52 on Friday (Week 35): Personal Work

Oh, hi there. Did you think I forgot all about the 52 Project? I promise I didn’t! August has been action-packed… earlier this month I was doing lots of shooting here in San Diego, then a client flew me to Colorado to shoot some portraits, then I took two weeks to go on the most incredible trip. I’m finally back and I was lucky enough to be the one to pick this week’s 52 Project theme, “personal work.”

As artists, we all love what we shoot, but there is something very different about creating work for clients and creating work solely for ourselves… and when I shoot for me, I love to experiment with landscapes and wildlife.

For the past two weeks, I was in Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In case you didn’t know, my heart lives in Wyoming. The mountains. The wildlife. The wide open expanses of land under a huge blue sky. I have yet to find another place that calls to me quite as much as Wyoming does.

For the majority of our stay, we rented the most perfect cabin at the base of the Grand Teton mountain range. I’m saving photos of it for when I build a ranch house someday because, I’m telling you, it was exactly what I want my house to look like. Here’s a little peek at the front entry.

Just down the road from cabin was an entrance to the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Shortly before we arrived, a few people had encountered aggressive bears, so the Forest Service closed the northern part of the road, significantly cutting down on traffic. This was really wonderful for us because the wildlife came out in droves. (I know you all think I’m nuts… “Did she just say she went where there were aggressive bears?!” Eh, not quite. We never crossed the road block, we had our bear spray handy, and we stayed in the truck. Sounds much less exciting now, doesn’t it?) We saw at least 100 elk, two red foxes, a few mule deer, and even — you guessed it — two black bears. But this trip was really all about moose… everywhere we looked, there they were!

Meet Mama, Baby, and Baby-Baby Moose (we think Baby was a yearling and Baby-Baby was just a few months)…

Here is just Mama and Baby (the yearling)…

Here is just Baby (again, the yearling)…

We also saw a few bull moose. This guy was super handsome and very curious.

“Come on, you said you saw bears!” OK, but they were so afraid of us that it was impossible to get a good, clear shot. They saw us and they took off. That being said, here’s my best bear shot of the trip. It’s not great, but darn it, it’s a BEAR!!!

I also love shooting landscapes but the weather wasn’t really cooperating with us; the fires in Idaho were blowing smoke right in front of the Tetons. I still couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph this beautiful barn along Mormon Row, though.

Click the one below so you can see it larger… this is a favorite of mine!

Now be sure to head on over to Victoria BC’s Unleashed! pet portraits by Melissa McCabe and see what she’s been working on this week!

Roxy’s Road Trip Part 2: Mammoth Lakes

Happy to be out of Death Valley, Roxy became even happier when she saw snow on the ground! Our next stop was Mammoth Lakes. We stayed in the cutest little cabin at the Tamarack Lodge.

I really loved it here and I can’t wait to go back. I’d classify the Tamarack as somewhere between “pet tolerant” and “pet friendly” — a little more-so on the “tolerant” side. Pets were not allowed inside the lobby and no pet amenities were provided. That being said, pets were allowed on all parts of the property. There were no “keep dogs off the grass” signs (maybe they were just covered by the snow). Plus, there was enough space where we could get away from people and let Roxy run free.

OK, I have to tell you about the snow here. THE SNOW! IN JUNE! It was insane! Mammoth Mountain was still open for skiing. In fact, they were planning to be open ’till July 4th. Can you even imagine?

One evening while we were out exploring, two bicyclists flagged us down. One had a flat tire and no way to repair it. We popped her bike in the back of the truck and gave her a ride home (her friend wanted to finish the ride on two wheels). Turns out, she’s also a dog lover and an outdoor enthusiast. We asked for recommendations on good biking or hiking trails and she said, “well, I’m taking the day off tomorrow and was planning to go on a hike. Would you like to join me?” I jumped at the chance to have a local show me around, so we made plans to meet the next morning. She invited another friend and each brought one of their dogs.

I was excited and surprised that the trail we hiked — Sherwin Lakes — didn’t have any leash laws. Roxy was in heaven, running and sniffing anywhere she could. Well, the trail was a few miles long with an elevation change of about 950 feet. The elevation was killer! The end of the trail brought us to the most beautiful, pristine lake sitting at roughly 8,700 feet above sea level. The dogs jumped right in (except Roxy, of course) and everyone had a great time.

I also learned that Mammoth is bear country…

… but that’s a story for another day…

Roxy’s Road Trip Part 1: Death Valley

We just returned from a very exciting road trip — for the first time, Roxy joined us on our adventure!

This post will be the first in a short series about all the places we stopped, how pet friendly they really were, and the art that was created in each. Look for posts on Death Valley, Mammoth Lakes, South Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite!
 

I do not think this picture accurately reflects the shock that Roxy experienced when she stepped out of the truck into this barren land. She was looking around like, “ok, you two, it’s HOT and there’s NO GRASS. Where on EARTH have you taken me?!” Needless to say, this was not Roxy’s top destination of choice. :)

We stayed at a cute place in Stovepipe Wells. I’d classify this place is “pet tolerant.” They didn’t provide any pet amenities such a a bed or welcome treats, there was no grassy area for the pets to relieve themselves, and the restaurant didn’t offer take-out service for those with pets (since they’re not allowed to stay in the rooms by themselves). I’m not saying this was a bad place to stay, because it wasn’t! It was very cute! Plus, the staff was very friendly and helpful, our room was spacious, we had a general store right across the street, and free wi-fi was provided in a room on the property. Lord knows I can’t be without my wi-fi! Hah!

On the first night at Stovepipe Wells, we drove about two miles to the sand dunes and hiked out onto a high peak to watch the sunset. I later learned Roxy wasn’t supposed to be in the dunes, but we didn’t see the sign when we pulled in — it was by the exit!

 
As always, I had my camera with me at all times. I never know when I might see a great piece of art just waiting to be created! Here are some of my favorite shots from Death Valley:

All-in-all, we had a good time in Death Valley. I’m excited by the nighttime star photos I was able to capture and I have some great memories from being there.

Next up… Mammoth!