Gerry Blasingame Photography

It was a beautiful day to go to an artist exhibit at Whiskeytown National Park. The sky was blue. The temperature was warm but not too hot, yet. There wasn’t a huge crowd at Brandy Creek Beach at 11AM. The National Park Service has a program where they invite an artist to do a residency at the park, usually for a two to four weeks. The artist does demonstrations of artists in action. This was the first time I’ve been aware of this at Whiskeytown. (My wife and I saw an artist at Oxbow Bend in the Grand Teton National Park a few years ago.) Being a nature and wildlife photography kind of guy, I’m trying to enhance my skills by learning other ways of seeing; how can I look at a subject differently to compose a better image. So the artist exhibit was enticing to me. The artist in residence that I met is Dan Crowe. He studied art at Oberlin College in Ohio and has been at Whiskeytown for two weeks. It was very cool to talk with him, see him compose his image, then translate that into color on his canvas. Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to visit the website http://www.gerryblasingamephotography.com.

I had an awesome opportunity recently to visit the Lamar Valley in northern Yellowstone National Park. I was doing some other work in Montana, and my friend Ken provided me with a new experience of Yellowstone. I am always so focused on taking pictures, I’ve not always thought of other ways of “seeing” wildlife. Ken showed me a new way to see and photograph with his high powered spotting scope. I thought my 500mm lens was cool, but his scope really pulled those moderate distance animals up close. I’m putting a spotting scope on my wish list for sure! While visiting Yellowstone this trip we saw moose, black bear, antelope, elk, bison, a grouse strutting its stuff, and one lone wolf trotting across a distant plateau. That was in just two days! It was awesome to be back at Yellowstone, and even without the nature photography opportunity it would still be inspiring. And it was great to see things differently!

Thanks for stopping by http://www.gerryblasingamephotography.com. I have a gallery of Yellowstone wildlife posted for your viewing pleasure.

I think I must be addicted to Yosemite! Almost every time I am in the California Central Valley I hear the call of the wild and it beckons me to visit this awesome place again and again. This time it was in late January with only a bit of snow on the ground. It happened to be a beautiful sunny day, and being done with my knee rehab, I just had to get back to the trail. While shooting Half Dome with a clear blue sky with only a few drifting clouds behind it, I happened to see an animal out on the snow in the meadow. I first thought it was a dog, but soon realized that dogs don’t have bobbed tails and pointy ears, at least not this kind. I was quick to put on my long lens and start hoofing it across the boardwalk. This bobcat was eyeing a couple of squirrels and was almost oblivious to my presence. It allowed me a number of shots before meandering off into the forest.

Be sure to check back to http://www.gerryblasingamephotography.com in the near future to see more of this cool cat! Thanks for stopping by.

At long last I am catching up. On the website you will find a bunch of new galleries, including a Rainbow on the Sundial Bridge in Redding CA, Yosemite After Dark, Giant Sequoia National Park, Alaska Wildlife in Capture, and some Fantastic Fall Colors. These have been a while in the preparing but I think you’ll find them worth a look. The Alaska Wildlife in Capture gallery has some great shots I got while visiting the Alaska Zoo and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Both locations have kindly given permission to post images from their facilities.

Another gallery that was awesome to shoot is the Rainbow on the Sundial Bridge. This bridge is normally covered with people as it is such an attraction; people come from all around the country to see it. But last week we had some foul weather and dramatic weather means dramatic lighting! Right after a hail storm, the sky cleared and this full arch rainbow appeared! Its not like the Sundial Bridge isn’t the subject of a zillion pictures, but I doubt there have been any with a rainbow balanced on the top of the sundial itself….and then there is that reflection of the rainbow on the bridge. It was nearly breath taking!

Doing the rehab thing for my messed up knee is keeping me from getting out into the wild, and is just not fun! Since I can’t get out on the trail for a few more months, I’ve been reading an article about the benefits of getting outdoors in an old issue (May, 2012) of Backpacker magazine, which suggests that I am not only not having fun, but I am not as smart as I could be if I were! Do a Google search for David Strayer and Paul Atchley who have been promoting studies in environmental neuroscience….you know… how the environment affects the brain and our human behavior. They suggest that it is really healthy for us to get out into the wilderness where our cell phones, text messages, and constant email checking won’t be available. Disconnecting from our techno-tools and reconnecting with nature is good for our creative thinking skills. Interesting to have researchers saying these kinds of things a few decades late….John Muir was telling us the benefits of going to the mountains like it were going home…way long ago. We all know about the studies’ telling us about the 15 minutes of exposure to nature is good for our mental health and making us feel energized. Maybe we’d all be better off using my web site- http://www.gerryblasingamephotography.com – as a screensaver and run the slideshow of images during our work breaks!

This image of the pelican in flight was taken near San Diego on a recent business trip. I was target practicing from the parking lot since hiking down to the beach wasn’t an option.

Happy halloween everyone. Here is a cute shot taken at Julia’s Fruit Stand (see previous posts). These seemed appropriately dressed for the day.  The image below was taken at the same location. I have no idea what kind of gourd or pumpkin these are; I’ve never seen ones that were such a natural rainbow of colors. I enhanced the saturation on my computer, but no other “shop” effects. Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping by www.gerryblasingamephotography.com.  I just love the colors of fall!

My recent leg injury has made me much more sensitive to a few things. One is that I appreciate how difficult it must be for many people who have permanent mobility challenges. I have the good fortune of healing without any surgery. I am limited temporarily; my braces will come off very soon. So if nothing else I have more empathy for the many folks with mobility challenges and how nature is sometimes more difficult to navigate with those challenges.

This of course is on the heels of my fall on the Grand View trail in the Grand Canyon National Park. My senses being more sensitive these days, I’ve become aware of a few other folks who have had falls in the back country. Reading a recent article in the Backpacker magazine made me aware of some safety issues I have just ignored in the past. And my brother was stalked by three mountain lions while he was deer hunting in Eastern Oregon. If he hadn’t had a gun with him, he might have been the cougar’s lunch and dinner. How crazy is that! The great outdoors is an awesome place to be, so being more alert to the simple things might prevent some bigger problems later. So the words of encouragement to everyone are plan ahead, know your territory, and be alert to your surroundings.

But it is also true that many accidents are just that. Some injuries occur from very simple things, like my slipping on some small rocks on a trail or losing your footing will scampering across a patch of loose rocks. Hmm, I think I’m going to find a survival guide that will fit in my camera backpack….just in case.

Be sure to check out the website www.gerryblasingamephotography.com and look me up on Facebook too! Thanks for stopping by.