Just a typical day at Newport Beach…
Flyover
Sailing into 2023
Happy New Year!
Winter is Coming
Actually, winter is HERE- as most of the country can testify. Arizona has escaped the bomb cyclone of snow and below freezing temperatures, but rain and snow are now hitting the high country, with just rain here (so far). Fingers and toes crossed that the Phoenix area (where we will be meeting our kids) will be warmer and drier.
Good thoughts sent out to all those stranded due to flight cancellations!
Duck Hunting
We saw them! I’ve been reading about the two Mandarin Ducks spotted at Lynx Lake here in Prescott and went out just before Christmas (on icy trails!) to see them. No such luck. We had seen some in Alaska a few years ago, but this would be a first for us in Arizona. Today, thanks to some Phoenix photographers I met up with on the trail, we were able to find them and take photos. They are such pristinely beautiful birds!
Winter Solstice 2022
We were in Flagstaff last week- AFTER the big storm- for my annual knee replacement checkup. We took some time after the appointment to drive up to Snow Bowl to see how our favorite aspen viewing area looks in the winter. There were signs posted along the road to NOT STOP, but on our way back from the ski area there was absolutely no traffic going down the mountain, so we were able to pull over so I could take some shots out the window as we slowly drove by.
Today we celebrate the returning of the light- a huge thing for our Alaska family who will be joining us next week, along with our Southern California family. We will spend time in Scottsdale, which we hope will be light and relatively warm for our escapees from the dark and snow!
Happy Solstice!!!
The Pier
I took so many multiple exposure shots while at Newport Beach! Here’s another- the pier.
Palm Tree Castle
or… how palm trees are born…
Having fun with multiple exposures! This is definitely on the very edge of what I like to create.
Beach Patrol
Watching egrets on a southern California beach was new to us. We were used to seeing them in the marshes of the Bay Area, but watching them march through the waves on Newport Beach was a whole different experience. I took many more photos than I needed!
Sea Watch
This photo taken at Newport Beach tickles my funny bone and makes me smile. It’s even in the place of honor on my iPhone lock screen. If you have an appropriate caption for it, let me know!
Pelican Days
We took a quick, last minute trip to Southern California to visit our son’s family before Thanksgiving. We spent a couple days at Newport Beach, spending time each day at the beach and meeting up with the family for the evening. It was so relaxing to be back at one of our favorite spots! The weather was great, the beach not crowded, and we saw lots of beach birds. What was surprising to us as infrequent visitors was that the pelicans were on the beach, not just flying low over the water as we usually see them. We were closer to them than we ever can remember. One of the days we drove up to Huntington Beach, and as we walked on the pier, this fellow landed on the rooftop above us. Soon another joined him, and we had a great time pelican watching. I took so many photos that I not only had to change batteries, but ran out of room on my SD card!
Flower Fantasy
Blue on blue- a flower fantasy with a bit of Photoshop magic!
Lunar Eclipse- Election Day
We were up late OR got up early…
Whatever we were… we saw it… and it was magnificent! These shots don’t nearly do it justice. I don’t know if these are my best shots- too many to look at.
Feeling very sleep deprived, but it was worth it.
Camera nerds: I didn’t even know I could push my ISO so high (20,000 at one point- this was 12,800 on the right).
Leaves in Ice
A few days ago, the wind blew some beautiful leaves into our driveway. I remembered making some images a few years ago of flowers I had frozen and decided to try the process with leaves. I am currently working on creating abstracts using in-camera multiple exposures, and I find it interesting how the doubly exposed ice and leaves interacted with each other to create this abstract image.
Aspen Impressions
Memories of last year’s trek up the hill to Flagstaff to visit the aspen groves
Fall Tapestry
Fall has arrived here with cooler temperatures, some rain, and a lot of WIND! We actually turned the fireplace on last night during Monday night football (okay, I was doing genealogy on my iPhone…). We haven’t made it up to Flagstaff to see the aspens- so here’s an image from last year.
melinda anderson photography 