Following on the heels of the extensive tour with the California Naturalists group, I led another tour in which we covered considerably less ground. And I learned this time as well.
John Todd leads a continuing education photography class at Stanford. The highlight of the year is a trip to Yosemite Valley, visiting iconic photo op sites at optimum times. For this tour at Jasper Ridge, they went down to the dam before sunrise, setting up cameras and tripods, making sure all was in order for the big trip. I tagged along and performed docent duties – and I think they learned a bit, too.
Photographers can be slow to move along: we barely made it to the grinding rock on Trail a and back during the almost three-hour visit. I learned:
- Tripods can help. They help getting optimum exposure and quality, even on a dark cloudy day. AND, they facilitate a deliberative approach, not just click-click-click. BUT sometimes it pays to be ready for the sudden opportunity – especially when photographing wildlife, but even light can change…
- Different people notice different things. It is interesting to see through others’ eyes once in a while.
Here are a few of my photos from the morning.
While waiting in vain for a colorful sunrise, tripod set up and camera ready, I noticed a single bird circling over Searsville Lake. I was pretty sure it was a Turkey Vulture, even though its flight pattern was somewhat off -- it didn't wobble as usual, balancing precariously on the air. I snapped a few photos just for the fun of it. What a surprise, when I looked closely on my home computer: a Bald Eagle over Searsville Lake, a first for me.
I am fascinated by the patterns of water flowing over Searsville Dam. In the dim light, it was easy to slow down the shutter speed, letting the water build flowing patterns, suppressing the drops. Here I also play with the image processing, emphasizing different colors in the original to build a monochrome image.
“White” Globe Lilies are some of my favorite flowers – abounding today. Different perspectives here, one close-up using a tripod, others as seen in the moment.
A native Winter Ant visits a Blue Dicks flower.
The “Grinding Rock” (as I call it). A boulder of Eocene Sandstone, some of the youngest minerals at Jasper Ridge, eaten away by the relentless drip of acid-containing rainfall, covered in lichen and moss. My tripod allows me to capture a quality image. On the top, three depressions... used by the local Muwekma Ohlone, I guess to grind acorns and perhaps other plants for food. I like to imagine the women of the tribe gathering up here, grinding acorns as the youngsters bring them, possibly sharing stories as they work. At least, that is my vision -- perhaps someone has a historical memory of this kind of gathering?
Oaks, mist, weather, light.
Enjoy.
