The First Sunrise Of December

"Nature awakens in brilliant colors of autumn,

 making me wish winter would bid adieu."

~Richelle Goodrich

Smile Anyway; Quotes, Verses, and Grumblings

 For Every Day Of The Year

The first sunrise of December... no more words are needed!

Leaf Of The Day

December 2nd, 2015

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

Altamont Pass Sunrise #4

"You've gotta taste the light, like my friend and fellow shooter Chip Maury says. And when you see the light like this, trust me, it's like a strawberry sundae with sprinkles"

~Joe McNally

The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets From One Of The World's Top Shooters

While I was photographing the sunrise last Monday, I was seeing all kinds of things on the Altamont Pass that I wanted to stop, and include in the photos, but instead I just tried to make some visual notes, and grab those fleeting moments as fast as I could. We were in a car, on the 580 freeway, and the whole scene was just unfolding so fast that I just kept clicking the camera as I saw the possibilities! One of those most striking aspects of the pass that morning were the power lines.

Ordinarily I don't pay that much attention to them, in fact I try really hard to keep them out of my shots, but like the wind turbines, the power lines seemed transformed by the colors of the sunrise into something really beautiful. I am glad I went ahead and included them in the series. I think I will be looking at them differently in the future. That's what I love about photography, it changes your world view and creativity. It changes the way you see things, and any chance for growth is a good thing!

And then finally as we exited the Altamont Pass the sky transitioned into a beautiful morning sky over Stockton. Slightly cloudy, slightly foggy and really cold. But I was happy inside. I got a lot done on that car ride. The photos I took were rewarding to me and I got them in one of my favorite ways to do photography, out the car's passenger window, as a casual observer, with no real time to overthink the photo, just the instinct and inspiration to take it!

Leaf Of The Day

November 13th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Sunrise On Over The Altamont Pass Wind Farm

"Faeries come take me out of this dull world

For I would ride with you upon the wind

Run on the top of the disheveled tide

And dance upon the mountains like a flame."

~W.B. Yeats

The Land Of Heart's Desire

To me, there was something oddly beautiful about the Altamont Wind Farm turbines. I never really knew what about them kept my gaze each time we drove past them on the Altamont Pass, but something about them just resonated with me, kind of like the way the back of cereal boxes do. The facts on cereal boxes aren't particularly profound, but when I eat my breakfast cereal I more often times than not, find myself completely enthralled in whatever trivia, fast facts, or silly game is printed there. I passed these turbines, at least once a year, when I lived in the Bay Area, and now each time we drive from our new home in Stockton, to the Bay Area, as the closet route takes us right past them on HWY 580! When they are all running they came be quite beautiful, long arms stretched out spinning, and as you can see, they have a certain mysterious beauty as silhouettes against the rising sun, but it never occurred to me, until recently, how dangerous they had been to certain birds in the area. 

In a study, however, recently conducted by the Audubon Society, it was revealed that the windmills caused the deaths annually of some 75 - 110 Golden Eagles alone, but Burrowing Owls, and American Kestrels are killed in the hundreds as well! It's sad, but there is some encouraging news of late. It seems the site was recently purchased by Google, who will try installing smaller more slim-lined turbines which will be safer for the birds, while continuing to harvest wind energy. It will be interesting to see the transformation to the smaller windmills, I will kind of miss those giant, blades, but it makes me smile that the birds will be a lot safer in the process. I have never seen a golden eagle, I now look forward to that one day! One things for sure, I will keep my camera ready!

Leaf Of The Day

November 11th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Altamont Sunrise

"I love that this morning's sunrise does not define itself by last night's sunset."

~Steve Maraboli

Heartwork

By Suzy Kassem

Each day is born with a sunrise

and ends in a sunset, the same way we

open our eyes to see the light,

and close them to hear the dark.

You have no control over 

how your story begins or ends.

But by now, you should know that

all things have an ending.

Every spark returns to darkness.

Every sound returns to sleep

with the earth.

This journey of the sun

and moon is predictable.

But yours is your ultimate ART."

Isn't that a stunning sunrise, and don't the words of that poem fit it nicely? That is how the sunrise looked over the Altamont Pass yesterday morning. I got to enjoy it for about 40 minutes or so, and the colors kept changing first from a soft, almost depressing shade of violet, into this vibrant red/gold sky that reminded me of a type of rose I had grown while living in Berkeley. It's hard knowing I will probably never be able to afford the home prices in the Bay Area again, but at the same time I am coming to terms with that fact, and it hasn't killed me. In fact, I seem to be finding the art in my sadness and that is the best therapy of all! Picking up the camera makes me feel better in a very personal way. It helps me see the ART in the sadness! I will be posting more sunset photos as we go along, so stay tuned!

Leaf Of The Day

November 10th 2015

Mood: Encouraged/Artistic

~Me :)