Transition

Transition is the change from one state to another.  I prefer to photograph when the day is transitioning to night.  The last few minutes of daylight provides a soft glow on the subject and eliminates the harsh shadows caused by the midday sun.  During this time the winds cease and a quietness falls on the land.  In the stillness you become aware of the the changes in nature as the birds fly overhead to roost for the night while the bats come out of their resting place.  When alone in the wildness locations I feel the eeriness of the approaching night as a coyote yelps at the rising moon.  I stay at the location as long a possible before the darkness over takes me and I need to make the trek back to my vehicle or campsite.  These are special times and some of the most rewarding in making photographs and to experience the transition of the day into the night.  The above photograph was made in Nevada. I visited the location during the day to scout around for an evening photo session.  I am always amazed how different things look when I return after the sunsets. 

Nevada Ghost Towns

 In our recent trip to Nevada we searched out old mining ghost towns in the state.  Nevada has a rich history in mining that sprung up in the late 1800's when silver and gold was discovered.  Most of these mining town flourished for a few short years while the mines were productive.  Today there are plenty of the remains of these old ming camps and small towns scattered around the state.  One town we visited was called Berlin, and it is now a state park left in a state of arrested decay.  As is with most of these mining towns, Berlin is located in a remote area.  Another great little mining town and one of the best we found was Gold Point.  It is a well preserved town with a lot of left over mining shacks and equipment laying around to investigate.  The town has six full-time residents and we only saw one while we camped out there.  His name was Walt, and he and his partner own the town.  It was a cool place to hang out for a couple of days.  We pitched our tent out back of the saloon that had 60's music playing 24 hours a day.  It was sort of a surreal feeling because of the emptiness of the town and hearing the music from our youth coming from the old saloon.  As I was out photographing the night sky I would hear in the distance a song I had long forgotten about, and with it came a flood of memories of that time in my life.  Traveling these dusty old back roads and exploring is always rewarding.  The quest of "what's is up around the next corner" leads to discovery of new and exciting places, and a fulfillment dreams.