California Photos
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"Death Valley View" - CLICK TO SEE ENTIRE IMAGE. Hmmm, really…. seriously! The wet and windy weather seems to be following me! I’m now in Death Valley and although the weather has been challenging, I did manage to dodge the rain. and get some awesome shots. Honestly though, I love the varied weather because it adds unique lighting, clouds and contrast to my images, like this one. The weather was clinging to the mountains all around me and although it was 17 degrees where I stood, it was snowing along the mountain tops. It was SO windy though, that when I dropped my lens-cap it (in seconds), blew over a ledge. A fine young man from Vancouver Island however was kind enough to retrieve it for me (in flipflops!)…. sheesh! I had visited this location before and although it was only in passing I did manage to get a really unique shot here (visit: ). I decided to camp nearby and planned to be back there for sunrise but (you guessed it), by morning it was raining… yet again! Suddenly though, the sun appeared so I hurriedly got dressed, packed up the RV and drove the the 5 minutes to get there.... AND, Yup, you guessed it (again) the sunlight was gone, oh darn! Okay, so now what to do? I decided to stay in the parking lot, have breakfast and do some editing while I hoped the sun would peak through again. Low and behold, the sun came out just long enough to get a shot! This image is a 4 image panoramic stack; meaning that I’ve stitched 4 images together (in photoshop). As a result, the file is huge and worthy of a monstrous (lol) enlargement. Patience and perseverance paid off.
This, is MY FAVORITE photo to date.... but admittedly my favorite photo is always my latest one; or the one that’s still in my camera :-) I love panoramic images; especially those with repeating patterns, like this image. As I drove around the Coachella Valley (south-west California) I marveled at the date farms, and how the trees were in such perfect lines That said however, I didn’t find a date farm planting that I thought was “perfect”, so I left the valley "empty handed". I hadn’t driven but an hour when I notice this planting and how the slope of the land made all the tree trunks (from front to back) visible. “Perfect!”, I said to my dog Arlo! Yes, I talk to him as he listens with a tilted head… lol. You may ask, “What makes this image work?”, and why did I choose this one, out of all the images I took. With my camera in hand, I carefully I placed the widest and brightest separation of trees off to one side. I chose to include a separation (so that your eyes would be drawn into the image) but I had to consider balance and the weight of the image too; the heaviness of the fronds, the size of the date trees and how much foreground too. Together, these elements make this image outstanding ….in my humble opinion… :-) NOTE: This is a 3-image stack; meaning 3 horizontal images have been stitched together in post processing to create this format. That said, this image is HUGE and will easily cover the length of any wall.
I spent Christmas in Desert Hot Springs (with some dear friends) and although I wanted to travel home to my family I had to considered the implications; my tightening time frame (to the set up of the Arizona Fine Art Expo) and then of course, the threat of covid exposure. One of the most visually interesting things in Palm Springs are the 100's of wind turbines that cover the valley floor and hillsides; my objective here (besides Christmas!) was to get some "signature" shots of the Coachella Valley. It was late day when I noticed a sudden weather change so off I went, to my pre-planned photographic destination. With my tripod firmly anchored in the desert sand and my camera focused on a grouping of wind turbines, I suddenly noticed a change in overall color, and then I noticed why.... and you might say I changed my "focus"! The first thing I noticed was the complimentary colors of the hillsides and then I noticed the matching colors of the sky! "Really!" I exclaimed to myself! I was SO excited! It was (truly) so thrilling to witness this! I'm sure though, that most people wouldn't have noticed the colors of the hillsides but I'm so color intuitive that they "screamed" (lol) at me! With little time to spare, I removed my camera from my tripod, switched lenses and hand held this shot. I wanted a high quality panoramic shot of this scene so this photograph is actually comprised of three shots (that I later stitched together in post production). Sure, I didn't get the shots of the wind turbines I wanted but I got this shot instead; which made my day!
When we buy art, its usually a piece that caught our eye or one that changed our state. Art can take us away from the present moment and instantly change our mood from the mundane moment to bliss, calm, or even one of melancholy. The subtle softness of this image provokes a sense of calm and peace and it’s not demanding of the viewer’s attention, yet its uniqueness captures our attention. Be sure to view this image in the "Sampled" section. There you'll see how beautiful this image is hanging in a room.
"Canyon Tree" It’s been said that, “To write well, you have to write what you know”, and although this is true, we (thankfully) will never know “everything”. We can share what we do know, and be open and willing to learn more.... and there lies growth. That said, I hope that my artistic journey speaks to you in an inspiringly curious way. With this in mind, I am always looking for the next photographic image. I like to challenge myself to look beyond a first glance; this image was an example of that. I stood in this gorge with another wall of rock directly behind me. There wasn’t a lot vegetation, which made this tree really stand out. You’ll notice that I didn’t include the sky because If I had, your eyes would have been drawn up to it (the brightness) and out of the frame; now your eyes remain drawn to the tree. I am thankful for my passion for photography, it has opened so many creative avenues and in so doing it gives me great joy. That said, I encourage you to grasp your creative passions and explore the opportunities. Hmmm, someone once said to me, “Romi, opportunities don’t come knocking at your door”, you have to look for them”. So true. Life is very individual, however it’s created through the choices we make. Humbling.... yes! Scary…. yes! Exciting…. yes. Life though, is in the memories we create, those we leave behind and those with whom we have so lovingly touched. Look, with an intent to see possibilities ....in life, and in creativity too! :-)
"Joshua Tree Nightscape" It’s long been known that our cognitive brain health declines as we age and that diet, exercise, sleep, social interaction and mental stimulation can prevent it. As I’ve aged, I’ve noticed the normal changes in my own cognitive function but I hope that as I sharpen photography skills (including night sky photography), will help; I have my fingers crossed! I pre-planned this location earlier in the day (I even marked the spot where I’d stand). With the help of an app, I knew exactly where and what time the milky way would line up with this scene. What I didn’t realize however (until after the shoot) was that the milky way was rather “blah” from that angle; hmmm, so what to do? I decided to learn something new by blending a previous Milky Way photograph with the foreground; the results of which you see here. This now known as a “composite" image; which is an image comprised of two or more images to create one. Joshua Tree National Park is a vast protected area, not far Palm Springs, California. The high elevation of the park is characterized by it's rugged rock formations, Joshua Trees, “dark sky” landscapes and sunsets. The Joshua "tree" is not really a tree because it belongs to the yucca plant family. They typically grow only in higher elevations (1,300 to 6,000 feet) and grow quite slowly (up to 3 inches per year). They have an average lifespan of 150-200 years but some live much longer.... hmmm, maybe I will too, lol!
"Death Valley Dunes" The weather in Death Valley was certainly challenging when I visited it but I did manage to dodge the rain and capture a few amazing shots, including this one. The sand was wet when I took this photo, and the sand underneath was dry, so walking on it was tough (but good exercise!). Look closely and you'll see I wasn't alone; there were two men off in the distance, to the right. I thought the footprints in the sand were interesting; I wondered who they belong to, and what unique stories they all had This image is available in this panoramic format as well as a full format (which includes the mount tops and threatening clouds). I chose however to showcase this panoramic format because I (personally) loved how it added a dimensional quality to the overall abstract nature of this image. #earthoutdoors #wondermore #roamearth #visualsofearth #escapeandwonder #earth_deluxe #allaboutadventures #travelwithleisure #fantasticearth #nomadict #exploretocreate #passionpassport #stayandwander #roamtheplanet #discoverearth #neverstopexploring #naturephotography #naturelovers #earthfocus #artofvisuals #welivetoexplore #deathvalley #landscapephotography #earthpix #amazingplaces #beautifuldestinations #ourplanetdaily #wildcalifornia #deathvalleynationalpark #nationalpark
Death Valley (California) is known for its extremes; it is America's driest and hottest terrain (with a record of of 134°F, or 56°C). With fewer than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rainfall annually, I happened to be there when over 1 inch of rain fell (some of the roads were washed out). It too is home to the lowest point in the US (at Badwater Basin), at 282 feet below sea level, yet 75 miles away, Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the lower 48 states, at 14,505 feet. I intentionally composed this photo to make you ( the viewer) question, "What is that?”. It's a barren mountainside, as seen from Zabriskie Point. From here the point offers a stunning and impressive panoramic views of the badlands; it’s various metals have oxidized the clay creating eye-popping reds, yellows, greens, blues, and even purples. I LOVED the patterns in the Death Valley landscape, they were almost moon like! Abstract compositions were everywhere but I chose this on because of the hiking trail (it leads your eye through the image). This is only one, of many photographs that I took in Death Valley. That said, the unique photographic views and scenes everywhere! What a sight to see, and experience too!
Joshua Tree National Park is a vast protected area in southern California, near the community of Yucca Valley. This high elevation national park is characterized by it's rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes. Named for the region’s twisted, bristled Joshua trees its uniqueness draws thousands of visitors each year.
Joshua Tree National Park is a vast protected area in southern California, near the community of Yucca Valley. This high elevation national park is characterized by it's rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes. Named for the region’s twisted, bristled Joshua trees its uniqueness draws thousands of visitors each year.
Death Valley (California) is known for extremes; it is North America's driest and hottest spot with fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F. It too has the lowest elevation on the continent (282 feet below sea level) and yet is only 76 miles from the highest point in the country, Mt. Whitney (at 14,505 feet) and two hours west of Las Vegas. I intentionally composed this photo to make you ( the viewer) question, "What is that?”. It's a barren mountainside, as seen from Zabriskie Point. From here the point offers a stunning and impressive panoramic views of the badlands; it’s various metals have oxidized the clay creating eye-popping reds, yellows, greens, blues, and purples. What a sight to see! There's a 2.5 mile loop trail that leads you through gullies and gulches, however because of our time restrictions, we weren’t able to explore it. We’ll have to go back!
