Yes, it was magnificent!  David and Chris Wilkins led us on a field trip to capture the full moon setting behind the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mt. Whitney (14,500 ft.).  February's full moon is traditionally called the Full Snow Moon because usually the heaviest snows fall in February.  Even though we are in the midst of yet another drought, Mother Nature provided a light dusting of snow on the High Sierra peaks the night before we arrived.

Our group of 14 met on Sunday afternoon on Movie Road, in the Alabama Hills, so that David and Chris could lead us to a prime location for capturing the moonset over Mt. Whitney.  David used The Photographer’s Ephemeris (free download for desktop computers and inexpensive app for smart phones/tablets) to calculate the “prime” location and time the sun would hit the mountain peak, and the location of the moon as it would drop behind Mt. Whitney.

Once at our location, David talked about lenses, camera settings, and suggested various locations to capture the “big event” the next morning.  One needs to do a bit of preplanning to capture this type of event.   In addition to paying attention to sunrise, one needs to know that the sun takes a while to pop over the Inyo Mountains before lighting the Sierra.  Also, the moonset time is effectively earlier than listed since it is calculated for a normal horizon that is not obstructed by mountains.

Led by Sue Craft & David Wilkins

I started this write up on the last night of our field trip because, well, frankly, I was feeling inspired! This was officially my second “far from home” field trip with 10 other like minded LPA members. People motivated to drive hundreds of miles up Hwy 395 to Bishop and beyond to capture the gorgeous fall foliage of aspen and cottonwood trees, as well the mysterious techniques of “Star Trail” shots at Mono Lake.  The trip was everything I hoped it would be, and then some! Investigating “new territory” was thrilling, and of course learning from our resident expert David Wilkins on how to execute a great star trail shot is something every inspired photographer needs to get under their belt!

Ten LPA photographers attended the Dedication Ceremony for Piute Ponds. It was a celebration of the completion of a new water control system, consisting of weirs and culverts to regulate the flow of water throughout the ponds. After the ceremony, a walking and auto tour were offered. The event was also attended by members of Ducks Unlimited, Friends of Piute Ponds, personnel from EAFB, and the Fish and Game Dept.

Piute Ponds is truly an “Oasis in the Desert” and we are so fortunate to have it right in our “backyard” and open to all photographers. It is a government protected wildlife habitat. Get out there with your camera and enjoy sunrise, sunset, and all the birds!   You will want to bring your longest lens.

Numerous birds can be spotted here, especially during spring and fall migration, but also coyotes, raccoons, muskrats, and even African Clawed Frogs reside there. Roger Day photographed a King Snake on event day. Even if you’re not a bird/nature photographer, it’s truly special mini oasis out in the middle of the hot dry desert, and worthy of a visit.

Permission is needed to visit the ponds. Email wanda.edeal@edwards.af.mil to apply for a one year pass to visit Piute Ponds www.piuteponds.com.

Six brave birders met at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve saltmarsh & breeding area to view shorebirds of many types.  Sue Craft, Sue Liberto, Ron & Linda Yagi and Bruce & Diane Cable were in attendance for the group picture at 11:15 A.M.   If anyone else was there, we’re sorry we missed you.

Excited terns screeched all-day long & flashed by like racing white blurs. We went to the footbridge area, which was saved from development (beginning) in 1976, and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is now a blessing to birders with cameras, binoculars and the naked eye.

Effort and persistence were the rules of the day, mixed in with a little "luck." The birds were reticent and you had to be quick to get some prize shots.  Fast shutter speeds of 1/1000 second  were used, and 400 ISO when the day finally turned bright and sunny.

Bosque del Apache Nation Wildlife Refuge is about 75 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It lies on the Rio Grande River and is the winter home to thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese.  It’s one of the top spots in the nation for nature photographers.

The time was chosen in hopes of catching the Sandhill Cranes doing their mating dance, before heading north to Canada.  Birds begin arriving in November and peak numbers occur at the end of November and beginning of December.

Douglas Wade organized a field trip to Randsburg.  Thank you!  Approximately 15 members attended and most of them met beforehand with the monthly Sunday LPA Breakfast group at 7:30am at Carrows.  We had a mix of the usual breakfast group, plus the field trip group.

The Sunday morning trip takers met up at 10am in downtown Randsburg, a “living ghost town” only an hour away from Lancaster.  The town is over 100 years old, and started out as a gold mining town.  When the gold ran out, miners concentrated on silver and then tungsten.  The hills are full of mining equipment, and old tailings.  The town itself is full of old relics, which make great photo subjects.  Some of the old homes have been restored a bit, and are residences.    Outhouses are still numerous!  There is one main street through town, and you can see from end to end.  Buildings include the old church, the opera house, the barbershop, the general store, saloon, and more!  It’s definitely a place where you can step back in time.  It’s a quiet place, where old timers who live there can often be seen sitting around, ready to tell a story.

Whether you go there as a photographer with a load of gear and shoot with a tripod or go there with only I-Phone camera, you are sure to get great photos!

Group photo by Paul Craft. Check out the other member photos in the gallery.

La Purisima Mission State Historic Park on November 3rd and November 10th at Moorpark for a Civil War Reenactment.

This past month we had two field trips to La Purisima Mission and the Civil War reenactment in Moorpark.

The first field trip was to La Purisima Mission State Historic Park on November 3rd for Village Days. Tule Village comes to life with the blending of traditional Chumash (Indian) and Colonial Spanish life ways. Demonstrators from the volunteers and kids help us learn a variety of skills such as grinding acorns, basket weaving, building a tule house, making soapstone beads or tule dolls, and playing Chumash games. When we arrived around 11:00 there was many mission volunteers and kids that put on costumes and showed how it may have been. Also, I love the Spanish architecture and early mission life.

Our field trip chairman, Douglas Wade, arranged for another monthly photo opportunity with fellow photographers.  We met beforehand for breakfast at Roxy’s Café in Palmdale, and carpools were formed.  Eight of us ventured to the Los Angeles Arboretum, in Arcadia.  The Arboretum is a fantastic place to practice photographing flowers and birds.

The place was empty!  Maybe people don’t like to venture out on a cool damp morning filled with drizzle?  The lighting was very soft and no harsh shadows, which was nice for photographing.  Upon walking into the park we were all mesmerized by the flutter of the Hummingbirds feasting upon purple Salvia.

Peacocks were prevalent, and quite tame!  Hmmm… bird shot?  Abstract shot?  Human Interest shot?  The noisemaker was the Guineahen…  what a scary face!