Posted on March 7, 2017, 11:40 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
For most of the year, Pinnacles National Park is quite a dry place. I revisited right after the high rains of this winter – which put to shame last year’s El Nino conditions, to observe the place transformed by the flow of the creeks and to photograph another elusive waterfall. Pinnacles lies less than 50 […]
Posted on February 26, 2017, 9:40 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
In mid to late Feburary, Horsetail Fall on El Capitan is backlit by the setting sun, creating the unique natural phenomenon known as the “natural firefall”. Nowadays, the Yosemite firefall is widely known to the public, and even makes media headlines each year. The National Park Service has to close the inner lanes of the […]
Posted on November 12, 2016, 12:38 am, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
On the eve of my highest profile presentation to date, an improvised quick trip to Santa Cruz Island leads to beautiful discoveries and a new perspective on Channel Islands National Park. Last Monday, after picking up the kids at 2:30pm, I found that my preparation for the multiple presentations to be given in Santa Barbara […]
Posted on May 27, 2016, 11:18 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
Wondering where to start in our 59th national park? The most spectacular views in Pinnacles National Park are on the High Peaks Trail which is fairly strenuous. However, the best introduction to the park is along a loop which is quite easy (1.5-mile loop; 250-foot elevation gain) despite the great diversity of terrain encountered. A […]
Five years back, I posted the national parks photo spot series of blog posts, each describing a favorite location in each national park. Since then, Pinnacles was designated our 59th National Park, so here is an update to the series. Pinnacles National Park, our latest, is a little-known gem that rewards with a diverse terrain […]
Posted on March 17, 2016, 12:44 am, by QT Luong, under
Esthetics.
Beginners often shoot landscapes at all times of the day, and don’t realize why some come out better than others. The standard operating procedure of the “serious” landscape photographer is to concentrate on the so-called golden hour, half an hour around sunrise and sunset time. Early morning and late afternoon are the second best. Midday, […]
Posted on January 28, 2016, 1:27 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
The most visited spot in Joshua Tree National Park lies somewhere near the meeting of Park Boulevard, the Hidden Valley picnic area, and the Barker Dam road. When I parked my car a hundred yard east of the intersection, nobody was around, because the time was one hour before sunrise. I walked in the dark […]
Posted on January 20, 2016, 12:35 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
Although it is the first trail encountered after the Kings Canyon National Park entrance, most visitors skip the Big Stump Trail. However, it is an area quite different from the rest of the park, reserving discoveries. Photographically, the dead trees challenged me to find evocative images of what at first may not appear to be […]
Posted on December 16, 2015, 7:41 pm, by QT Luong, under
Locations.
Of the five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park, one has eluded me for a while. The smallest of the Channel Islands, Santa Barbara is only one square mile in size. However, I couldn’t be pleased with my explorations of the park until I visited each of its five islands. This fall, I […]
Posted on August 20, 2015, 4:05 pm, by QT Luong, under
Techniques.
The only way to get some of the most striking cityscapes and city skylines is to shoot through windows, often from high-rise hotels. The techniques described in this post will let you overcome the obstacle posed by the glass to get a technically perfect image. The day after I returned from a trip during which […]
