December 26, 2015 by millicanphotography

2015 Favorite Photos

Selecting favorite photos from the past 12 months is a fun exercise, and also an opportunity to see where my interests have taken me. And, sometimes a way to measure one’s growth. Mostly, however, these are the photographs that bring a smile to my face when I remember pressing the shutter release…

So, here we go, roughly in chronological order:

Trout Lily

This is one of my favorite flowers, as it is one of the first signs of spring in Arkansas. This one reminds me of a sea creature…

Devil’s Den State Park, Arkansas

After a short hike on the Devil’s Den Trail, you will find yourself at Twin Falls – unless it is the dry season. This is the west falls, with photographer for scale…

Wild Rose, Cherokee Prairie

Cherokee Prairie, near Charleston, Arkansas, continues to be one of those locations I return to regularly. This wild rose was past its prime, but I liked the patterns, color, symmetry, and its friend. I hope you notice the antenna that mimics the flower petal lines…

Colorado National Monument

In June, I traveled to the Eastern Sierras of California to attend Derrick Story’s photography workshop. (You can read about it here.) The road trip included a one-night stop at the Colorado National Monument, near Grand Junction, Colorado. I would definitely camp there again.

Great Basin National Park

From Colorado, my next stop was Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada, home to 13,063-foot Mount Wheeler. This mountain stream was near my campsite…

Yosemite National Park

From Bridgeport, CA, where Derrick’s workshop was based, I drove into Yosemite National Park via the Tioga Pass, highway 120. Road construction stopped me from driving to the Valley; while stopped for the roadwork, I made this photo…

Mono Lake, California

This has got to be one of the most unique places in the U.S., and I made hundreds of photos there…

Antique Airplane Fly-In, Oologah, Oklahoma

Closer to home, some friends and I visited Will Rogers’ Birthplace Ranch for the annual Antique Airplane Fly-In. Dozens of planes and antique autos were on display, and their landings and departures were a sight to see. The whole day was fun!

Autumn, Arkansas

Our “fall colors” were not the best this year, but we always try to make the best of it. 😉

Natural Dam, Arkansas

This rock shelf creates a natural “Dam” with an 8-foot tall waterfall. I am not the only photographer to visit, and – like many others – I have made hundreds of images over the years. Just a few days ago, this was the scene just before sunrise on a cold, frosty morning…

“Frost Flowers”

Although I had heard of this for many years, it was only a few days ago I made my first photos of Frost Flowers. Sometimes called “Frost Ribbons”, apparently they happen on cold, frosty mornings, when vegetation still has moisture in its stem. The moisture freezes, and forces its way out forming these ribbon flowers…

Best wishes for a Great 2016: Sweet light, peace, and joy…

November 22, 2015 by millicanphotography

Photography Workshop in the Eastern Sierra

June, 2015

Derrick Story (www.thedigitalstory.com) hosted a 4-day photography workshop in the California’s Eastern Sierra region. Initially, he called it the “Bodie Workshop,” and that was the first location we visited. But, since we also photographed at Mono Lake, Green Creek in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, and within the town of Bridgeport, it became the “Eastern Sierra Workshop.”

From the beginning, one thing Derrick emphasized was to enjoy ourselves, relax, and keep from making our time there seem like work.

My personal goals were to improve my photography, and to observe how someone else ran a workshop. Being a photography instructor, I wanted to compare my methods, and to learn different approaches. And, to teach photography, my own photography must be good.

It was difficult for me to follow his advice, but by the third day, I was much more relaxed.

The workshop was terrific. (Does anyone say “terrific” these days?)

Bodie is a ghost town about 20 miles north of Mono Lake, and has a photographic opportunity around every corner, literally. There is an old school, a church, a hotel, numerous shops, abandoned homes, a fire station, and a stamp mill for the ore. It is now a California State Park, and attempts are being made to preserve as many of the historical buildings as possible. When we visited, the day was perfect: mild weather, blue skies and puffy white clouds.

Have you heard about the light in the Sierras? For many years, I have read John Muir, Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell, Dewitt Jones, and others, speak of the light. It is, indeed, unlike anywhere else I have been.

Mono Lake, with its dwindling water level and tufa formations, is like a scene from a sci-fi movie. We stayed until after sunset, watching the sun light up the landscape, and filling our memory cards and our internal memory banks.

Where ever we went, Derrick was there to encourage, suggest, and guide us in our photographic journey. Yes, just as other workshop leaders do; but Derrick has a calm and mild persona, that he passed on to us.

Next year, he will lead a similar workshop – but in the fall. It should make for great photography!

www.thedigitalstory.com

I have been absent from posting for some time. This is the first attempt to catch up – I hope you will follow along…

December 21, 2013 by millicanphotography

California Photo Festival

In October, I traveled to San Luis Obispo, California, to attend the California Photo Festival, aka “Click 4”, the fourth annual event. The week-long event is organized by Hal and Victoria Schmitt, who own and operate Light Photographic Workshops in Los Osos, California. There was a wide selection of subject matter in the classes, and photo shoots in vineyards, on the California beach in several locations, and on the city streets. We took photos of horses and riders, small critters, sunsets and sunrises, birds and other animals, and portraits of various models in a multitude of locales.

Instructors included Marc Muench, Rob Sheppard, Ben Willmore, Lee Varis, and Rick Sammon, as well as a dozen more. In addition, a number of vendors and equipment companies were on hand to show their equipment; not a huge trade show, but plenty of goodies to see and touch. 🙂

The cost for the Festival is reasonable, given the huge amount of information presented. Interested? Next year’s event is scheduled, but not yet accepting registration. Click the link above, or here, for more information.

Here are a few photos from my library. Hope you enjoy them!

“Horses on the Beach”

The intention was to photograph members of Cal Poly Tech’s Polo Team riding their horses in the surf at Morro Bay with a marvelous sunset in the background. The riders were there with their horses, but alas! we had no sun, just clouds, fog, and mist. We still made photographs! 🙂

Polo player in the surf at Morro Bay

Polo players riding in the surf at Morro Bay

One of the Cal Poly Polo team takes a break from the action. I really liked the reflection the wet sand gave us…

“Macro Critters!”

Another photo shoot set up for us was captive small animals – lizards, chameleon, snakes, spiders and insects – in “stations” that we could move to and from, making photographs of the small animals. Great fun, although somewhat cramped space. I carried my tripod, but left the legs together, using it like a monopod.

The Chameleon was perhaps the most photographed

Colorful, exotic lubber grasshopper

Gila Monster. I grew up hearing terrible stories about this animal…

“The Elfin Forest”

The morning after photographing the horses on the beach, I was in a group that went out for sunrise. Again, fog, drizzle, and clouds hid the sun. So, we turned out attention to details. We were in an area called the “Elfin Forest” which was populated with a dwarf oak tree, and more…

Small shrub with dried flowers and seed pods.

Bracken Fern closeup

“Photo Walk With Rick Sammon”

Another sunset opportunity, and finally, we saw the sun. Not to complain, but that is all there was to see – not a cloud in the sky, leaving the sun without a complement. We walked along the street at the Morro Bay Harbor, and still made photographs.

I photographed one of the other participants, with the sun backlighting him, creating the sun-star.

I photographed one of the other participants, backlit by the sun.

Morro Bay Harbor with Morro Rock on the horizon, just after the sun has gone down.

Morro Bay Harbor at dusk.

There were other classes and photo shoots; these are just some of my favorite images…

The California Photo Fest makes for a good destination, and will present the participant with a lot of information. Almost too much info! 🙂 But, if you pick and choose your classes and shoots, and don’t overdo yourself, you can learn much.

All photos were taken with the Sony Alpha 77; lenses were the Sony 16-50, Tamron 180 macro, Tamron 70-300.

December 5, 2013 by millicanphotography

California Coastal Highway

In October, I attended the California Photo Festival in San Luis Obispo, California. (I plan to discuss that event in a forthcoming blog post.) Arriving a couple of days in advance of the event, I spent most of one day driving up the Pacific coast on California Highway 1, also known as Cabrillo Highway, toward Big Sur. No destination, just exploring. Although my family lived for a few years in California a long time ago, I had never visited this part of the state, and on this trip only a portion of the route. Another time… Anyway, here are a few photographs from that day…

In a sharp bend of the road – and there were many of those – is this small beach, gated and marked with a “private property” sign. One of several enjoyable sights to be seen on the drive.

Small, private beach along Highway 1

This is another photo, shot vertically, of the same beach from a slightly different viewpoint.

Private Beach along Highway 1

High on a bluff, with sea lions below – so far away they almost cannot be seen in the photo – is a private residence.

Home with an ocean view

This photo is a crop of the previous one.

Home on the bluff

The Big Creek Bridge, not quite as photogenic as the Bixby Creek Bridge from what I have read, but I enjoyed photographing it.

Big Creek Bridge

Just a short visit to this beautiful part of our country, leaving me with a strong desire to return. I only scratched the surface, and did not visit at the best (photographically speaking) time of day. If you have been there, you know what I mean.

Sony Alpha 77, Sony SAL 16-50 and Tamron 70-300 lenses.

Millican Photography

Photography by Larry & Gayle Millican

California

2015 Favorite Photos

Photography Workshop in the Eastern Sierra

California Photo Festival

California Coastal Highway