don't shoot the photographer...

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photo by Donald Kinney

Oh lord, the trouble I had with this banner yesterday. It started off as a fairly straight photograph with a blue sky. Jan Bell, a good friend who's opinions I value, suggested I do it in black-and-white, but then I ignored what Jan suggested and went to the high-contrast "soot and chalk" example you see here. For most of the day an example treated with Photoshop's "PlasticWrap" filter graced the banner position on AphotoAday. Sometimes I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Don't shoot the photographer...



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photo by Donald Kinney

So we have birds on wires and kids on a see-saw at the beach.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Really, it's pretty much the same thing.

You might be interested to know that the Golden Gate National Recreation Area runs a program bringing students to Rodeo Beach and the Point Bonita areas. They spend a day outdoors burning off energy and learning about the intertidal ecology of the beach and lagoon. For kids, they always seem very well behaved. Special instructors take groups on long treks up and over the cliffs, learning about nature as they go.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Sooooooo, I mentioned my good buddy, Jan Bell, above. He has had me on the lookout for when Calla Lilies are at their peak. RIGHT NOW, Jan!



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And the sun goes down on the Calla Lilies of Rodeo Beach. Yawn...


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Lilly Lake, Mt. Tamalpais

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photo by Donald Kinney

Perfect timing. It was purely by accident that I found a heart-shaped Lilly leaf on the day before Valentine's Day. I have no one to give it to this year, so here you go, it's yours...

Soooooooo, here's the deal... That photo above was made hand-held without a tripod (f-4, 1/160, -2/3e.c., ISO-100) so naturally I knew I wasn't going to get a lot of depth-of-field. I'm okay with it, but then there are the photogs (I won't mention any names) who think they need every shot sharpened front to back with pinpoint technical perfection. Soooooooo, I went back to Lilly Lake yesterday and used my tripod, sort of to prove that I CAN do it the "way a pro would". Curously, my result with the tripod (f-32, 5sec, -1e.c., ISO-100) seems to be less life-like than my original hand-held example, above.



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photo by Donald Kinney

First there will be tadpoles, then there will be noisy frogs, pesky dragonflies, and all sorts of creepy crawlies, including funny looking photographers with even funnier looking cameras. (f-8, 1/5sec, -1.33e.c., ISO-100, tripod=yes)



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Cool morning on Alpine Lake.



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Cool sky over my beloved Mount Tamalpais (Tam - al - pie' - us).


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Farfax-to-Bolinas Rd., the most beautiful road in the world

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photo by Donald Kinney

I see no reason why I shouldn't, so I'll go ahead and proclaim Fairfax-to-Bolinas Road, "the most beautiful road in the world". Sorry if I've slighted your particular favorite road--let me know if you have one.



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The road passes right by. After rain the moss stands up and becomes vibrant, while the ferns stretch out and bask in the moisture.



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A wall of moss that we probably aren't going to find at the garden center.



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My beloved Mount Tamalpais decided to wear blue on Sunday. She is a pretty snappy dresser. Definitely has some curves to hide...


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streaming sunlight, Mount Tamalpais

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photo by Donald Kinney

With some excess moisture in the air and an abundance of sunlight coming from just the right angle, conditions are right for a little bits, or whole gobs of streaming sunlight.



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photo by Donald Kinney

I like my streaming sunlight slathered on thick. Like buttered cinnamon toast--the way I used to make it.



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Nooks and crannies for light to collect and spill through. Please pass me a paper towel before I make a mess.

Speaking of a mess, here's a YouTube video about Marin County, California in the 1970's, a time when most of us were overly concerned with self. The era was pretty much a wasteland of excesses. They were probably the ba-a-a-ad old days...


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morning along Fairfax-to-Bolinas Road

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photo by Donald Kinney

It's actually a reservoir, but this is the appropriately named Alpine Lake on my beloved Mount Tamalpais, not far from where I live. Now, please keep this a secret, but it's along the Fairfax-to-Bolinas Road, which has GOT to be one of the most beautiful roads and areas on the west coast of California.



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Water that falls into this bowl-shaped valley will eventually become part of my other beloved--Lagunitas Creek.



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And fog is no stranger here. Sometimes it puts on quite a show and dance.


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morning color over Lucas Valley

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photo by Donald Kinney

Lucas Valley is on the "short-list" of routes available for escaping the hectic lifestyle of the heavily populated areas. "West" Marin County is a vast, peaceful and verdant place. And for me, it isn't all that far away.



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It's quite a steep climb over the hill, but at the very crest is "Big Rock", which is a huge rock of massive proportions sitting, pretty much, all alone. Over the years, some people sharpened their rock-scaling skills on Big Rock, while others used it as a large canvas for spray-painted graffiti.



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This is where George Lucas has two "campuses" for his film empire. The newer campus is just to the west of Big Rock, and the other campus is located 4 miles west at the former site of a dairy. I remember that dairy--I'm pretty old...

It's convenient, but Lucas Valley wasn't named for George Lucas. The valley was probably named in the mid to late 1800's.

We DO see George Lucas about town quite a bit. He seems to always be on his way to work in his limo rather early in the mornings. Probably has a good work ethic to have accomplished so much over his career.


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big waves at Rodeo Beach, Marin Headlands

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photo by Donald Kinney

On Wednesday some disturbance, moving down the coastline, whipped up some really giant waves. So of course, sort of like a moth to a flame, that's where I headed.



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photo by Donald Kinney

The surf was really mixing it up.



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And the "spindrift" was absolutely spectacular.



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Everyone seemed to be having a fine time. The end to a very fine day at Rodeo Beach.


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San Francisco -- it's a puzzle

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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, this might look inviting, but Graffeo Coffee on Columbus was not only closed, they have this display behind glass, about four times actual size, and believe it or not, that is NOT real coffee in that cup. The whole table is tilted at a steep angle, making for quite an eye-catching display.

Graffeo was founded in NorthBeach in 1935.
Graffeo, located on Columbus Avenue, is said to be one of North America's oldest artisan coffee roasters. It's a family-run company and has been passed on down through generations. I've only spoken to the owner once--a few years ago when he commented on the length of my lens as I passed by. Seems like a real nice guy. He has another shop near where I live in San Rafael. They roast coffee right on the premises.



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Gotta tell you, if I ever was able to finish a puzzle with so many pieces I'd be proud of it too. Beautiful image on the puzzle!



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photo by Donald Kinney

Quite a bit of Chinatown is still tightly shuttered at 7AM.



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And it's probable that while walking around this early in the morning in Chinatown I will never see another Caucasion. Let me tell you, I'm pretty odd to begin with, but in Chinatown I suppose I'm REALLY odd...


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San Francisco, posterized

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photo by Donald Kinney

Although I've been exploring San Francisco with my camera just about every Sunday morning for the past several years, I realize I'm totally out-of-my-league when it comes to capturing the City.

I've passed by and tried photographing this gum-ball machine scores of times--but I've never been able to accurately recapture the vivid "love" I had for gum-ball machines in my youth.



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photo by Donald Kinney

One of the main incentives I take the 15 mile trip south into the City on Sunday is the promise of free and available parking--but even on Sunday mornings parking spaces tend to vanish quickly. San Francisco is toying with the idea of enforcing parking meters on Sundays--I've got to ask; "where is the love?"...



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But, pretty much, I do the same route... I start in NorthBeach and work my way over to Chinatown. These are two of the safer areas in San Francisco--something to consider when I have a rather pricey camera and lens dangling around my neck.



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San Francisco is famous for it's hills and steep streets. On most routes I take I can usually expect a good aerobic workout. This is Romolo Street, just up from Broadway.


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so, where is the sun?

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photo by Donald Kinney

So, by now you know I'm a big-sucker for colorful sunrises. I usually head down to Covello Point--within spitting distance of the Golden Gate Bridge--but Sunday morning I stopped along the waterfront in the up-scale town of Sausalito to snag this view. This vantage point is roughly two miles more distant from the "City", and from here Coit Tower doesn't have quite enough separation from the other buildings for it to stand out on it's own.



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And I shot this view yesterday morning, looking east from above the aptly named Paradise Cay. In my opinion the best time to "be there" for sunrises is 20 to 30 minutes before the actual arrival of the "ball of fire" when I've found that colors in the clouds are most intense.



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Oh, THERE'S that pesky ball-of-fire... This time, yesterday afternoon while I was exploring on the northern flank of my beloved Mount Tamalpais. Sort of a "Mackerel" sky going on here--I've been told that the famous poet, Blake, mentioned a Mackerel sky in one of his poems because Blake thought skies like this were similiar to the skin of Mackerel fish. Sometimes I mention this tidbit of information just to give people the impression that I am "well read"--but regretfully, nothing could be farther from the truth.


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treasure hunt on Mount Tamalpais, part 2 of 2

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photo by Donald Kinney

The western slope of my beloved Mount Tamalpais is a steep drop-off to Stinson Beach and the Pacific Ocean below. And I don't quite know what it is, but I usually feel a sense of power when looking down at dramatic beauty. For a brief while I feel like a "god of the fog".



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And when conditions are just right, a secret treasure of gold floats on the surface of one of Mount Tam's lakes.

So here's the secret of reflections like this: The water must be shaded. The color comes from illuminated surroundings in a forward direction beyond. Colors will usually have more emphasis if shot early or late in the day.



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And you know, if we could ask her, I'm sure this fern would say that she treasures her future progeny, just as much as a human or any other kind of mother.



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Spiders are treasure hunters also. Nothing more tasty, I suppose, than the juices of a big and fat flying bug. Yummy, yum, yum...


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treasure hunt on Mount Tamalpais, part 1 of 2

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photo by Donald Kinney

My beloved Mount Tamalpais (tam - al - pie' - us) never fails to surprise me with her beauty and variety. Ridgecrest Boulevard snakes it's way along her northern flank. This road has been used countless times over the years as a backdrop in automobile commercials--currently Ford is running one on TV for their "Escape" model.



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This is the Sidney B. Cushing Theater, built in 1913. It's home to the "Mountain Play". Performances over the years range from the first in 1913--"Abraham and Isaac", to some rather cheesy but fun sounding adaptations in recent years--such as "Oklahoma" and "Hair". There's room for 4000 attendees here. Most folks know to bring cushions along with them to the performances--giant Serpentine blocks are used for seating. You can read more about the history of Mountain Theater here.



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Okay, just for fun, lets turn this from a treasure-hunt into a guessing-game. What is this? One clue--it's on the West Peak of Mount Tamalpais at 2574 feet, which is two feet taller than more accessible East Peak.


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designs of the Eucalyptus

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photo by Donald Kinney

In the 1850s, Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California by Australians during the California Gold Rush. Much of California has a similar climate to parts of Australia. By the early 1900s, thousands of acres of Eucalyptus were planted with the encouragement of the state government. It was hoped that they would provide a renewable source of timber for construction, furniture making and railroad ties. It was soon found that for the latter purpose Eucalyptus was particularly unsuitable, as the ties made from Eucalyptus had a tendency to twist while drying, and the dried ties were so tough that it was nearly impossible to hammer rail spikes into them.
(source: Wikipedia).



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Eucalyptus oil is readily steam distilled from the leaves and can be used for cleaning, deodorizing, and in very small quantities in food supplements, especially sweets, cough drops, toothpaste and decongestants. It also has insect repellent properties, and is an active ingredient in some commercial mosquito repellents.
(source: Wikipedia).

Years ago I took care of a friends dog for a few days, and "Ada-Bagel" (the dog) wore a handmade collar made of the triangular shaped Eucalyptus seeds. It was supposed to help keep the dog free of fleas. And I can't resist telling you that Ada-Bagel's diet was supplemented with one clove of garlic per day, finely chopped and mixed with peanut butter. Yummy...



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photo by Donald Kinney

Many scorn the mighty Eucalyptus because it is non-native and is invasive. It's also a major fire hazard and fueled the devastating Oakland Hills fire of 1991.

But I will always enjoy Eucalyptus because of the abstract qualities of it's bark, which peels and shreds in long strips as the girth of the trunk expands. No shortage of Eucalyptus photo opportunities here in California. In addition to the uses outlined in the Wikipedia information above, I can tell you they were planted extensively throughout the state to serve as windbreaks for the fields of farmers.


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up and over Mount Tamalpais

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photo by Donald Kinney

Just to the west of where I live, Fairfax, is Mount Tamalpais. And not far out of town is a great vantage point. On Wednesday morning my beloved mountain was wrapped in soft fog.



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Sometimes the foggy clouds and sun put on a show of their own.



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So, continuing, and after more twists-and-turns and ups-and-downs than anyone could possibly imagine, I made my way up to a mossy little forest of Redwoods and Laurels. This mossy stump and I are old friends.


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