introduction

Lupine and Blue Oak Savanna Sunrise
After a busy workweek, and needing to get away for a one night camping trip close to home, my husband and I set the alarm in our camper to get up early for sunrise, and explore this lupine covered blue oak savanna in the Sierra foothills. We blissfully had this location to ourselves, an invigorating morning spent in nature smelling the lupine, listening to the birds, and witnessing a bald eagle hunting for breakfast, as the light changed over the landscape. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com
California Poppy in Blue
Poppy therapy, one of the few times it’s best to shoot in mid-day light while the poppies are open and resemble little cups of sunshine. My favorite is to photograph them backlit by the sun with the widest aperture possible. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com
Tiny Leaning Tree, Damnation Creek Trail
It was a magical morning spent in the forest. I arrived at Damnation Creek trail just after sunrise with little expectation for fog, but as the sun got higher in the sky during the course of the morning, the fog ebbed and flowed through the trees, constantly changing the quality of the light. On my journey along the trail, this tiny moss-covered sapling spotlit by the sun caught my eye, which I thought was a nice juxtaposition of delicacy against the bark of the ancient redwood trees. https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com
Manzanita Lake Clearing Storm
After my cold wintery visit to Manzanita Lake this past weekend, I thought I would revisit a shot I took in 2015, and edit a raw file to see how I would do it differently now. Another nearly identical photo I took at the same time, in nearly the same spot, and edited right after I took it, was much more saturated and also my most stolen photo from the internet (thanks to Pixsy for revealing this!). This remains one of the most photogenic scenes I've ever witnessed on Manzanita Lake. www.optimalfocusphotography.com