, the lake’s level had dropped 45 feet, exposing something that makes Mono unique: curious brown structures called tufa towers. Tufa towers are deposits of calcium carbonate (due to calcium present in underwater freshwater springs, and carbonate in the lake water).

Over Memorial Day weekend, we visited the eastern Sierra on a family camping trip, and I was able to sneak out to make this image Sunday night.  I haven’t done many star field shots, but this one really captures the essence of the lake for me.  A few months ago, I blogged on just how popular the lake has become with photographers.  True to form, when I arrived to set up this shot on Sunday night, there were at least 40 photographers present at South Tufa, and I got some funny looks as I started setting up while everyone else was leaving.  Soon, I had the entire place to myself, and I could contemplate the cosmos while darkness overtook the landscape.

This is one of my favorite images from the night.

The Ghost Ship, Mono Lake, May 2010

Click here to see more of my Mono Lake photos.

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