After paying a second nighttime visit to this vista point in two years, I can safely say that a dull nocturnal moment rarely passes at this viewpoint looking up the Eel River Valley. I had come to the spot precisely two years before to make some nighttime photographs, and on both occasions the comings and […]
North Coast Night Lights
An exploration of astronomy and night sky photography
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Dark Skies of the North Coast
This time of year sees its share of gray skies, a seemingly endless woolen rain blanket drawn across the heavens — the gray that won’t go away. Rain patters the skylight as I type and I dream of summertime … On a warm, clear night, it’s not uncommon for people to drive a few minutes […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
2020 A New Light Review
The year 2020 was something of an off year. I, for one, took fewer photographs; I simply had less creative energy this year. There was the never-ending pandemic, followed by the raging, record-setting wildfires of summer and fall. On top of that, with very little time to prepare, I was asked to teach a new […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
North Coast Night Lights: 2020 A New Light Review
The year 2020 was something of an off year. I, for one, took fewer photographs; I simply had less creative energy this year. There was the never-ending pandemic, followed by the raging, record-setting wild fires of summer and fall. On top of that, with very little time to prepare I was asked to teach a […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Metal Crab on the Waterfront
You may have driven through Eureka and spotted this metal marvel where it lives behind a chain-link fence, dreaming of adventures past and future in the outer world. I have. What is it? Does it move? I wanted to photograph it the moment I saw it. And now that I have, I want to again. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
‘Tis the Harvest Season
The girls are all grown up, beautiful young blossoms in their prime. They’ve overcome tremendous obstacles in their young lives and now they are ready to spread their wings and change the world. Where did the time go? Harvest season has arrived in the Emerald Triangle. From seedlings, you nursed and protected them. You watched […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Strange Looks at the Beach
A trip to the beach in search of night light yielded a few views to share from Humboldt’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Though most poignant was an image of a dead skate lying on the beach (“Ray of Beauty at Moonstone Beach,” Sept. 27), its tail in the still waters of Little River where it emptied […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Beauty at Moonstone Beach
An odd thing happened while out sifting through the coastal night light for a compelling image. The waxing crescent moon had already set and the night was dark. My brother Seth and I walked without lights through the night along the beach, each step something of a leap of faith as only faint differences in […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bridges of Humboldt County
Between Loleta and Ferndale, and a little to the west, the Eel River broadens and wraps itself around Cock Robin Island before depositing its fresh water into the Pacific Ocean. The island itself contains private property but connecting it to the mainland on the north side is one of Humboldt’s unique bridges, the publicly accessible […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Perseid Meteors 2020
Currently speeding out from the sun after its last visit to the solar system’s inner reaches in 1992, Comet Swift-Tuttle leaves a trail of debris in its path. Comets are made of frozen gasses, dust and rock; as the sun’s energy warms and sublimates the frozen gasses, some of its solids are blown off into […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Raptors at Chapman’sGem and Mineral
Since childhood, dinosaurs have held a fascination for me. If dinosaurs roamed the earth today, my photo stories would probably be about them or, perhaps more likely, about dinosaurs at night. Alas, they are exceedingly rare and opportunities to photograph them are few and far between. Until recently, I’ve had more luck photographing meteors. I […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Vacancy at Fourth and E Streets, Eureka
For years, driving by, I would see her lonely figure sitting on the bench. I never stopped but in time I grew used to her presence there, looking to touch base visually when I passed. Huddled inward and completely covered, she had erected a shell between herself and the outside world, perhaps retreating to the […]