San Felipe Baja 250

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San Felipe Baja California

>>UPDATE: March 14, 2011: CLICK HERE for first photos from San Felipe 2011<<

It’s been a few years since I was last in San Felipe for the Baja 250.  I’m driving a truck and trailer full of bikes down for a team and will be helping with the pre-running of the course during the next week.  The race itself is next Saturday the 12th.  San Felipe is one of my favorite towns in Baja, and is a nice and mellow place to hang around for a week.  Should be springtime down there in the desert, so temps wont get to hot.  The race is also overlapping with Carnival celebrations, so it should be a good time…

san felipe baja motorcycle

Death Valley

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Winter rain clouds over Badwater and mountains, Death Valley national park, California

Photo: Winter rain falls over Badwater, Death Valley national park, California

The full moon and forecast of rain saw me heading out of town for the deserts of Death Valley national park.  I figured it would also be a good place to contemplate turning 30.  Though the weather didn’t work out quite as planned. Wind gust to 50-60 mph and Sahara like dust storms – basically dust just everywhere.  Have I mentioned I hate dust! – meant it wasn’t the most productive trip.

Most the time was spent sitting in the back of my truck.  I tried to be somewhat productive and start the writing on a project I’ve been working procrastinating on.  Didn’t go so well, just basically stared at a mostly blank page until my laptop battery finally died.  Saved!  I’m glad I never took it upon myself to be a writer of any sort, would’ve been an even more unsuccessful pursuit than photography.

Cooked dinner inside my camper shell as the light faded, reading the instructions on my stove specifically saying not to cook inside.  Are my windows open enough?  What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?  Ack, my instant noodle soup’s boiling over onto my bed!  At least I managed to go the whole week without spilling the melt water of my cooler all over my bed, usually a common occurrence. Luck was definitely on my side this time!

This was only my second time to visit the Eureka dunes, located in the isolated northern park of national park and only reached by dirt road.  On my first visit the weather was bad so I didn’t take any photos.  Had slightly better conditions this time, but still not ideal.  The dunes are best photographed at sunset, but by late afternoon clouds would fill the sky before the sun was low enough to the horizon.  At sunrise, mountains to the east block the sun for the first hour after sunrise, so by the time the dunes are lit, the sun is already fairly high in the sky.  Hopefully I’ll make another visit next month.

The blog will still be a bit slow for the next month.  Still trying to catch up on things and get organized with other projects.  I’m going to start posting some sort of ‘series’ of content so that I can try and keep things a bit more regular.  Will probably be something related to the Lofoten Islands, maybe just a single photo some behind the scenes info or whatnot.  I’ll see…

Eureka Dunes Death Valley

Photo: Eureka dunes rise into the desert sky, Death Valley national park, California

Eureka Dunes Death Valley

Photo: Self portrait of view from Eureka dunes, Death Valley national park, California

California

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san simeon pier

Photo: Sunset over San Simeon Pier, California. February 5, 2011

I’ve been back in California for two weeks now, trying to get adjusted to life back over here.  I’ve been pretty busy with several photo shoot in the last week, but they are for other things not related to travel or landscape photography, that’s why it will be a bit quite here for a little bit more.

The weather here in Santa Barbara has been amazing.  After so many months in the UK, I had almost forgotten what a nice sunny day was.  And to be able to go outside in a t-shirt, I don’t think I’d done that since last August!  I’ve always said that the winters in California are often better than the summers.  Or to put it more specifically, there’s no fog in winter, so the average day is often better.  Now I just have to avoid getting too sunburt.

Over the past weekend, I did take one short trip up to San Simeon to photograph the northern elephant seals on the beach up there.  Got some pretty good photos which I’ll post sometime soon.

Trying to put together a more regular travel schedule for the next few months, with the hopes of spending at least 1 week per month out shooting.  Next week I’m off to Death Valley.  March will find me down in San Felipe, Mexico for the Baja 250, then again out in Death Valley and perhaps Mojave national preserve as I really like the Kelso dunes and I need to explore that area a bit more.  I’m also trying to put a trip together to go out the the Channel Islands off the coast here.  I’ve looked at them across the sea most of my life, yet have never been there.  A bit pathetic I think!

Luskentyre Beach – Isle of Harris

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luskentyre beach isle of harris

Photo: Dawn light over Luskentyre beach, Isle of Harris, Scotland

I went to Luskentyre Beach five times in three days and each and every time I was presented with something different. I think there must be some rule on the Outer Hebrides: If the morning is calm, the evening will be stormy.  If the evening is calm, the morning will stormy.  As this seemed to be the cycle of weather out there.  And with changing weather comes changing light.  Always something new to see in the exact same place as I had been just a few hours before.  Luskentyre is quickly developing into one of my favorite places, though it will most likely be several years now until I get to return again.

luskentyre beach isle of harris

luskentyre beach isle of harris

luskentyre beach isle of harris

luskentyre beach isle of harris

Scottish Western Isles Gallery

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Luskentyre beach, Isle of harris, Scotland

Photo: Last light over Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Western Isles, Scotland photography gallery: CLICK HERE

I’ve added about 100 new images to my Western Isles gallery.  The Photos are from my most recent trip from December 30th 2010 – January 8th 2011.  Islands covered are North Uist, South, Uist, Berneray, Isle of Harris, and Isle of Lewis.  I’ve also added a few photo’s from the Isle of Skye, even though it’s not technically part of the Western Isles.

butt of lewis coast

Photo: Rugged coastline at Butt of Lewis, northern most point on the Outer Hebrides, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Rannoch Moor Winter

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Loch Ba ice, Rannoch Moor, Scotland

Photo: Loch Ba frozen in winter, Rannoch Moor, Scotland

Rannoch Moor winter

Photo: Rannoch Moor winter, Scotland

Loch Seaforth

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Loch Seaforth panoramic

Photo: Loch Seaforth, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Once Was Home

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abandoned croft house ruin

Photo: Living room of abandoned croft house, Berneray, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

abandoned croft house ruin

Photo: Bedroom of Abandoned croft house ruin, Berneray, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

abandoned croft house ruin

Luskentyre in Snow

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Luskentyre beach winter snow isle of harris

Photo: Dusting of snow on Luskentyre beach, Isle of Harris, Western Isles, Scotland

I was wandering the beach at low tide, waiting for the low winter sun to emerge from the clouds.  I found this small little ridge in the sand covered by a light dusting of snow from the last squall to pass through, the clouds still blocking the sun towards the south.  To the north I was anxiously watching the next wave of snow and wind approach.  Waiting, waiting, then finally the sun emerges above the clouds.  Click, Click, a couple photos.  I look to my right and start to see snow flying across the dunes a couple hundred meters away.  Quickly, I rotate my camera for another shot, but I was too late.  The wind comes sweeping across the beach, blowing away the image right before my eyes.

Only 1 minute of time passed between these photos.  A few more minutes of sun and wind before I’m engulfed by the next wave of snow and the world turns dark once again.  Everything back in the backpack, head down, and follow my disappearing footprints across the beach an over the dunes.

Luskentyre beach winter snow isle of harris

Isle of Skye Winter

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Clearning winter storm over Black Cuillins, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Photo: Clearing winter storm over Black Cuillins, Isle of Skye, Scotland

On the return from my new year Scottish islands trip I spent one night on the Isle of Skye.  After having wonderful light at Elgol on Friday night, Saturday morning arrived with gray clouds and a light snow falling.  Having a long drive ahead of me, I was tempted just to pack it in and head towards Rannoch Moor in hopes of a decent sunset.  However some gut feeling, in addition to not wanting to be the first car of the day on the snowy roads, led me to wait things out at Sligachan for a few hours.  I gave the weather till 9:30 am to clear, or I would hit the road.  As 9:30 came and went I was about to start the car, when I noticed some slight bits of clearing clouds.  Another 30 minutes later and I made these photos.

Clearning winter storm over Black Cuillins, Isle of Skye, Scotland