Just before sunset . . .
The Next Valley After the Storm
This is a pano of 4-5 images I took with my phone when I went out chasing the sunset the other day. I found most of our walking areas closed because of the rains – muddy trails, swollen creeks – and so followed roads into the surrounding mountains. When I came to this view, I had to really think – where is this? It took a minute, but then I realized I was overlooking the Santa Rosa Valley (I live in the Conejo Valley), from a vantage point I had never seen.
Dark Tree
One thing that I am finding so useful about only doing black and white is contrast – white against black, shape against shape. I am not a particularly analytical person so it takes awhile for what I see to make intellectual sense, such as the visual evidence of light and dark working to create shapes.
Sycamore Trees
Sycamores are wonderful trees to tell you autumn is here! Their leaves, large and pointy, change with the season. In summer, they are green, and with the change in seasons, the leaves become gold and orange and brown, mottled in color, transparent and brilliant against the sunlight.
Chasing the Sunset
The rains cleared and the sky was filled with clouds! I went to my usual places but they were all closed – muddy trails, swollen creeks. So I headed for the hills, following roads I sort of knew might give me a clear view of the sky and city. This one was a total surprise. Suddenly I was wondering just what I was looking at, and then it hit me – I was looking into the valley beyond the mountains surrounding my own. The clouds were beautiful as the sun went down, so I took a series of pictures – 4 or 5 – and made a pano of them in PS. This made my day, let me tell you!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 