To that point, here's one from an impromptu shoot at Wente Vineyards one morning in October.
1.27.2010
Wente Vineyards
Lately, I've been reorganizing my photo archives to make them more user friendly and to convert my backup files to DNG. In doing so, I've been coming across photos that I haven't looked at in a loooong time, and I'm falling in love with them all over again!
To that point, here's one from an impromptu shoot at Wente Vineyards one morning in October.
To that point, here's one from an impromptu shoot at Wente Vineyards one morning in October.
1.25.2010
New fine art photography website!
Back in December, I announced Wedded Bliss Images, my new wedding, engagement, family and pet portrait site. And today, it's with great pleasure that I'm announcing the official launch of my new fine art and travel photography site, Twisted Rock Photography!
I'll be adding new albums to the site, so check the "recently updated" section often! It's a surefire cure for your case of the "Mundays!"
I'll be adding new albums to the site, so check the "recently updated" section often! It's a surefire cure for your case of the "Mundays!"
1.22.2010
Scotty's Castle - Death Valley
To say the least, Scotty's Castle is unexpected. It's a canyon oasis, with a Spanish-style mansion, bath house, palm trees along open flowing water, and one of the most innovative power plants of it's time, all in the middle of a dryer-than-dry desert.
In the early 1900s, a prospector named Walter Scott, better known as Death Valley Scotty, was making a fortune conning far-away businessmen to invest heavily in his fictitious Death Valley mining operations. One of these men was Albert Johnson, a Chicago insurance magnate and millionaire. By 1906, however, two years after his initial investment in Scotty's mysterious gold mine, Johnson was noticing a distinct lack of return on his investment, and, with a few other investors, decided to make a visit to Death Valley to check out the mine.
Now, Death Valley Scotty was a very clever fellow, and staged a fake shoot-out to happen while he and his brother were taking their investors to see the mine, so that the city folk would decide it was too dangerous and turn around. Unfortunately, in all the excitement, Scotty's brother actually did get shot, and Scotty called the whole thing off. With the ruse exposed, the investors realized they were being conned and pulled out. Johnson, however, developed a love for the desert and the adventure that always surrounded Scotty, and became close friends with Scotty, forgiving him for his fraudulent behavior. To that end, he made many trips with his wife Bessie out to the desert, eventually building the oasis that is Scotty's Castle, which even includes a suite built just for Scotty!
Death Valley National Park offers tours of Scotty's Castle year-round. Now, the pictures!
The mansion is guarded by two gargoyles perched atop a fantastic bright red gate.
Ornate lanterns adorn the mansion.
I just loved all the color-- reds and oranges everywhere, and that unbelievably blue California sky!
I fully admit, I, too, own red dishes-- these, however, are Albert and Bessie Johnson's.
Have a great weekend, folks!
In the early 1900s, a prospector named Walter Scott, better known as Death Valley Scotty, was making a fortune conning far-away businessmen to invest heavily in his fictitious Death Valley mining operations. One of these men was Albert Johnson, a Chicago insurance magnate and millionaire. By 1906, however, two years after his initial investment in Scotty's mysterious gold mine, Johnson was noticing a distinct lack of return on his investment, and, with a few other investors, decided to make a visit to Death Valley to check out the mine.
Now, Death Valley Scotty was a very clever fellow, and staged a fake shoot-out to happen while he and his brother were taking their investors to see the mine, so that the city folk would decide it was too dangerous and turn around. Unfortunately, in all the excitement, Scotty's brother actually did get shot, and Scotty called the whole thing off. With the ruse exposed, the investors realized they were being conned and pulled out. Johnson, however, developed a love for the desert and the adventure that always surrounded Scotty, and became close friends with Scotty, forgiving him for his fraudulent behavior. To that end, he made many trips with his wife Bessie out to the desert, eventually building the oasis that is Scotty's Castle, which even includes a suite built just for Scotty!
Death Valley National Park offers tours of Scotty's Castle year-round. Now, the pictures!
The mansion is guarded by two gargoyles perched atop a fantastic bright red gate.
I just loved all the color-- reds and oranges everywhere, and that unbelievably blue California sky!
I fully admit, I, too, own red dishes-- these, however, are Albert and Bessie Johnson's.
Have a great weekend, folks!
1.21.2010
Psychological suspense meets suburban noir
I recently discovered that a friend of mine writes psychological thriller fiction. Cathryn Grant's stories are about the situations and circumstances that can push an otherwise normal person to madness. She's been published in several magazines, and is preparing to publish her first book! A number of Cathryn's short stories and "flash fiction" pieces are posted on her website, www.cathryngrant.com, and, if you like suspense, I highly recommend them for a quick read when you need a break from the every day grind!
And, because every post is better with a picture, here's a teaser from tomorrow's post about Scotty's Castle!
Happy Thursday, folks!
And, because every post is better with a picture, here's a teaser from tomorrow's post about Scotty's Castle!
Happy Thursday, folks!
1.18.2010
Jack and Arnie - Pet Portraits
Jack and Arnie are my "dog-in-laws"-- they live in Chicago with my husband's parents. Arnie made his internet debut back in June, and I decided it was high time Jack got a little love on my blog, too.
If you're in the Bay Area and would like an on-location portrait session with your pets, drop me a line!
If you're in the Bay Area and would like an on-location portrait session with your pets, drop me a line!
1.14.2010
Redwall Canyon - Death Valley National Park
Redwall Canyon is located in Death Valley's colorful Grapevine Mountains. Just north of the popular Fall Canyon, Redwall is guarded by a slick, two-level 20-foot dry fall just past the mouth of the canyon. If you can climb past the fall, you're greeted with serpentine narrows painted in brilliant reds and oranges, with deep undercuts and impressively straight walls.
1.13.2010
Little Bridge Canyon - Death Valley National Park
If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you know that I love love love Death Valley. It's one of my favorite places on earth, and somehow, though we didn't plan it, we ended up there on our honeymoon. This time around, though, we started exploring some of the more difficult to get to canyons, as well as a few that weren't in the guidebooks or named on the maps. Little Bridge Canyon was the first on our list. Simply getting to the mouth of the canyon requires a couple hour walk across the alluvial fans of Tucki Mountain. Once you get in the canyon, though, you realize it's totally worth it. The natural bridge the canyon is named after isn't as impressive as the bridges in some of Death Valley's other canyons, but the colors are fantastic! Reds, yellows, golds and purples. And complete solitude as well....
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