Landscapes
Zen Garden
I walked over to the San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden looking for Spring blossoms. It’s late January on the West Coast but the unseasonal warm weather has trees showing color early. When I got there, the Tea Garden itself didn’t have much to offer in the way of colorful blooms and I was disappointed. I walked towards the back of the garden and the sun was peeking through the trees. It added another texture to the Zen Garden.
Japanese Tea Garden
After the conclusion of the 1894 World’s Fair, Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese immigrant and gardener, approached John McLaren with the idea to convert the temporary exhibit into a permanent park. Hagiwara personally oversaw the building of the Japanese Tea Garden and was official caretaker of the garden from 1895 to 1925. He specifically requested that one thousand flowering cherry trees be imported from Japan, as well as other native plants, birds, and the now famous goldfish. After San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition closed, he obtained the two large ornamental wooden gates, and probably also the Tea Garden’s prominent five-tiered pagoda, from that fair’s Japanese enclave.
Lamoille Canyon, Nevada
Locals call it ‘Nevada’s Yosemite’ a valley located in the Ruby Mountains in the Northeastern section of Nevada (near Elko)
Montara State Beach – CA
Montara State Beach, California
Went out to Montara State Beach the other day to try out my new Hoya Pro 1D ND x64. I like the results of this neutral density filter . On a bright day, this filter reduces the shot 6 stops (for you camera geeks)
Stones in Water
Another shot from the West Fork of the Carson River in Hope Valley. I remember reading somewhere that if you are going to take photos of water you need to take a lot of them. Each photo, each angle, the natural light brings something different to the viewer every time.
In the photo the water reflects the last moments of the setting sun. The water smooth as a mirror
West Fork Carson River
West Fork of the Carson River near Hope Valley along Highway 88 in California. This is one of my favorite areas to take photos. I was walking along the river at dusk when I stumbled across this tree root along the river’s edge. I thought it would add an interesting line to the shot.
Last Pop at Dusk
Point Bonita – Marin Headlands, CA. There is a moment just after the sun sets below the horizon; where the sun seems to add one final ‘pop’ before it disappears for the evening. You never know what you’re going to get when you head out. From the cloud cover above I didn’t expect much from this evening. But, in those last moments the rays lit up the sky just a touch for some contrast.
Walkway to Point Bonita Lighthouse
Got to Pt Bonita Lighthouse trail a little bit after closing. Nobody was around and I was able to take this shot just before sunset.
Snapshots by Kats 