Photography by Naomi Drew
We should get rain for several days because of an atmospheric river traveling through the vicinity, unless it decides to go someplace else. In our drought-ridden county, that is a blessing. Little spots like this are harder and harder to find, and are a real pleasure when you do.
Happy New Year 2023!
High summer, early evening. What more perfect time of day to take a stroll along a river’s edge, enjoying the reflections in the water, the lowering sun, and sweet scent of a the piney woods?
Fog lifting and sun breaking through. Low tide, reflections, birds. Peace.
My old, creaky bones don’t give me the pleasure of playing on rocks any more, much less climbing over fences to get to them. I rather envied these kids! There is something so enticing about perching above a clear bit of ocean – here, the Monterey Bay – and peering into the water below. Fish, anemones, kelp, rocks. Tide pools have the same fascination. As this neck of the bay is protected, the waters are clear and pristine. Wildlife, above and below the water, is readily seen.
Lomo Metropois, Nikon FM2n, Series E 100mm.
The Monterey Peninsula is a wonderful place to visit. The ocean, landscape, towns, history all work a kind of magic. I would like to spend more time up here in various areas. We went to Monterey and stayed on the border between it and Pacific Grove. Walking was the mode of transportation for the most part, and we probably put in about 10 miles in 2 days. Here is a view as we walked back from Lover’s Point in PG to Monterey.
I took my trusty, rusty, beat up and brassed Nikon FM2n and a few lenses. One day I had the 50mm f1.4 AIS on the lens; this day I had the Series E 100mm f2.8. I also used Lomography Metropolis film, and I will say I really liked it. It’s sort of grungy looking, but not grunged up (if that makes sense) artificially. It is not a sharp film, either. Rated at 100-400 iso, I set the FM2n to 200 and metered accordingly. This is a crop from a larger, rather boring image.
Looking down from the Santa Monica Pier, surf fishing in action! Yesterday’s seal was on the other side of the pier, so I expect this guy got to keep his fish.
I went out as the evening was coming on. The air was clear, weather warm, and the sun was rapidly disappearing over the western trees. This little creek caught the last light of the sun.
After a year of so much black and white, the richness of the natural world is suddenly so voluptuous!
While we waited for our food to arrive at a restaurant, they kindly brought out bottles of water. The day was in the 90s (F) and we went through about 4 of them before the meal was over. This restaurant was one of the best Middle Eastern ones we have eaten at – food distinctly flavorful and unique and worth the wait for it to arrive.
Way back when I was a young ‘un, I used to sail with friends out in the Santa Barbara Channel. Wet Wednesdays were the thing! Anyway, even though I get horribly seasick, and really am a landlubber, boats – sailboats in particular – always catch my eye. There is nothing like keeling to one side, wind whipping through your hair, sails snapping, speeding along. Sitting quietly on a boat, too, is wonderful – for me, it makes me really, really sick, but when that scopolamine patch kicks in and the seasickness goes away, it’s pure heaven!
Great in black and white, but a knockout in color.
The Glass Aerie 