Outside Magazine picked up James’s shot for their 2010 Wall Calendar. Pick one up and in June of next year, a curious sea lion will be staring you in the face! Happy Holidays to all!

Outside Magazine's 2010 Wall Calendar
Our latest photos and travel updates!
Here’s a peak at some of the photos made on a recent rafting trip to the Salmon River in Idaho. We had about the same range in weather as we did in rapids- from sunshine to storms and from smooth calm water to adrenaline pumping rapids. It was an adventurous experience navigating the turns of the river in both a raft and an inflatable kayak. Sam Castaldo was a great guide and I’d ride with him any day! Enjoy the photos!

Kayak roll

Riding the Rapids

Splashing through rapids

Sunset at camp

River guide navigates the Salmon River

Kayaker heads downstream

Lightning strikes the Salmon River Valley

Paddling the calm currents

Waterproof snacks

Rocky river bottom landscape

The rapids are coming!

Hold on! Sammy navigates the white water.

Big Horn Sheep eating grass

Sunset over our sandy beach campground

Ahhh... this is Idaho!
Pick up the current October issue of Outside Magazine and see some of our photos. On page 10, you’ll find James’s amazing shot of Mobula Rays underwater. This shot was taken in the middle of the day so it should be really bright, but instead the rays have blocked out all the light. With this dense cloud of rays swimming overhead, James says it was like an eclipse!

Mobula Rays Eclipse
In a way different part of the world, here are a couple shots from Marfa, Texas. If you ever find yourself on the lone highways of West Texas, this artsy and eclectic town is a must!

Marfa, Texas
While on my way to Idaho last month for a river rafting trip I had a chance to stop at Lava Beds National Monument. The NPS.gov site describes it best:
Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 700 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you!

visitor emerges from Skull cave at Lava Beds National Monument

head lamps and flashlights are used to illuminate your path and the caves. Skull Cave

stairways have been put in place in some caves to ease your entry, Skull cave.

a family looking around in the bottom Skull Cave.

ice forms in the back of some caves where water is.

Sam expores the inside of Valentine cave which had these cool formations in the ceiling

painting with light in the cave became a routine, Valentine cave

this lava tube Valentine cave is completed illuminated by my lantern with a little help

another lava tube illuminated by lantern, Valentine cave
Here are some recent photos from a trip up to Bishop Creek Canyon in the Eastern Sierras. Even on a busy weekend, we were able to find an incredible campsite right next to Bishop Creek. We relaxed by the campfire and even caught some trout 10 feet from our site. We fished at Intake II and North Lake while making a kayak excursion on South Lake. We had incredible cool mountain weather and could see hints of fall colors. Enjoy!

Campground at night

Fishing for trout on South Lake

What are the trout biting?

Picking out a fly on South Lake

Kayaks on South Lake, Biship Creek Canyon

Kayaking on South Lake

Exploring South Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon

Fly-fishing North Lake, Bishop Creek Canyon

Fly-fishing a trout stream

Bishop Creek Campground at night (painting with light)
Our stock library is constantly growing. It’s always fun to come across images and rework them. After processing this one and looking at it more, the sky is amazing. The dock leading out to the huge storm cell can be interpreted in so many ways… This huge storm supercell grew quickly on the horizon of the Laguna Madre when we were fishing for redfish a year or two back on the Texas Gulf Coast. As the storm approached rapidly, James kept telling the guide, “one more, one more shot” and within minutes the storm blanketed the skies and turned day into what felt like night. Our guide, Freddie Lynch (the best guide down there) jetted to the nearest fishing camp and we ran for cover while the storm passed. Not the photos we were thinking we would get, but definitely keepers!
On a recent photo trip to Bodie State Historic Park, James took pictures along Highway 395. Stops included Owens Valley, Virginia Lakes, Mono Lake, the mountains above Bridgeport. Bodie is the largest ghost town in America with over 100 buildings that are in an ‘arrested decay.’ During the gold rush of 1879, it was once the second largest city in California behind San Francisco. James had special access to video and photograph the interior of many buildings as well! Check out the photos…

Sunset over the Owens Valley.

Mono Lake from the North

Mono Lake from the North

Inyo Mountains above Bridgeport, California.

Inyo Mountains above Bridgeport, California.

Bodie is a ghost town that resulted from the California Gold Rush.

The Standard Mine and Mill which yielded so much money, it caused the 1878 rush to Bodie.

The view north along Main Street including (L to R) the Dechambeau Hotel & Post Office, I.O.O.F. Hall, Miners Union Hall, and the Morgue which still has caskets inside.

The Campana House, Bodie

House of Lottie Johl, who begain her career as a 'lady of the night.'

Pearson Springs which may be the original site of the cabin of W.S. Bodey, one of the three prospectors who originally found gold here in 1859.