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California Landscape National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Bridalveil Falls Rainbow

During spring months with heavy water flow, it is easy to see a rainbow in Bridalveil Falls: just visit the falls a short while before sunset and watch as the colors climb up the plummeting water as the sun sinks behind you. Bridalveil Falls with a rainbow forming in its…

adminMay 18, 2006

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Landscape National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Yosemite Falls Lunar Rainbow

After getting word that the waterfalls in Yosemite are pouring at ginormous levels right now (due to a timely combination of last winter's deep snowpack and recent warm weather), I blasted up to Yosemite Valley for a quickie. Indeed, all the falls were huge. As I drove into the Valley…

adminMay 15, 2006

California Landscape National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Photo of Fern Springs, Yosemite National Park

Fern Springs, near the entrance to Yosemite Valley, is a quietly running spring that crosses below the road and enters the Merced River. The small cascades offer a change of composition to the photographer looking for something to focus on aside from the towering granite walls and thundering waterfalls for…

adminMay 5, 2006

Photo of the Day

Bobcat Photos

I recently had a chance to gather a few more bobcat photos in Mariposa, in the Sierra foothills near Yosemite. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are found throughout North America from southern Canada to southern Mexico. In the United States population densities are much higher in the southeastern region than in the…

adminMay 4, 2006

Mount Rainier National Parks Washington

Photo of Paradise Falls, Mt. Rainier National Park

Last summer we visited Mt. Rainier National Park for the first time. We timed our visit to coincide with the peak flower bloom in Paradise Meadows, and we were not disappointed. The weather was spectacular, hardly a cloud in the sky, and we enjoyed hiking and driving the route around…

adminMay 3, 2006

Photo of the Day

Cougar Photos

Recently I had an opportunity to photograph cougars (Puma concolor) in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada, near Mariposa. Note: these are captive animals, not wild. Here are a few of the images: Mountain lion, Sierra Nevada foothills, Mariposa, California.Image ID: 15791Species: Mountain lion, Puma concolor Mountain lion, Sierra…

adminMay 2, 2006

Birds California Seabird Wildlife

Western Gull, Larus occidentalis

The Western gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed gull common along the western coast of North America. The Western gull ranges from British Columbia to Baja California. It is exclusively marine, and nests on offshore rocks and islands. While offshore it feeds on fishes and invertebrates that it can…

adminApril 18, 2006

Invertebrate Marine Life Underwater Life

Photo of a Corynactis Anemone

The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific recently arranged to use one of our photographs of the tiny Corynactis californica anemone for a huge wall mural, to be hung in the coming month. It reminded me of how cool these small creatures are, and how many times I have hunkered…

adminApril 17, 2006

Photo of the Day

Northern Fur Seal Photos

Some years ago I had the good fortune to swim with and photograph a group of Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) at San Miguel Island, the northernmost of the Channel Islands offshore of central California. I was there on a multi day tank diving trip. Blessed with fantastic weather, we…

adminApril 16, 2006

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Crested Pool, Yellowstone National Park

Crested Pool, in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park, lies just steps away from Castle Geyser. Crested Pool extends 42 feet deep and is constantly superheated, achieving temperatures to at least 237Â°F. Crested Pool is always at least boiling and occasionally domes to heights of 10 feet. In…

adminApril 15, 2006

National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Photo of Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park

Morning Glory Pool, one of the most popular and beautiful pools in Yellowstone National Park, earned its name in the 1880's due to its deep blue coloration and likeness to the Morning Glory flower. Morning Glory Pool was once reached by car, bringing it fame as one of the first…

adminApril 14, 2006

Guadalupe Island Mexico Underwater Photography

Roca del Skip, Isla Guadalupe

Roca del Skip (Skip's Rock) is a dramatic spire at the southern end of Isla Guadalupe (Guadalupe Island) named in honor of the man who has videotaped and explored the submarine haunts of Guadalupe Island more than anyone else. Church Rock (left) and Roca del Skip (Skips Rock, right), near…

adminApril 13, 2006

Ocean Sunfish Wildlife

Sport Diver Cover

My photograph of an ocean sunfish alongside drift kelp appeared on the June 2003 cover of Sport Diver magazine: Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California.Image ID: 03267Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola Keywords: Mola mola, ocean sunfish photos.

adminApril 12, 2006

Guadalupe Island Mexico

Freediving and Spearfishing Cover

My photograph of expert freediver, spearfisherman, long range boat captain and all-around-good-guy Chris Thompson was taken at Guadalupe Island in July 2001 shortly after he speared his ginormous yellowfin tuna (not his first mind you). It then appeared on the Summer 2002 cover of the International Freediving and Spearfishing News:…

adminApril 11, 2006

Photo of the Day

Double Crested Cormorant Photos

These double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were photographed on the La Jolla cliffs. The double-crested cormorant ranges from Alaska to Nova Scotia south into Mexico -- most of North America -- wintering on both coasts. It swims underwater quite well, diving for fish and invertebrates up to 100' deep (personal observation).…

adminApril 10, 2006

Uncategorized

Hammerhead Shark photo on the cover of the Journal of Morphology

Still another academic journal cover -- too bad these guys don't pay the big bucks. My photograph of a scalloped hammerhead shark appeared on the June 2005 cover of the Journal of Morphology, to accompany Olfactory Morphology of Carcharhinid and Sphyrnid Sharks: Does the Cephalofoil Confer a Sensory Advantage? (Kajiura,…

adminApril 9, 2006

Photography

Biological Sciences Cover

Here's another "scientific journal" cover, I've had a few of these in the last three years. My photograph of schooling jacks in the Sea of Cortez appeared on the cover of the January 2006 issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences to accompany The principles of collective…

adminApril 8, 2006

Uncategorized

Baja California to the Bering Sea Cover

My photograph of a schooling jacks in the Sea of Cortez appeared on the cover of Baja California to the Bering Sea, a report on marine priority conservation areas issued by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America and the Marine Conservation Biology Institute (Morgan, Maxwell, Tsao, Wilkinson and…

adminApril 7, 2006

Uncategorized

All Animals Cover

My photograph of a neonate gray whale calf underwater near the Monterey Peninsula appeared on the Summer 2002 cover of the All Animals magazine, the official publication of the Humane Society of the United States: A neonate gray whale calf, born just hours before, still exhbiting embryonic folds in the…

adminApril 6, 2006

Uncategorized

Ecology Letters Cover

In addition to the cover of Nature a few years ago, I've had interest from other scientific and peer-reviewed journals recently. My photograph of a scalloped hammerhead shark appeared on the October 2005 cover of Ecology Letters, to accompany Direct and indirect fishery effects on small coastal elasmobranchs in the…

adminApril 5, 2006

Uncategorized

Where Cover

My photograph of a gray whale blowing as it surfaces along the Big Sur coast appeared on the cover of the Where magazine: Gray whale, blow.Image ID: 01173Species: Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustusLocation: Big Sur, California, USA

adminApril 4, 2006

Photo of the Day

Photo of a Wood Duck, Aix Sponsa

The wood duck (Aix sponsa) inhabits lakes, swamps and streams throughout much of North America. Curiously, it is one of just a few duck species in North America that nests in trees. The male wood duck has a bright plumage pattern including rich green, white, brown and red colors, while…

adminApril 3, 2006

California National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Photos of Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park

Bridalveil Falls is a classic example of a "hanging valley". Two million years ago it was a stream flowing through a canyon that intersected Yosemite Valley. Over time glaciers carved away the intersection, leaving Bridalveil's canyon "hanging" above the valley and turning the stream into falls that plunge 620 feet…

adminApril 2, 2006

Guadalupe Island Mexico

Isla Guadalupe :: Restauracion Y Conservacion

Finally, an authoritative book has been published about Guadalupe Island, our favorite eastern Pacific island and one of Mexico's finest ecological wonders. Published in December 2005 by Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (INE-SEMARNAT) and compiled by editors Karina Santos del Prado and Eduardo Peters, Isla Guadalupe, Restauracion Y Conservacion describes the…

adminMarch 21, 2006

Beautiful Views of San Diego California San Diego

Between Showers

Downtown San Diego viewed from Point Loma. A storm system passed through Southern California last weekend dumping rain, hail and snow. However, the sun was able to peek through the clouds for a moment at sunset, lighting up the San Diego skyline while the surrounding harbor and mountains in the…

adminMarch 13, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

The Devil's Golf Course is a curious assemblage of crystalline salt shapes spread over a large swath of the Death Valley salt pan. This saltpan, which is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park, and indeed the western hemisphere, holds a small amount of subsurface moisture. This water is…

adminMarch 6, 2006

Grand Teton National Parks Wyoming Yellowstone

Visiting Yellowstone National Park

Following are some thoughts about a first visit to Yellowstone National Park. Avoid Mid-Summer If Possible I recommend avoiding the summer crowds by visiting before school lets out in June or after Labor Day. While I have not found summer crowds at Yellowstone to be a major problem (like they…

adminMarch 3, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park

Zabriskie Point in Death Valley offers a great view from the Funeral Mountains, across curious gullies of sedimentary rock and packed mud that comprise the badlands below Zabriskie Point, to the floor of salt-pan floor of Death Valley and the Panamint Range in the distance. It is especially striking at…

adminMarch 2, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park's most accessible sand dunes are just a few miles down the road from Stovepipe Wells, in the center of Death Valley. 14 acres of sand dunes, rising several hundred feet high in places, lie about a quarter mile from the road. While there is no official…

adminMarch 1, 2006

California Elephant Seal Wildlife

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seals

We have been visiting the Piedras Blancas rookery of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) since early 1991, when it was newly colonized by animals from the San Miguel, San Nicholas and Ano Nuevo rookeries, and have watched it grow to its current size. We have had the good fortune to…

adminMarch 1, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Badwater is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park, at 282 feet below sea level. Indeed, it is the lowest point in the entire western hemisphere. The Badwater Basin is the catch point for 9000 square miles of drainage, however, there is typically little water here except following winter…

adminFebruary 28, 2006

Funny

Psycho Bird

Check out this crazed seagull. Until today I had no idea that birds actually had tongues. Learn something new (and useful) every day it seems. Larus psychobirdus. Western gull, open mouth.Image ID: 15563Species: Western gull, Larus occidentalisLocation: La Jolla, California, USA

adminFebruary 21, 2006

Photo of the Day

Photo of the Moon

Testing out some gear, got a nice snap of the full moon:

adminFebruary 13, 2006

Central Coast Surf

Mavericks Surf Contest 2006

The Mavericks Surf Contest 2006 photos are now online. I shot the 2006 running of the Mavericks Surf Contest, held February 7, 2006 at Half Moon Bay, California. The event went off very well, with great organization, beautiful weather and near perfect waves. The Mavericks Surf Contest is about big…

adminFebruary 7, 2006

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Pelican Head Throw

See my Guide to Photographing Pelicans in La Jolla. Here are a few photos of California brown pelicans performing the pelican head throw, also known as the pelican bill throw. It looks painful. The brown pelican lifts its large bill up, arches its neck back until the throat gular pouch…

adminFebruary 1, 2006

Uncategorized

As Seen On ABC Television’s Extreme Makeover : Home Edition

Update: some of my dolphin photos are used to create the gigantic wall murals that surround 11-year old Jael's dolphin themed bedroom, revealed in the final minutes of the program. The perspective of the room is that of a diver (or another dolphin), surrounded on all sides and below by…

adminJanuary 15, 2006

Surf

Carlsbad Morning Glass

I got a few fun photos in South Carlsbad recently, it was glassy and sunny, did not feel like winter: Surf, wave, winter, morning, Ponto, South Carlsbad.Image ID: 14980Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA Surf, wave, winter, morning, Ponto, South Carlsbad.Image ID: 14978Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA Surf, wave, winter, morning,…

adminJanuary 9, 2006

California

Recent California Snaps

A few recent images. Click on any one to see others that are related. Beach cliffs at Torrey Pines State Reserve: Sandstone cliffs rise above the beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve.Image ID: 14725Location: Torrey Pines State Reserve, San Diego, California, USA Broken Hill at Torrey Pines State Reserve: Broken…

adminJanuary 5, 2006

Haleakala Hawaii

Atop Haleakala

We used to spend 6-8 weeks in Maui each winter as part of a humpback whale research team. One of the fringe benefits of that work was a chance to make a trip to the summit of Haleakala volcano each year, the mass of which comprises most of the island…

adminJanuary 3, 2006

Surf

Salt Creek Surf

When the sun finally burned through the morning haze some nice waves appeared at Salt Creek, leftovers from Big Wednesday. Salt Creek surf, pretty big day, winter, morning.Image ID: 14851Location: Salt Creek, Laguna Niguel, California, USA Salt Creek surf, pretty big day, winter, morning.Image ID: 14852Location: Salt Creek, Laguna Niguel,…

adminDecember 22, 2005

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