Coastal Wild Onion
Was out wandering out by the cliffs at Sonoma Coast State Park and spied these wild onion blooms clinging to the edge.
Curvature of the earth – Bonsai Rock
Taken last weekend using my fisheye lens, Bonsai Rock in Lake Tahoe. I’ve seen many photos of Bonsai Rock, usually the best time is late afternoon and around sunset. For this photo I went out early and scrambled down the hillside to the shore and waited for the sun to crest the mountain side. I had the whole shoreline and beach to myself. Recent rains has raised the lake water levels again. I love the clarity of this lake, the blue tones and the rocks under water.
Letharia vulpina – Wolf Lichen
Letharia vulpina, commonly known as the wolf lichen is a fruticose lichenized species of fungus in the family Parmeliaceae. It is bright yellow-green, shrubby and highly branched, and grows on the bark of living and dead conifers in parts of western and continental Europe, the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains of Western North America. This species is somewhat toxic to mammals due to the yellow pigment vulpinic acid, and has been used historically as a poison for wolves and foxes. It has also been used traditionally by many native North American ethnic groups as a pigment source for dyes and paints.
Urban Seals
This photo was taken last July when I was up early and wandering around the Point Bonita Lighthouse in the Marin Headlands. I didn’t see these guys when I was walking towards the old lighthouse but on my return to the parking lot, I spied these guys resting on the beach below. Urban photography is usual not my thing but I thought that this mix of nature and graffiti was pretty cool. 
Moody oaks
Calm before the next rain storm and I was looking up through the trees at the sky. Switching to black and white mode made for moody oaks and some cool patterns.
Pursuit of the Firefall
I remember the first time that I saw an image of the Last light on Horsetail Falls, Yosemite by Galen Rowell. In 1973 he was one of the first photographers to capture this iconic image. My sister and I were on one our road trips along the Eastern Sierras and we stopped in Bishop, CA for the night. We wandered around town and found Mountain Light Gallery and went in. The gallery images were breathtaking and inspiring to me. Galen Rowell described his style of photography as “a continuing pursuit in which the art becomes the adventure, and vice-versa.” I was hooked! Because he was ‘local’, it meant that some of his locations were attainable to me as well. These were adventures that I could pursue and hope to mimic some of his artistry as well. But a funny thing happened along the way in this pursuit of the shot; I found that being “present” in my environment meant so much more than just getting the shot.
‘Yes’ I’m a lemming that travels to Yosemite during February to get the ultimate shot of the Firefall. I park and wait for hours for that ten minute window when the setting sun sets and starts to illuminate Horsetail Falls. I also talk with other photographers and listen to their stories of their ‘first time’ seeing the mountain go from golden yellow to an intense lava red in a stream of glory. My follow photographers and site seers alike commiserate and then become awestruck by this phenomenon. I’ve been disappointed when the weather conditions didn’t cooperate. I’ve scouted different angles and vantage points and was vexed many times. And yet, this is my adventure and I find that each time I enjoy it so much. Maybe, my photo will inspire others to seek out their own adventures. Who knows…
Tracks in the snow
I was out wandering around in Hope Valley, CA recently but it appears that I wasn’t the only one leaving tracks in the snow.
Dark is the night
Was out last weekend practicing my night photography. Decided to try out the shot in black and white. 
Sunday Haiku
Driving county road
Winter rains cause turbulence
Lost abandoned car
Snapshots by Kats 