In 1914 a volcano in north eastern California, Lassen Peak, blew its top. Its outbursts continued for three years but it now lies dormant, at the heart of the national park that bears its name. Much of the park is wilderness, but a road runs north to south through its western section, giving access to many trails and vista points.
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Clouds can look beautiful, enhancing any photo of the sky. They can inspire us to see animals, palaces and more hidden in their shapes. And they can give us welcome shade on the hottest of days. But clouds also bring storms, rain and snow. They turn a summer picnic into a dash for shelter, and they hide a view you climbed a mountain to see.
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The Periodic Table tells us that our world is made up of 118 elements. But the elements of nature are different from chemical elements. They were used to simplify the complexity of nature and matter by ancient people.
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It is relatively easy to photograph a landscape. It doesn’t move as wildlife does, it doesn’t object as a person may do. But to photograph a landscape and be happy with the result is much more difficult. So often the grandeur of what we see fails to translate itself to the image and we are disappointed that the result doesn’t stir in us, or in others, the feeling we had when we were there. But we keep trying!
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Mono Lake is a graphic reminder of the consequences of human activity for the natural world. In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) began diverting water from Mono Lake's tributary streams, sending it 350 miles south to meet the growing water demands of Los Angeles. The impact on the lake was dramatic.
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The granite dome of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park has been cut with 350 steps linked by short steep slopes. From part way up I looked out over the Great Western Divide. This mountain range in the Sequoia National Park has several peaks reaching well over 13,000 feet (3,962 metres).
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It’s Pick a Word time again. Another month and another set of five words from Paula to illustrate. Always challenging, always fun! And as always I've trawled my archives to find some words that I hope fit her choices.
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Our images don’t have a particular job to do, they can stand alone. And the viewer is free too, to interpret them as they wish. They can follow the image’s ‘suggestion’ or search for other meanings – or none. With that in mind I have selected some favourite black and white shots to share.
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When it comes to colours, while the hot shades of red, orange and yellow make a big splash, the cooler ones may be easier to live with as they evoke a sense of calm, serenity, and tranquillity. These are the colours of nature, the sea, the sky, grasslands and forests. Blue is associated with coolness and peace, and green with balance and freshness.
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Photographs are a wonderful way of capturing the world around us. Whether we’re aiming for pure realism or something more creative, for the most part we include recognisable subjects in our images. But without context, photos don't always give a proper sense of scale. They lack the cues, context, and perspective that our eyes and brain use to judge size and distance in the real world.
