Photography

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Milky Way Rising Over Joshua Trees

Joshua Tree National Park is the closest National Park to my home, so I visit it several times each year. It is a desert park, arid and sometimes quite hot, and given its proximity to Los Angeles it can be crowded on weekends which makes exploring Joshua Tree National Park…

Phil CollaSeptember 29, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Tower of Babel and Starry Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Stars over the Tower of Babel, Arches National Park, Utah The Tower of Babel is one of the most imposing and distinctive sandstone structures in Arches National Park. An enormous narrow freestanding wall or "fin" of Entrada sandstone, the Tower of Babel may, over the course of eons, erode into…

Phil CollaSeptember 27, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Landscape Arch and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Landscape Arch and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah Landscape Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, is considered to be the longest natural arch in the world, having a span of 290 feet (89m) . Landscape Arch is gradually falling apart, with at least three sections of the…

Phil CollaSeptember 26, 2012

Environmental Problems Sea Lion Sea of Cortez Underwater Life Underwater Photography

International Conservation Photography Awards 2012

Art Wolfe hosts the biennial International Conservation Photography Awards ("ICP Awards"). One of my images was honored in the 2010 edition of the competition, so I decided to try again this year. My photograph of a young California sea lion entangled in monofilament fishing line, taken in the Espiritu Santo…

Phil CollaAugust 15, 2012

California Underwater Photography

Asferico Photo Competition Segnalato Il Mondo Subacqueo!

I love Italy. And I love photography. What could be better than an Italian Photography competition? Molto Bene! The Asferico photography competition, sponsored by Asferico Magazine in Italy, is an annual display of incredible images by many of the finest photographers in Europe. I have long admired the annual Asferico…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Trees White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest Ancient Bristlecone pine trees (Pinus longaeva) live in a relatively restricted area of eastern California, Nevada and Utah, typically at altitudes above 9500'. The ancient bristlecone pine tree is considered to be the world's oldest species of tree (and…

Phil CollaJune 12, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Yosemite

Yosemite Falls and Star Trails at Night

Yosemite Falls at Night, with Star Trails and Polaris Yosemite Falls is easily the one waterfall near which I have spent the most time over the course of my life. I am in Yosemite often, especially in spring which is my favorite season to be in Yosemite National Park, and…

Phil CollaJune 1, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Juniper, Rock and Star Trails, Joshua Tree National Park

I made a brief trip up to Joshua Tree National Park recently with Garry McCarthy to do some night photography. In Southern California it is difficult to find night skies that are clear enough for productive night photography and heading east to the desert with its dry air and relative…

Phil CollaMay 30, 2012

Environmental Problems Sea Lion Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Wildlife Entanglement: Sea Lion and Monofilament, Pelican and Shopping Bag

Photos of Wildlife Entanglement in Plastic Unfortunately, I have had a number of opportunities to photograph wildlife entangled in plastic debris. Plastic Debris. We make it, we use it and then we leave it behind. This stuff is killing animals and causing problems everywhere. I find it dismaying every time…

Phil CollaMarch 22, 2012

Marine Life Mexico Sea of Cortez Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Panamic Green Moray Eel

Photo of Panamic Green Moray Eel, Gymnothorax castaneus While I was in Mexico's beautiful Sea of Cortez doing some diving last November, I spent time photographing the Panamic Green Moray eels (Gymnothorax castaneus). These eels are quite common, often found underneath large boulders and overhangs. They are typically content to…

Phil CollaFebruary 15, 2012

Sea Lion Sea of Cortez Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Los Islotes, Espiritu Santo Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico

Los Islotes is a small island at the northern end of Isla Espiritu Santo, near La Paz in the Sea of Cortez. Espiritu Santo Island and Partida Island are two beautiful desert islands, scalloped with gorgeous white sand beaches. Bird nest on their rugged slopes, and cardon cacti grow in…

Phil CollaFebruary 10, 2012

Tear Sheets

Plus One Collection

Plus One Collection Limited Edition Book The exciting new collaborative photography project Plus One Collection has just released its first Limited Edition portfolio. The best part is: the net profits from the Limited Edition Book go entirely to Kiva.org, which provides micro loans to entrepreneurs in all countries and cultures…

Phil CollaFebruary 10, 2012

Best Photographs of the Year

Best Photos of 2011

Best Photos of 2011 In a past "best of" post I stated that one of my goals is to make a handful of really strong images each year, images that could be included in a career retrospective portfolio. This year I will admit that another of my goals is to…

Phil CollaJanuary 9, 2012

Beautiful Views of San Diego iPhone La Jolla Seascapes

Torrey Pines State Reserve Running Photos

It is for views like this that I run. I've been running for 35 years and will keep running until my body can't do it anymore. I estimate that I have run at least 32,000 miles (1.25 times around the Earth!) and it is views like this that keep me…

Phil CollaDecember 15, 2011

Galleries Sharks Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Stock Photo Gallery: Blue Shark Underwater Photographs

Underwater stock photos of Blue Sharks (Prionace glauca) I've updated my collection of blue shark underwater photos. Most of these blue shark photographs were taking freediving (breathhold diving) with a few friends in the open ocean near San Diego or just below the border in Mexico. In days gone by,…

Phil CollaNovember 18, 2011

California Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Salps, Pelagic Tunicates, Cyclosalpa Affinis

Photos of Salps, Pelagic Tunicates, Plankton This summer I've been fortunate to get out on the ocean a few times, and each time we have seen an incredible abundance of pelagic tunicates, in particular the species Cyclosalpa affinis. These open ocean planktonic animals largely drift with ocean currents, although they…

Phil CollaAugust 11, 2011

iPhone

iPhone Panoramic Photography, #3

iPhone Panoramic Photos. If you like these, be sure to see my first set of iPhone Panorama Photos and a second set of iPhone Panorama Photos. Why do I shoot photos with the iPhone when I have a "real camera"? Quite often we are out and about scouting locations to…

Phil CollaAugust 2, 2011

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Yosemite

Yosemite Falls and Star Trails

Stock Photos of Yosemite National Park. I've updated my collection of Yosemite photos, including the one below which I made at 2am a few evenings before the last new moon. One of the spring lunar rainbows that form in upper and lower Yosemite Falls -- which are a lot of…

Phil CollaJuly 12, 2011

iPhone

iPhone Panorama Photos, #2

Making iPhone Panorama Photographs. See my first set of iPhone Panorama Photos. Here are a few more iPhone panoramas that I've made recently. These panoramas were all shot with my iPhone 4 by my daughter (age 11) and took about 60 seconds each to make! Normally, I stitch the individual…

Phil CollaJuly 2, 2011

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Icons Joshua Tree

Heavenly Arch on EarthShots

I made a spur-of-the-moment trip with Garry McCarthy to do some night-time photography. We were pretty sleep-deprived by the time we were done, jacked up on coffee and then having to drive several hours home as the sun was just rising, but I managed to make four or five images…

Phil CollaJune 4, 2011

California Dolphin Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin Photos

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin Photos The first dolphins I ever photographed were Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). This extremely fast moving species of dolphin often appears around San Diego in winter, but is normally found much further north ranging as far as Alaska and around to Japan. We would freedive in…

Phil CollaMay 3, 2011

California San Clemente Island Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Giant Kelpfish, Master of Camouflage

One of my favorite California fishes is the giant kelpfish (Heterostichus rostratus). Giant kelpfish are camouflage masters, blending into the brown and green kelp blades perfectly. Many times I have found myself hovering over a clump of kelp for a few minutes, not aware of a giant kelpfish only a…

Phil CollaApril 14, 2011

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Milky Way Rising Over Hoodoos

The first morning of my recent roadtrip around northern Arizona and southern Utah with a few old diving buddies found us at the Toadstool Hoodoos a few hours before dawn. Garry McCarthy is always thinking of ways to creatively photograph the night sky, and on this trip he suggested photographing…

Phil CollaApril 11, 2011

iPhone

iPhone Panorama Photos

Making Panoramic Photographs with the Apple iPhone 4 First, a Bit of Background... I recently shared a fun roadtrip with some buddies for a bit of fresh air and landscape photography at a handful of iconic American Southwest locations. Each of us had the iPhone 4 so naturally we spent…

Phil CollaApril 4, 2011

Panoramas Wisdom

A Tale of Two Panoramas and One iPhone

Recently I encountered two panoramic photo situations in which the software that I am accustomed to using for stitching panoramas failed. It gave me the impetus to try Photoshop for panoramas, with mixed results explained below. And the biggest surprise of my recent panorama efforts has been with, well, you'll…

Phil CollaFebruary 24, 2011

Mexico Photography

En Línea con la Ecología – A Photographic Exhibition in Mexico City

En Línea con la Ecología is a major natural history photographic exhibition on display now in Mexico City. Sponsored by Telmex, the goal of the exhibition is to show viewers the extraordinary biological diversity and beauty of the landscapes of Mexico and heighten interest and a sense of ownership in…

Phil CollaFebruary 4, 2011

Best Photographs of the Year

Best Photos of 2010

Best Photos of 2010 A good friend once told me that his photography goal was to shoot two or three really good images each year. I've tried to keep that in mind in the years since. It is only on looking back over the last year's photographs, having now removed…

Phil CollaDecember 31, 2010

Antarctica Southern Ocean Time Lapse Video

Cloudy Morning in Paradise Bay, Antarctica

Last night we sailed down the Lemaire Channel a second time, after a visit to Peterman Island. This morning we awoke in Paradise Bay. We would remain here for a few hours while we ate breakfast. As I was below in the galley enjoying eggs, cheese, fruit and coffee (the…

Phil CollaDecember 19, 2010

Aerial Photography Blue Whale California GeoBlog

Blue Whale Aerial Photos

Blue whale aerial photos This blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) was photographed from the air as it surfaced off the coast of Redondo Beach (near Los Angeles, California) to exhale and take a new breath, before diving underwater to feed on krill. Blue whale, exhaling as it surfaces from a dive,…

Phil CollaOctober 21, 2010

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Sierra Nevada

North Lake, Dusk to Dawn

I suppose photos of North Lake shoreline in fall are cliche, in part because of the internet and the fact that so many photographers now visit this small area to photograph eastern Sierra fall colors during a few weeks each October. I still have yet to be there when a…

Phil CollaOctober 17, 2010

Aerial Photography California San Clemente Island

San Clemente Island Aerial Photograph

Aerial photograph of San Clemente Island, California San Clemente Island Pyramid Head, the distinctive pyramid shaped southern end of the island. San Clemente Island Pyramid Head, showing geologic terracing, underwater reefs and giant kelp forests Image ID: 26003 Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA San Clemente Island is where I…

Phil CollaSeptember 30, 2010

Aerial Photography California Catalina

Catalina Island Aerial Photograph

Aerial photograph of Catalina Island I was very fortunate recently to have the opportunity to fly over Catalina Island, and was able to take a few photographs of the West End of the island. Growing up in Newport Beach I used to visit Catalina fairly often as a kid, and…

Phil CollaSeptember 29, 2010

Astrophotography and Night Scapes

Photo of Jupiter and moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede

Photo of Jupiter and its moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede Last night as I put my daughter to bed, we looked out her window. The moon was bright and clear, and below and just to the right of the moon was an especially bright star. When we noticed smaller specks…

Phil CollaSeptember 23, 2010

Antarctica Penguin Southern Ocean Time Lapse

Devil Island, Antarctica

Photos of Devil Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica Arriving at Devil Island, the morning presented the most spectacular blue-sky weather we experienced during our entire voyage. Devil Island rose above us after we anchored, twin peaks about 800’ high framing a saddle about half that. On the slope of the island…

Phil CollaJuly 20, 2010

Tear Sheets

International Conservation Photography Awards 2010

The 2010 occasion of the International Conservation Photography Awards was held recently in Seattle, with winners being announced June 19 and an exhibit of many of images running until September 6 at The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington. You can view online photos…

Phil CollaJuly 14, 2010

Antarctica Penguin Southern Ocean Time Lapse Video

Paulet Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Photos of Paulet Island, Antarctic Peninsula, and photos of Adelie penguins We arrive early in the morning at Paulet Island, our first taste of the Antarctic Peninsula. As we navigate our approach through ice-filled channels around the island, large groups of Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are seen swimming in the…

Phil CollaJuly 11, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Infrared National Parks The American Southwest

Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes and the Eureka Valley in Death Valley National Park. One of the goals of our recent Death Valley trip was to reach the wonderful Eureka Valley Sand Dunes. At almost 700' tall, these dunes are some of the tallest in the United…

Phil CollaJune 11, 2010

California San Clemente Island Underwater Life Underwater Photography

Sea Fans and Gorgonians at San Clemente Island

Photos of gorgonians and sea fans at San Clemente Island. I spent three days diving at one of my favorite spots on Earth: San Clemente Island. The island, about 60 miles offshore of southern California, is home to some of the world's most beautiful kelp forests. Swimming through these kelp…

Phil CollaJune 2, 2010

Death Valley National Parks Time Lapse Video

Milky Way Time Lapse Movie

This is a time lapse video of the Milky Way rising in the south east sky, viewed from Death Valley. The Milky Way is our own galaxy, a thick spinning disc of stars with arms that thin as they spiral outward. Our Sun is located in one of the arms.…

Phil CollaMay 18, 2010

Photography Wisdom

A Breath-Holding Exercise for Water Photographers

I finish my swim workouts with a few minutes of active breathholding exercises which I feel make me a better waterman and a better photographer. Photographers working in or under the water must often deal with chaotic, stressful or just plain physically demanding situations. I have found that being able…

Phil CollaApril 19, 2010

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