Photo's By Tracy

April 3, 2011 Laughlin River Stampede

2011-04-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I got to spend some time at the Laughlin River Stampede. This is the 17th Annual running of the Stampede. The events go on for four days. The photos that you see here are from the last day of the event. There are seven different events that were done. Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Tie Down Roping, Saddle Bronco Riding, Team Roping, Barrell Racing, and Bull Riding. There was Pumpkintown the Clown that entertained us between events and at the intermission we got a preview of next weekends Pro Tour FMX. Those guys were amazing as well. They will be here this Saturday, so stay tuned for some photos from that.

February 16, 2011 - Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

2011-02-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

On my way home from Death Valley I stopped at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Wow is this place amazing. Red Rock Canyon consists of a 13-mile Scenic Drive and all of these pictures, except the first two, were taken from turn-outs on the drive. As you can see the weather was really getting bad at this point in the day. The winds were fast and furious and by the end of my trip it was raining pretty good. The clouds were so thick that when the sun did break through it was spectacular.

There are 16 turn-outs that offer spectacular views and there are 19 hiking trails. The hiking trails very in distance from just over a half a mile to six miles, with levels of difficulty from easy to strenuous. On the hikes you could see wild horses and wild burros. Red Rock Canyon is part of the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System. You may also see Petroglyphs and Pictographs on some of the trails.

Red Rock Canyon also offers Rock Climbing, by permit, Camping, Hiking, a Picnic Area and of course a wonderful view. Another great thing to note, is that it is less then 30 minutes from Las Vegas. So, if you only have time to drive the 13-mile scenic loop, then it is still worth the trip.

The first two photos, were taken just down the road from Red Rock in an area called Blue Diamond. Did you notice the Burro?

I look forward to many more trips to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and getting out on the hiking trails.

February 15, 2011 Day 4 Sunset - Dante's View

2011-02-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

Day 4 brought us to Dante's View for Sunset. The elevation at Dante's View is 5,475 feet, and it is a 13 mile drive up from the main road. From here you can look a mile down to the valley floor and a mile up to the next mountain range west.

You can see Badwater below and Telescope Peak in behind Badwater. Telescope Peak is 21 miles away in a straight line, and the valley floor is five miles across. Death Valley is more than one hundred miles long. Five hundred-fifty square miles of it are below sea level and it is still sinking.

Down on the valley floor it is usually 25 degrees warmer then at Dante's View. It was defiantly much cooler when we were up there and the wind was blowing like crazy. We all had to hang onto the tripods to make sure they didn't get blown over. It was take your breath away windy. So if you do visit Dante's View then make sure you have some warmer weather clothes with you. It is a beautiful view and there is a 360 degree view of Death Valley.

These are the last of the photo's from my Death Valley Photography Workshop. On my way home I did stop at Red Rock Canyon. I will be posting photos from there tomorrow.

February 15 & 16, 2011 Day 4 & Day 5 Sunrise - Sand Dunes

2011-02-23T23:14:00.000-08:00

Day 4 was the final day of the workshop, but I was fortunate enough to spend one more Sunrise in Death Valley. Day 4 took us to the Sand Dunes for sunrise and we loved it so much we, I was accompanied with two others, decided to return again the next day.

The Sand Dunes are amazing and on Day 5 we got to hike out to the Dunes in the dark. That was a great experience. We followed almost the same path as we did the day before, but in the dark everything seemed even more interesting and intense.

The first two pictures are from Day 4 and the remaining four are from the final morning. On Day 5, Death Valley, was struck with a storm. The cloud cover was beautiful and just made the experience that much better. The sand storm had already began by the time we left the Dunes at 8am. By 9am you could barely see the Dunes. The rainbow was proof that the rain was coming our way.

I missed the rain in Death Valley, but did get caught up in the start of the storm.

The Sand Dunes are definitely a must see, but you cannot just drive by and look. You have to hike out to the Dunes and watch the sunrise and listen to the wind and the sand. When you are standing on the Dunes, look around and see how really small you are. In one of the photos you can see a gentleman on top of one of the Dunes. I look forward to my return to Death Valley to experience the Sunrise over the Dunes.

February 14 & 15, 2011 Death Valley Day 3 Con't - Devil's Golf Course & Day 4 - Mosaic Canyon

2011-02-22T20:53:00.000-08:00

Sunset on Day 3 brought us to Devil's Golf Course. The top two photos are from there. The rugged ground is formed by salt - 95% pure table salt - crystallizing and expanding. The tiny crystals are very sharp. About 2,000 years ago a saline, thirty-foot-deep lake temporarily covered this part of the Playa. As the lake dried, the dissolved salt precipitated into a layer about four feet thick.

Day 4, the final day of the workshop, took us out to the Sand Dunes for sunrise then on to Mosaic Canyon. The remainder of the photos are from Mosaic Canyon. Tomorrows post will have pictures of the Sand Dunes.

The road to Mosaic Canyon and is just after Stovepipe Wells. It is a three-mile-long road that winds through the twisting canyon. Some places get very narrow and the first 0.7 miles is the most scenic. We only hiked in about the first 0.7 miles. The Canyon consists of polished marble rock and a mosaic of recemented stream gravel.
The Canyon was beautiful and as you walked in, you could almost envision water gushing through the Canyon.

February 14, 2011 Death Valley Day 3 Con't - Hike to Golden Canyon

2011-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today's

post is a continuation of Day 3 of the workshop.

After the beautiful sunrise at Zabriskie Point we hiked over to Golden Canyon. It was amazing to walk through the badlands and see how different the view was as we walked. It really makes you feel small and gives you a great appreciation of this beautiful land. Today's photos are from the hike.

Two photos show people in the photos. These two photos give you an idea of just how massive it really is.

Line 1 - Left photo shows two individuals on one of the dunes and the right photo shows the back side of Manly Beacon.

Line 2 - Left shows the hike up to the base of Manly Beacon and the right photo I took because it looks like a wolf howling. At least to me anyway.

Line 3 - Is a view of the side of Manly Beacon

Line 4 - Left is a photo of Manly Beacon from the start of the hike from Zabriskie Point and the photo on the right is a view of part of the trial.

February 14, 2011 Death Valley Day 3 - Zabriskie Point

2011-02-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

Day 3 brought us back to Zabriskie Point at Sunrise. It's always amazing how differently things and places look in different light. Sunrise vs. Sunset.
Zabriskie Point is just as beautiful in the morning as it is in the evening.
Zabriskie Point was named after Christian Zabriskie, for his years as general manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company. The high peak in the bottom right-hand photo is called Manly Beacon and was named after William Manly, who was one of the pioneers that wondered into Death Valley in 1849.
Manly Beacon, from Zabriskie Point, looks like a shark tooth, but when you hike to the other side it has a much different look and feel. About an hour after we finished photographing the sunrise, five of us hiked over to Golden Canyon. As we started the hike the view of Manly Beacon kept changing and turned into a completely different looking structure. Part of the trail can be seen in the bottom left-hand photograph.

February 13, 2011 Death Valley Day 2 - Badwater

2011-02-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of the workshop took us to Badwater for Sunrise. The view is amazing and it is so wonderful to see the shift in colors as the sun rises up over the horizon. The seven of us stood out in the shallow water and photographed the sunrise with cold wet feet, but it was worth the chilly toes.
The name Badwater came from an early surveyor that determined that the area was 280 feet below sea level. He had noticed that his mule wouldn't drink the water so he noted "badwater" on his map. Hence the name Badwater. The water contains mostly sodium chloride which makes the water non-drinkable. Badwater is now 286 feet below sea level and is one of the world's hottest places. There is a record of 134 degrees in 1913; reported at Furnace Creek Ranch.
The snow covered mountain in two of the photos is Telescope Peak. Telescope Peak is the highest point within Death Valley and is the highest point in the Panamint Range. At an elevation of 11,330 feet above Badwater. You can hike to the top of Telescope Peak. There is a 14 mile, round trip, hike that starts at the Mahogany Flat Campground. If you hike to the top of Telescope Peak you will see why it got its name. You can see for over 100 miles in most directions.

February 12, 2011 Death Valley Day 1 - Zabriskie Point

2011-02-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

I just had the opportunity of spending five days in Death Valley. It was an amazing experience and I look forward to returning. I went there as part of a Photo Workshop and got to photograph with six amazing individuals. Over the next week I am going to be posting pictures from the trip.
Today's post is from Day One. We meet up at Zabriskie Point and photographed the Sunset. The photos that are posted here were taken within a two hour period as the sun was setting. You can see the change in the colors as the sun sets. We did return to this location on Day 3 for Sunrise. The sunrise pictures will be posted in a few days.
Zabriskie Point is composed of sediments from Furnace Creek Lake that dried up over Five Million years ago, before Death Valley came into existence. The lighter colors, the yellows, tans, and browns, are mostly from iron minerals exposed to the air, the darker colors, the gray green to dark gray, are volcanic ash and lava flows.
There is a hiking path that connects Zabriskie Point to Golden Canyon. The trail is over 2 miles long and we hiked over to Golden Canyon on Day 3 after the Sunrise. It was amazing to be able to walk into the Valley and to walk among the amazing sentiments. Look for those pictures in the days ahead.

January 20, 2011

2011-01-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

Well we have been in Maine for just over a month and we are heading back to Nevada very soon. Got to spend a day up on the Golden Road. We drove from Millinocket over to Greenville. It was so cold. I think the high was 15 degrees. Brrrr
It was a great day though. Got lots of photos of the Mountain and we saw 9 Moose. I have never seen that many Moose in one day. It was amazing. Attached to this post is two pictures of the Mountain, one picture of Rip Dam, and one picture of the first Moose we saw that afternoon. Moose really are huge beautiful animals. It was so much fun to watch them and see their behaviors. This one here was eating something on the ground and we watched her for about 20 minutes or so until a truck came along and scared her off to the woods.
What a beautiful winter it has been here in Maine. We have received somewhere between 3-4 feet since we got here. Have been enjoying the snow.

December 3, 2010 Lake Havasu City Boat Parade

2010-12-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

Today I traveled to Lake Havasu City to see their 28th Annual Boat Parade of Lights. This years theme was toys and there were 35 boats ranging from all sizes. The whole waterfront was a winter wonderland.
The evening started with a beautiful sunset, and then the lights started coming on. The bridge has four trees and lights on the lamp posts. Just under the bridge was Santa. Him and Mrs. Clause were there for pictures and to spread some Christmas Cheer.
The Shopping Center with all the lights was set to music. It truly was amazing.
I read that there are over One Million lights and I completely believe it.
I got to see a few of the boats come back under the bridge. I had no idea that they would be coming back through. I was on the second floor of the shopping center when I saw them. That is were the other picture was taken. (The one with the bridge.)
I hope you enjoy the photos. I know I enjoyed taking them.

3rd Annual Laughlin River of Lights Holiday Boat Parade

2010-11-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

The third annual Laughlin River of Lights Holiday Boat Parade was held Saturday night, November 27th. The parade started at the Bullhead Community Park in Bullhead, Arizona and went down to Davis Camp. This year, a small display of, fireworks were added to the beginning and end of the parade. There was holiday music along the Riverwalk and volunteers collecting toys and food and handing out ballets for the people's choice award.
This being my first time, I thought it would be a good advantage point down by the end of the race. I was wrong. Since most of the festivities were down at the other end, the boats seemed to travel a bit faster down at my end, plus I couldn't hear the music, which would have been a great benefit to the festivities. I did, however, get an opportunity to talk to some really great people. So, the photos may not be the best, but it was still a good time.

30 Day Challenge - Day 30

2010-11-21T21:27:00.001-08:00

Well today is Day 30 and the last day of the Challenge. I wasn't sure if I was going to get the photo that I had envisioned for the last couple of weeks. But after 147 miles, soaking wet rain and clothing, cold temperatures, and glummy clouds, it cleared just at the right moment.
Due to my travels taking me to higher elevations the temperature dropped 25 degrees in less then 30 minutes. I really didn't think that the photo was going to happen so I stood in the rain to get a drab landscape shot, so as to have something to post for day 30.
When I hit my destination, the clouds parted and the sun shown bright. This photo was taken 20 minutes before sun down in Valentine, Arizona.
I would like to thank you all for viewing and for your support in this project that I started 30 days ago. I hope you have all enjoyed it.
If you need any Christmas gift ideas, please feel free to contact me. All photos are available for purchase. www.tracyyoungphotography@gmail.com

30 Day Challenge - Day 29

2010-11-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

Today's photo is from Oatman, Arizona. I was going to head off to a different location today, but I was looking at the last 28 days and I realized there really wasn't a photo from Oatman. Oatman is such a great little town. I knew that it had to be included in the Challenge.
The Town of Oatman was founded back around 1906. It was used as a mining tent camp during the gold rush. Over $36 Million dollars in gold was found in Oatman by 1931. 1921 a fire burned down most of the town and then three years later the mining company shut down operations. Route 66 runs right through Oatman and there are many small businesses in town. There are four gunfighter shows done daily in the middle of the street. Route 66 is actually shut town for about 5-10 mins for each show.
The big attraction is the group of wild burros that visit the town everyday. It is said that they are decedents of the original burros brought here durn the mining era.
Today's photo is of one of this years babies in front of the Old Time Photo store.
For more info on Oatman, Arizon you can check out their website: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-oatman.html

30 Day Challenge - Day 28

2010-11-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

For today's post I traveled to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Lake Havasu City is the home of the London Bridge. Which is the subject of Day 28.
The land for Lake Havasu City was purchased in August of 1963 by Robert McCulloch Sr. and was incorporated in 1978. In 1975 the population was 15,500 and presently there are over 55,000 people residing in Lake Havasu City.
The London Bridge was purchased by Robert McCulloch Sr. in 1968 and was opened in 1971. As the bridge was dismantled, each piece was marked so that each of the 10,276 pieces could be reconstructed the same when it arrived in Lake Havasu City. The bridge traveled 7,000 miles by cargo vessel and cost over $5 Million. The London Bridge is the second largest tourist attraction in Arizona, next to the Grand Canyon.
You can learn more about Lake Havasu City and the London Bridge by visiting the following website: http://www.golakehavasu.com
The Bridge and the City is so beautiful day or night and next week they are starting the Festival of Lights. November 26 - January 1, 2011 They are also having their 28th Annual Boat Parade of Lights on December 3 - 4. I plan on attending these events and look forward to sharing it with you.

30 Day Challenge - Day 27

2010-11-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

Today's photo was taken at the local, public, boat landing. The boat landing is located next to the Riverside Casino on Casino Drive.
This photo is a combination of two photos. One of the tree and the other of the sky. The images were overlayed in Photoshop.
There are thousands of different species of Palm Trees, but there are two basic types, Northern and Southern Palms. Once Palm Trees are established they are relatively maintenance free and are not usually bothered by insects or disease.

30 Day Challenge - Day 26

2010-11-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

Today's photo was taken at Moonrise on Boundary Cone Road in Arizona. This road connects Golden Shores, Arizona to Oatman Arizona. The Boundary Cone Road has lots of turns, hills and dips. There are mountains all around you and lots of Cacti. One of the dominant species is the Cholla Cactus.
I was first introduced to the Cholla Cactus on my first visit to Oatman, Arizona. There is a shop there that makes beautiful candles with the Cholla Cactus. You can check them out on their website: http://www.main-st-emporium.com/candles.htm
They are so beautiful and very unique. Since that visit, we notice them everywhere we go, but on Boundary Cone Road, there are a large amount of them. From what I have found, thus far, they bloom in March and April. I look forward to seeing them in bloom and this is the road to view them on.

30 Day Challenge - Day 25

2010-11-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

Today's photo was taken at dusk at the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam boarders Arizona and Nevada and took five years to construct, from 1931-1936, and was dedicated by Franklin Roosevelt on September 30, 1935. The Dam cost over $49 Million to build and is 1,244 feet long and 726 feet height. Over 100 people died durn the construction of the bridge.
The Dams generators provides power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California.
Nearly a million people visit the Dam every year and the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge was opened October 19, 2010.
I drove across the bridge today. For the symbolism of it all. The walls are so tall that you cannot see anything below it, but there is a walking path that you can take to view the area. The intakes in this photo are the Arizona intakes.

30 Day Challenge - Day 24

2010-11-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Today's photo is another night shot, taken in Fort Mohave along the Colorado River. I stuck with the Lensbaby again tonight. I had another location in mind for today's photo, but the day just got away from us. The river is just so beautiful no mater the location or time of the day.
The Colorado River runs thru seven states. They are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Before any of the Dam's were built, the Colorado River flowed along 1,450 miles thru the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. For 12 million years the Colorado carved out the Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon and other places along its path. There are, now, 20 dams that have been built along the Colorado River.

30 Day Challenge - Day 23

2010-11-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

Day 23 is a night photo that was taken here in Laughlin down on the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk runs along, you guessed it, the River. It starts at the Riverside Casino and goes all the way down to the River Palms. It is a beautiful walk and we have walked it many times. There is so much to see. There are birds, ducks, raccoons, skunks, flowers, water craft, and lots of people. My favorite time to be on the Riverwalk is late at night. It is so peaceful and all you can hear is the water and the wind.
This photo was taken along a stretch of the walk that is lined with these lamp posts. It has been a spot that I have wanted to photograph since we visited last February. This wasn't the shot I envisioned when I got there, but I really liked it best. This photo was taken with the Lensbaby lens. I did adjust the saturation of the yellow and green to give it an effect.
A gentleman walked by while I was photographing and he told me that in a few weeks, when they decorate for Christmas, the lamp posts will be different colors. I will make sure to post that.

30 Day Challenge - Day 22

2010-11-13T23:27:00.001-08:00

Today we visited California Adventures. It is located right across from Disneyland and let me tell you; it is a lot of fun. We got to spend about six hours there today. We rode some rides, had some lunch, and viewed the sites. It was a very enjoyable day. Today's photo was taken at the garden on the way into A Bug's Life. Being from Maine, it seems so weird to see beautiful flowers in November. The day was so warm and bright and I think this flower represents that.

30 Day Challenge - Day 21

2010-11-13T23:09:00.001-08:00

Day 21's post was taken at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This was my first time there. It is a bit different then Disney World in Orlando, but Disney still does it right. It really is the Happiest Place on Earth. November 12th was the first day of their Holiday Celebration that runs thru January 2nd. The Christmas Tree was up, lights, wreaths, and lots of Holiday Cheer. I choose this picture, because the Castle is one of the first things I visit and one of the last I see before I leave. It, for me, symbolizes Disney and at night, you just cannot beat it.

30 Day Challenge - Day 20

2010-11-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today's photo was actually taken back on November 4th, Day 13. It was decided on November 4th that the photo of the day would be taken at Big Bend Recreational Area. On the way home from the shoot, I was scouting out a location for today's photo. I ended up taking a few shoots and it was decided that, that was the location that I would return to when I decided to use this location as my photo of the day.
Well today was the day, but the elements were much more beautiful on the 4th, so I am posting that picture for Day 20.
Today's photo is a bit of Laughlin History and it was difficult to find out any info on it, but this is what I found.
This photo is of the "Lost Casino". The Emerald River Casino Hotel was part of the Emerald River Resort project started back in 1989. It was suppose to be a 4,000, or more, room hotel and casino complex surrounded by a golf course and condo village. It was reported that the project was financed with junk bonds and abandoned before completion in 1991. The Golf Course, however, was completed, but closed in June of 2005. This is what remains of the Emerald River Casino Hotel.
This photo was taken on one of the greens of the Emerald River Golf Course. The course has been abandon since 2005, but the land is still so beautiful. We set out there for over an hour waiting for the sun to set. It was so peaceful and easy to envision the course back in its time.

30 Day Challenge - Day 19

2010-11-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today we spent the day at Keeper's of The Wild Nature Park, in Valentine, Arizona, off of Historic Route 66. The Nature Park is home to over 150 exotic animals. Keeper's is a non-profit, non-breeding rescue facility. There are Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Panthers, Leopards, Wolves, many different breeds of Monkeys, Birds and so much more. They offer four guided tours, six days a week that last about 1.5 hours. Keeper's has a wonderful website with the photo's and the stories of the animals. There is also a Learning Center that has some great, fun learning, for kids and for adults. Check out their website: http://www.keepersofthewild.org

30 Day Challenge - Day 18

2010-11-09T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today's photo is a panoramic view taken from a look out just after you enter the Lake Mead National Recreational Area. On the left hand side you can see the bridge that crosses the River right before the Davis Dam.
The Davis Dam was completed in 1953 and cost around $67 million to complete. Its main purpose was to help regulate the Hoover Dam releases. The Davis Dam Power plant generates 1 to 2 billion kilowatt-hours annually.
This photo, consists of three photos stitched together in Photoshop. It was cropped and the levels adjusted a bit to accent the tones.

30 Day Challenge - Day 17

2010-11-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

Today we have another night photo from Laughlin. This photo is taken from across the Colorado River of Casino Drive. The casino on the far right is the Riverside Casino that was the first casino, restaurant, and hotel built in 1966 after Vegas casino owner, Don Laughlin, purchased the land in 1964. At that time the City of Laughlin was called South Pointe. At the time, the Riverside, consisted of 4 motel rooms, available to the public, an all you can eat chicken dinner, 12 slot machines, and two gaming tables. Today the Riverside Resort now has over 1,400 rooms, two swimming pools, at least eight restaurants, 34 lane bowling alley, 6 screen movie theater, Classic Car Museum, over 8,000 feet of Casino floor, night clubs, and so much more.
Since 1964, when Mr. Laughlin purchased the land and started the development of the City of Laughlin, it has become a very popular area for "Snow Birds" and "River Riders". Today there are 12 Casinos and 9 are right along this strip to the left of the Riverside and one casino across the road. The City lights are amazing from any angle of the town.

30 Day Challenge - Day 16

2010-11-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

Day 16th photo is another night photo. There is a beautiful business park across the road from where we live. Decided to go over and check it out at night. It is the South Pointe Professional Park here in Laughlin. There are many types of professional businesses in this park. There are two fountains and lots of palm trees and plants. It is a very peaceful park and very welcoming.
This photo was taken from the second floor looking down on the main court yard.

30 Day Challenge - Day 15

2010-11-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well we are half way through my 30 Day Challenge.
Today's post is from Lake Mead National Recreational Area. The LMNRA covers 177 miles of the Colorado River. The lake you see in the photo is Lake Mohave. The day was wonderful with highs in the 80's, the water temp was fairly cool, but we still went swimming. The ducks in the photo showed up as soon as we set up our site, begging for food. They were so much fun to watch and were very entertaining.
The park has lots to do. There is camping, boating, swimming, hiking, and lots of off road riding. Davis Dam is on the way into the park as well. The road is closed to cross the Dam, but you can still walk out and view it. It is more then worth the walk.
You can see more about this beautiful recreational are at: http://www.desertusa.com/colorado/lm_nra/lake_mohave/du_lkmojave.html

30 Day Challenge - Day 14

2010-11-05T22:51:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Fort Mohave. We spent some time on the beach even got a bit of color. Did not go swimming but we got our feet wet. The water was so warm and it felt good to have my feet in the sand. After we left the beach we drove through town and saw some Quail and lots of other birds. As we were heading home we saw them harvesting the cotton. We stopped and watched them for awhile. The cotton is bailed in huge bales. The bales are approximately 10*10*50. You can see one on the left-hand side of the photo. The machines kicked up a lot of dust. That is what you can see in the back. They bring the bales out to the road and line them up. I assume they have them trucked out to be processed. The unharvested cotton starts with a round bud; that as it opens it reveals around four "cotton balls". There is little to no smell to the unharvested cotton and the texture feels just like cotton you buy at the store. There is, however, a seed in the middle of the each of the "cotton balls". The bushes grow to be about 3 feet high and is brown in color at harvest time.

30 Day Challenge - Day 13

2010-11-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today's photo was taken here, in Laughlin, Nevada, at Big Bend Conservation Area. It is adjacent to the Big Bend State Recreation Area. The State Recreation Area has Camping, Picnicking, Boat Launch, Hiking, and you can use it on a day use pass as well. Here is a website for the Rec Area. http://parks.nv.gov/bb.htm
The Conservation Area is an area in development. It was just opened in the fall of 2009. It has some interesting plant life and there are many birds. We even saw a Heron land on a post in the back part of the area.
I decided to convert the photo to a Black and White in Photoshop. I thought that it better showed the way the park felt to me.

30 Day Challenge - Day 12

2010-11-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today's photo was taken along the walls that boarder where I live. There are a bunch of flowers this same color, orange, peach and white. They grow right along the wall. I removed the color from the photo in Photoshop and did a slight crop.

30 Day Challenge - Day 11

2010-11-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today we took a trip across Christmas Tree Pass. It is a scenic drive just outside of Laughlin, just off Highway 163. It connects to US Highway 93 just outside of Searchlight, Nevada. It is about 15 miles across and it is a bit of a rough ride, but there is some beautiful sites to see. We went later in the day so the sun was setting when I took this picture. I did an HDR, to get the tonal differents, with the setting sun. Total of three shots, one stop difference.

30 Day Challenge - Day 10

2010-11-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Happy November 1st everyone. Can you believe October is already gone? Christmas will be here before you know it.
Today's post is taken right at home. I drive by this hydrant everyday and have been thinking, "I should photograph that". So tonight I got out the tripod and walked down the hill to this spot. I did some processing in Photoshop. Adjusted saturation and a slight crop. Enjoy.

30 Day Challenge - Day 9

2010-11-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Well Happy Halloween Everyone. I hope every one's Halloween was safe yet still fun. We went to see a Kiss Tribute Band called the Kiss Army. I highly recommend them. They were great. http://www.thekissarmytribute.com
Really gave a great show at the Riverside Casino today.
This evening brought out some ghouls and goblins and we went out to see what kind of things were going on. Today's post, obviously, has some Photoshop and the frame and lettering is from a program called PicNic. I felt that there had to be something Halloween related for today. Enjoy and thanks for viewing.

30 Day Challenge - Day 8

2010-10-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Day before Halloween. Today's post was taken close to home. The cold I came down with a couple of days ago has taken a couple of steps back. We went down to the River Walk here in Laughlin. This photo was taken just outside of the Riverside Hotel. There were a bunch of birds hanging out in the palm trees and with the setting sun they just looked so beautiful. They were all singing and it was very relaxing and peaceful. This little guy posed for me for a few seconds. I did a slight crop to the original photo. I hope everyone has a safe Halloween night and be sure to see what Day 9 brings.

30 Day Challenge - Day 7

2010-10-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

Today's posted is from Hualapai Mountain Park in Kingman, Arizona. Hualapai means "Pine Tree Folks", which is derived from the name of the Indian Tribe that once called the mountains their home. The park was first developed in the early
1930's. You can go there to Picnic, Hike, Camp, and there are three group recreational areas that you can reserve for large group gatherings. You can tent, RV, Cabin and they even have Tee Pee's. The park covers 2300 acres with elevations of 4984 to 8417 feet. It is known as the Pine Country and that is one of the reasons we decided to visit there. It was our first trip to the Park, but it will not be our last. We got to see some wildlife and due to the higher elevations we got to see some changing leaves. It was a little slice of home, just a lot warmer. Though we were feeling a bit chilled after we finished our hike around 5pm. It was only 61 degrees with a bit of a breeze. We had lunched and hiked about 3ish miles today. Here is the website: http://www.mcparks.com/hualapai_mt_park.htm
The picture for today is of one of the male deer's that we saw. We saw two, possibly three pairs. The third possible pair was down the road a bit, but it may have been this male with his girlfriend. No adjustments were made, other then a quick saturation adjustment and a small crop. I was able to get very close. This shot was taken at 55mm. I also got some great Portraits with my 18-200mm lens.

30 Day Challenge - Day 6

2010-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today's photo's were taken in Needle's, California. This abandon service station is located on part of Historic Route 66. A simple overlay was applied to this photo. I felt it was important to show a photo of Historic Route 66. There is a very nice park in Needle's, Jack Smith Park. There are four boat launches, two beaches, covered picnic tables with grills, and a playground for the kids. A great place to visit with family and friends.

30 Day Challenge - Day 5

2010-10-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

Today I decided to do a sunset photo over Laughlin, Nevada, where I now live. This photo was taken from just off of Landon Drive up off of Bullhead Parkway in Bullhead City, Arizona. This was the true color of the sunset. I did use HDR to give it a bit of effect. A few of the casino's are in the foreground.

30 Day Challenge - Day 4

2010-10-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today was just one of those days. I didn't get out anywhere special to take a photo for the day. So I decided to just do a bit of tabletop photography. Had just gone shopping so the apples were sitting in the frig. I simply put them in a bowl and used natural light with a ceiling light in the background. I used Picasa and applied the soft focus effect and upped the saturation a bit. I hope everyone will still enjoy this photo. Thanks for viewing.

30 Day Challenge - Day 3

2010-10-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today's post was taken just outside of Oatman, Arizona. This photo was actually the first photo taken today. We went to Oatman to see the Live Gun Show. The show is done twice a day seven days a week and it is free to all to view. The skit is very funny and the actors are great. They do ask, if you can, to donate a dollar per person. All donated money goes to the Shiner's for the Children's Network. They said that so far they have raised over $59,000. It is one of the things to see while you are in Oatman. The Wild Burro's are the other great attraction. Route 66 runs through Oatman to Kingman, Arizona.

30 Day Challenge - Day 2

2010-10-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Grapevine Canyon. It is the largest petroglyph site in Southern Nevada. Located just 2 miles down on Christmas Tree pass off of Highway 163 in Laughlin, Nevada. It was an overcast day, but it really cleared just as the sun was going to set. This picture was taken down further into the Canyon. It is a beautiful place to see. It was amazing to climb up and look down into the Canyon. There was a slight breeze and the view was a full 360 degrees.

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

2010-10-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

For the next 30 days I will be posting a new photo of the day. I will be trying to create a new photograph every day for 30 days. Please check back frequently and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy.
Here is the first photo of the 30 day challenge.

byDesign

2010-08-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the following website to see all the artist that will be on display in Bangor from August 21st - October 2nd.
www.bydesignartgallery.com

2010-02-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Greenville Dog Sled Race

2010-02-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well last weekend myself and eight others braved the cold to photograph the Greenville Dog Sled Race. Due to trail conditions the 100 mile race was canceled, but the 30 Mile went on. This was my first opportunity to photograph an event like this and it was amazing. Thanks to all of the mushers and their dogs for a wonderful event.

2009-11-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

2009-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone - Please Join Me at the Downtown Bangor Art Walk on Friday, November 20th from 5pm - 9pm. There will be lots of local artist and even some live music. Check out the website for more details. www.downtownartscollaborative.org
I will be with the Eastern Maine Camera Club a 6 State Street. Hope to see you there.