Illuminated Pines

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Sunset, Bean Hollow State Beach

Sometimes I find it difficult to simply "get out and shoot." I wanted to head to the coast this evening, but I couldn't settle on a specific destination. I came very close to not going at all, but decided instead to just get in the car and start driving. This is where I ended up.

Sunset, Pebble Beach

California Coast at Dusk

Pebbles

Snow Dusted Aspen

I mentioned in a previous post how I seemed to be in Bishop Creek Canyon the exact moment fall turned to winter. Here's an image from the following morning. I think it's pretty rare to see snow on aspen trees while they still have their leaves. The brittle foliage falls pretty quickly once the weather turns, and I'm quite certain this was the last day of fall color in this area.

Clematis

White Tulip

Tulip Petal Detail

Buckwheat, Above Bishop Pass

Aster, Above Bishop Pass

Viewed from more than a few feet away, the Sierra landscape above 12,000' appears to be just granite and ice. And even right there, the rocks are all that most casual observers notice. However, a closer look reveals a surprising variety of vegetation. How this seemingly delicate flora manages to survive in this extreme environment amazes me.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine

This image was captured about 20 minutes before the sunset shot in the previous post. Smoke from a wildfire in the Sierra, which contributed to the dramatic cloudscape below, also added to the warm illumination of the tree. The bristlecone pines in this area are the oldest living things on earth, many over 4,000 years old.

Sierra Sunset

Here's another classic Sierra sunset cloudscape. This was taken looking back at the Sierra from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains.

Clouds at Sunset Above Sierra Crest, Near Bishop Pass

Here's part of the cloudscape that appeared as the storm, gathering in the image below, cleared.

Gathering Storm, Bishop Lake

This panorama was stitched together in Photoshop from eight or nine vertical handheld images. When the rain arrived, the guys I was with dove into the tent for the night. For me, the evening was just getting started as I savored the coming and passing of the storm, followed by a dramatic Sierra sunset cloudscape.

Aspen Grove, Bishop Creek Canyon

Aspens in Fall, Bishop Creek Canyon

Wild Grass and Aspen Leaves

Golden Aspen #2