Lagunitas Creek

click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

In Spanish, Laguntas means little lagoons...   The creeks is well named and it sort of rolls off my tongue.   And to tell you the truth, it's probably my favorite spot on the planet -- I don't know why I need to keep it so much of a secret.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

You can just as properly call the Lagunitas Creek, "Papermill Creek", beause way back in the 1880's Samuel P. Taylor operated a water-powered, and later, a steam operated papermill in conjunction with a large resort for day-trippers and campers, with a dance hall and grand hotel.   It was a pretty place then, and it's a pretty place now.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

I never get tired of shooting these pretty reflections in the water.   There is usually just one specific hour of the day at each of my special places that these reflections happen.   Come back an hour later and you won't see such an intensity of color.   Get there too early and you'll have to wait.

The water needs to be shaded -- the color comes from surroundng vegetation and sky.   Early or late in the day is best for reflections.

If you're interested, this is a RAW image shot at ISO-100 on a full-frame Canon5D with a 70-200 "L" at f-4.   Aperture Priority at 1/30sec.   Image was Oversharpened and then "Smart-Blurred".   When I go to print it I probably won't use the "Smart-Blur" filter, which will make it look more like THIS.

If you would like to see what the image looks like without any Photoshopping or post-processing other than resizing, CLICK HERE



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

The red-dot on the map shows where those redwood photos from yesterday were shot.

The red-line on the map is Devil's Creek, that feeds into Lagunitas Creek.

The yellow-dot is where I usually hang out -- there is a great trail that goes from Devil's Creek all the way to the entrance of Taylor State Park.   Of course Pipeline trail runs on the other side of the creek, but this east side is much prettier and more accessible.   Get there between December and March and you might possibly see some spawning Coho Salmon.

The magenta-dot is where I live -- in Fairfax (California), just about ten miles from that yellow-dot -- like I mentioned -- my favorite spot...

There was a railroad that ran all the way out there along the Lagunitas Creek and on to Point Reyes Station.   It would deliver tourists to Taylor's Resort right there in the redwoods and then the next day bring them back into west Marin where they could catch a ferry back in to San Francisco.   The train would also bring back Taylor's paper products and loads of timber.

Overall, what you're seeing on the map is a good chunk of what we call "West Marin" -- just over the hill but a million miles away...


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