steffisawyer: Death Valley bound!'s photostream  

Close to Home: February 11, 2012. © Copyright Stephanie Sawyer - all rights reserved.

Anaheim Hills Ridge Trail, California.

I took a short walk up to a decent vantage point hoping to catch an amazing sunset. I was very short on time, so I had to pick a spot not far from home. I felt a bit of sadness since I ran this trail often. My back surgery several years ago keeps me from running these days. Oh well, at least I can still get out with my camera.

The sunset this evening was pretty decent, but I missed the killer one the previous day, so I was a bit dissapointed. Now if only there were some wild flowers in the foreground too!

It's hard to tell in this image because of size, but the hot spot where the sun is setting is ocean!

Dead Aspen Leaves: Oct. 9 2011. © Copyright Stephanie Sawyer - all rights reserved.

Eastern Sierra Nevada, California

Taken in fall of 2011, the aspen leaves that littered the ground created a nice pattern. Fringed with frost around the edges, it made each dead leaf pop out a bit against the others beneath them.

Based on Floydain's comment, I just changed my monitor settings back. I had it calibrated for print design, which has a warmer white balance. There is a lot of blue in this photo. I might have to fix that!

Crystal Cove After the Rain: January 21, 2012. © Copyright Stephanie Sawyer - all rights reserved.

Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Coast, California.

We have been having some wonderful sunsets in Southern California.... but I've been missing the best ones! I did manage to get out and get a semi decent one on this day.

Moose Falls On the Fourth: July 4, 2011. © Copyright Stephanie Sawyer - all rights reserved.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

I did manage to get a few shots of Moose Falls on the fourth of July. The white marmot took most of my time that I was allowed here. However, I ended up not spending much time here since the mosquitoes ate me alive! AND I was drenched in like 100% deet. They even bothered the family a bit, who didn't have any mosquito spray on. At least I had some cloud cover, which helped with the long exposure, along with a lee filter.

Marmot Kiss: July 4, 2011. © Copyright Stephanie Sawyer - all rights reserved.

Moose Falls, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

This little white marmot scampered up above the falls to hang out with this other, larger marmot. That's when I was pretty sure the white one was a marmot, and not some other critter. I'm also thinking that the larger one was his mom, maybe? They spent a a few moments nose to nose. Then the white one gave a little hug, did a little grooming/licking the other one, and found something else to do.

I'm not experienced shooting wildlife, but wished I was better equipped in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. My 70-200 lens didn't reach enough. I was dying for a longer lens, we saw so much wildlife. The only other time I was dying for a longer lens was when I was shooting the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.