Light Journal  A virtual photographic chautauqua

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/125 @ f/5.6

I call it a weed only because I can’t identify it and it’s growing in a vacant lot. It’s very intricate and seems to have multiple Fibonocci patterns within.

Update: One of my vast array of visitors identified this wildflower as being in the Phacelia family. Exactly which one? I’ll need to look more closely on my way home tonight. Thanks Marianne.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/320 @ f/8

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/640 @ f/8

Color is starting to show up in a big way around my neighborhood. The rain and mild temps are encouraging plants and trees and bushes to put forth a great show. I’ve yet to identify either of these. The purple is a vine that is seen on fences all around and the yellow is a 4′ bush with crazy leaves and these yellow flowers at the ends.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 15-30mm, 1/25 @ f/8
The farmer’s market had a fabulous crop of greenhouse tomatoes that looked really great and actually tasted pretty good as well.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/60 @ f/13

We took a short ride up the Northgate road on Mt. Diablo yesterday and found a whole raft of interesting subjects. Coyotes, hawks, apple blossoms and running water.

I saw this on the way down late in the afternoon and thought it typified spring on Mt. Diablo for me. Bare oaks just starting to leaf out, green grasses and beautiful skies. It won’t last long. Get yours while it lasts.

Canon PowerShot S3 IS + 6.0-72.0 mm, 1/250 @ f/4

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF180mm f/3.5L Macro USM, 1/2 @ f/32
While walking in a light rain up at The Sea Ranch on the Monarch Trail we spotted this trio of tiny mushrooms growing out of the side of a massive fence post. Try as I might to get enough depth of field (f32!) I had to settle for almost. See the second photo for scale.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/20 @ f/22

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/25 @ f/8

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/60 @ f/8

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 80-400mm, 1/400 @ f/5.6
A docent once identified a bird for me as an “LBJ”. When I asked, she said that meant “little brown job”. This LBJ is actually grey & black and is a Junco to the best of my ability to identify it.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 80-400mm, 1/320 @ f/8
Driving into Sebastopol today I noted this hawk atop a monument in the cemetery across from my daughter’s apartment building. It seemed worth a try and the bird was obliging. I think it’s a red shouldered hawk.