Catching Some Sunset

This is from about a month ago when I went to the beach after work one night with a friend.  It’s just a nice Wednesday night sunset at the beach.  And people doing some minor rock climbing to get a good view.  I did a little climbing earlier too, but went back just in time for this silhouette sunset.

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 20D
Original date	2010:04:07 6:18 PM
Exposure time	1/50 sec
Focal length	50mm
F-Stop	f/8
ISO speed	ISO-100
Exposure Bias	+1

Desert Life

This is the desert.  It isn’t exactly what I imagine when I picture the desert.  I like a desert like the Sahara; sand for miles and excruciatingly hot.  But this is an American desert; just kind of scrubby.  This picture actually depicts a pretty good looking desert.  Not too many scrubby plants on the ground and some cool rock formations in the back.

I took this at Joshua Tree National Park.  Unfortunately, most of the time I was there it was cloudy and not especially pretty.  Luckily it cleared up in the afternoon and I got some nice looking pictures.  I want to go back soon.  Things are blooming and all that good stuff.  I want to get there before it gets too hot and everything dies again.  Also I’d like to do some night shooting there.  This time I forgot my tripod, otherwise I would have.  D’oh!

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 20D
Original date	2009:12:05 1:51 PM
Exposure time	1/400 sec
Focal length	10mm
F-Stop	f/8
ISO speed	ISO-100
Exposure Bias	0

Mormon Rocks

Also known as the Latter Day Saints Rocks, it has been said that these rocks were the site of a trip and fall that slightly inconvenienced Jules Verne during a hiking expedition in Southern California, supposedly leading him to criticize the Mormon religion in a small part of his book Around the World in 80 Days.  These rocks are also where a group of Mormons passed through the mountains on their way to Los Angeles in the 1850’s, after fleeing Utah and a homicidal Mormon Militia.

OK, so I may or may not have made parts of that up.  These rocks really are called Mormon Rocks, apparently because some Mormons Manifested Destiny through the Cajon Pass, between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, where these rocks are located.

I don’t have much experience with black and white photography, but I think this one looks pretty good in black and white.  I converted it to look like Kodak Professional T-MAX 100 black and white film.  Generally I like color photographs more because of, well, all the pretty colors.  Like I said though, I think this looks pretty good in black and white, and I wanted to try something different.  I will probably eventually post the color version as well, because I like it a lot too.

Exif information
Model	Canon EOS 20D
Original date	2009:11:07 17:53
Exposure time	1/100 sec
Focal length	50mm
F-Stop	f/10
ISO speed	ISO-100
Exposure Bias	0