More Photos from the Whiteclouds

Here are a few more photos I took while on the backpacking trip to the Whiteclouds in 2009.

Walker Lake in the morning

Right Brain:  Morning has to be the spectacular time of the day.  It's the reward for having to get out of bed, especially after a long night of sleeping on a not-very-comfortable backpacking pad.  Some would say that it isn't that great of a reward, but I've always been more of a morning person.  Besides, the best light for photos can be found at sunrise and sunset.  Another aspect about mornings in the woods is that it is very peaceful.  I was going to say quiet, but that doesn't quite fit.  You are surrounded by nature, and it has its own music.  However, I feel in the mornings that I'm more of an observer or even a participant, rather than the grand interruption. 

Right Brain:  Walker lake was full of fish.  They were ridiculously eager to be caught as well, which qualifies them as "favorite" status in my book.  Unfortunately, they each weighed about as much as a paperclip...  However, it makes for good fishing stories for my Boy Scouts (I currently serve as the Assistant Scoutmaster), when I tell them that I went to a lake where the fishing was so good, all you had to do was carry a pot over to the bank, bang it a couple of times and yell "IN!" and the fish would all jump in.  I actually got a bite without even casting my line into the water.  I mistakenly dipped my pole tip in the water while I was turned around fiddling with my tackle box.  I felt something hitting the pole and turned to see a small fish trying to nibble the pole tip...  Fantastic fishing.

Walker Lake with an apparent rainbow

Left Brain:  This is what we like to call a beautiful accident.  Just in case you are wondering, this shot was taken on film.  I can't remember exactly what film, but judging by the look and the grain, I'm guessing it was Fujicolor Superia 400.  The rainbow wasn't photoshopped in.  It's actually on the film.  For those who aren't photo nerds like me, this is an example of lens flare, which comes about due to the angle at which sunlight strikes the lens.  You usually want to avoid flare.  However, I've seen several photos where it's put to good use.  Also, if you look closely at Pixar films, they actually draw in the lens flare into some of their scenes...


Right Brain:  Anyone want to go for a walk on Rainbow Bridge?

Fallen Tree 

Flowers by camp

Left Brain:  OK, I messed with this photo a bit.  In the original, the flowers are red, standing against a mostly green background.  The photo was taken on print film, which just doesn't behave like Velvia (slide film), so the flowers just didn't stand out as well as I had hoped.  I fiddled with the sliders in Lightroom to get this version of the photo.  The adjustments involved turning way down the vibrance (that's what turned most everything gray, and turned the flowers pink).  I also turned down the Clarity a bit.  That seemed to blur the background a bit more. I upped the Saturation a bit, which made the pinks in the flowers deepen and stand out better.  For comparison, I posted the original photo below.  I think that the original is pretty cool as well, but it was fun to fiddle with the exposure settings.

Original "Flowers by camp"

 

Flowers in the woods

Right Brain:  Flowers are an obvious subject for photos when in the woods.  The first reason is that they are all over.  The second is that I pay more attention to them.  Fishing on a backpacking trip is a lot of fun.  However, when it gets slow (or when, for example, at Walker Lake, your arm starts to get tired from hauling in guppies on every cast), having a camera nearby is a great way to pass the time, and flowers are never too far away.

Sunrise at Walker Lake

Right Brain:  The morning is crisp and clear, the music of the forest humming mildly.  Steps down the trail are marked by the crunch of fallen pine needles.  The whole world seems to be still and content.  On my little morning walk, I have to pause, to reflect on how blessed I feel just to be.  I briefly sit, soak up the stillness and let the sunlight speak peace to my soul.