Ellie started playing softball again for the first time in four years. Yesterday they had their first scrimmage, and next week they have their first real game and tournament.

June 1st, 2012 | Tags: Nikkor 70-300mm VR, nikon d7000, softball | Category: people | Comments Off on Ashland ASA softball

Laura and Lydia Rogers

I had completely forgotten about the opening act for Brandi Carlile and Ray LaMontagne until one of these images appeared as my random desktop background today.

The Secret Sisters @ Britt

I went to The Secret Sisters website to see what they are up to, and it looks like the site hasn’t been updated in six months. However, from their wiki page it seems they got one of their songs onto The Hunger Games soundtrack so you’d think that would be newsworthy.

Laura Rogers

May 31st, 2012 | Tags: britt festivals, music, nikon 18-200mm vr ii, nikon d7000 | Category: outside of ashland, people | Comments Off on The Secret Sisters

Floater @ Rogue Theatre - Grants Pass

This Friday (June 1, 2012), Floater is returning to Southern Oregon for a show in Klamath Falls on the OIT campus. I’m hoping to head on over the Cascades and catch the gig. Hopefully, the lighting will be better than it is at their usual location of the Rogue Theatre. When will Floater come to Ashland again? It has been about a decade since their last performance in Ashland.

May 30th, 2012 | Tags: floater | Category: outside of ashland, people | Comments Off on Floater Friday

SOU's Hannon Library at dusk

Back to school today after a long, holiday weekend. Many colleges and universities are already done for the school year, but SOU is on the quarter system which means another couple weeks of school.

May 29th, 2012 | Tags: campus, nikon d7000, Southern Oregon University, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon, trees | Category: only in ashland, places | Comments Off on Hannon Library at Southern Oregon University

Hyatt Lake - Southern Oregon

Today’s photo is from the side of Hyatt Lake opposite the resort side. Hence, you can frequently find yourself alone, as I did, in this location. Very tranquil and lovely… Something swam by me in the water soon after I took this pic. I followed to see what it was, but after a few dozen yards things got swampy and I could go no farther. I think it was an otter.

May 28th, 2012 | Tags: nikon d7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon, water | Category: nature, outside of ashland, places | Comments Off on Hyatt Lake

Southern Oregon pears

Today’s photo of pear blossoms was taken much earlier in the month. Now the pear trees are all green and the blossoms are long gone. In a few months they will be loaded with pears. I’ll have to take another visit to this same spot then for a photo of the pears on the trees.

May 27th, 2012 | Tags: bokeh, flowers, Nikkor 70-300mm VR, nikon d7000 | Category: nature | Comments Off on Macro pear blossoms

Ashland, Oregon panorama

Before last Sunday’s eclipse, I scouted out various locations for photo taking. I like this particular place for landscapes, but the view wouldn’t have looked much different during a solar eclipse so I took this photo* and moved on to ScienceWorks for the eclipse party instead.

You will see a lot more detail if you have a widescreen computer monitor, maximize your window, and then click on the image. To capture as much detail as possible (and not miss out on the amazing clouds) *I shot about 8 or 10 images vertically at 24mm (36mm equivalent as I have a crop sensor) and then photomerged them together for this very horizontal panorama.

From left to right, you can see Pilot Rock, Mt. Ashland, and Wagner Butte. This panorama covers nearly 180 degrees and pretty much all of the Siskiyou Mountain Range viewable from Ashland.

May 26th, 2012 | Tags: clouds, mt. ashland, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Lens, nikon d7000, panorama, pilot rock, siskiyous, wagner butte | Category: nature, only in ashland | Comments (1)

The SOU Chamber Choir, directed by Dr. Paul French, performs "Dirait-on" from "Chanson des Roses"

May 25th, 2012 | Tags: campus, music, soar, sou performances, Southern Oregon University, video | Category: only in ashland, people | Comments Off on More SOAR

Osprey at Hyatt Lake in Southern Oregon

As mentioned previously, I headed into the Cascades earlier this month to try and find a nest of bald eagles on the edge of Hyatt Lake. I found the nest, but ma and pa were nowhere to be found. There was one juvenile in the nest staring at me stare at him/her. After about an hour of this I was about ready to call it a day as it seemed I would have to wait forever for the white-headed parents to return. Suddenly, the juvenile stirred for the first time and made a little fly around. I captured today’s photo at the beginning of that moment.

May 24th, 2012 | Tags: AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E 1.7X II for Nikon, hyatt lake, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, wildlife | Category: nature, outside of ashland | Comments (1)