Images in the Backcountry Blog » Nature http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog California Landscape, Nature, Wildlife and Inspirational Photography Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:04:19 +0000 en hourly 1 My Top 10 Pictures From 2011 http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/1224/my-top-10-pictures-from-2011/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/1224/my-top-10-pictures-from-2011/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:55:45 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=1224 It was a pretty slow year, photography-wise. I made a few trips to Yosemite, a few trips to the Merced NWR, one trip to the eastern Sierra to capture the fall colors. I visited a new location as well, the Great Valley Grassland near Gustine, CA. So with all of that, I thought I’d post my top 10 landscape, nature and black & white pictures from 2011. I’d love to here your comments!

In no particular order, but generally from earliest to recent…
Swirling Clouds Over Bridalveil Falls Fire in the Sky Orange Sky at Mono Lake First Light at Convict Lake Convict Lake Abstract Sticks I Morning Has Broken Trees Peaceful Morning Panoramic View of Lake Yosemite

If you’d like to buy one (or more) of these images, I listed them below for easy purchase.
1 – Swirling Clouds Over Bridalveil Falls
2 – Fire in the Sky
3 – Orange Sky at Mono Lake
4 – First Light at Convict Lake
5 – Convict Lake Abstract
6 – Sticks I
7 – Morning Has Broken
8 – Trees
9 – Peaceful Morning
10 – Panoramic View of Lake Yosemite

Happy New Year!

]]> http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/1224/my-top-10-pictures-from-2011/feed/ 3 Some New Images for Purchase http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/631/new-images-for-purchase/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/631/new-images-for-purchase/#comments Sat, 27 Nov 2010 03:12:41 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=631 I had some time today to update my website. I included 2 new Landscape photo and one new Nature image to my online gallery.

Small Cabin in the Woods
Fall Colors in the Mist
A Carpet of Colors

A Carpet of Colors

]]> http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/631/new-images-for-purchase/feed/ 0 Vacation and Fall Colors http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/617/vacation-and-fall-colors/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/617/vacation-and-fall-colors/#comments Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:22:52 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=617 For the past 3 weeks the family has been on vacation. Our first week was a school field trip to Washington DC, Gettysburg, NYC, Philadelphia and Baltimore….quite a journey. The next two weeks spent in the Pittsburgh area visiting my family. All and all if was a great trip and only took about 400 pictures the whole three weeks. Most were just snapshots of the kids and also the kids had their own cameras, so I didn’t take as many photos this time.

We got here in peak fall colors, so I really wanted to get some great shots. We saw some great colors has were were driving, but unfortunately, it was tough to pull over and get anything worth framing….too many buildings, roads and guard rails for my tastes…LOL!

While we were visiting my family, we took a short drive to visit the Bushy Run Battlefield. It actually took us 3 tries to finally visit the park. The first visit, it was closed. On the second try, the weather wasn’t cooperating and we didn’t have the time to stay, so we came back the next day when it was nicer.

There was a small park just before the Battlefield Park. This was from our second visit, while the skies were overcast and part raining….great op for pictures! I don’t have any info about this cabin, but I really like this. I would have include more room to the right, but there was a sign and it just didn’t fit the period!

Small Cabin

On the way back to the park, I had an opportunity to take these pictures. Route 993 isn’t the best location to stop and take pictures, but fortunately there was a wide spot that I could pull over without getting run over!

Fall colors along route 993.

Fall colors along route 993.

I’m still looking through photos, so I may post some more pictures later on this week. Thanks for looking!

]]> http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/617/vacation-and-fall-colors/feed/ 5 New Look and New Images for Purchase! http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/564/new-look-and-new-images-for-purchase/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/564/new-look-and-new-images-for-purchase/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:02:42 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=564 I decided change my website a bit. Since I’m a nature photographer, I wanted the site to reflect a more natural or outdoor look. I changed the color scene for a more earthy tone and I modeled the black and white photo, “Wintertime at the Tioga Lake in BW” as the top header. I used one of my archived “grass.gif” from my first backpacking website, Mike’s Hikes and Stuff and changed the color to fit the new scheme.

Wintertime at the Tioga Lake in BW

While I was changing the look, I added some new pictures to my online gallery:

Twilight on Mammoth Peak
Saint Catherine’s Church with Clouds
Liquid Gold
Frozen
Geometric Ice I
Geometric Ice II
Stalking Great Egret
Saint Catherine’s Church with Clouds in BW
View of the Kuna Crest in Black and White

]]> http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/564/new-look-and-new-images-for-purchase/feed/ 4 Great Blue Heron at Merced NWR http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/304/great-blue-heron-at-merced-nwr/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/304/great-blue-heron-at-merced-nwr/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:00:05 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=304 I’ve been trying to capture a Great Blue Heron (GBH), close up, for some time now. Every time I get closer they fly away. Yesterday I drove out to the Merced NWR, just because. Didn’t plan on getting anything, not even a sunset photo as there were no clouds. I just thought I’d drive the loop anyway. I see this guy sitting along the road….waiting for something. Since it was after sunset, lighting was getting bad, but who cares, right? As I usually do, I take a few photos, move closer (in the car) etc. I got pretty close….I was happy! I thought I’d try and get out of the van and get closer. Keep in mind I have to sit and scoot on my butt because of my legs. I got a few more shots and he flew away.

Great Blue Heron at Merced NWR

]]> http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/304/great-blue-heron-at-merced-nwr/feed/ 0 Tule Elk @ San Luis NWR, CA http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/289/tule-elk-san-luis-nwr-ca/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/289/tule-elk-san-luis-nwr-ca/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:48:55 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=289 While I was driving the loop at San Luis NWR, I finally saw a few Tule Elk close enough that my 300mm and 1.4x II could capture it. I still had to crop this to fill the frame though. Maybe next time the elk will be more cooperative!

Tule Elk @ San Luis NWR, CA

]]> http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/289/tule-elk-san-luis-nwr-ca/feed/ 0 Zumwalt Meadow http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/244/zumwalt-meadow/ http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/244/zumwalt-meadow/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:17:18 +0000 Mike Matenkosky http://www.imagesinthebackcountry.com/blog/?p=244 Took a day trip to Kings Canyon on Saturday with James. Unfortunately Michael wasn’t able to go. We drove out to Zumwalt Meadows and hiked the “mainly flat” 1.5 mile round trip around the meadow. Had to negotiate a couple of boulder fields, but I made it!

James left when we were done hiking, but since I drove 3 hours, I stayed until sunset.

Thanks for James for the great day and for giving me some of the photos of me.

Ansel Adams?
DSC_2291

DSC_2414

_MG_9240

_MG_9242

_MG_9250

_MG_9271

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