‘Timing Can Be Everything’

As I always say, ‘timing can be everything‘…. After hiking out towards a distant outcrop in the Park to scout for a photograph, I came up on this area and knew that if I could just wait a few minutes the sun would paint the boulders and desert brush in a golden wash just as it was setting. “Magic Time“. Well, minutes turned into more like an hour but the ‘glow’ that finally came was well worth the wait. ‘Timing’, sometimes you have to work for it…. but in photography it’s always worth the wait, just like most things in life.

Cap Rock Prairie At Joshua Tree

Catching late afternoon sun highlighting the prairie at Cap Rock earlier this week at Joshua Tree National Park .

King Of The Hill

King Of The Hill

Intersection Rock – Joshua Tree National Park

To answer your question, no, that’s not me waaaay up on the top of Intersection Rock…. It takes a lot better climber than yours truly… But it sure looked like fun being ‘King of the Hill’, and while exploring Joshua Tree one morning I couldn’t resist taking this photograph of a solitary climber enjoying the view from the top.

Desert Mirage At Salvation Mountain……

During Christmas Vacation Josh and Heather were down from Seattle, and Josh and I took the opportunity to run down to Salvation Mountain just outside of Niland and close to the south end of the Salton Sea. Josh had never been out to Leonard Knight‘s fascinating and artistic masterpiece and this was the opportunity to take a look at this unique and amazing site while grabbing a few shots for The Next Best Photo.com. Unfortunately, for his health, Leonard has recently retired back to San Diego and so we weren’t able to talk with him,  but the site is being maintained and is protected by volunteers who are working on a new foundation to offer future preservation.I’ll be putting up pictures of the site for the next few blogs.

Approaching Salvation Mountain From The North.

Josh At The Mountain

Escalante Architecture

© Don Lee Brown

Mary Ann Schow Home –  200 North, Escalante, Utah  –   Pre 1900 House

                                          

                     Mary Ann Schow was born in Escalante, Utah, 7 Aug 1878.

© Don Lee Brown

A good example of “Queen Anne” architecture, the home had a window made for people to pick up their mail from the postmaster.

© Don Lee Brown

Built around the turn of the century, the Schow barn on the same lot is a prime example of the classic ‘V’ shape, or Gambrel roof architecture with an added “lean-to shed.

Stepping Back In Time

Earlier this year I was fortunate to again spend time in Escalante, Utah, a beautiful and rugged area that I’ve explored many times over the years. It’s a rustic town that stands at the entry to Hole In The Rock and the upper Aquarius Plateau in Utah. I talked with several residents and learned even more about this fascinating town, it’s history, and it’s Victorian era buildings. Escalante was settled in the late 1870’s and has a colorful pre-1900’s history and a fascinating architectural heritage that reflects a pioneer, farming, ranching and Mormon history. For the next several blogs I’ll be posting more photographs and historical information  on the interesting homes I explored.
Entering The Aquarius Plateau

Peoples Exchange – Circa 1901

Built around 1901, People’s Exchange started as a co-op on what was then Main Street. The building is a fairly well preserved example of late Victorian Commercial. Standing beside and along the back side of the Exchange building is a Pre-1900 two story house. Victor E. Bean built the two story home prior to the construction of the store.

The Sign Above The Store is The Original Painted Sign

Steam Engine 844 Centennial Tour

Yesterday was special….. Especially if you like trains, old or new. Union Pacific’s ‘Steam Engine No. 844‘ came rolling up from Yuma though the lower desert hills on a Centennial Tour. To view her as she roared on by was an amazing sight that sent an emotional charge straight right through me and kept me in an ‘upper’ mood all day. To see that engine belching a huge plume of gray-white steam above the train and the sound of a deep and piercing whistle as she slowed to a stop for maintenance was simply amazing. There were lots and lots of cars stopped along the highway and groups of people standing out on the road to watch all along Highway 111 from Coachella north up to Palm Springs.  I caught a few photographs during the maintenance stop in Indio but the large crowds that had gathered for a look made it impossible to get a clear shot. After 30 minutes of maintenance she took off again going north towards Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was able to get ahead a few miles and take a shot from the road as she barreled towards me…. an amazing site to see, what a beauty! Steam Engine 844, a proud reminder of this great country’s nineteenth century industrial history and know how.

Up From Yuma….
Crowds Gather Around To Admire

Maintenance For The Road

Ready To Pull Out

On The Way North to Cheyenne, Wyoming

Saturday In Joshua Tree

Last Saturday I was fortunate to attend a class given by well known artist Diane Best out at Joshua Tree National Park in the upper desert. Diane is known both for her iconic joshua tree images in water color and acrylic, along with her unique desert landcape subjects captured in photography. Her images have been featured in numerous publications, and are available in galleries, and on the internet.  This year one of her famous joshua tree images is being featured by the Desert Institute at the visitor center at the park entrance. You’ll probably notice the header for today’s blog features Diane’s work on a local mural in a restaurant in Joshua Tree. Featuring black images against a brilliant red wall, a  larger image of the mural is shown below.
Saturday turned out to be grey and threatening rain as we trekked out to Hidden Canyon within the park to sketch some amazing rock formations and to photograph joshua trees while the rain was holding off. Well, at least it held off for most of the morning…. with a light mist that kept turning off and on, while the temperature remained in the mid 40’s most of the day. It was cold but beautiful just the same, and the opportunities for ‘the next best photo’ were everywhere as usual. Hard to take a bad photograph at Joshua Tree, an awesome national  park.


In the afternoon we went back to the visitor center in 29 Palms and explored Diane’s ‘technique’ in painting the iconic joshua tree imagery while Diane worked with each individual on capturing the unique image style she is known for. It was a great day for both sketching and photographic composition.Diane’s ‘Working; Sketch –  Layering A Scene In Joshua Tree – Acrylic Glaze

This is a working and rough sketch of a landscape that Diane was just starting to layout. She is applying each glaze as she builds up layer after layer on this rough textured hand made paper from Nepal. The photograph doesn’t show the fine details that will emerge as she adds additional layers of detail with each acrylic wash.

The above image shows the start of one of Diane’s sketches shown during the workshop, this time an iconic image of a  joshua tree, using a black acrylic wash being applied in multiple layers. This is an example of the first few layers.  Diane usually builds up many layers of acrylic glaze as she proceeds with an image, with the end result a striking and artistic painting that is finely detailed. You can view her finished art by going to this link on her site:  http://www.dianebest.net/galleries.html

A Little Humor On The ‘Occupying Wall Street’ Movement…..

As I watch the news today I was reminded of two recent videos that I thought were both appropriate answers to the stupidity that is on display in both New York City, and in cities across our country. I couldn’t help but link both videos here for your viewing enjoyment…… And a break from photography. Don’t worry, I’ll be back with new “Next Best Photographs’ soon!  If I am offending anyone feel free to state your opposition and your reasons in the comment section! It’s a free country and that’s what we love about her…..

Humor….Another Way To View The Stupidity of The ‘Occupying Wall Street’ Movement (It’s the captions that will make you laugh!).
Hitler Discovers #OccupyWallStreet Is A Laughingstock

And On A More Serious Reminder……
www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JVAhr4hZDJE&vq=medium#t

The Classic Western Image

Here’s a classic western image of ‘The Marshal’.  I took this photograph a few weeks back while visiting Kanab, Utah, part of the historic Arizona Strip that runs along the North Rim of The Grand Canyon.

Lannie ‘The Marshall’ Scopes / Utah

© Don Lee Brown