Convict Lake - Eastern Sierras, California

Three Northern California Sunsets

This crazy long summer, going half way into October with subtropical skies.

Bonus east coast sunset: Lords Point - Stonington, Connecticut

Enders Island Garden - Stonington, Connecticut

The gardens at the Enders Island retreat are so beautiful, especially because they're growing along the peaceful walking paths of an actual tiny island in Stonington, Connecticut, all framed by the Atlantic. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

An especially vibrant batch of dahlias.

Knobby Tree, Central Park, NYC

Growing behind a park bench overlooking the East Side. It was so knobby I could not ignore it.

Ruth Bancroft Garden - Walnut Creek, California (June, 2015)

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is having their annual sculpture show right now. We saw a few large-scale artworks getting installed on this afternoon walk. It was painfully hot this day—102 degrees would be my guess. My camera, with its tiny lens, struggles in the bright light of the summer sun. And the garden, with its crazy array of sculptural plants (never mind the sculptures, which are varied and plentiful—the plants are just as sculptural in my opinion), still alludes my ability to find a fixed focal point when I'm shooting here. Maybe it's one of those places that has to be experienced in person. Or I should try shooting people standing next to the plants to give the sense of scope.

Bear with the exposures and experience the textures.

Trona Pinnacles, California

If you're driving anywhere near Ridgecrest, California, be sure to stop by the Trona Pinnacles. More than 500 tufa formations on a river bed that dried up 10,000 years ago. You can hike around, marvel at the desert weirdness, and if you're lucky to arrive a couple days after a rainstorm—see some wildflowers. More here.

Lime Ridge Oak - Walnut Creek, California

Walnut Creek is surrounded by several open-space ranges and they're brilliantly emerald green thanks to a few rain storms in the past month (another one on the way, but not enough, unfortunately, to mitigate California's current drought). This one oak has managed to avoid annihilation as a sapling by roaming herds of cattle. It stands alone. I admire its twisty branch formations.

Mountain View Cemetery Statuary - Oakland, California

Straight shots of some of the beautiful sculpture at Oakland's scenic Mountain View Cemetery. Ideally as a photographer, I'd take along a reflective surface for some bounce-light possibilities. But sometimes it's a nice challenge to just look at something in its existing light and see what the camera lens can make of it.

Next time you're in Oakland, take a walk up the hill at Mountain View and see the sights (including the San Francisco skyline, the Bay and beyond).

Whiskeytown Lake / Crystal Creek Falls, California

Whiskeytown Lake is the site of a former mining town that was dammed in 1963. It's a popular recreation area with four neighboring waterfalls that are fairly accessible. The annual Waterfall Challenge takes place in April—hike to all four waterfalls within the designated week either on your own or alongside a scheduled ranger-led excursion. That's a scenic challenge.

Whiskeytown's National Recreational Area site is here.