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September 2011 Photo of the Month: Downtown From El Prado

SD47

My September 2011 Photo of the Month is Downtown From El Prado, an image made in the evening in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

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National Park # 1 – Joshua Tree National Park

Orange Ghosts

Joshua Tree National Park was the first National Park I visited, although at the time it was then just a National Monument.  I remember hiking and bouldering as a young kid, and then camping there as a Boy Scout.  Both sides of my family also took us there, although I don’t remember doing much beyond … Read more

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January 2010 Photo of the Month: New Year’s Day 2010

New Year's Day 2010

My January 2010 Photo of the Month is New Year’s Day 2010, a photograph made during one of the greatest sunsets I have ever seen in San Diego.

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False Kiva, Winter (Updated)

False Kiva, Winter

Update:  Now that False Kiva has been closed by the National Park Service (for good reason!), I am glad that Jeremy and I made this trip back in 2010.  Let’s exhort our hiking and photography enthusiasts to be more gentle with our fragile and sacred lands.Frozen WinterMy good friend Jeremy Long and I ventured out … Read more

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New Years Day 2010, Sunset Cliffs

New Year's Day 2010
New Year's Day 2010
New Year’s Day 2010

San Diego rang in 2010 with one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen.

I went to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park to enjoy the first sunset of the year.  The clouds looked good, and as the sun was getting close to the horizon, I noticed a lot of glow on the clouds.  The light was getting through.  This was a definite hint to stay for the show.

Moments after sunset, the clouds really started to show some color.  This usually takes some time, so I knew something spectacular was about to happen.  The color was so red and so bright that it reflected on everything.  People admiring the light had red faces.  The windows on the homes along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard were bright red.  It was astounding.

If you look closely at this image, you will see several surfer relaxing on their boards, enjoying the scene from the ocean.  I wonder what they thought of the show, what that moment of nature and peace meant to them.  Was it different from me standing on the cliffs above?

My favorite image of the night is the one presented here.  It shows Ross Rock and spectacular color.  As the light began to fade, there were spectacular dark clouds contrasting with all that color.  To me, that is the strength of this image.  Dark with light, blending together.

A friend of mine sent me a message later in the evening saying that I shoot Sunset Cliffs all the time, so if I missed the show tonight, I really messed up.  I immediately sent him my first edit in Lightroom.  No, I didn’t miss it.

Clouds this bright and this red require a lot of water vapor.  This doesn’t always happen in our region because the Mediterranean climate is generally arid.  That is one reason that we cherish these events when they happen.  Thankfully, I was at Sunset Cliffs and waiting for the light.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the image.

Further Viewing

San Diego Portfolio Gallery

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July 2007 Photo of the Month: Half Dome and Merced Watershed, Monochrome

YNP2

My July 2007 Photo Of The Month is Half Dome and Merced Watershed, Monochrome, an image made at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park.

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January 2007 Photo of the Month

Red Dawn

My January 2007 Photo of the Month is Red Dawn, an image made before sunrise at Joshua Tree National Park’s Cholla Garden.

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November 2006 Photo of the Month

Organ Pipe Sunrise

My November 2006 Photo of the Month is Organ Pipe Sunrise, an image I made in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona.

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October 2006 Photo of the Month: The Long Track

The Long Track

My October 2006 Photo of the Month is The Long Track, a photograph made in Death Valley’s Racetrack Playa.

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December 2004 Photo Of The Month: A Winter Checkerboard

ZNP1

Going back to some very old images, this is my December 2004 Photo Of The Month.  A Winter Checkerboard was made with what would be considered a very antiquated digital camera.  This image was taken with my good friend James Arriola on New Year’s Eve on a quick trip to Zion National Park.

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