Hero of a Raven

This post is for Allan who will be offering a hummingbird photo workshop to benefit the Angeles Chapter's Camera Committee in March.

This heroic-looking Raven and his pal were posing for us on the hood of my Red Jeep.  He didn't take directions very well but I finally managed to catch him in the perfect position. I was shooting through the wind shield from behind the steering wheel.

Just to prove he was on the hood, I snapped a shot of his feet.  Look at those claws.


Hands of Man

While in the Grand Canyon for New Year's weekend, I fell in love with the restraints at some of the overlooks. There are the elegant and the awkward. Many are just ugly.

Are they protecting the visitors or the Canyon? Are they defining the views?

Millions of hands, gloves, elbows, sleeves and, no doubt, pant-seats have joined the elements in polishing the rails. Time has colored them. Weather added patina.

Some soar and others sag. You saw the bit of swoop in yesterday's post. Here are a couple of straight-standing specimens.

At right, I've posted the cropped version of the sliver seen above for those who prefer the more formal look of clean edges. The sliver was made just before sunset at Mather Point. The shrub was made in the Quiet Light about 10 minutes later, also at Mather Point.

All of these snapshots were made with my Canon Elph pocket camera. It makes crisp macros and dreamy landscapes. The haze that seems never to clear the Canyon contributes to the soft focus.

What's Your Pan Format Preference?

Do you like 

this "full-frame" stitched panorama format

or

this stitched and cropped panorama format?

Why?  Feel free to make a comment below.

Note: I should have mentioned that this is the first in a series of postings to cover my New Year's weekend in the Grand Canyon with my photographer friend, Vaughn Hart.  (You may see him in postings during the series and when he publishes his photos to his Picassa account, I'll let you know.)

Rainbow Basin Natural Area

I've posted a few snapshots from the CamCo's car camp in Rainbow Basin in a Picasa album. You should be able to click through.

I've been making stitched panoramas in Windows Live Photo Gallery because it's more pleasant to sit at my laptop in a warm room than at the PhotoShop-enabled PC in my cold office. Usually, I prefer not to stitch my pans so viewers see the edges of the photos, but WLPG does retain the cock-eyed border which can be fun. 

Below you see the crazy skewed stitch that happened when I joined three images in two stages. Interesting, but you will see the proper image in the Picasa album.



What happens when you make a lazy edit in Windows Live Photo Gallery. 



You can click the images for larger versions.



Elph magic

This lovely little blossom surprised me once in Owl Canyon in the Rainbow Basin Natural Area. Then again on the LCD of my pocket Elph. I'd snapped the macro handheld, low, so low, below my eye level.

Walking Wilshire With Mary

This rainy morning I jumped on the 720 Rapid bus to go downtown and meet Mary Forgione and a small band of lunatics.  Our goal was to walk Wilshire (rain or shine) to the beach.

We did it! We started with twelve walkers and finished with ten. I think two bailed out before we had even crossed the 110 Freeway.

In rain and shine, we swapped stories and listened to Mary and Terry Ginsberg tell us about the architecture and history of landmarks. We visited the lovely Los Altos apartment building in Westlake, stopped for a snack in Hancock Park, made wardrobe adjustments when the sun came out in Beverly Hills, lunched in Westwood.

Courtyard of Los Altos Apartments.  

In the end, we had walked 16 miles in about 6 hours. Departing from Wilshire and Figueroa on the steps of the Sanwa building at about 8:15 in the rain and arriving at the feet of Saint Monica at about 3:15 in blustery, sunny beach weather. 

The Angeles Chapter's Wilderness Adventures Section sponsored the outing. Mary uses Wilshire as a training/maintenance hike when the mountains get too snowy and icy. Her latest idea - walk Wilshire in the evening to see all the lights! Can't wait for that one!

Moonrise in the White Mountains