Revolution of Summer

Artist Exhibition and Reception, New York City

 It is with great honor that my Nevada Nature Photography has been selected to exhibit with other talented artists at the "Revolution of Summer" in New York City from June 30 ~ July 3, 2016.  LOFT 227
227 W. 29th St. 4F.  

When I was invited to exhibit in the "Revolution of Summer" Curator Lyza Sahertian requested that I select five images that best represent me as a Nevada Photographer.  After much thought I selected the following photographs that have special meaning of Nevada to me:

“Quiet Retreat”:  In Nevada, the seasonal transition from winter to spring and then to summer is often so unpredictable on the east side of the Sierra Crest  The days warm and then a cold front moves in from the Pacific, lowering the temperatures.  Sometimes the landscape is covered with icy freezing fog. 

Solstice Moon:  The full moon rising over the mountains in Nevada has always been one of my most favorite subjects to photograph, especially when it appears bigger than life over the Gillis Mountain Range and dazzling across the water at Walker Lake, Nevada   

Summer Storm:  A lightning storm in the desert is an awesome show of Nature's pyrotechnics.  This rare event was photographed over the Spring Mountains, near Las Vegas.

Walker Lake Wildhorses:  A herd of wild horses run along the shore at Walker Lake, Nevada.  These wild horses were saved from being rounded up and now roam free in their on habitat at the south end of the lake. 

The Challenge:  As spring revolves to summer, two wild stallions are feeling frisky and up for a challenge at Cold Creek, Nevada.  The wild horse is as much an icon of Nevada as the snow-capped mountains and desert landscape.

Thank you Curator Lyza Sahertian for giving me the opportunity to showcase my nature photography and my adopted state of Nevada.

If you are in New Your, I invite you to come and enjoy the exhibition.

 Reception June 30th, 7~9pm
  

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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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Great Basin Wildflowers on the Drive to Corey Peak

Catching the wildflowers before the summer heat 

Locating the sometimes allusive wildflowers in the Great Basin Desert for photos can be a tricky task.  Most often it comes down to getting lucky with Mother Nature.  Although the Great Basin Desert is noted as a cold desert, the sun is hot and will bake the rocky soil in a matter on minutes.

What fascinates me with desert wildflowers, along with the fragile beauty, is their tenacity and miracle of adaptation in these harsh environments.  A rocky landscape hardly seems the ideal place for wildflowers to thrive.  However, the Woolly groundsel (Packera cana) in the aster family benefits from growing near rocks due to the mulching effect from the rocks to retain moisture.  

With the El Nino weather pattern bringing more rain and snow during the winter and spring of 2016, many of the wildflower seeds that were lying dormant have sprung to life.  To take advantage of this rare opportunity, I have been traveling to areas that I hope will have different types of wildflowers that adapt to the elevations.

One area that I recently visited was the mountainous area of Cory Peak.  Located on the east side of the Wassuk Range and to the east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Cory Peak stands at 10,520 foot, 3206 meter elevation.  I found that a number of flowering plants were already past their bloom. 

The white flowers of this large Sierra Mountain Misery shrub had dried up and turned a rusty red color. 

Mountain Misery or Chamaebatia foliolosa was so named by the miners because of its strange odor and that it seemed to grow everywhere.  Many Native American Tribes valued the plant as a remedy for treating various illness.

Pale yellow flowers of Bitterbrush, one of the first shrubs to bloom in the spring, was in various stages of bloom.  The shrub gives off a pleasant spicy, cinnamon fragrance and provides sustenance for deer and other types of wildlife. 

Deep purple, thick clusters of Pursh's  Milkvetch (Astragalus purshii)  accented many areas in the disturbed rocky soils. 

Newberry's Milkvetch with pink-lavender flowers in the Fabaceae family were showing off in the gravelly areas.

Flowering in the open flat areas at mid-elevations Nuttall's Linanthus (Leptosiphon nuttallii)  of the Phlox genus was adding a delicate touch to the rugged terrain.  

Accents of bright yellow with the Sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum) a species of wild buckwheat stood out at the mid-elevations.   

A foreboding looking plant, the Granite prickly phlox (linanthus pungens), was just beginning its bloom in the higher elevation washes.

One of the largest shrubs of Mormon tea that I have encountered was taking up a huge space along the road-side.  The unique plant appears to have no leaves, just jointed leafless branches.  The branches have been used for medical purposed by numerous peoples; including the Mormon Settlers from which its name is derived.   

During the month of July, most of the wildflowers at lower elevations will succumb to the desert heat.  Locating these desert wildflowers to me is like being a kid on a treasure hunt, it's so exciting to see what nature creates like with this bouquet of  Desert Paintbrush and Milkvetch.

Follow my blog to see where my next Photo-adventure takes me.  However till then, if you happen to be in the New York area from June 30th. through July 3rd. stop by and see my photography in the "Revolution of Summer" Exhibition, Curated by Lyza Sahertian NYC ArtHouse; LOFT 227, 227 W. 29th St. 4F New York City.  Reception June 30th, from 7 to 9pm.
 

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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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Wildflowers bloom on Summer Solstice at Corey Peak, Nevada

Delicate flowers bring gentle beauty to a rugged mountain pass

My quest to record photographically the rare occurrence of desert wildflowers that bloom in the spring has taken me to very remote and interesting locations.  Timing is critical and best planned after there has been some rain.  However, trekking out on dirt roads after a desert rain can be tricky and must be approached with caution.

On a calm, fair weather day, just before Summer Solstice, I made a day trip to Corey Peak in search of wildflowers.  Corey Peak is the second highest summit in the Wassuk Range, at 10,520 foot elevation (3206 m) and lies to the east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

After turning off from Lucky Boy Pass. the road to Corey Peak is not as well maintained or as wide as the  Lucky Boy Pass road.

Ascending higher, the road becomes narrow with large rocks and ruts that must be carefully negotiated.

Looking down at the switchbacks that made for an interesting and challenging drive!

The view from the summit is breath-taking with dormant volcano peaks rising  up and the  Sierra Nevada Mountains with traces of snow in the background.

To my delight as I climbed in elevation, I began to see clusters of wildflowers on both sides of the winding road that were thriving in the rocky terrain.  The fragrant, yellow flowers of Bitterbrush seemed to be everywhere, creating a garden setting in the rugged landscape.

The Desert Milkvetch was in full bloom, with its pale purple flowers.

The deeper purple Newberry's Milkvetch shared its space with yellow flowers of Woolly Grandsel.

A beautiful bouquet of red Paintbrush accented with lavender Milkvetch flowers stood out against green and grey desert plants. What an arrangement of nature's artistry!

As the day progressed, clouds started moving in from the west.  I was thankful for the diffused lighting, however I also had to keep a close watch on the weather changes these clouds might bring.  Driving down this narrow, rocky road in a downpour would be next to impossible.

Rounding a curve and I noticed a graphic rock-outcropping.  I  stopped for a photo and the  the moon began to rise in the east, coming up behind the rocks.  Feeling at peace with this awesome landscape, I imagined welcoming the summer solstice with the ancient ones.  What a fun and inspirational adventure this wildflower quest turned out to be.

Check back and follow my blog where I will be posting more details about the wildflowers from my Corey Pass Wildflower photo shoot.

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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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