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The Eastern Sierra
20-23 Oktober 2011
20 Oktober 2011, Thursday top
Today we drove Tioga Pass to Bridgeport, met the group at the Redwood Motel, and wandered over to the Walker Reservoir.
Walker in Blue, 3:49 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/8 at 1/250 at AUTO ISO 200.)
The water looks blue because the sky is reflecting in it.
As in all my snaps, the key to this one is paying attention to the basic structure of the image.
Tomato, 5:03 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/16 at 1/60 at AUTO ISO 200.)
As always, the basic structure of the image is what matters, not the actual subject.
This is a snap of an abandoned tomato that was sitting in the road. It looked pretty tasty. I knew it would stand out against black, and that the shadow would turn a contrasting blue. Shadows are lit only by the blue sky, making them blue.
After enjoying my tomato, we returned to Bridgeport and walked to dinner.
The Silver Maple Inn, 6:30 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 35mm, f/4 at 1/8 at AUTO ISO 200.)
I waited for a truck to whiz by, knowing that at 1/4 second it would look like it's really flying along Route 395.
The Silver Maple Inn, 6:31 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 16mm, f/4 at 1/4 at AUTO ISO 200.)
The Bodie Hotel (née Victorian Hotel), 6:34 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 35mm, f/4 at 1/8 at AUTO ISO 200.)
We had dinner at Rhino's, a superb sportsmen's lodge.
After Rhino's, we walked back to the the Redwood Motel and hit the sack.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, 8:06 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 17mm, f/4 at 1/4 at AUTO ISO 360.)
21 Oktober 2011, Friday top
Today we greeted the dawn at Conway Summit.
Sunrise from Conway Summit, 7:14 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/8 at 1/250 at AUTO ISO 200.)
Dawn at Conway Summit, 7:17 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 28mm, f/8 at 1/15 at AUTO ISO 200, no tripod and no lens change!)
After dawn at the summit, we headed towards Bodie.
Along the way, sheep safely grazed in Bach's Cantata BWV 208.
Sheep Safely Graze, 8:25 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/8 at 1/250 at AUTO ISO 200.)
We arrived at the Bodie gate at 9AM.
Bodie, 9:24 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 16mm, f/11 at 1/500 second at AUTO ISO 200.)
Internet Access, 9:28 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 62mm, f/11 at 1/500 at AUTO ISO 200.)
What's this? Apparently some people are now living and working inside these historic buildings.
New Roof Pipes and Antennas, 9:32 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/8 at 1/250 at AUTO ISO 200.)
What's with these antennas and new stove pipes on the roof? It destroys the entire historic point of the park (Bodie State Historic Park), especially if you want to take pictures.
Bodie, 9:42 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 16mm, f/11 at 1/500 second at AUTO ISO 200.)
Bodie, 10:26 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 22mm, f/11 at 1/2 second at AUTO ISO 200, hand-held braced on window without VR.)
New Coax and Antenna, 11:43 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 48mm, f/8 at 1/125 at AUTO ISO 200.)
New Grow Lights, 11:46 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 180mm, f/8 at 1/60 at AUTO ISO 200.)
Historic florescent lights?
New Vents, 11:46 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 200mm, f/5.6 at 1/125 at AUTO ISO 200.)
New Shades so We Can't See In Anymore, 11:52 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 85mm, f/8 at 1/250 at AUTO ISO 200.)
Looks like someone is living there now. We used to be able to look inside.
Very Fancy Snow Plow, 12:13 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/11 at 1/500 at AUTO ISO 200.)
The road to Bodie isn't plowed in winter, but here's an exotic snow plow. California: Land of Mysteries.
We enjoyed the picnic lunch we brought on tables just outside Bodie, and then headed to historic Lee Vining.
Stripes, Lee Vining, 1:44 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 42mm, f/11 at 1/500 at AUTO ISO 200.)
Bell's Sporting Goods, Lee Vining, 1:49 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 28mm, f/11 at 1/500 at AUTO ISO 200.)
Enchanting is that the proprietor and proprietrix of this sporting goods store were busy watching a DVD of some action movie with people chasing and shooting the beJesus out of each other.
Nicely's, Lee Vining, 1:54 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 55mm, f/11 at 1/500 at AUTO ISO 200.)
After Lee Vining, we headed to June Lake Loop.
Trout, June Lake Loop, 2:53 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 300mm, f/8 at 1/250 at AUTO ISO 200.)
Yum! Trout is delicious. I especially enjoyed the smoked-trout bagel I had at Chef Matt Toomey's Whoa Nellie Deli, the best restaurant in the entire Sierra.
With the Nikon 28-300mm VR, these close-ups are trivial. I shot this from about ten feet (three meters) away while a fisherwoman was posing for someone else!
Tufa at South Tufa, 6:16 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 85mm, f/8 at 1/15 at AUTO ISO 200, SHADE White Balance, no stinking tripod.)
I get these colors directly out of my D3 with no fiddling. I set White Balance to SHADE to make it more orange.
Rockwell at Mono Lake.
This photo is by the San Francisco lighting expert Christine Krieg, made as a demonstration of off-camera flash. See also How to Use Off-Camera Flash.)
Magenta Sky, South Tufa, 6:16 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 28mm, f/3.5 at 8 seconds at ISO 200)
The sky does this after sunset, if you wait for it. I did the same thing in 1993 with a broken camera.
22 Oktober 2011, Saturday top
Today we greeted the frigid dawn at South Tufa.
Ode to Okeanos, South Tufa, 6:44 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 68mm, f/5.6 at four seconds at ISO 200 (LV 1).)
Again I used my $40 Dolica AX620B100 tripod to save me from having to carry my camera. I could have made the same shot at f/4 at 1/4 second at ISO 1,600, but by bringing a tripod I had a place to hang my camera while I waited around for everyone else to finish.
Tufa Clichée, South Tufa, 7:29 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 55mm, f/8 at 1/250 second at ISO 200.)
Dawn, South Tufa, 7:29 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 52mm, f/11 at 1/125 second at ISO 200.)
Power Plant Lake, 11:04 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 150mm, f/5.6 at 1/30 second at ISO 200, most assuredly no stinking tripod.)
This is a snap of a reflection in the water in the lake just downstream from the Pelton Wheel exhibit. Fishermen love this tiny lake; it was loaded with trout.
Ice, Bridgeport, 1:11 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 250mm, f/8 at 1/250 second at ISO 200.)
I snapped this from the Jolly Kone as I waited for my delicious salmon burger.
After lunch, off to the shooting range, and the hot springs just behind the range's backstops.
Hot Springs, Bridgeport, 2:49 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 62mm, f/16 at 1/250 second at ISO 200.)
After the hot springs we met some folks who told us that Lundy Lake was really going off, so we decided to go to Twin Lakes now while it was warm and going to Lundy Lake tomorrow morning, instead of freezing our buns off tomorrow morning at Twin Lakes at 15º F.
Fall Color, Twin Lakes, 3:44 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 90mm, f/11 at 1/500 second at ISO 200.)
After Twin Lakes, we headed back to Bridgeport and then down to The Virginia Creek Settlement for a fantastic meal.
Night Swing, Virginia Creek Settlement, 7:01 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 27mm, f/4 at 1/4 second at AUTO ISO 2,000, no tripod, no way.)
Virginia Creek Settlement, 7:01 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 16mm, f/4 at 1/4 second at AUTO ISO 2,000, no tripod, no problem.)
Night Drop, Virginia Creek Settlement, 7:04 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 17mm, f/4 at 1/4 second at AUTO ISO 450, no tripod, no problem.)
One of our trip participants was more observant than I, and discovered this snap for me as we waited for our table. I hadn't even noticed the outhouse behind the bushes.
Wheels, Virginia Creek Settlement, 7:11 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 16-35mm VR at 22mm, f/4 at 1/4 second at AUTO ISO 900, no tripod, no problem.)
I made several snaps with the same framing but different zoom settings. At wider settings I got closer and the wheel got bigger, and at longer settings I got farther away and the wheel got smaller. I prefer this version to get the sizes of the wheels and OPEN sign as I want them.
As always, tripods are a thing of the past if you're shooting digital.
23 Oktober 2011, Sunday top
Today we headed down to Lundy Lake on our way home.
Aspen Clichée, Lundy Lake, 10:19 AM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 160mm, f/5.6 at 1/125 second at ISO 200.)
Lines, Adelanto Chevron Station, 4:34 PM. (2007 Nikon D3, 2010 Nikon 28-300mm VR at 150mm, f/8 at 1/250 second at ISO 200.)
Walking in to pee, I saw this reflected on the ground from the glass doors and glass wind cage around those front doors. As I snapped my photo, people coming out asked me if I was photographing them. "No, I'm not; check out these lines!" Lo and behold, people looked down at the lines and all said AHA!
Since this is about texture and line, not color, I converted to black-and-white using a Black-and-White adjustment layer and split-toned the print all in Photoshop CS5. Leaving it in color would have made it a much weaker image.
That's it!
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