"The land of the raven."

   I found myself wandering Buttermilk country this winter. Myself, my dear earthshaker and bella bing bing were exploring a treacherous road that seemed to spring us to the land of the raven. A windy pitted mess of a road that dared us to ask, "Where do you go my little scary earth squiggle!" It was a new location for us. A real “plan to be surprised” kind of day. You know… find the road less traveled and go until you stop. The day was getting late when we sputtered to the top of a special little plateau overlooking Owens valley and far off into the distance in a360 degree view. I imagine it’s a place I will frequent in the coming years. I ventured off into the boulder crevices and hidden slots in buttermilk heaven as my dear Earthshaker struck up a conversation with the local ravens. Somewhere along the way this moment happened and I was lucky enough to see it, as the moment was quietly happening behind some hillside boulders. I recall swapping out a dead battery while perched on a slightly dangerous ball of stone only to drop it and watch it tumble ferociously to its doom. Lucky I didn’t meet the same fate and was even able to fetch it, after the show of course. Here is our raven friend during the same shoot. Bella was not impressed, she stayed in the car. 

     Regarding this image: I’ve been thinking about shadows and light today. It's a Starwars kinda morning. This image is a good example of my growing restraint behind the almighty canon trigger. I was at bout 8000ft elevation in buttermilk country facing the White Mountains when I snapped this. The sun was about to set behind the Sierras at my back and the last remaining minutes of light were slowly inching up the white capped mountain peaks.  For about 10 minutes or so the colors grew more and more dramatic with each passing second. I waited until the sierras just about choked off the light, when that narrow window of closing shadow and darkness somehow complimented the final escaping rays on the snowy peaks in the distance. I snapped several images throughout the 10 minute transition and then turned around waiting for the Sierra Laser Light show to commence, which it ultimately did. You can see that image here, although I think I like this image better. 

January 13th    2016

 

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