Photography by Naomi Drew
Usually yuccas grow on hillsides here in SoCal. This was one I believe was deliberately planted on the hilltop of the botanical garden. They are amazing plants – beautiful and tall, but they die away each year, putting out new leaves and a new stalk. This time of year you can see them straight and bright on the green hills, all of which have low-lying vegetation. Rather like a candle . . .
A climb to the top of the local botanical garden, under the trees, through the orchard, and to the cactus garden. The tall white blob – not too sharp in this image – is a yucca in full bloom.
Yucca plants bloom in the spring, and then die back. The stalks remain behind and new growth sprouts nearby. The leaves at the base of the stalk are sharp and spiky. They are a protected plant in California. Every year, I love seeing the hillsides dotted with their tall flower stalks – often they are 7 – 10 feet tall. In a land of low scrub, it is a pleasant break to the eye.
Another view from Wildwood, at sunset. Taken with Nikon FM2N, Agfa 200 Precisa film, Elicar 55mm f2.8 Macro 1:1 lens. Post in LR and On1.
I’m trying to reclaim my life in some ways – the hours I’ve worked have been awful, and since changed for a bit more humane schedule. So, to reclaim my life, it means I cannot let the whiney, lazy me take over and say, wah, not enough time! This morning, up at 6, coffee, pulled on my stinky clothes from yesterday, and went out, film cameras and phone in hand. What a delightful thing to do! No one around . . . the birds were singing their mating songs (especially lovely were the mockingbirds) and flitting about. Everywhere, the pungent scent of the chaparral’s resinous plants. The sun was still low in the sky. As I walked, I looked, and saw . . . a wild rose in bloom . . . quails running for cover . . . mourning doves within a few feet of me. A slice of heaven!
Today I finally sat down to scan some film I had processed awhile ago. This is Kodak UltraMax 400, a color film converted to b&w. I took this image last year sometime, long before the rains came. The moon was half full.
Using an 85mm lens is not the normal landscape lens, and it is damned hard to do. For a good composition, I had to be about 30 feet from what I wanted as a point of interest in the foreground.
The Glass Aerie 