The Ubiquitous Contrail

 Tic Tac Tow Across the Clear Blue Sky

One of my pet peeves with shooting landscape photography is contrails.  I was always told by my mentors that clouds enhance the sky creating interest and drama, but contrails do not belong in nature scenes unless they are part of the theme.  Over the years before Photoshop, I've tried to dodge or hide contrails.  Often, I stood patiently waiting for a contrail to dissipate and then tried to snap the shutter before the next one appeared.  

On days where there is moisture in the air and airplanes are flying at cruise altitude, above 26,000 feet (8 km) where the air is very cold, contrails will be produced from ice particles coming off the aircraft exhaust.

 

Around the second week in September, I noticed some of the most beautiful contrails glowing over the Gillis Range at sunrise. 

I rushed out with my D90 and the 35-70 2.8 lens to catch the scene.  Just as I was getting set up, the contrails of 2 jets flying from the west appeared overhead and it seemed that the planes were approaching at  almost the same time, coming together at an angle.  

 This was a rare occasion for me and I am still not a fan of having contrails streak across the sky in landscape photos. However, I do love to watch the contrails form from the aircraft, especially when the sun light accents them  at night.

 For more information:


http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/science/contrail.php?wfo=fgz

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Nevada, Land of Snow Capped Mountains

From deserts to the alpine forests, 

Nevada lives up to its Spanish name of "snow fall"

I have mentioned my adopted state of Nevada so often when posting photographs that I thought it might be interesting to provide some background information on Nevada. The local pronunciation for Nevada is with a short "a", like in cat and never with the long "a" Ne-vah-da, that is often heard on TV or in the movies. Nevada is referred to as the "Silver State" because one of the largest silver lodes in the world was found at the Comstock Mine in Virginia City. It is also know as the "Battle Born State", which is proudly displayed on the deep blue state flag from achieving statehood in 1864 during the Civil War.

The word Nevada is Spanish, meaning snow fall. The name came from the Spanish explorers after they saw the many tall snowcapped mountains that include 172 summits with 2,000 feet (610m) of prominence, making Nevada the most mountainous state in the U.S. Many of the mountain peaks are above 13,000 feet (4,000m), with the valleys no lower in elevation than 3,000 feet (910m).

The Spring Mountains are the largest mountain range in Southern Nevada and lie west of Las Vegas in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, which is in the Mojave Desert.

With the summer temperatures in Southern Nevada reaching well over 100°f (37.7°c), the winters can be cold and bring snow to the higher elevations and even the desert floor. The Aztec Sandstone of Calico Hills stands out against the occasional winter snow storm in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area. No matter what the weather, the 10,000 acre (4,000 ha) Red Rock Conservation Area is a must see when visiting Las Vegas. The one-way 13 mile (21 km) paved loop is open during day light hours, providing vehicle access to hiking and interpretive trails.

In Northern Nevada, the Sierra Nevada Mountains run for 400 miles (640 km) north to south, through Nevada and California, and are around 70 miles (110 km) across, east to west. The highest peak of the Sierras is Mount Humphreys near Bishop, California and stands at almost 14,000 feet (4,300 km).

Lake Tahoe is set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is the largest alpine lake in North America. Located along the border of California and Nevada, Tahoe has a surface elevation of 6,225 feet (1,897m) and a depth of 1,645 feet (591m), making it the second deepest lake in the U.S. after Oregon's Crater Lake.

Nevada is certainly a state of contrast with its 110,561 sq miles reaching from parts of Death Valley to the Alpine Lake Tahoe. With a population of 2.7 million, the 7th. largest state is only the 35th most populous state. With so much open space and a warm temperate climate, the State of Nevada is a place for adventure with a lot of nature to explore.

Follow my blog and check back often to see where my next photo-adventure takes me!

For more information on the State of Nevada:

http://travelnevada.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada

http://bonnierannald.blogspot.com/2009/07/weather-tales-of-alpine-lake.html

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Color Simplify Your Photograph

How to Color Compliment Your Photos

How often do you photograph a scene that you are drawn to, only to look at it on the computer screen and find that there's something about it that you just don't like. You are left feeling dissatisfied, wondering what inspired you to click the shutter.

In this post, I would like to discuss how the effective use of color balance and color simplicity will enhance your photograph, making it more visually appealing.

What could be the problem with you photograph is, it has such a broad range of colors that it is too busy and distracting. A good example is with this desert scene where all the wildflowers are in bloom. An actual scene in nature is viewed differently by our eyes than through the camera lens. As we look at the photo, our eyes do not want to spend too much time sorting out the image. Intuitively, we are drawn to an appealing image and shy away from the others.

Simplifying the scene with colors and including only objects that support the main subject allows our brain to process the image and not become overloaded with information. In the photo "Sugar Pine, Lake Tahoe” notice how the simple scene without color clutter creates a soothing and visually appealing photograph. To me, I feel like I am there, sitting on the bolder, gazing across Lake Tahoe.

On the color wheel you have analogous colors that are located next to each other, for example orange and yellow and green and blue. Analogous colors in a photograph create a soothing look with the scene, giving it flow and a feeling of harmony.

Complimentary colors on the other hand are opposite each other on the color wheel, red purple is opposite to and complimentary of yellow green, where as orange red is the compliment and opposite of blue green. Selecting or isolating complimentary colors in your photograph will accent the scene making it more outstanding. An example is with the photo, "Desert Tapestry" where the complimentary colors fall in the range of red purple and yellow green against the gray sky.

Another example of complimentary colors working well together is in the "Western Tiger Swallowtail" photograph, where the two dominant colors are yellow and purple. The two complimentary colors create contrast and each color makes the other appear more active, resulting in a more dynamic image.

There is no set rule on color choices for photography, just as there are no rules that nature must follow in providing us with such a rich and vibrantly colorful world. An understanding of how colors accent and augment the scene will help to avoid those photos that end up in the delete file, giving you that Oh Wow! moment with your photography.

For additional information:

http://www.photographyicon.com/psychology/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_wheel

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Weather Tales of an Alpine Lake

THE FACES OF LAKE TAHOE

A photography venture along the 72-mile rim of Lake Tahoe reveals a lake with many faces and varying moods, transitioning from a calm spring morning to the tumultuous fury of a sudden storm and then back to a serene stillness as dusk descends.

On a sunny, placid April morning, the photo shoot begins at the Vista Point on the West Summit of Mt Rose. Standing at 8,900 feet, the high panoramic view showcases Lake Tahoe with the Carson Range to the east and the Sierra Nevada Range on the west.

Vista Point View

To catch the early morning reflections, the next stop is Sand Harbor, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, off Highway 28. An intimate cove gives a quiet retreat with subtle pastel colors, inviting one to stay a while and commune with nature. Along the beach, the fine sand is composed of feldspar and quartz particles which was created by wave and weathering action against the granodiorite boulders.

Sand Harbor

Looking to the north, quiescence lies over the Lake allowing reflections of the snow capped Sierras to mimic a mirror image in the crystalline waters.

Sand Harbor Reflections

At mid-morning the drive takes me south along Highway 28 to the glacier carved turquoise Emerald Bay. Granite peaks, accented with tall pines and spruce, tell of a by-gone era when the landscape was sculpted by ice reaching the shoreline. Within Emerald Bay, Fannett Island stands 150 feet above the water and is a remnant of the glacier action that created the bay.

Emerald Bay

Across the highway from Emerald Bay a trail ascends one third mile along snow covered banks to the cascading stream at Eagle Falls which flows sixty feet down, emptying into the lower falls.

Eagle Falls

During a break for lunch the winds increase from the south with storm clouds riding their cusp. The Lake’s gentle face has turned malevolent from the storm’s fury. Staying ahead of the storm, I travel to the North Shore where the wind driven waves crest toward the rocky shoreline at King’s Beach State Recreation Area.

Kings Beach

At a higher elevation past Tahoe City the temperature continues to drop turning rain into snow and creating a winter wonderland with the landscape at Sugar Pine State Park.

Sugar Pine

By late afternoon as I return to the Nevada side of the loop, the storm has traversed the Lake, draping the rain-laden sky on the North Shore with battle gray clouds just as a golden ray of sun breaks through, illuminating the lake below.

Lake Tahoe

As evening descends, calmness is restored, bringing me to my final destination, a return to Vista Point. The sun’s final curtain warms the horizon as the stillness of day’s finale settles over the Lake.

Vista Point Sunset

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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