Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “California”
Well after a busy week I finally have a chance to do an update. This was last night in Newport Beach, California.
Our travels to Arizona went well. The next day we drove to Anza-Borrego where we encountered a pretty good rain storm – the area really needed it! We have now moved on to Newport Beach and I’ll be here for the next week and a half or so. Unfortunately, this isn’t my new boat, although I would be thrilled with the little skiff at the stern!
Well I had planned for sometime to write about and promote my Anza-Borrego Desert State Park photography workshop coming up in March, 2013. I’m glad to see everyone else is paying attention to our photo workshops because it filled before I could even promote it! So this week we added a second workshop and it has already started to fill. I only having permitting for these two workshops, so when the second one fills, that will be it.
As many of you know, we usually spend a month in Anza-Borrego each winter – a place I have been visiting since I was a child. For the last few years I have been offering this popular weekend workshop. When I say workshop, I mean it will be heavy on teaching and discussing photography – everything from light to composition. I won’t be taking photos myself, this frees me up to look through viewfinders, give individual attention and even hold reflectors or carry gear!
Most people haven’t heard of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Anza-Borrego is a vast, beautiful state park located in the Sonoran Desert South of Palm Springs and West of San Diego. For a better feel, here are many more photos of Anza-Borrego.
I have been trying some new things here in Anza-Borrego including moving night time-lapses like you see here. I know some of my late night efforts have been ruined by unexpected headlights 🙁 But, I have a feeling some might be working out.
Typically I will put these together once I’m home on a much faster computer, but wanted to assemble one while on the road just to see what is working and what isn’t, and since I did, I thought I would share it here. So, I do have one question, what do you think of the airplanes passing by? They look like shooting stars, but are planes. If necessary, I could avoid them by going later at night and/or with some post processing effort.
Moon rising over the badlands of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.
I hadn’t planned on returning to this location yet again on this trip – but couldn’t think of a better place to photograph the moon then this lunar looking landscape.
This was actually Wednesday night, the night before the actual full moon. The night or two before it is full is the best time to photograph the moon because you can capture it while there is still enough light from the setting sun to light up the landscape. On the actual night of the full moon, it usually appears after it is too dark.
Mike, Frank Sandie, Lauren, Dennie and me in a slot canyon, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.
Just completed a great workshop last weekend in Anza-Borrego. It was really fun thanks to a wonderful group of passionate photographers! I enjoy the chance to talk photography and share some of my favorite places with a group like this.
This is the 5th workshop I have done here over the years. I would have thought by now I would have a routine down, but it has worked out to be just the opposite – every workshop ends up being very different. On a couple I have had heavy rain, on others lots of wildflowers – and so on. This year we had very nice weather with temps in the mid 80’s along with some wonderful early morning and late evening light. We didn’t have too much in the way of wildflowers, but that allowed us to see some of the other cool areas around Anza-Borrego such as this slot canyon.
I had calls right up to Friday inquiring about availability or other weekends and unfortunately this year I only obtained a permit for one weekend, so I apologize for the lack of more options, but I’m pretty sure I will be doing one or two more next year at this time.
Font's Point, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.
Every year when I get down this way I start getting inquires about the famous desert wildflower bloom – so I thought I would provide an update. The fact I’m not posting a photo of wildflowers probably says it all.
I have had my running shoes on and have been exploring many of the canyons and past “hot spots” over the last few days. I have found a few blooms here and there, some chuparosa, a few cactus, desert agave (century plant and lots of oc – just enough options for my workshop this weekend), but by and large, there really aren’t any wildflowers this year. The sign at the visitor center sums it up well. The water year begins here on July 1. For the last two years, the year to date rainfall for this area has been right about 7.5 inches. This year it sits at just over 2 inches – and about 1/4 of that has fallen since we have arrived which is probably too late.
For those that are adventurous, there are a few wildflowers near water sources, mainly Borrego Palm Canyon and Coyote Canyon.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other things to see and photograph in Anza-Borrego beside just the wildflowers!
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