Free print contest

I did this last year, masterworkimage.blogspot.com/2009/06/fun-with-blogs.html, and again submitted images for the 'Best of Nature' show this year. Out of 2000 plus entrees, 70 were selected to be displayed in the Natural History Museum at Balboa Park, San Diego. I submitted the following ten images and one of them was chosen. As I did last year, I'll send an 8x10 or 8x12 print to whomever guesses the correct one. My buddy Toby Coughron won last year and posted about it here, tobycphoto.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-got-mail.html.

For those near SD, the show runs 11/13/10 through 1/30/11, was spectacular last year and should be well worth a visit again this year.

1 (left), 2 (right)

3 (l), 4 (r)
5 (l), 6 (r)
7 (l), 8 (r)
9 (l), 10 (r)

Land of Gigantic Trees-Sequoia NP

We made our way to Sequoia NP for 4th of July weekend. Yea, that's about how far behind I am on posts! We've been to Redwood NP so I think I underestimated how impressed I'd be. Not quite as tall, but massive in diameter! Once considered the largest organism on earth, they've now found underground moss that may be larger as well as the banyan trees in HI that appear to be separate, but are all connected. Nevertheless, General Sherman as well as many others are something to experience. And it was by far the best smelling NP I've been to, haha! On a hot summer day, it's simply exquisite!

View looking West toward the San Joaquin Valley and Lucy the pug sun bathing...or meditating, not sure.

The deepest gorge in the U.S., King's Canyon, reflecting off King's river at the bottom. We saw plenty of bears, luckily most during the day. I startled one (actually that went both ways) one night on my way to the restroom. 20 feet is WAY too close to be to a running bear! If it was so inclined, I could've been a snack in seconds, but fortunately, they are more scared of us than we are of them. I think.

Grizzly falls and a timed exposure of about an hour 15 or so, directly above our campsite. The red in the trees is from our campfire.

Lucy 'helping' us pack. Mosquito spray, beef jerky and the latest camping fashions at a local store, what more could you want?! Ritz crackers? We got those too! The traffic was actually on the way up. LA's got keep up the rep, you know?

Scientist portraits

I was asked to make portraits of Nutrilite scientists involved in their expert speaker program. Among the many hats a photographer wears, this time I got to play set designer as well, as we didn't have a lab to work with. I picked up everything except the beakers at Lowes along with some additional rigging to secure it all in place at Samy's Camera. Thanks to Kimberly Carlson, www.kacartistry.com, for hair and makeup and Johnny from Rouge Artists for styling.

Guild guitar ad

The flurry that was the last seven weeks for me is drawing to a close. Can not BELIEVE how fast this summer's going! Many posts to catch up on, so to get started, here is a Guild ad we shot yesterday.