Parrot Tulip
Parrot tulips bring a kind of unruly magic to mixed flower bouquets. Their ruffled, feather‑edged petals and dramatic curves refuse to sit politely among more …
Closeup Filters
These entry‑level filters work well for casual macro shooting and are a cheaper “macro” option than buying a dedicated macro lens, but you’ll often see …
Bowl of Tomato Soup
The pleasure of tomato soup begins long before the first spoonful. It starts the moment you decide that today calls for something warm and deeply …
Up from Lucerne Valley
Lucerne Valley always feels like the prologue to a story — wide, open, and a little wild. A dusty ribbon of trail, a stubborn sun, …
Cholla Cactus
The cholla has a way of stopping you mid‑stride, as if the desert itself is tapping your shoulder to say look closer. What seems at …
Extension Tubes
If you’ve ever tried to photograph something tiny—flowers, insects, the texture of everyday objects—you’ve probably hit that moment where your lens just won’t focus any …
Wandflowers #3
Wandflowers: Where the Garden Learns to Breathe Some flowers bloom. Wandflowers — those slender, shimmering stems of gaura — float. They rise from the earth …
Climbing The Old Woman
The first thing you notice in Joshua Tree is the silence—an almost physical stillness that settles over the desert as if the landscape is holding …
Japanese Maple #02
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) flowers emerge quietly in early spring, appearing as small, delicate clusters that signal the tree’s shift from winter dormancy into a …
Ricoh WG-M1
The Ricoh WG-M1 is a rugged digital compact “action” camera. I bought this one over ten years ago to mount on the dash of my …
Pomegranate Bloom
The pleasure of pomegranate blooms begins long before the fruit ever forms. It starts in that moment when the garden feels half-asleep, holding its breath, …
Strings in the Corner
The pleasure of playing a musical instrument begins long before the first clean note rings out. It starts in that quiet moment when you pick …
Intersection Rock Climbing Routes
Routes for the southwest face of Intersection Rock from the 1979 edition of John Wolfe and Bob Dominick’s “A Climber’s Guide to Joshua Tree National …
Red Tip Photinia #02
The first warm days of spring always pull me outside with a camera in hand, but nothing announces the season in quite the same way …
Fuji X100 T
I bought a Fuji camera a while back (FOMO on the mirrorless camera craze finally got the better of me). It was a bit different …
Canon 2X Teleconverter Lens
For me, this thing was absolutely useless. I couldn’t get it to give me a sharp photograph if my life depended on it. I’ve been …
Fish Salton Sea
I remember five things about fishing the Salton Sea in August: I no longer fish the Sea, but when I did, some of the best …
Good Morning
As part of our June Gloom weather thing, coastal marine layer clouds are drifting eastward to give us some thick fog outside this morning and …
Staying Active Matters
Adults with mobility disabilities are at higher risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and depression—but regular physical activity significantly reduces these risks and improves independence. …
Macro 100mm Lens
I finally bought myself a replacement for the Tamron macro lens that I broke a while back. This is the one I would have liked …
Red Tip Photinia #01
Photinia × fraseri Finding Wonder in the Small Things Close‑up photography has a way of turning an ordinary afternoon into a small adventure. You don’t …
Dandelion
“Beautiful as a dandelion-blossom golden in the green grass, this life can be.”— Edna St. Vincent Millay
I Busted My Macro Lens
The last few years I’ve done most of my landscape photography from the driver’s seat of my car. I don’t recommend it, but that’s what …
Wandflowers
Gaura lindheimer also known as Whirling Butterflies Wandflowers: The Airiest Blooms in the Garden If you’ve ever wanted a plant that looks like it’s dancing …
