circadianreflections

Golden Gate Bridge

September 29, 2010Posted in Uncategorized2 Comments

Golden Gate Bridge , originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

When we came out of the tunnel from Sausalito into San Francisco this was nearly the view before me. I asked my friend to stop so we could shoot this before continuing south for home after our day in Point Reyes to photograph the Tule Elk. We drove up to the Marina Headlands and spent a good 30-40 minutes shooting this. Instead of the night getting foggier it started to clear up! Once the fog was off the bridge we packed it up and headed for home.

I don’t believe I’ll get tired of photographing this bridge.

PP- Vibrance, clarity, recovery, and a tiny crop off the right side, straightened the horizon, and resized

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8@ 17mm, 59s, f16, ISO 200, EV +2/3, Remote cable release, Sundisk Ultra SDHC Digital Film

A Milestone and a Whisk Passed

September 27, 2010September 27, 2010Posted in California, Nikon3 Comments

The day before yesterday Baby Girl said she wanted to prepare dinner from start to finish. I was stunned, and thrilled that it actually happened! She wanted to cook.
Many years ago when she started Middle School I decided to spend the next 3 summers teaching her to cook. I was enthusiastic, and so excited to pass the whisk, and wooden spoon onto my daughter. I had visions of her going off to college with the confidence that in the kitchen at least there would be no test or final exam to prep for. It was a flop!
She was not interested in the least. She complained and stalled and made it so awful that I gave up the idea the first summer and vowed not to bring it up again. I would wait for the day she asked for help.

Many summers have passed, and she elected to stay home for college rather than go away. Finally the day arrived!
I answered with caution when she asked, “ What should I cook?” “What ever you’d like.” I replied trying not to sound too excited. When she said she had no clue. I offered her my very first cookbook. Betty Crocker- the one with the Orange cover. Now stained, notes written on nearly every page, and a quarter of the pages falling out. “This was my first cookbook. I got it when I was just 19 year old. Look through the main dishes you may find something there.”
She took the book and with a shy smile began turning the pages. “Mom you really should get sheet protectors for these pages.” Baby Girl said as the page for Italian Spaghetti and Lasagna slid out of the book. She read the page and said she’d like to try Spaghetti with the meat sauce with a question on her face. I said, “Great. Let’s see what we need!” Together we went through the list of ingredients, then the pantry and made a shopping list.
This morning we went to the market together and shopped. It was fun showing her how to pick a good bell pepper from an old one, and good onion, and she chose her own brand of pasta. We engaged the butcher to teach her the different grades of ground beef, and lingered over the cheese counter and talked about Romano and Parmesan.
We unpacked our purchases and planned what to prepare first. Opting for the brownies. We went simple here and utilized Betty again. Baby Girl picked Fudge Brownie mix. She put it together with ease.

Copyright © 2010 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Next I showed her how to chop the bell pepper, and onion, and to sharpen the knife, to stir, and blend, and smell the herbs as we went. She’s afraid of my gas stove and the noise it makes when it lights. So I turned on the burner for the sauce. One hurdle she’s not ready to jump.
She watched the sauce simmer, carefully watching the time, and stirring it carefully. She got the water for pasta started so it would be finished when the sauce was then worried about getting the Garlic Bread started and in the oven so it too would be done on time.
Once the sauce was on she didn’t need me much. She was in the “zone”. It was fun to watch.
The sauce was wonderful, the pasta cooked just right, and the bread that came out a bit late was fattening, warm, and delicious-well worth the wait.

A milestone was crossed today, and a hurdle jumped. She turned on the burner for the pasta water without me. Middle school and so many summers later… I passed the whisk.

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 AF-S, Sundisk Ultra SDHC Digital Film

“There is nothing more musical than a sunset. – the book of Nature. ” Claude Debussy

September 26, 2010September 26, 2010Posted in California, Landscapes, Nikon, TravelTagged Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing5 Comments

“There is nothing is more musical than a sunset. He who feels what he sees will find no more beautiful example of development in all that book which, alas, musicians read but too little – the book of Nature. ” Claude Debussy, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

Another photograph from my Elkhorn Slough Meet-Up on the 18th.

At the end of the day myself and two friends found this beach to shoot the sunset. The sun set right here. This was the best light and color of the sunset. I’m so glad we were here in time for this. After the sun set there was no color at all…the day faded into night. With it we headed north for home.

PP- Recovery, vibrance, clarity, resized
Nikon D300s, Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 @ 17mm, f13, 1/8s, ISO 200, Manual Mode

Brown Pelican- Non Breeding Adult

September 24, 2010Posted in Uncategorized1 Comment

Brown Pelican- Non Breeding Adult, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004.

One of my Meet-Up groups went out on pontoon boat in Elkhorn Slough to see the Otters, Seals, and Shore birds.
We were out in the slough for 2 hours. It got a bit foggy toward the end, but it wasn’t cold thankfully.

I really like this lens! Look at that Bokeh!!
It’s fast, doesn’t hunt, is quite, and renders colors good enough for me Looks pretty sharp to me too. This one is going on my wish list.

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 300mm f/4

PP- Levels, USM, and resized

“They can be like a sun, words. They can do for the heart what light can for a field.”~ St John of the Cross

September 24, 2010September 24, 2010Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, NikonTagged Fog, Fremont CA, Livestock; Morning, Mission Peak, Peak TrailLeave a comment

Here’s another photo from my hike up to Mission Peak on Weds. We saw these cows grazing on the way down Peak Trail. The Sun was beginning to burn off the fog, and the light on the distant hills gave them a wonderful glow.

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 18-200mmVR, Hoya Multi Coated Pro1 UV filter, Sundisk Ultra SDHC Digital Film

A Foggy Morning Hike

September 22, 2010September 22, 2010Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, NikonTagged Morning2 Comments

I rose at 3AM to meet some members of my Night Photography Group at Peak Trail in East Bay Regional Park Dist. to hike up to Mission Peak.

I and only one other hiker did this hike this morning. We met at 4:30AM and walked about 15 mins to the trailhead.

This is was an arduous climb for me. My legs are still tired from Sunday’s 9.4 mile hike out to Tomales Point and back. I made it to the top! After two previous hikes up that fell 500ft short. I’ve finally made it!

The fog was low and the Summit was shrouded in it. We could not see the sunrise, or the city lights below. I did take a few photographs of me, and Steven at the pole, and one of the Summit elevation marker. You can see how bundled up a I am; I was cold. The wind is whipping around my pack straps. I had 3 layers of clothes on top and two on the bottom and hand warmers in my gloves.

The Summit Marker- Says, Mission Peak 2,517 ft

The climb- The trail starts at 500ft and the top is 2,517ft.at the top. A 2,100 foot ascent. It’s 3.4 miles from bottom to the top. Pretty STEEP!

The trail traverses rocky loose soil, rutted, dusty, with rocks jutting out of the trail, wooded areas, you may run into cows that roam freely through the park on or near the trail, and there are open areas with strong winds, and gusts. Today at the top the wind was blowing pretty hard WNW 10-20 MPH.

We didn’t stay up any longer than to take a few photos then we started our descent.

Under the fog layer.

View of Moffet Field, Mt. View, and Northern Sunnyvale,CA from Peak Trail

It took me 2h5m to reach the summit and about half that to get down.

I traveled up here really light this morning. Only taking the Nikon D300s, Nikkor 18-200mmVR w/one spare battery, my ND Grads, tool kit, rain gear for me and the camera, water, and tripod.

BTW- I think Rocky, rutted, and Dusty would be an excellent name for a Grunge or Heavy Metal Band!

A Week-end on the Wild Side

September 20, 2010September 21, 2010Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, TravelTagged Abandonned, boats, Elkhorn Slough, Golden Gate Bridge, Otters, Point Reyes National Seashore, San Francisco, Tomales Point, Tule Elk8 Comments

A week-end full of wildlife photography that is.

I spent Sat. with a Meet up group out in Moss Landing, CA at Elkhorn Slough. We took a pontoon boat out in the slough and saw oodles of Otters, pups, seals, seal pups, and shore birds. The weather was warm, but overcast throughout most the day.

Here are Mom and pup. Mom trying to relax and the pup was as curious about us as we were about them.

These guys eat 25% of their body weight in clams a day! They are very cute.

Sunday morning myself and 2 friends headed back up North to Point Reyes National Seashore’s Tule Elk Reserve to hike out to Tomales Bay Point to photograph the Tule Elk again ,and some coastal scenics. We had rain in the forecast and were hoping for big dramatic clouds and nice moody scenes along the rocky coast line.

It drizzled the whole 2.5 hour drive up. As we headed out on the trail to Tomales Point it was still drizzling, and the sky was gray with no definition in the sky or clouds. Just overcast.

We reached the pond 3 miles out- there was an Alpha Male with about 25 females and 4 calves in his Harem.
Up on the hill was another male calling the females. He had about 5 females which deserted him for the Bigger Tule Elk down by the pond. He came down the hill and we hoped there would be a battle over the Harem.
The Bull on the hill didn’t put up a fight he let his females go. There was a lot of bugle calling and half hearted, and “I mean business ” charges from the Alpha Male which was enough to scare the Bull on the hill away.
He lost all his females to the Older Bull who had about 30 females in his Harem when we left them to continue out to Tomales Point.

The hike out to the point is 4.7 miles. On the way back my legs were tired. I carried with me the D300s, 17-35mm f2.8, and the 300mm f4 along with accessories and filters, lunch, water, tripod, and trail stool. I think my load was 20 pounds. Right now this is my current limit loaded with all this gear.

PP- Vibrance, clarity, a little fill light, some USM, and resized.

We were about to leave and continue our hike as we thought the action was over. There wouldn’t be a fight and the Alpha was herding the new females into the Harem, and giving them a thorough sniffing and sizing up. Sensing the Alpha was distracted the young bull took advantage and crept around the hill and down into the herd undetected…but only for a few minutes. Once the Alpha caught scent of the other bull, he called and charged! All the females moved out of the way as the Alpha charged the young bull. The youngster ran right by us and stopped just 6 feet away from us! Unfortunately, we had packed up all our gear to make the hike easier. Still, it was so thrilling to be that close to them!

As we headed down the trail the young bull took off and we didn’t see him until we were on the way back.

Out at Tomales Point the sky didn’t have the drama or definition we had hoped for in the sky, but the scenery was beautiful none the less.

Here at the point where the rain runs off were the most interesting and beautiful gullies, and patterns in the cliff.

We left the Point at 4PM knowing it would take us about 2.5 hours to hike back out. We saw a lot more Tule Elk at the pond. More of the unattached males were on the other side of the pond-away from the Alpha and his Harem. We didn’t stop to take photos but did pause a minute to look. Further up the trail the fog rolled in. I spent the whole day damp. Out of the fog we saw on the trail ahead of us 3 females and then we spied another Harem. We walked cautiously past them. Fortunately they were just as cautious about us and moved off the trail inland a little further.

We made it out to the parking lot in 2 hours 15 minutes. We were in dire need of dinner and I really wanted a pot of hot tea! We dined in Inverness at Priscilla’s Cafe. It was wonderful! I had a crab sandwich, mixed green salad, and mixed berry pie for dessert.

After dinner we walked across the street to where the Point Reyes is beached. I took a photos of her a few weeks ago when another friend and I came up. This time a night shot was what we were after. One of my companions had a big LED flash-light he used to light up the boat.

Using a technique called light painting he painted the boat, and foreground with light. I set up my cameras for a long exposure. This was a 67 second exposure.

On the way home I saw the Golden Gate bridge with the fog just starting to come in, and the city lights twinkling like jewels through it and wanted to stop to take one last shot before continuing southward home. My friend pulled over at the Marina Headlands where we spent a good half hour shooting the city and the bridge.

This was 59 second exposure . I was happy to see I captured some Moon beams and a star too!

This was a lovely last shot for my week-end on the Wildside. Life is good!

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 300mm f4, Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8, Sundisk Ultra SDHC Digital Film

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