June Featured Artist in the Gallery at Marina Square

I have been working hard preparing for my Featured Artist Show in the Gallery at Marina Square this month. I have almost 40 different images on display as well as tiles and cards. It would be my pleasure to see you at the reception this coming Friday from 5-8pm or some other time this month. I have some new photos as well as some of my best sellers. I even have a few 'creative' works up. If you are unable to make to Morro Bay go to:  

http://alice-cahill.artistwebsites.com/

 

I have many of my photos for you to see on this site. You can even buy them on line if you wish. I thank each and every one of you for the opportunity to share my photography with you.

 

 

PLAY TIME

PLAY TIME



Recently there have been numerous Sea Otters making their home in the Morro Bay harbor. They are a joy to watch. Most of the time they raft together and sleep bobbing in the water wrapped up with kelp to keep them anchored. But sometimes they frolic and play with abandon - especially the young adolescents. One morning I was able to photograph a group of these youngsters as they played. But no one shot captured what I wanted. So I decided to combine images together into a composite that told the story I imagined.

I started with a shot of 2 otters.

Okay. I decided that three Otters would be more interesting. So I found a shot of a pop-up Otter and extracted it. 

 

I added the extracted third Otter into the scene.

 

I liked it, but in another shot I had taken the water was incredibly beautiful. So I combined the two shots using a layer mask in Photoshop.

 

This was getting close to what I had envisioned. I just wished the Otters had some kelp around them. So I searched my archive of shots and found one that had some kelp I thought might work. I extracted the kelp and a bit of it's reflection.

I positioned the kelp over the belly of the front Otter and tweaked it a bit to make it fit.

Ta Dah! Three Otters playing in beautiful water with kelp to boot.

The playful Otters gave me the chance to play too!

 

 



Happy Easter

SUNRISE FLIGHT

A new day dawns. Easter has always been the Season of hope and possibility to me. And I am reminded each morning that I have the opportunity to begin fresh - to start over again. The mistakes and blunders of the day past are just that - past. Some mornings are brilliant, others are more subtle - especially here in Morro Bay. But when it is good, it is spectacular. I have won the lottery in life. I live in a free Country, I am loved, I have good health, I have an abundance of everything I could possibly want, and I am surrounded by Natural beauty. I am eternally thankful for all these gifts. I am also aware that I have an obligation to give back and to share some of my riches. I pray for the grace of a generous heart. Easter opens me up and allows the Light to flow through me. I hope each of you finds your own light and joy this Season too. Happy Easter.

I survived a computer crash!

 Merced NWR pre-dawn

Merced NWR 'clouds' of Snow Geese

 

Last month Don and I took a trip over to the Central Valley in California to photograph in Merced National Wildlife Refuge. It was my first visit to this amazing place. There are thousands of birds overwintering on the series of ponds and wetlands that make up the refuge. We spent three days enjoying and photographing there. I have always wanted to experience a huge number of birds flying and calling and making a 'cloud' in the sky. I got my wish. There must have been about 30,000 Snow and Ross's geese present and on our first afternoon at Merced NWR I saw the 'cloud' I had dreamt about. Thousands of geese rose and circled in the sky - all set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was jaw dropping! We also saw numerous other birds: Sandhill Cranes, White-faced Ibis, various ducks, Swallows and many many more. This is definitely a place I want to revisit.

 

I took over 2100 photos. I could hardly wait to get home to start processing my images. BUT!!!! That is when my problems began. For the first 30 minutes or so all was fine, then my computer froze. I tried everything I could think of to get back up and running, but to no avail. GRRRRR! My old computer was about 6 years old and I knew it was getting to the point of replacement, but..... I called my 'computer man' and when he took a look at my system the next day, I was informed that my Mother Board had fried. The good news - if there can be any good news in this situation - was that the hard drive was okay. Fortunately, all my images and documents were safely stored on multiple external hard drives so none of my important stuff was lost. Now three weeks later I have a new super-duper computer and am almost back to normal. There are still a few glitches to work out, but for the most part I am happy at this point. Now I need to get back to work!

Spring is on the way

It has been sunny and warm here the last few days - definitely Spring weather. And the Monarch Butterflies love it. I was happy to find these lovelies flitting about in a green field filled with wild radish plants. Their bright orange wings clearly stood out against the brilliant green foliage. I took some of the standard type of shots with them perched on the purple flowers, but then I became obsessed with idea of trying to catch them in flight. Oh, what a challenge! Who knew that butterflies were so fast. But my persistence paid off and I was able to capture some interesting flight shots. I was especially impressed by just how flexible they are. As they get ready to land on a flower, they push their wings far down and at the same time arch their bodies up. I have never clearly observed this behavior before. But the magic of still photography reveals the action. I love Monarchs. To me their wings are like small panes of stained glass - a delight to the eye and the heart.

What I saw at the Bird Festival

 White-tailed Kite

Common Merganser take off

 

I had a wonderful time at the Morro Bay Bird Festival last weekend. The weather was perfect. I spent time with many friends and had the opportunity to see lots of birds. And best of all, I was able to capture some great photos.

 

The top 2 photos are of a White-tailed Kite eating a mouse. I have taken many White-tailed Kite photos, but I have never captured this behavior before. He was perched on a post at the side of the road and was not about to fly away until he finished his meal. I was able to get very close by shooting out the side window of our car. Usually these birds are skittish and keep their distance, so it was a real gift to be so close. 

 

Later in the weekend we took a pontoon boat ride on Lopez Lake. We were very lucky that it was not too cold or windy. When this female Common Merganser took off,  I was in the right place to get a whole sequence of shots. It was amazing to watch her run acoss the water, all the while madly flapping her wings, trying to get enough lift to take off. The glassy water made some beautiful reflections. 

More happy news

poster featuring my Flicker photo and a photo of me

that will be shown at the Morro Bay Bird Festival 

this weekend

California Quail

More amazing good things are coming my way. This morning when I opened up our local newspaper - The Tribune - I found that my Flicker photo was featured on the front page of the Local section. Woohoo! And the photo that my husband, Don, took of me is there too. So we both got published at the same time. This whole experience has far exceeded my wildest expectations. 

Tomorrow is the beginning of the Morro Bay Bird Festival - an annual event that has been going on 17 years. I am going to be honored at the Festival and a poster of my winning Flicker photo is going to be on display at the registration area of the Festival. I am also going to be signing prints of my photo at the opening reception on Friday evening. Can you believe it???!! 

I have to keep myself a little bit grounded, so I went out to photograph at Montana de Oro State Park and found a lovely California Quail. This 'lookout' male stood on guard and alert in a nearby tree while a covey of Quail fed on the ground below. He sounds the warning if he senses any danger and the whole group instantly disappears into the brush. I have tried many times to find a cooperative 'lookout' and get a shot like this. At last, my persistence has paid off. 

My photo is on the cover of AUDUBON Magazine!

Yesterday when I went to pick up the mail I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me. The 2013 Jan/Feb AUDUBON Magazine had arrived with my photo of a Red-shafted Flicker published on the cover. Woohoo!!! And when I opened up the magazine I discovered that a full version of the photo was also published as a double page spread inside. I am floating on air. It may take some time for me to return to Earth. I am the Grand Prize winner of the 2012 photo contest. There were more than 6600 photos submitted from over 900 photographers. I feel highly honored to be chosen as the winner, especially when I look at some of the other amazing photos that were submitted. I have always thought of myself as primarily a landscape photographer. But I now am fortunate to live in an area that is rich with bird life and photo possiblities.  So at the beginning of 2012 I decided to embrace bird photography as part of who I am. It is extremely challenging. I can't tell you how many 'missed' shots I have taken. But many, many times I have sighed to myself and hit the delete button. My heart skipped a beat when I first looked at this photo. It captured the essence of the bird in his environment. I caught this male just as it just took off from the nesting hole after doing some 'housecleaning'.  At least 2 young Flickers successfully fledged from this nest. That makes me very happy.

 

2012 is now coming to an end and 2013 is just around the corner. May we each find what is best in ourselves and share it generously. May we each have some adventures and find joy and love in our lives. May we be kind to each other and take care of our Mother Earth.

I wish each of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

'Tis the SEASON

CHRISTMAS DREAM

 

"Blessed is the Season

which engages the whole world

in a conspiracy of LOVE."

                                                          - Hamiltion Wright Mabi

 

Peace and Love to each of you.

Alice

AUDUBON Magazine Grand Prize Winner!!!

Northern Red-shafted Flicker

 

I am so excited I just have to share my good news with you. My feet have not touched the ground yet.

Last week I got an email stating one of the photos I had submitted to the Audubon Magazine Photography Awards contest was being considered for an award. They needed to have a full resolution file to judge the overall technical quality in the final round and some more information about how I took the shot. They wanted me to return the image using a program called DropBox. So I had to download the program and muddle through how to use it. I sent in my photo and started to wait. I was very happy just to have made it to the semi-final round. I literally had no expectation of anything beyond that.

On Monday November 19^th I got another email from a senior editor at Audubon informing me that my Red-shafted Flicker image was a finalist for an award and congratulating me. And she would like me to call her. After several messages left back and forth I talked with her on Tuesday and she told me I had won the Grand Prize. I just about fell off my chair. I had trouble believing it was true. Later I also received a phone call from the managing editor telling me what I had won. I didn’t even know! Five nights with Incaterra accommodations in Peru at 3 different locations for me and my guest (Don – of course). We will be going to Machu Picchu as part of the trip. That has always been a dream of mine and now the dream is coming true. Also a $1000 gift certificate from B&H….AND a Celestron AllView Panoramic tripod.

My image will be published in the January/February issue of Audubon magazine and in Nature’s Best magazine. This is huge. The best part for me is that so many people will get to see my photo. I would love for our local Morro Coast Audubon here in San Luis Obispo county, California to get some recognition. I took the shot locally in Montana de Oro State Park and I also hope more people will see just how important our California State Parks are and support keeping all of them open. They are a treasure.

I have so much to thankful for this year.

Eastern Sierra Autumn color

 Lee Vining Canyon

 Golden Aspens

 Lundy Lake

Mono Lake

 

My Open Studio weekend October 20-21 went very well. Whew! But after all that hard work it was time to get away and 'play' some. Don and I headed to one of our favorite places in California - the Eastern Sierra. It was a bit late in the season for Fall color, but we were lucky. This year things were happening later than usual. While many of the golden leaves had already blown off, there was still some beautiful color to photograph. A small snow storm had closed all the passes the day before, so for our first two days (until the passes reopened) we almost had the place to ourselves. What a treat. We were able to photograph Lee Vining Canyon and Lundy Lake without the hoards of other photographers that usually crowd the area. We did wish there were a few more clouds around to make the skies more interesting, but the clear skies worked for us on the evening we spent at Mono Lake. There we were delighted by the pastel bands of color that formed over the lake and that were reflected in it. It was so peaceful. Being in this spiritual place enriches my soul and makes me feel more alive. 

Beach walk

Barefoot Beach Walk

Last week I took a walk late in the afternoon out onto the sandspit in Morro Bay. A very low tide had left the sandy beach washed smooth and wisps of fog were just beginning to creep onshore. A relaxed dreamy feeling overcame me as I walked along. I came upon this set of bare footprints leading my eye off into the distance. They seemed to capture perfectly my mood of the evening.

 

I have some very happy news to share. My photo "FANTASY FOREST" won First Place in the Photomorphosis show! The judge, Richard Martin wrote me a personal note that I got with my award. This is what he wrote: "This image explores the photograph as fiction and fantasy in a highly successful manner. Reflecting the creative vision of the photographer, it synchronizes the craft of photography at the maximum level, with the art of photography. The design of the image and exceptional detail guides the viewer on a continual journey of visual discoveries. The true test of any image is its ability to entice the viewer to revisit over time and find new meanings." I feel highly honored to have received this award and even more honored by the judge's words.

FANTASY FOREST

FANTASY FOREST

My photomontage called "Fantasy Forest' has been juried into the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art group show called PHOTOMORPHOSIS II. When I got the announcement about the upcoming show last July my imagination went into high gear. I wanted to create a photographic piece of art that included multiple of my photos and that also expressed something beyond just a grouping of images. Where to begin? I only had a vague idea of what it would look like when I started to 'build' my piece. I started with an image of moss draped trees I had taken up at San Simeon. After adding a creative filter to the trees I duplicated that image, flipped it and joined the two together. I now had a basic framework. From here I started to add my forest creatures one by one. After I had added each animal onto its own layer, I still felt the piece lacked a center of focus. So I experimented with several different images in the central area to see what inspired me. My sunset shot "Into the Light" gave me the feeling I was looking for. It carried my eye through the forest and into the golden light of the sun setting beyond the pier and into the ocean. The last thing I added to the image was the Moon Gate. It is the same shape as the Greek omega symbol. I like to think it adds a sense of the eternal to my artwork. All of the photos included in this piece are my own. It will be on exhibit from October 12th through November 18th at the Museum. The reception and award ceremony will be held on Saturday October 13th from 3pm to 6pm. I hope you can make it. I would love to see you there.

 

             Let the beauty we love be what we do ....... Rumi

I've gone to the birds

White-tailed Kite

Red-tailed Hawk

Barn Owl

My photography seems to have taken on a 'bird' theme recently. I find it to be very challenging to get the shots I 'see' in my mind. This is good for the most part (challenge stretches our minds - right?) but it is also frustrating at times. I miss far more shots than I get. Birds in flight are especially difficult. Many, many times the bird is not in focus and sometimes when I am panning with a bird in flight I don't even manage to keep it in the frame of the photo. When I do get an acceptable shot, I feel elated. Now add the element of low light. I have gone out in the evening multiple times attempting to photograph Barn Owls. In the Owl shot I am sharing here I got lucky. The last rays of the sun provided just enough beautiful golden light to make the shot possible. But much more often the Owls don't appear until after the sun has set. So now I am working on learning on how to use my flash. I'll just have to keep on working at it until I have some mastery. Of course, going out to sit in Nature at the end of the day is no hardship. It is a very zen experience. Something I would take pleasure in even if there weren't Owls.

 

Point San Luis Lighthouse

I made my first trip out to the Point San Luis Lighthouse last week. It was a rich experience I shared with a group of fellow photographers. The lighthouse has been lovingly restored and is a delight to see. Construction began on it in 1889 and was completed the next year. The light was first officially lit on June 30, 1890. The beam of light from the beautiful Fresnel lens was visible 17 nautical miles out to sea.  The original kerosene lamp in the tower was replaced with an electric light in 1933 and the Fresnel lens was retired in 1969 and replaced by an automated electric light. In 1974 the lighthouse was closed by the Coast Guard. It was not until 1995 that the Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers - a non-profit corporation - was formed to take on the responsibility of restoring the lighthouse to its former glory. Today that restoration is largely completed and visitors get a glimpse into the past when they visit this historic site. I plan to go back soon and take one of the interpretive tours with a docent to learn more about this treasure on the Central Coast.

WHALE almost eating a PELICAN

Last week I heard that there were Humpback Whales feeding close to shore at Port San Luis located just a short way down the coast. My husband and a friend that was visiting us went with me to Avila to check out the action. I had seen some of the photos others had taken of this happening, but I was unprepared for just how awe inspiring it was to see this phenomenon in person. It was a feeding frenzy! The Whales were lunge feeding right next to the pier. The water was roiling with Pelicans, Gulls, Dolphin and packs of hunting Sea Lions. And there were kayakers, boaters and paddle boarders added into the mix. Humpback Whales are huge! And when this one lunged up with its mouth agape I started shooting. It wasn't until I was reviewing my photos a minute later that I realized that I had captured an amazing series of photos. This Pelican was in the mouth of the Whale! As the Whale started to close its mouth the Pelican did escape out to the left. Whew! If you look closely you can see all the tiny bait fish spilling out of the Whale's mouth too. Those are the ones that got away .... this time. I will never forget that day. It was the experience of a life time for me.

 

Coastal blessings

 BLESSING

MISTY WAVES

Last Friday I went with group of fellow photographers for an evening shoot on the bluffs of Montana de Oro State Park. It was my first time joining this MEETUP event hosted by LIGHT Workshops of Los Osos. When we arrived the sky was gray and ominous looking. I took the opportunity to try out my 10 stop vari neutral density filter to make some very long exposures. This creates an ethereal dreamy look to the waves breaking on the rocks. At the end of the evening I started to walk back slowly along the bluffs. I noticed a slight break in the clouds right above the horizon. I set up my tripod and waited to see what would happen. I am sure glad I did. For a brief 2 minutes or so the sun peeked out below the clouds and above the sea. Red gold light illuminated the wavetops and the rocks below. I was blessed. When I look at this image now, I can experience that moment again - the sound of the surf - the color of the light - the feeling of the sea air as it touches my face - and the exhilaration of the moment. I am grateful for it all. 

A trip to the Sierra Nevada

 Where's the Lake?

 Down the rock

 leaping

 running

Chipmunk

We recently took a trip to one of my favorite spots deep in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After surviving the harrowing drive in over Kaiser Pass (that's another whole story) we arrived at our destination. Lake Edison is normally a lovely, blue lake surrounded by pine forests and nestled among glorious peaks. What a shock it was to see it this year. What had been a beautiful lake was only a dry, dusty lakebed. A very low snow season and a high demand for water robbed the lake of its bounty. I was very, very sad and disappointed. The beautiful landscapes I had been hoping to photograph were just not there. Glumly we sat at the edge of what would have been the lake and looked at the exposed rocks and sand. A small movement caught my eye. What was that? There it was again. Chipmunks were scurrying over and around the rocks in the lakebed. I smiled. Maybe I wouldn't get to photograph any grand landscapes this year, but I was certainly entertained by these tiny striped creatures. 



Northern Flicker

 Female at nesting hole

 Male emerging from nest

Male taking flight

About a week ago Don and I were exploring in Montana de Oro State Park when Don just happened to see some birds flying in and out of a hole in a tree. He identified them as Northern Flickers. It was getting late in the day and the light was fading, so we planned to return to the Park on another day just to photograph these beautiful woodpeckers also known as Red-shafted Flickers. When we returned we spent a happy afternoon watching and waiting for these elusive birds. Over the course of several hours we saw only 3 fly ins and outs. It all happens very fast. Usually the parent bird arrives and perches high on a nearby branch and then swoops in to enter the nesting cavity. After a few moments inside it peeks out - checking to see if the coast is clear - and then flies off in a flash. It is very challenging to get any clear flight shots. I'm very happy with what I did get. As always the best part is the 'being there' to enjoy and relish the experience.  

Finding Paradise

WINDOWS to PARADISE

For several years I have been trying to capture this photo. I have headed up to Cayucos to shoot the sunset through the old wooden windows next to the Pier multiple times. Sometimes I have been fogged out. Or the great clouds I was hoping for never materialized. I had a certain idea in my head of exactly what I wanted my image to look like. So when I took this photograph last December, I didn't think it quite hit the mark. It wasn't until I revisited the Pier recently and found that there is now a bright yellow volleyball net in front of the windows, that I realized that I might never have the opportunity to get the shot I saw in my imagination. So I decided to go back through my old images to see if just maybe, I could make due with one of them. I was shocked to find I had already taken my dream shot. How could I have missed seeing it the first time around? It was with excitement and pleasure that I worked and tweaked this image a bit to get just what I wanted. I think the image was there all the time, but now I was seeing it with new eyes. Sometimes I let my expectation for a perfect world get in the way of seeing what I already have.