Pomeroy Photography

It's aliiiive!

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:14:14 PDT

I'm hearing reports that those folks who were having trouble seeing my blog posts since - good lord, a year ago?! - are now for some reason getting them again! They started showing up yesterday or the day before, in dribs and drabs, and as far as I know we're all caught up now. Glory hallelujah, the blog is dead, long live the blog!

I won't go into the tedious part about trying to get the issue resolved. Frankly, I just didn't have a great deal of time to devote to it and I think in the end they fixed it just to get rid of me because I wouldn't go away. Oh well. The annoying thing is that for anyone who subscribes to the feed, everything has shown up as posted either yesterday or the day before. An entire year's worth of posts! But there's nothing I can do about that and I'm not going to waste time or energy worrying about it. At least everything is showing up now.

And get this: the next time I post, I'll be back in the States! Yes, back in the U.S. of A. Since I'll be running around trying to find somewhere to live, posts will still be somewhat sporadic - but they will happen. Type at you soon!

I've been through the desert, and it felt good to be out of the rain!

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:00:48 PDT

Apologies to America for the almost quote in the post title! Since the weather here in the Emerald Isle continues to be abysmal, I thought I'd post some images from last year's trip to Utah. Specifically, some goblins. Yes, that's right: I always thought it was us Irish who were obsessed with the Little People, but whaddya know - Utah has a State Park in the delightfully named Goblin Valley. And it's a corker! The goblins are, of course, strangely eroded, mushroom-capped pillars of rock, but take a wander down through the valley after dusk and your imagination really can run wild! It's a fun place and I guarantee the goblins are all friendly.

The new Utah! gallery has the hi-res images on the website and is worth a look.

Here are a few of my favorite images:

Now that's the way to start the day! Believe it or not this is predawn light, and look at those colors already. Those are
the Three Sisters there, saying good morning.

Just your common or garden gnome - er, goblin!

Peeking out from between two goblins, looking southeast towards the La Sals.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming soon.

A Valentine's greeting, and good news

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:59:28 PDT

Happy Valentine's Day from the Emerald Isle! I have the best possible news: my dad got his test results and is officially in remission! It's a huge relief for us all, and even my dad admitted as much. It also means that I'll be able to return to the States once he's back on his feet and doing things for himself. Yay! I'm aiming for the end of March, so I'll be even more busy between now and then.

In celebration, here's an image from the only World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland: the famous Giant's Causeway. The basalt columns are mostly hexagonal, although some have as many as eight sides, and they were actually created by volcanic activity. But what do scientists know - local legend has it that the Causeway was built by the Giant Finn Mac Cool so that he could go and fight his arch-enemy in Scotland! I know which version I prefer.

An abstract image of some of the basalt columns on the Giant's Causeway. These have collected pools of water,
whether from tidal fill or rainwater we can only guess.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll post again soon.

It was a dark and stormy night...

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:59:28 PDT

One of the most romantic spots in all of Ireland must surely be on the windswept cliffs of the North Antrim coast, site of the ruined Dunluce Castle. The castle was first built back in the 13th century and sits atop a remote, rocky promontory surrounded on three sides by the sea. On the ubiquitous dark and stormy night, in 1639, a section of the cliffs collapsed and fell into the sea, taking part of the castle with it. Although the site remained in use for a considerable time, it eventually fell into disrepair and was abandoned.

The ruins of Dunluce Castle are a must see for any visitor to the area. I had a great afternoon wandering around with the camera, climbing the towers and gazing out to sea - I highly recommend it. The hi-res images can be seen on the website.

The amazing ruins of Dunluce Castle, perched on top of sheer coastal cliffs.

A different angle: this shot was taken from just inside the castle's entrance. It shows a little of the towering cliffs
that make the site so spectacular.

The sun went behind the clouds and gave me this wonderfully dramatic sky...

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for visiting the blog! There will be more coming very soon.

It's been a year

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:59:28 PDT

Another year gone - where does the time go? It's been a truly frenetic one for me, and I find myself being especially contemplative as the year draws to a close. It was my first family Christmas in almost a quarter century (boy, does that make me feel old!) and in some ways it was surprisingly good. We remain hopeful that my dad will recover well, and we all spoilt him rotten. (That's what kids are for, right?)

Since it's that time of the year, and the weather has been freezing, I thought a little bit of snow would be appropriate for today's images. But bear in mind: this is Ireland, and the snowfall is never too impressive so it really is just a little bit! Just recently I drove up the North Antrim coast; it hasn't changed all that much since I was a kid and I had a major dose of nostalgia. The famous Glens of Antrim run down from a high plateau to the coast, and there are little coastal towns at the foot of each glen that were, for centuries, almost inaccessible except by sea. I drove up Glenariff, the Queen of the Glens, and as the road got higher and higher there was a light dusting of snow in the icy air - the first snow of the year. It was a magical morning - I'm so glad I was able to be there.

The hi-res images can be seen on the website

There's a small forest park at the head of Glenariff, and the snow was like a dusting of icing sugar on the ground.

The Glens are famed for their natural beauty, and for the winds which leave the trees permanently bent over!

Late afternoon at Garron Point, on the North Antrim coast. I loved playing here as a kid!

See? I told you I went to other places besides Tollymore! I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by. There will be more coming soon.

Fall before Midwinter

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:59:28 PDT

OK, let's get another post in before Christmas! I still have some autumnal images from Tollymore that I haven't shared with you yet, so - before we hit the official middle of winter - let's see some beautiful leaf color. And yes, I have gone / will go to other places besides Tollymore, but if you ever get there yourself you'll understand why it's such a photo magnet. And as a reminder, the gallery with hi-res images from Tollymore is here.

Different areas of the park change color at different times - here, the autumn colors are just getting under way.

In a different area, the leaves are on fire with color!

This shot was taken about a month after the other two - the weather was dull and cloudy, yet the diffuse light
lends itself to the scene.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images. Thanks for stopping by, and there will be more posts soon.

Neolithic Belfast

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:57:59 PDT

One of the things that I miss, being in the US, is the profusion of history that surrounds you everywhere you go in Europe. I've always been a bit of a history nut, and I'm fascinated by ancient history and prehistoric monuments. I'd love to do a trip around Ireland (and the rest of the British Isles) visiting the stone rings and passage graves and such. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is a very well-preserved Neolithic monument just a few miles from where I grew up - one I never knew about before.

The Giant's Ring, on the outskirts of Belfast, is a massive circular earthwork surrounding a passage grave. The mound which would have covered the grave has long since eroded or been removed, so the dolmen (or rock tomb) is left exposed. It's a beautiful place that's well worth a visit.

A graceful dip in the earthen bank at the Giant's Ring draws the eye to this tree.

Almost sunset, and the sun warms the cold stones of the dolmen or rock tomb at the Giant's Ring.

The Giant's Ring dolmen at sunset. Imagine people with no metal tools and no wheel, raising and positioning
these massive stones to form a tomb.

More images from Ireland can be seen on the website. I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for visiting. I'll post more soon.

Rock, river, trees

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:57:59 PDT

On my second visit to Tollymore Forest Park (see this previous post) I knew I'd be coming back as often as possible. So I purchased the annual pass! It'll be available for whoever else is around to drive my dad's car; we managed to get him down there when the weather was good, and he toddled around a little bit enjoying the old place. (I'm not the only one who loves it.)

One of the great things about Tollymore is being able to get down to the river's edge. I have so many memories of playing there when I was a kid, but it appeals to kids of all ages! When armed with a tripod, you can get up close and personal with rocks and water:

Playing with the tripod along the banks of the Shimna River: pools of sunlight break through the tree canopy and
light up the rocks under the water. I loved the golden light here.

Playing with the tripod along the banks of the Shimna River: the "slow water" effect.

Green and gold: late afternoon light filters through the trees along the river in Tollymore.

The new gallery with hi-res images from Tollymore is on the website. I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There'll be more coming soon.

Is there anybody out there?

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:57:59 PDT

I have been reliably informed that some people at least cannot see my blog updates - they aren't seeing anything more recent than March 2012. Yikes! And yet others can see all the updates... clearly, there is a problem. I'll chase that down as and when I can, but it could take a while as I'm very busy and struggling to find time for my own stuff. In the meantime I'll continue to post to the blog on the assumption that things will get sorted out sooner or later!

The good news is that my dad is getting through his treatment extremely well; the doctors were worried about him because of his age and so on, but they're actually very pleased with how he's doing. The bad news is that his recovery time will be another couple of months and it'll be well into the new year before we know whether or not the treatment worked. Now why they couldn't have told us that three months ago is beyond me - but the end result is that I'll be unable to return to the States as scheduled at the end of the month.

After reading through the above, the least I can do is give you a pic, eh? This is an image I took over the summer at a beautiful little spot on Strangford Lough. The ruins of an ancient monastic site are perched on a remote hill which still retains a palpable sense of serenity.

The old and the new: the ruins of Nendrum Monastery with a hint of modern life in the background.

Thanks for stopping by, and there will be more coming soon.

There's a reason they call it the Emerald Isle

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:57:59 PDT

I managed to get out and about with the camera recently, and boy was it a much needed break. I went to one of my favorite childhood haunts, a little place called Tollymore Forest Park. It was formerly an aristocrat's country estate (HUGE country estate...!) which is now the equivalent of a national park in the USA. There are mountains, forest, rivers, miles of rustic hiking paths, quaint old stone bridges, a little lake with ducks, and much more. And there are no dangerous beasties lurking around the corner, so children and dogs can run wild and enjoy the place safely. (It's doggie heaven!)

There's a new gallery with hi-res images from Tollymore on the website. Here are a few of the images I took:

The Meeting of the Waters, where the Spinkwee joins the Shimna River in Tollymore.

One of those quaint old stone bridges that are a beloved feature of Tollymore.
This is Foley's Bridge, which dates back to 1787.

Probably every kid's favorite spot: the Hermitage, inspiration for many a childhood fantasy. It's a classic folly
built by Tollymore's then owner, Lord Clanbrassil, as a tribute to a recently deceased friend.
It sits atop a rocky crevasse cut through by the Shimna River in a spectacular yet tranquil spot.

Tollymore is a place I could revisit any time, and I hope to do that soon and often. I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

Abstracts and a Capitol Reef

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:53:46 PDT

Back in April I visited Capitol Reef National Park for the very first time. More red rocks! The Reef is really quite something - a looming, overwhelming presence in the desert which dominates the land for miles around.

Since the weather wasn't altogether cooperative for my visit, I didn't confine myself to landscapes; abstracts are always tempting when you have great rock formations to play with.

For more images, see the new gallery on the website.

The Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park.

Apparently when I was a kid I loved playing in the mud... nothing changes! The texture and patterns of dried mud,
the red earth of Southern Utah, has always fascinated me.

At the old Gifford Homestead, I found plenty of interesting visuals in the weathered outbuildings. I love the texture
of old wood, and this rusted horseshoe just added to the appeal. The black & white conversion seemed
to work particularly well.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

On the road, and loving it

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:53:46 PDT

Hallelujah - it's an update! I'm incredibly busy, but here's a couple of images from back in April.

It's very easy to focus on certain places or destinations, and be blind to all else. "I must shoot A at B location, and then I'll go to X-marks-the-spot and shoot Y and Z!" That's probably especially true in Southern Utah which has an embarrassment of riches in terms of state and national parks. But life is a journey, and it can be very rewarding to take your time and enjoy getting from one place to the next. And you never quite know what you'll find!

These images were taken as I traveled between two of Utah's famous national parks: Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. The landscape changed dramatically along the way, but it was constantly interesting and worth checking out.

I love the starkness of desert flora: they're stubborn, spiky, and sharp as razors.
When the pale branches of these trees, lit up by the sun, are highlighted against
a dark, shadowed cliff face, they're downright eerie. I call them ghost trees...

Leaving the heat and the red sandstone behind, the road climbs up Boulder Mountain. It was freezing,
but the view was spectacular.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

Fireworks and disruptions

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:53:33 PDT

Happy Fourth of July to everyone in the US.

I won't be fireworking tonight, as I'm frantically busy working on other things. My father has been diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing a lengthy course of treatment; I'm packing up my life and giving up my apartment, putting my stuff in storage, and going back home for the duration to take care of him. The prognosis is reasonably good - we hope - if the word "good" can ever be applied in such circumstances. But he's 84 and already quite frail, so nothing can be taken for granted.

I'll be gone for months, and photography will almost certainly be an occasional luxury. But I'll plug away as the opportunity arises, and post on the blog as I can.

In the meantime, since I haven't had time to do much in the way of post-processing...! here's one from the archives:

Autumn is my favourite time of year - that's fall to you US types! This is a bit of fall color from last year. Gorgeous.

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll post again soon.

Hoodoo voodoo

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:53:33 PDT

Several photographers - good guys whose work I respect a lot - have advised me that a visit to Bryce Canyon needn't last more than a day or two. I have to say I disagree; Bryce is one seriously amazing place. Perhaps if your interests are strictly for the grand landscape, the opportunities are fewer (although mesmerizing). But even then, the success of an overnight visit is wholely dependent on the cooperation of the weather. For myself, I'll go back any time. I've been to Bryce twice now, and both visits were indeed overnight; I think I could easily spend three or four days there and still come away wanting more.

Who doesn't love hoodoos?! (And as a former musician, I always enjoy the musical puns that I come up with when I think of the place.) The wild and crazy limestone spires that are the dominant feature of Bryce Canyon's glorious Amphitheater are unforgettable (Nat King Cole) but they're certainly not the only thing worth photographing - more on that in a later post. Still, every time I see these rock spires I think of Cole Porter: when hoodoo that voodoo that you do so well...

OK, enough of the wicked wordplay. How about a couple of images instead - here are some hoodoos for your delectation and delight. Also, I've updated the Bryce Canyon gallery on the website to include some more of my favorites.

This isn't the usual view of Bryce Canyon's Amphitheater; I tried to get a slightly different perspective showing some
of the canyon's rim and depth.

Late afternoon lights up some of the hoodoos, setting them on fire. I like the contrast with the rocks still
in shadow, and the cool refreshing green of the tree.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

Zion rocks!

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:53:19 PDT

When I think of Zion National Park, like many people I think of those towering, majestic cliffs, the magical canyon walls that leave such lasting memories. But I have to confess that I find the main Zion canyon very difficult to photograph and to date I've never been too enthralled with my results. That won't stop me from returning and trying again; still, during my recent visit I spent far more time in Upper Zion instead. I love that part of the park almost more than the canyon, and it's another place that offers endless possibilities for us red rock lovers.

I've updated the Zion gallery on the website to include my favorites from the recent trip.

Here are some abstracts of the wonderful rocks from Upper Zion. The slickrock layering is mind-blowing, and the stubborn bushes, shrubs and trees that somehow manage to grow on it are always inspiring. In these images, however, I concentrated on the colors and textures of the rocks themselves.

It was sheer chance that I stumbled on this - it reminds me of a clamshell or something.
The delicate colors and texture are so beautiful.

An example of the wild & crazy slickrock layering in Upper Zion.

I was fascinated by the colors in this rugged, weathered cliff face.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

Taking the long view

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:27:42 PDT

It's Mayday Madness and I'm definitely running around like a mad thing, but here's a new post to celebrate the day. There's been a lot going on with family stuff lately, and that's really been eating into my time and energy; photography is thus taking a backseat apart from immediately-paying gigs. I will keep up the blog posts, though, although they may be a bit sporadic.

Here's one more landscape from Valley of Fire. It's not the most compelling composition I've ever come up with, but there's just something about it that I like. The early morning light, the wispy clouds, and those fantastic rock formations... The rest of the Valley of Fire gallery can be seen on the website.

I'm not a morning person, but who wouldn't get up early to see this?

I hope you enjoy this and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by!

Fiery colors!

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:20:52 PDT

Well, now that tax season is over and done with, it's back to posting on the blog. I know which I prefer...

Last time, I promised landscapes from the spectacular Valley of Fire. That place is so incredibly colorful, I actually found myself desaturating things in post-production because I didn't trust what I was seeing. But yes, Valley of Fire really is that colorful. I'm glad that we get the best light at the beginning and end of the day, because midday in this place - even in March - is pretty brutal when you're just a girl from Ireland!

The brand spanking new gallery with hi-res images from Valley of Fire can be seen on the website and is worth a look.

Here are a few of my favorite images:

This was my first evening in the park - not a bad way to start!

Another sunset: this rock formation just demands attention. Look at those colors!

I found this formation along the park's Scenic Drive. I loved the rock's rugged striations and the delicate, wispy
clouds in the sky.

What can I say? Have you ever seen purple rocks before? And it's right next to yellow, brown, orange and white stripes...

Valley of Fire is definitely one place I hope to revisit, and soon. I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

Red Rock Heaven

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:26:59 PDT

As some of you may already know(!) I have at times professed a love of the magical red rock country of southern Utah and the Four Corners region. It's been a while, and I needed another fix; what I hadn't realized (until some of my esteemed colleagues brought it to my attention) was that there are red - and I mean RED - rocks quite a bit closer to SoCal. Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park is just northeast of Las Vegas, and it is a feast for the eyes. During my visit, it was also (even) hotter than Vegas, which I assume is a year-round phenomenon; if you're going to go, be prepared for extreme heat and dryness. And sunburn. (The Curse of the Irish!)

Anyone who has driven north on Interstate 15 from California can attest to the bleak, seemingly never-ending expanse of the Mojave Desert. It dries you out. Even in an air-conditioned car, the heat of summer will boil your brains (you feel the heat radiating down on the top of your head). And it has one more way to kill you: it lulls you into a mesmerized trance with its vast sameness. Imagine, then, the visual shock and delight of entering a narrow rock defile and descending into a valley of riotous color laid out before you.

I'll post actual landscapes later, but for now I'm sharing a little sandstone sampler. Enjoy!

This is typical of the red rocks of the Valley of Fire: the Swiss cheese effect is a fascinating product of water erosion
and is prolifically seen throughout the park.

In complete contrast is this delicate, veined rock that immediately caught my eye. The pinks and whites
are very refreshing in the midst of the fiery reds.

Everywhere you look there is an amazing work of art by Mother Nature, that fantastic sculptress.

Another delicate palette, this time with purples, pinks and yellows. This place rocks!

It never ceases to amaze me that in a place so starved of water, one of the dominant forces in shaping the land
is water erosion. Here is another example of the eye-catching results.

I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by! There will be more coming very soon.

I thought I saw a puddy tat

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:26:53 PDT

By now, if you've been reading my blog posts for any length of time, you should have figured out that I do love the critters. Well, most of 'em anyway.

One of the gems of San Diego is the zoo, and even better is the San Diego Zoo Safari Park - formerly the Wild Animal Park. It's one of my favorite places to go locally, and I went there last week for a couple of hours. It could have been a case of lions, tigers and bears, oh my. But it wasn't. It was more like lions, cheetahs and... rabbits. Lots of rabbits. Oh, and meerkats. (Despite the fact that my spellcheck wants to make that beermats, a là Harry Potter, no - it was in fact meerkats.)

The puddy tat! She wouldn't open her eyes wide no matter how long I waited, so I had to settle for the inscrutable stare.

I've said it before: these darn meerkat get everywhere. Every time I go, they somehow end up in my viewfinder!

And here we have a local yokel crashing the party! Not what you'd expect in a Safari Park, but it's so darn cute who could resist?

That's it for now, but there's more on the way. I hope you enjoy these and the rest of my images, and thanks for stopping by!

The power of words (RPU)

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:28:52 PST

It's Friday, and that means it's time for a Random Philosophical Utterance (RPU)! I haven't done one of those in a long time, so we're overdue.

Last week one of my esteemed colleagues, Greg Russell of Alpenglow Images, came out with a very interesting blog post. (He does this quite often; he's a super talented photographer, good writer, and an all-around good guy. Do check out his site!) Anyway, Greg found the "Wordle" utility that allows you to create a word cloud, a graphic made up of words - we've probably all seen one at some point. His was made up of ideas and places that are important to him as a photographer and a human being, and the whole post was inspiring and well worth a read. (You can find it here.)

We should probably thank Greg just for posting a link to the Wordle thingy, but more importantly at the end of his post he threw out the question / challenge: what's important to you? And I chewed on that for a while, and then starting messing around with the Wordle thingy (it's a lot of fun - try it - and yes, "Wordle thingy" is a highly technical term) and came up with my answer to the challenge:

What is important to you? What lights up your life?

Quite apart from having fun with Wordle, this is an invaluable exercise in reminding us what should be at the core of our lives, not just when we can find time for it, not just when our bosses allow it, but every day. We've all heard the old saying: life is not a rehearsal, this is the only one you get. So get out there and live it. Think about what matters to you, and shape your life to fit your passion.

Clearly, Greg's post struck a chord with me - how about you?

Teton views (and a question)

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:40:15 PST

I posted the newly consolidated gallery of wildlife from Yellowstone and the Tetons - the beasties - a couple of weeks ago. Now it's the turn of the landscapes / views, and as it turns out all the shots I kept in the gallery are from the Tetons. They can be seen here:

Teton Views

Here are two versions of the same vista, shot on different days and in different conditions. My question is, which do you like better and why? I'm useless: I like them both and can't decide. I suppose there's no harm in keeping both in the gallery, but if folks do have a preference I'd be glad to hear about it.

The Last Homely House: at the very end of Mormon Row is a smaller homestead that gives a tangible sense of isolation in the midst of the wilderness. 1 of 2.

The Last Homely House: at the very end of Mormon Row is a smaller homestead that gives a tangible sense of isolation in the midst of the wilderness.
Here, the storm is moving in and clouds blanket the mountains uprange. 2 of 2.

I recommend viewing the hi-res images (by clicking the gallery link, above). I hope you enjoy these and the rest of the Tetons images, and thanks for stopping by!

Dreaming of Fall

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:44:52 PST

No, I haven't had dreams about falling. Well, ok, I have - probably most of us have at one stage or another. But autumn (as we say in the old country) has always been my favourite time of year, and as the weather just turned noticeably colder here I started thinking about the leaves turning, the nights getting colder, the beautiful colours... (And all those letter "u"s that are omitted here in the US. Poor inoffensive little things! Heh.)

Well, I poked about in my archives and whaddya know, I found some nice fall colors. (Logically, if I'm going to call it Fall, then it's colors. If I call it autumn, then it has to be colours. Get it?) But no matter what you call it, it's still my fave time of the year, and I miss it.

This aspen caught my eye - and undoubtedly everyone else's in the Tetons, too. It stood alone against a background of evergreens, like a magnificent autumn flame.

Can you believe this red? It looks almost Christmas-like, yet was taken at the beginning of October in the Tetons.

Next week I should have more images from Yellowstone and the Tetons: the critters came first, and now it's the landscapes and other views.

iCame, iSaw, iPhotographed

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:24:35 PST

I alluded in last week's post to a new toy... well, it's not a toy, it's an incredibly versatile, useful tool. Shut up, yes it is. It just happens to be sort of fun to use, too. I can not only take photographs with it, I can process them, too (up to a point) and upload them to a variety of destinations on the web. I can check AND respond to email from any number of accounts, update the blog, stay in touch with the pulse of the photographic community via lord knows how many social media outlets; I can track and ship packages, or order a replacement screen protector for my Nikon. I can respond to job offers, handle projects, look up maps in detail, get directions, get sunrise and sunset times for anywhere, plan a trip - and book it - all without leaving my seat at Starbucks. (Oooh, so very yuppie-latte-hipster of me.) So here it is, the new - er, object.

Oh, and um, you can make phone calls with it, too.

My Preciousssss!

OK, OK, I haven't yet become a card-carrying member of the Apple Nation. But it is pretty darn slick. And the amazing thing is, the camera actually takes pretty decent images - here are a couple I took at the beach (processed in-camera with Snapseed, also très cool).

Very 60's, yes? I may have overdone it a bit with the retro thing, but fun.

I do love black & white, and this beach vista was perfect for it. Again, I was enjoying the filter options in Snapseed.

I must look into Instagram, but I haven't had time yet. It's on the list. So fun, yes, but vast opportunities for productivity where there were relatively few before.

Ma Nature does Edvard Munch (I'm shell-shocked)

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:27:35 PST

So I went to the beach last week. Now, for those people who don't know me that well, this is not a normal, Moira sort of thing to do. I grew up by the sea, I live by the sea, but... I don't spend much time on the beach. I actually enjoy it quite a lot - when it's not hot, and when there aren't many people around. But the crowds are a big turn-off, and the old "curse-of-the-Irish-skin" thang is a definite drawback where sun, sand and surf are concerned.

Anyway, I had a couple of hours to kill in between appointments, and I'd managed to arrange things so that my free time fell in late afternoon. I'm canny that way. Hey, it's all about the light, yeah? Off I went to Coronado, and wandered on the beach with camera. (Also with new toy, but we'll talk about that next time.)

A seagull had just finished feasting on this poor beastie moments before.

I liked the starkness of the empty, abandoned shell, and the way the water sculpted the sand around it.

The most amazing moment of the afternoon, though, came with a much more serious message. I found an area where, apparently, some sort of pollution - oil? - had leached down from the nearby parking lot onto the beach. From there, of course, it got washed out to sea; is there no end to our carelessness and negligence?

And yet, Mother Nature sent the waves to gently wash the beach, and she made a mighty fine oil painting out of it. A little avant-garde, perhaps; a trifle post modern or whatever you want to call it. It's edgy, it's uncomfortable; and at the same time it's absolutely fascinating and strangely, hauntingly beautiful.

In the midst of our worst ugliness, Mother Nature somehow manages to instill a little beauty.

Years ago I heard a Spanish phrase which (I believe) means literally "swept from the sea." The full size versions of these and other images are to be found in a new gallery called Barrida del Mar. The gallery link is here:

http://www.pomeroy-photography.com/San-Diego/Barrida-del-Mar/21295638_svmntg#!i=1695707737&k=jT5FR5d

Tetons and Yellowstone - Wildlife

mfpomeroy@gmail.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:37:47 PST

Glory hallelujah, I finally finished consolidating my images from Yellowstone and the Tetons into one gallery. What a marathon! (The landscape gallery isn't done yet, although it's close.) All manner of things conspired to get in the way, like computer viruses and rebuilds, illness (mine and others'), unexpected trips, and - thankfully - the need to earn a few pennies.

Here's the link to the new gallery:

http://www.pomeroy-photography.com/American-West/TetonsWild/19743300_J9wsXM#!i=1680246004&k=hNrnQnp

And here's a sneak preview of one of the characters you'll find in there:

A bison grazing in the Firehole River basin, Yellowstone.

I do love the buffs. (Yes, I know - they're bison, not buffalo. But somehow when I have an "Aww!" moment I always say buffs. Love dem buffs.)

Somehow I've still got to whittle it down to about half the images currently in there. But I've been staring at them so long my brain is dead and turned to mush - so feedback would most definitely be welcome.

Please check out the gallery and comment till the cows come home!