Taken looking straight down from almost the center of the dam.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Another View of Hoover Dam
I went back and re-edited one of my shots from Hoover Dam, taken in late November during our recent road trip. The colors and the framing remind me of the sort of scene you might see in the opening of a 1970's vintage movie. Almost looks like Kodachrome too.
Anza Borrego Desert State Park - Sunday 15 January 2012
I got together with a few friends for a day of photos and exploration in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, on the eastern edge of San Diego County. It was a particularly nice day out there, and with a storm (of sorts) brewing to the west we had lots of nice clouds in the sky, but not a lot of wind.
Our little group at one of our stops in San Felipe Wash. Mitch and his family in the yellow Xterra, Mark in his Frontier, Rae and Robert in their Jeep, and my black Xterra in the lead.
After lunch we went for a hike in The Slot. Considering just how narrow this trail gets in places I'm thinking we should do this before lunch next time.
If you like to think too much about earthquakes (and there are a lot of them in Anza Borrego), don't look up when you walk under this thing.
After hiking in the bottom of that very narrow slot canyon we went for something about as opposite as you can get - the Goat Trail. The views from the high point were pretty good.
As we headed north towards the pavement the setting sun was to our backs. About 20 minutes before it set behind the mountains the sun dropped out from beneath the clouds and bathed the mountains to the north of us in a deep golden light. It just kept getting better as we travelled north through the sandy washes.
The sun had set by the time we reached the pavement. We stopped to air up our tires and visit for bit before heading for home.
Click here to see a few more images from Sunday 15 January 2012 in Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
Our little group at one of our stops in San Felipe Wash. Mitch and his family in the yellow Xterra, Mark in his Frontier, Rae and Robert in their Jeep, and my black Xterra in the lead.
After lunch we went for a hike in The Slot. Considering just how narrow this trail gets in places I'm thinking we should do this before lunch next time.
If you like to think too much about earthquakes (and there are a lot of them in Anza Borrego), don't look up when you walk under this thing.
After hiking in the bottom of that very narrow slot canyon we went for something about as opposite as you can get - the Goat Trail. The views from the high point were pretty good.
As we headed north towards the pavement the setting sun was to our backs. About 20 minutes before it set behind the mountains the sun dropped out from beneath the clouds and bathed the mountains to the north of us in a deep golden light. It just kept getting better as we travelled north through the sandy washes.
The sun had set by the time we reached the pavement. We stopped to air up our tires and visit for bit before heading for home.
Click here to see a few more images from Sunday 15 January 2012 in Anza Borrego Desert State Park.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Leo Carrillo Ranch - Carlsbad, CA - San Diego dSLR Monthly Group Shoot - Jan 2012
Leo Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad, CA is a great place to spend a few hours wandering around with a camera. It's even more fun with a whole group of friends. Formerly the home of the actor Leo Carrillo, the ranch is now a City park, and was the site of this month's Group Shoot for the San Diego DSLR Photo Group (sandiegodslr.org). Here are a few pictures from this morning.
In addition to the adobe structures and a huge variety of plant life, there is also a fairly large resident group of peafowl, including an albino. I didn't get a shot of the albino this time, but I did manage to crop this close up from a much larger frame (I wasn't carrying a long lens this time).
There was also a group of watercolor artists there on Saturday.
Click here to see a few more images from Leo Carrillo Ranch on Saturday, January 14, 2012.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
San Diego Zoo - Jan 7, 2012
After a week that seemed like it went on forever even though my office was only open 4 days this past week, a morning at the Zoo seemed like a nice way to put that all behind me. My original plan was to only stay a few hours - I wound up being there most of the day.
The Flamingos are right at the front of the Zoo, and on the way to the path that leads down to the Tigers. They were all in a big agitated bunch in one spot, as there was a keeper in with them when I got there.
The Malayan Tiger cubs and their mother were all napping in separate spots when I first got there. After about 20 minutes one of the cubs went over to visit with his mother. I don't think she woke up in a really good mood. That's not a yawn.
After a while she decided to head up the hill to a spot where people (and her sons) wouldn't bother her.
Conner went down to the lowest part of the habitat, where he likes to sit right at the glass and watch the people. He'll even try to jump up onto little kids' shoulders when they sit with their backs to the glass for a picture with him.
Christopher perked up as soon as the keeper showed up with a tray of beef heart chunks.
I stopped by the Zebras on my way up to see the Polar Bears.
I think that the Polar Bears must be one of the toughest animals at the Zoo to get a decent picture of. The glass around their habitat is either scratched up on the inside, or really dirty from everyone touching it, and always throws off a reflection of something you don't want. Speaking of reflections.
The Komodo Dragon was in a sunny spot, every now and then he would stick his head up and take a look around. He seemed to get particularly interested any time a small child came by.
Check out his claws.
I was all set to leave a little before 3PM when I remembered that Danai, the older female Malayan Tiger, was due to come out at that time. I got back down the hill just as a keeper was placing one of those giant femur bones out for her. A few minutes later Danai showed up. I wound up standing there for over an hour, watching Danai chew on the bone, taking a few photos, and talking photography with some of the other people.
She really is a good looking cat.
Click here to see a few more images from Saturday, January 7, 2012 at the San Diego Zoo, including some of the Fishing Cat, and more of the Komodo Dragon and Malayan Tigers.
The Flamingos are right at the front of the Zoo, and on the way to the path that leads down to the Tigers. They were all in a big agitated bunch in one spot, as there was a keeper in with them when I got there.
The Malayan Tiger cubs and their mother were all napping in separate spots when I first got there. After about 20 minutes one of the cubs went over to visit with his mother. I don't think she woke up in a really good mood. That's not a yawn.
After a while she decided to head up the hill to a spot where people (and her sons) wouldn't bother her.
Conner went down to the lowest part of the habitat, where he likes to sit right at the glass and watch the people. He'll even try to jump up onto little kids' shoulders when they sit with their backs to the glass for a picture with him.
Christopher perked up as soon as the keeper showed up with a tray of beef heart chunks.
I stopped by the Zebras on my way up to see the Polar Bears.
I think that the Polar Bears must be one of the toughest animals at the Zoo to get a decent picture of. The glass around their habitat is either scratched up on the inside, or really dirty from everyone touching it, and always throws off a reflection of something you don't want. Speaking of reflections.
The Komodo Dragon was in a sunny spot, every now and then he would stick his head up and take a look around. He seemed to get particularly interested any time a small child came by.
Check out his claws.
I was all set to leave a little before 3PM when I remembered that Danai, the older female Malayan Tiger, was due to come out at that time. I got back down the hill just as a keeper was placing one of those giant femur bones out for her. A few minutes later Danai showed up. I wound up standing there for over an hour, watching Danai chew on the bone, taking a few photos, and talking photography with some of the other people.
She really is a good looking cat.
Click here to see a few more images from Saturday, January 7, 2012 at the San Diego Zoo, including some of the Fishing Cat, and more of the Komodo Dragon and Malayan Tigers.
Old Town San Diego
Heather and I spent a few hours wandering around Old Town in San Diego on Monday, January 2nd. We got there around 2PM, and went straight to the Cosmopolitan Hotel for a late lunch. After that we just wandered around checking out the sights, and taking the occasional photo. Heather even had her fortune told by Zoltar, so that she would know just what to expect for the new year. Here are a few pictures from our afternoon walk.
We really like the Cosmopolitan Hotel. They did a great job of restoring the old building, and the food in the restaurant is quite good. I can highly recommend the carnitas.
After lunch we went walking. Zoltar is in a little alleyway off of San Diego Avenue, a block or so outside the State Park boundary. This was probably one of those moments I should learn to use video for. Zoltar told Heather that, among other things, she would live in a tidy environment. Okay, so he doesn't always get it right, but in any event, it is worth the $1.00 to hear what he has to say.
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year's Day at the San Diego Zoo
It was sunny and warm in San Diego on New Year's Day, perfect for a short walk around the San Diego Zoo. I spent about an hour and a half at the Malayan Tigers, then moved on to the Pandas for a bit, then up to the Jaguar and Polar Bears. Never did see the Polar Bears, but the others were out for a few pictures.
One of the first stops for most visitors to the Zoo is the Flamingo Pool. Here's a really tight crop from one shot. The sun never gets very high in the sky this time of year, so the light is fairly good all day.
The Malayan Tiger cubs Christopher and Conner were napping when I first got there, but after a half hour or so they got up and started wandering around.
Being cats, they weren't up for long. Watch these two for any length of time and you realize that they're really not all that different from a pair of house cats . . . except maybe that these two would probably be quicker to kill and eat you.
After a while Rochelle the keeper showed up with a tray of beef heart chunks, and that got their attention. She also had a couple of special Sunday treats for them . . . whole rats. The adult tigers get whole rabbits on Sundays, but that would be too many calories for these little guys, so for now it's rats. Ordinarily I would have a shot of a special tray of food like that, and it was actually quite artistically arranged with the rats curved around the bowl of beef heart chunks, but it was just too crowded for me to change lenses. The 300mm lens I was shooting with has a 10' minimum focus distance, and I was standing right next to the keeper. Oh well, maybe it's better that way.
I never noticed before, but it seems that Bai Yun, the female Panda, and I share the same birthday. She's a lot younger than I am though.
The Jaguar was up in the tree when I first got there.
I found some great light on a small cactus at one point.
All in all it was a pretty nice day for a walk around the Zoo, even if I didn't get to see any Polar Bears. That was not for lack of trying, mind you, I did walk up there, but they were no place to be seen.
Click here to see a few more images from the San Diego Zoo on Sunday, January 1, 2012.
One of the first stops for most visitors to the Zoo is the Flamingo Pool. Here's a really tight crop from one shot. The sun never gets very high in the sky this time of year, so the light is fairly good all day.
The Malayan Tiger cubs Christopher and Conner were napping when I first got there, but after a half hour or so they got up and started wandering around.
Being cats, they weren't up for long. Watch these two for any length of time and you realize that they're really not all that different from a pair of house cats . . . except maybe that these two would probably be quicker to kill and eat you.
After a while Rochelle the keeper showed up with a tray of beef heart chunks, and that got their attention. She also had a couple of special Sunday treats for them . . . whole rats. The adult tigers get whole rabbits on Sundays, but that would be too many calories for these little guys, so for now it's rats. Ordinarily I would have a shot of a special tray of food like that, and it was actually quite artistically arranged with the rats curved around the bowl of beef heart chunks, but it was just too crowded for me to change lenses. The 300mm lens I was shooting with has a 10' minimum focus distance, and I was standing right next to the keeper. Oh well, maybe it's better that way.
I never noticed before, but it seems that Bai Yun, the female Panda, and I share the same birthday. She's a lot younger than I am though.
The Jaguar was up in the tree when I first got there.
I found some great light on a small cactus at one point.
All in all it was a pretty nice day for a walk around the Zoo, even if I didn't get to see any Polar Bears. That was not for lack of trying, mind you, I did walk up there, but they were no place to be seen.
Click here to see a few more images from the San Diego Zoo on Sunday, January 1, 2012.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Wandering In The Desert On The Last Day Of The Year - Anza Borrego - Dec 31, 2011
I got together with a few friends from San Diego DSLR and we took a drive out to Anza Borrego Desert State Park on Saturday for some exploring and photography. We started out in the northern part of the Park, and checked out 17 Palms Oasis and 5 Palms Oasis. 5 Palms is down to 4 these days, but 17 Palms seems to have a few than it's name would suggest. It was sunny and clear out there, but with a lot of dust in the air from all the activity over at the Ocotillo Wells OHV Area. Here are a couple from 17 Palms.
5 Palms is just a single clump of trees, from a distance you can't really tell just how many trees there are.
The ground all around 5 Palms, like much of the Borrego Badlands, has the look of elephant hide. It's a very soft layer of dirt several inches thick. When it falls away it looks almost like it was a skin.
From the oases we traveled east over to an area called the Pumpkin Patch, inside the OHV area. Unlike the State Park, which was pretty quiet, the OHV was bustling with activity. There were dirt bikes and ATVs everywhere. It was loud, dusty, and quite festive. Some of the quads looked like they would be a lot of fun to try.
After a brief stop we turned back towards Anza Borrego State Park, and wound up passing through one of the most barren parts of the Badlands that I've seen yet.
After a bit even the fairly sparse vegetation seemed to disappear, and for a while it seemed like maybe we were driving on the Moon.
After a while we came out of the Badlands and turned south towards San Felipe Wash. From there we drove up very sandy Blow Sand Canyon and onto a little ridge route called the Goat Trail. It was getting late in the day, and the sun was low in the sky, which made for some very nice views. All the sand and dust in the air pretty much blocked out the details in the distance, but the weather was perfect, so we weren't all that bothered.
This next shot really is straight out of the camera, no manipulation. The sun was very low in the sky and illuminating this one bush, but all of the ground behind it was in shade because of the low angle.
Here's my Xterra on the Goat Trail.
We had a brief bit of color in the sky after the sun went down.
Here's one of the last photos of the day, on the last trail of the day, on the last day of the year. It's time to start planning for 2012 trips.
Weather wise it was a pretty spectacular day out there, except maybe for all the dust and haze in the air. Still, with no wind, and temps in the mid-70's, it was very nice.
Click here to see more images from Anza Borrego Desert State Park on Saturday, December 31, 2011.
And, Happy New Year everyone!
5 Palms is just a single clump of trees, from a distance you can't really tell just how many trees there are.
The ground all around 5 Palms, like much of the Borrego Badlands, has the look of elephant hide. It's a very soft layer of dirt several inches thick. When it falls away it looks almost like it was a skin.
From the oases we traveled east over to an area called the Pumpkin Patch, inside the OHV area. Unlike the State Park, which was pretty quiet, the OHV was bustling with activity. There were dirt bikes and ATVs everywhere. It was loud, dusty, and quite festive. Some of the quads looked like they would be a lot of fun to try.
After a brief stop we turned back towards Anza Borrego State Park, and wound up passing through one of the most barren parts of the Badlands that I've seen yet.
After a bit even the fairly sparse vegetation seemed to disappear, and for a while it seemed like maybe we were driving on the Moon.
After a while we came out of the Badlands and turned south towards San Felipe Wash. From there we drove up very sandy Blow Sand Canyon and onto a little ridge route called the Goat Trail. It was getting late in the day, and the sun was low in the sky, which made for some very nice views. All the sand and dust in the air pretty much blocked out the details in the distance, but the weather was perfect, so we weren't all that bothered.
This next shot really is straight out of the camera, no manipulation. The sun was very low in the sky and illuminating this one bush, but all of the ground behind it was in shade because of the low angle.
Here's my Xterra on the Goat Trail.
We had a brief bit of color in the sky after the sun went down.
Here's one of the last photos of the day, on the last trail of the day, on the last day of the year. It's time to start planning for 2012 trips.
Weather wise it was a pretty spectacular day out there, except maybe for all the dust and haze in the air. Still, with no wind, and temps in the mid-70's, it was very nice.
Click here to see more images from Anza Borrego Desert State Park on Saturday, December 31, 2011.
And, Happy New Year everyone!
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About Me
- Frank B. Baiamonte
- San Diego, California, United States
- About me . . . When I'm not working I like to be out exploring and photographing. I do this blog just for fun, and to be able to share these images with friends. I hope you enjoy viewing these images as much as I enjoyed creating them.
