SYLVIA PATTON - 2019 - 2021 - CALENDAR EXTRAS

                                                                                 DEATH VALLEY  Death Valley National Park is an amazing place, and one of my favorites. It's immense, sparsely visited, and lonely - with signs of human interaction few and far between. I love it! At Badwater you stand at 282 feet below sea level. As you look across the valley at the Panamint mountain range, you see Telescope Peak at over 11,000 feet in altitude. There are a variety of weird and other worldly land formations throughout the Park. Below this month's "other images" you will find my Calendar for 2009. That will give you a wider look at some of my favorite places in Death Valley. Now is a great time to think about giving the Death Valley a visit!...

                          This month's image is a color image from the Palouse, in Eastern Washington state.                              In the fall of 2014 my friend, Rick, and I spent some time in Eastern Washington. We photographed an interesting geological area called the Scablands, and the wheat fields of the Palouse. This area is America's bread basket, with miles and miles of wheat fields covering the rolling hills. It's colorful in the spring, turns from green to golden, and then is harvested in the fall. As the interest to me is line and form, this area was perfect to shoot in infrared. As a matter of fact,  the entire Calendar for 2015 consisted of infrared shots of the Palouse and the Scablands.   Here is the link to that calendar: http://www.sylviapattonphotography.com/large-multi-view/2015-CALEND...

I love lava almost as much as I love ice! AUGUST was taken on my most recent visit to the Big Island at the beginning of January 2020. The last time I was outside the house :-)) Every time I go to the Big Island I try and visit the latest lava flow areas. Brand spanking new lava is bright and shiny and is so sensuous! The shapes, patterns, and lines are infinite. I can wander among the lava fields forever. However,  AUGUST isn't my favorite lava shot. (I used most of those in my 2013 Calendar, HAWAII, and it didn't seem kosher to use them again!)  Still,  I enjoy imagining what this lava must have looked like as it flowed down the mountain. Three of my favorite lava shots from the 2013 Calendar are below. While two were captured on the Big Island from a fresh lava flow, the third was not. FACES was found on an older lava flow in a field above the Kona airport. The sun has bleached the lava into a blue-gray that I found captivating. So even older lava fields have their dra...

           You can  look back at April's image, which was captured in Yellowstone National Park, as was JULY's image above. Yellowstone is a wonderful place to observe and photograph design and detail. I have gone there multiple times, and never cease to wonder at its visual splendor. Below are several of my favorite images taken in various years since 2007.  Have a favorite? Let me know! And have a wonderful 4th of July. See you next month, Sylvia

NATURE COLORS THE FENCE             Wow! May flew by quickly! I have to say I'm not tired of the green soup alligator, but we have to move on.            Thus, if you haven't read MAY's blog, do it now. This month's shot also was taken on the Big Cypress Boardwalk, A whole section of the fence along the swamp was colored by these little lichens, fungi, algae, and who knows what else. It was lovely!                                      I have included a couple of other residents of the swamp below. Another BLUE HERON, I believe RAT SNAKE I had the pleasure of being the first person to spot this guy on the morning I was there. A docent thanked me for pointing him/her out, and put a sign on the fence to make her/him easier for others to find.          I hope everyone had a satisfying...

        May is here, and LA is getting ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Many people believe it is a remembrance of the Battle of Puebla, but it really is a celebration of MY birthday :-)) It's so nice when everyone is happy on one's birthday!     This month's photo is a bit  different from the others in that it has a definite subject! It was captured on the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in 2011.  I had gotten together for a reunion with some of my Peace Corps buddies in Venice, Florida. I took the opportunity to spend some extra time in the swamps and byways of the Western Everglades. Having never spent any time in Florida, it was a new experience. The flora and fauna there are all not found in SoCal :-)) The Boardwalk was quiet, I had it to myself, and there were many birds and reptiles along the way.      I did fear for the bird, but nothing happened while I was there! The "cousin" hanging out down the road a bit. Where's the Barbie...