Lake Tahoe Adventure and Stock Photography. Freelance photographer - TahoeLight.com

Landscape photography in Yosemite Valley

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:02:56 +0000

The best time to visit Yosemite Valley is February in my humble opinion. It is the only month when the visitor count drops below 100,000 and the hotel prices are at their least expensive. Two campgrounds, Camp 4 and Upper Pines remain open in winter. Camp 4 is walk-in only, but while we took a walk out to Happy Isles, I saw one lone RV in Upper Pines with miles of solitude and great views all around him. Winter storms can cover the ground and trees in snow and if you are lucky enough to time a clearing storm you can have the opportunity to make some of the best pictures possible. One book that I would highly recommend for aspiring photographers not intimately familiar with Yosemite is Michael Frye’s The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.

It has great detail on all the classic locations, sunrise and moonrise tables and lots of great photography tips for everything from finding the light to photographing waterfalls. We aimed to hit the valley during a winter storm and stay for a day after with hopes of getting a day of snowy, stormy landscapes and maybe another day to photograph the spectacular light phenomenon on Horsetail falls, which only occurs the last two weeks of February. Well, our snow turned to rain and the light on the falls teased us until it was abruptly cut off just before turning deep red by clouds at the horizon. All in all, being a photojournalist, I didn’t think I would have as much fun here as I did. Granted it is quite a scene with all the photographers at the classic spots, but it is really harder than you think to make a really good photograph here. I consider all of these to be a warm up to hopefully some great pictures in the future. All in all, it is really quite a challenge to make really good pictures here. The problem is that the location is so beautiful that you think at first that everything you do is good, then you see the vast library of exceptional photography from the area and it really pushes you to think a little harder. I am currently a big fan of night time exposures, though with all the planes that come over the valley, I think the method of stacking exposures for star trails allows the plane lines to be more easily removed or discarded than long exposures. I think I just may become a regular winter Yosemite addict. Enjoy the photos and remember, get up early, stay out at night and sleep in the middle of the day!

With the weather shutting us down most of the day, we decided to do some night shots of the valley by moonlight.

The same view the next morning.

Cathedral Spires from the El Cap meadow at night again with a 15 minute exposure.

The same view from the next morning, sepia toned.

Almost good light on Horsetail falls. Clouds on the horizon shut us down just before the falls lit up red.

Moonrise over Sentinal Rock.

A wayward coyote in the snow. Actually this was shot on the way into Yosemite, but there was no shortage of wildlife in the valley, even in winter.

El Cap and dewdrops at sunrise. This was one instance when I REALLY wish I had a macro lens.

The Ahwahnee hotel at dusk.

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A little backcountry skiing with some great Lake Tahoe views

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:10:07 +0000

Well, I have been waiting basically all winter for a nice, cloudless sunrise with some soft snow and I finally got it. Only problem is that most of the skiers I work with, riders for the Reno-made Moment Skies, were off in Salt Lake City for some skiing and a big winter sports tradeshow thing. So even without some great riders, I decided I would roust my wife out of bed at 4am and test out a couple of locations for next time. Monique is a photographer as well, so I attempted to be the ski-model standin. We used google earth to determine where first light would hit and I set myself up on top of a rock above Mt. Rose highway. Sure enough, the sun rose right in my face and I skied down a field of soft pink snow. Next we went up to Incline peak to get some standard shots with a lake view. For want I want up there, I’m hiking up a telephoto lens next time to get closer to the action and fill the background with the lake. Any of these pictures and many more stock images from the area can be keyword searched from my online archive of Tahoe area action and lifestyle photography. Now all we need is one more nice soft clear Tahoe sunrise…. I am also always looking for talented young skiers and riders who don’t mind getting up early or staying out late to get the shot. Feel free to contact me via the contact link above to talk about ideas.

I was up top scoping the light on a 15 foot jump with Monique waiting at bottom to get a few pictures as I came down to see how the red snow at dawn photographed. When I can get back with some riders throwing tricks off the rocks, at sunrise, this area could be really good!

Crossing the frozen Incline Lake on skis

This is one of many cool shots with snow covered trees we grabbed while skinning up Incline Peak.

Cresting the summit of Incline Peak on skis with Lake Tahoe in the background.

Me standing on top of Incline peak preparing to jump off the ridge. This shot worked fine, but I need a telephoto to make anything good out of the cornice drops.

Dropping off the top of Incline Peak with Tahoe in the background.

I made a couple of quick turns around Monique to see if we could get anything, but the clouds were moving in quick and the Lake was turning grey. I'll just have to head back.

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Winters Creek lodge at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:18:18 +0000

Mt. Rose hired me recently to shoot the dedication of their new Winters Creek lodge that replaced the old wooden slide lodge at their ski resort in the mountains above Reno. Their main requirement was that they needed pictures of their torchlight parade, something they have not done in years. Lucky for me I happen to know the proper exposure for a moving flare, because we only got one shot at this. A big thanks to the ski school boss in charge of the parade, John, for altering the plan to come down only one run at the base and split his skiers onto both sides of the mountain at the last minute. That really helped make the shot and fill up the foreground. Using our Nikon d3’s and d700’s, and one d300 on a remote on the roof, I sketched out a plan that involved many exposures. Since running the camera for several minutes while the parade made its way down the mountain would end up over-exposing a lot of the torches, as well as building up a lot of digital noise in the shadows. I opted for a sequenced string of 30 second exposures at iso 200/f8. Another exposure for the lodge (for the shot from below) and yet another to capture a faint deep blue of the dusk. All of these shots were then put together in a sequence, similar to a sequence shot of a skier going off a jump and the results were just what I had planned for. We also were asked to capture some views of the lodge and people using it, but since the party was on, we had little control over lighting or posing and just captured the moments in a pure photojournalistic style and hoped for the best.

Torchlight parade during the dedication of the Winters Creek lodge at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, made up of 5 images.

The winters creek lodge at Mt. Rose ski tahoe at dusk. Should be fun for some Apres ski come spring.

The interior of the new Winters Creek ski lodge at Mt. Rose ski tahoe.

The interior of the new Winters Creek ski lodge at Mt. Rose ski tahoe

The interior of the new Winters Creek ski lodge at Mt. Rose ski tahoe. They can make it look nice inside for weddings and special events, and the view can't be beat.

Table detail

Detail shot of coffee cups laid out.

The bar of the new Winters creek lodge all done up for special events.

They got the outdoor firepit working for the first time at the new Winters Creek lodge at Mt. Rose.

The photos from the remote roof camera of the torchlight parade down the slopes of Mt. Rose.

Just to have a different view, I had my wife shoot the torchlight parade from on the hill, looking back down at the new Winters Creek lodge at Mt. Rose. Despite wearing lots of lights and glowey things around her, the skiers in the parade said they were pretty much blinded by their flares and it is only dumb luck somebody didn't run into her standing in the middle of the run.

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Reno Santa Pub Crawl 2009

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:40:16 +0000

Well, we did it! We survived another year of the Santa Pub Crawl. This year the Reno Santa Pub crawl gang added a Santa Ski Day at Mt. Rose. Unfortunately, the whole weekend took place during the biggest snow storm of the year so far, and Santa turnout on the slopes was pretty low. I spoke with Mt. Rose marketing director Mike Pierce, decked out in his Santa suit and snowboard, and he said Rose will most likely do it again next year. That means CHEAP lift tickets for all you santas, so pack the skis and boards next year and make a long weekend of it.

And a long weekend it was. Snow was dumping the whole time, so between grueling (and fun) early season powder days, I managed to squeeze in a night of Santa mischief during what is my favorite bar night of the year. I was not actually shooting this event for anyone this time. I only brought my camera along because my wife wanted to take pictures, and her skimpy burlesque Santa’s helper suit, alas, had no pockets. But after a few drinks and the midnight gathering under the arch, the worlds largest Santa on Santa snowball fight happened. It was great. The street cleared, people took sides, snowballs flew forth across Virginia street, and a few crazies ran “The gauntlet of death” down the center of the road, finally providing a reachable target (besides me and my camera) for the hundreds of snowball throwers. Good times, then two feet of powder at Mt. Rose the next day to wake me from my stupor. Good weekend! If you don’t know about the Santa Pub Crawl, Reno’s event is supposedly the largest in the nation. Hotel rooms on the strip were going for $20-30 dollars that day. One of my friends got a room at the Cal Neva so he didn’t have to drive for $14.50. Might have been cancellations due to snow, but hey, Reno is not Las Vegas, it is cheap to stay here about anytime. Check out the Santa Pub Crawl at this link.

And did I mention it is all for charity!

Reno Santa Crawl at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

The night started slow at Amendment 21. The heavy snow probably held lots of people to the downtown core.

My wife uses just about any excuse to dress up. Here at Amendment 21.

Dancing it up inside the West Street Market during the Reno Santa Crawl.

I didn't shoot much inside this year, but when we got out in the snow, I couldn't resist. Here the Santas are gathered under the Reno Arch on Virginia St. in downtown Reno, NV.

A little santa love under the Reno Arch during the Santa pub crawl. Keep in mind, the snowball fight has begun and this couple is getting pelted right and left. Some people like it rough I guess.

Run for your life Santa!

Pimp Santa strolling the "Gauntlet of death," between opposing fields of snowball throwers under the Reno Arch.

A little bit angel, a little bit devil!

Mr. and Mrs. Claus finally get chased out of their cover and run for it.

Gotta love the 'stash!

Sometimes, naughty Santa just hides in a dark corner with his date.

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Berlin Ichthyosaur state park in Nevada

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:06:51 +0000

The machine shop at the Berlin Ichthyosaur state park in Nevada

The Berlin – Ichthyosaur state park is a true Nevada original. Located smack dab in the center of the state, about 35 miles on a good dirt road south of Austin, NV, or 20 miles East of Gabbs on a mostly paved road, this park is part well-preserved ghost town, part ancient fossil repository. First, the ghost town part. Berlin was a mining town that went from boom to bust in a very short span at the turn of the century from 1896 to 1908. Berlin was dead by 1911, but served as an outpost for forest rangers, a fact that lead to its well-preserved state when most other old mining towns were stripped bare by nearby settlers. Many of the buildings contain a wealth of history preserved inside, from turn of the century chemical bottles at the Assey’s office, to antique trunks and alligator luggage. Park rangers are often willing to open doors to allow visitors a peak inside at a lifestyle frozen in time. Many of these photographs will hopefully do the same.

In addition to the ghost town of Berlin, there is one of the largest deposits of Ichthyosaur fossils around. Ichthyosaurs were pre-historic ocean dwelling reptiles that covered the state 225 million years ago. Until recently, one of the largest fossils of these in the world at 56 feet long, was located at this site. Many fossils of the 40 originally found, have been left uncovered on the ground where they were first discovered. A building and interpretive center was built around them and offers tours on a regular schedule.

Berlin – Ichthyosaur state park is open year round, though it may have snow in the depth of winter, and has 14 nicely spaced campsites with water and restrooms available on site for a fee. Visitors might also consider purchasing an annual Nevada State Parks pass. At $90, it is a steal for anyone traveling around the state, as it not only grants entrance to any of the parks, but also to the related facilities such as campgrounds. Enjoy!

An old dodge in front of the machine shop at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada. This unique Nevada state park just south of Austin combines the well-preserved ghost town of Berlin with what used to be the largest Ichthyosaur fossils in the world at 56 feet.

A look back in history inside the preserved ghost town at the Berlin Ichthyosaur state park in Nevada

A look over the historic Berlin Ichthyosaur ghost town in central nevada

Detail inside the machine shop in the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada. This unique Nevada state park just south of Austin combines the well-preserved ghost town of Berlin with what used to be the largest Ichthyosaur fossils in the world at 56 feet.

A house re-occupied by Ray Teifel in the 1970's who attempted to revive the mine and extract more gold, which didn't work out so well for him at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada. This unique Nevada state park just south of Austin combines the well-preserved ghost town of Berlin with

Details in an abandoned home at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada. This unique Nevada state park just south of Austin combines the well-preserved ghost town of Berlin with what used to be the largest Ichthyosaur fossils in the world at 56 feet.

An old dodge seen through the window of the machine shop at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada.

Bottles used in the assay of ore at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada. This unique Nevada state park just south of Austin combines the well-preserved ghost town of Berlin with what used to be the largest Ichthyosaur fossils in the world at 56 feet. Recently an Ichthyosaur was discovered in Canada over 70 feet long, but where do you get ghost town and dinosaur all in one visit?

A table setting left at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada.

Detail shots of the Ichthyosaur backbone at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in Central Nevada, part of what used to be the largest Ichthyosaur fossils in the world at 56 feet. Recently an Ichthyosaur was discovered in Canada over 70 feet long, but where do you get ghost town and dinosaur all in one visit?

A scale representation of the size of the fossils at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur state park in central Nevada. This unique Nevada state park just south of Austin combines the well-preserved ghost town of Berlin with what used to be the largest Ichthyosaur fossils in the world at 56 feet. Recently an Ichthyosaur was discovered in Canada over 70 feet long, but where do you get ghost town and dinosaur all in one visit?

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