Winter Sports

Yesterday I returned from a two-day snowboard trip. For most people, snowboarding means a fantastic time of thrills and chills down an icy mountain slope. For me, snowboarding means standing sideways on a flat piece of wood and fiberglass falling down over and over again.

Okay, not really. I did get a chance to improve my snowboarding skills a little bit yesterday, and I have improved quite a bit, although I'm still not incredibly good. Even so, future trips will allow me to develop my abilities even more until I grow into a point of snowboard competency.

On a side note, I also took a few pictures while I was up in the mountains. Most of them were more experimental since I was photographing under difficult conditions. Even so, they turned out decent, and so I am posting them here to share with you.

I took this and the next few pictures the same night I arrived in the mountains. I was hoping to get some good star shots, but with my limited equipment that was quite difficult. My photos also suffered from quite a bit of camera grain. I'll have to do something about that next time.


Yes, that is the moon.


Finally, just a shot of plain ol' stars.


Here's a shot of the same mountain range the following evening. Turned out a little better.


I like the composition of this shot.


I worked on this shot for a while, and still didn't get it quite right.



I'm not sure if I like this shot better in color...


...or in black and white.


This one turned out okay.


This one is made more interesting by the presence of the guard rail.


But ultimately, this was the best shot I got out of the entire trip.

Okay, that's it for me. Take care, folks!
T.H. Excellence

PhotoBlog - Snowy Edition

I'm back! Actually, I've been back for several days, but I had some things to do after returning from vacation, so I'm writing just now. Anyway, the day after I went snowshoeing, I left the lodge and went to visit some friends nearby, but not before a quick excursion to see the magnificent General Grant tree. Along the way, I captured more dazzling shots of the snow-covered forest, as well as shots of the tree itself. Come along!

Another peek outside my window. A bit overcast today.


I love how great winter shots look after you crank up the contrast a little.





This is like a rock slide waiting to happen. No, not really. It's just a photographic trick.



Fun angle.


I thought this would make a good shot, but unfortunately I had to take it really quickly and didn't get the desired coloring and exposure. Drat!




I gotta give my dad a little credit for this shot - he's the one who pointed it out to me.


And there she is - the General Grant tree.


She's a beaut, ain't she!


And one more shot will close this post.

Ah, it's good to be back home. Hope you enjoyed these two sets of winter pics I've posted. It's been fun experimenting with shooting in the snow.

I also must apologize for the recent disappearance of Film Fest Friday. The Friday after Christmas I chose to refrain from posting a film, feeling that everyone would be too busy to log on and watch it. As for last Friday, I simply wasn't home and had no Internet access. But fear not! The Fest will resume again this Friday!

That's all - 'bye now!
T.H. Excellence

PhotoBlog on Snowshoes

Right now I'm sitting in a snowy mountain lodge, surrounded by a ton of people who have come to enjoy the winter wonderland. Some people are here to sled. Some people are here to snowboard. I didn't do either. I went snowshoeing. And, true to nature, I took pictures as well.
I didn't actually get as many pictures as I usually do - I was trying to preserve my camera from the cold weather. Even so, I managed to capture a fair amount of decent shots, so on we go.

Before we look at the snowshoeing trip, however, let's backtrack a bit. Here's the view out the my room's window.


John Muir Lodge - our accommodations.


The back end of our accommodations.


Moving on, this is the museum, and the starting point for our trip.


I thought this lamp was really cool, so I got a ton of pictures of it.


Sequoia!


And now the trip begins!


My footwear of choice.


Ah, the hazards of photography. A photographer in a group always brings up the rear. I almost lost everyone else at one point.


At this point I'll hush up so everyone can take in the color.













AFter a delightful snowshoe romp, we retreated to the car and embarked on the road home.


However, we didn't make it home before stopping to get a few shots of the spectacular sunset.



And with this beautiful portrait, I close.

That's all, everyone. Stay tuned for more pics. And remember, if you like what you see, please comment to let me know.

Ta ta for now
T.H. Excellence