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Thirsty Thursday: New Year Stars

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: Newman's Limeade

Thirsty Thursday here again. Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. After a fantastic dinner at our favorite place, I decided to go try to shoot some stars to bring in the New Year. Terry has a sore foot, so I set out on my own at Ft Ord...just me, my camera, my headlamp, and a warm down jacket! 

We get very few crispy clear nights around here, due to our close proximity to the ocean. We also live between Monterey and Salinas, both of which produce plenty of light pollution. But, because it was so clear (and cold), I figured it was a good night to try to shoot some stars. There was also a bright moon, which would help illuminate the the foreground.

My first thought was star trails, but I didn't feel like staying out there that long by myself. So I just did a few long exposures near a couple of my favorite Ft Ord trees. I haven't had much luck with star photography in the past, so my expectations were low. So, if you weren't looking at the stars at midnight last night, here's what they looked like. 

The brightest star in the above image isn't a star at all...its Jupiter! The moon really illuminated this scene. Local mountain bikers should recognize that trail! 

I was really happy to get Orion and this tree in the same frame. 

Looking forward to more night sky experimentation...and hopefully something to share on future Thirsty Thursdays. 

The Welliver Photography Best of 2012

Well, here it is...our best from 2012. Last year wasn't a particularly prolific year of shooting for us, but we did squeeze in a few trips for some focused shooting in new spots. It's always a challenge to narrow down our favorites from the past year to a manageable collection, and in the interest of length, we decided to limit ourselves to 12 images each. Feel free to leave a comment and tell us which images are your favorites! 

Marin County: Golden Gate Bridge at Sunrise by Beth.

Panoche, CA: Brilliant Sunset by Terry. 

Garrapata State Beach: Bowling Balls by Beth.

Kaiser Wilderness: Snowy Trees by Terry. 

Switzerland: Lone Tree on a Snowy Hill by Beth.

Desolation Wilderness: Trail along Lake Aloha by Beth.

Kaiser Wilderness: Snowy Scene by Terry. 

Front Yard, Spreckels: Poppies by Beth.

Switzerland: Kapellbrücke Nacht  (Chapel Bridge Night) in Lucerne by Terry.

Switzerland: Shreckhorn by Beth.

Switzerland: Hut and Eiger by Terry.

Switzerland: Three Alps by Beth.

Switzerland: The view from Männlichen by Beth. Not the best technical execution in this photo, but the story behind this photo is epic. Stay tuned for that blog! 

Big Sur: Bixby Bridge by Terry.

Twenty Lakes Basin, Hoover Wilderness: Trail beside Conness Lake by Beth.

Twenty Lakes Basin, Hoover Wilderness: Cascade by Terry.

Twenty Lakes Basin, Hoover Wilderness: Campsite by Beth.

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon: Multnomah Falls by Terry.

 

Manzanar National Historic Site: Prayer Flags by Terry. 

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon: Waterfall by Terry.

Monterey, CA: Mustang by Terry.

Alabama Hills: Lathe Arch by Terry.

Alabama Hills: Mobius Arch, Rock, and Sierra Crest by Beth.

Alabama Hills: Mobius Arch by Terry.

Iowa: Cold Morning by Beth.

Of course Massey is wondering why she isn't included, so here's a bonus image of the dog posing like a rockstar.

Alabama Hills: Massey in the Mobius Arch by Beth.

We compiled our Best of 2012 in order to participate in Jim Goldstein's annual "Best of" collaborative project. In the next couple week's he'll post a whole long list of links to similar "best of" posts from other photographers. Be sure to check out that list as there is some truly amazing and inspiring work out there! 

Thanks for supporting Welliver Photography in 2012. Big opportunities coming in 2013...plenty of adventures to new places on tap. Here's to textured skies and nice light!

All photographs in this post are available for purchase in our Best of 2012 gallery on our store.

Thirsty Thursday: Ahhh, Lucerne

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: 2011 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc

Just a few images tonight from our Switzerland trip. Unfortunately, we were only in Lucerne for a night. All that really needs to be said about Lucerne is, "Ahhh, Lucerne." There's something about the atmosphere of the city that just puts you in a relaxed mood. Perhaps it is the architecture of the place or maybe it's the chocolate shops filled with yummy Swiss goodies. I tend to think it's related to the relaxed cafes near the water and the people. Life seemed slower here than elsewhere. I suppose it could be that places you visit seem more relaxed than the places you've lived, but I hope that's not true of Lucerne. I wish we could have spent more time here, sitting next to the river, people watching, chatting, and sipping cappuccino goodness.

Thirsty Thursday: Zurich at Night

Rambler: Terry
Drink in Hand: Tazo Awake Tea

Ok, so I'm late posting this tonight. It's also going to be a late night tonight which is why I'm drinking tea with caffeine. I'm going to keep this posting tonight short as I have other (more important) things to work on tonight. I'll let the pictures of Zurich speak for themselves. As it is late, I figured night shots were appropriate. These shots are all mine. I'm sure Beth will post hers at a later date. Although I wasn't a huge fan of Zurich, the architecture was pretty cool...especially at night.

Thirsty Thursday: Luzern Night Bikes

Rambler: Beth
Drink at Hand: 2010 Longhand Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Good evening and welcome to another Thirsty Thursday...time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. Since its getting a little late, I figured a few night photos were in order.

We spent our second night in Switzerland in the beautiful medieval town of Luzern. Absolutely beautiful during the day, and thanks to our jet lag, we had plenty of time to explore at night, too. Thanks to a random (and apparently not so gentle) TSA baggage inspection, we were down to one tripod between the two of us. I let Terry have the tripod to take some photos of the city reflecting in the the river and I headed over to the car-free area.

Bikes were whizzing through the car-free area at a steady rate. I love visiting other countries where bicycles are the predominate mode of travel through the city. It was a cold night, the sky trying to spit rain, yet these hardy Swiss folks were simply going from Point A to Point B under pedal power. I bumped up the ISO of my new 5D Mark II to 3200, knowing that the increased noise would look good in black and white. So I played around panning and stalking the night riders. Here's what I came away with...

I think Thirsty Thursday is having a good influence on me tonight...I might actually go ride my bike this weekend, perhaps with camera in hand. We hope you can get out and have your own little adventure this weekend, too!