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Panoramas - various dates, locations and subjects

Panorama shots, utilizing 2+ photos for each. All are hand-held. DoubleTake software - a simple to use, inexpensive panoramic stitching program available online - was used for all of these. Images may be used for personal and non-commercial use, or as reference material for artists wishing to create their own original works in a different media. For commercial use, please contact me for pricing information and for a higher-resolution, print-quality file.

Apr 4, 2011

Photos: 47

Bisti Wilderness Area, New Mexico

mages of our hike through the BLM-managed wilderness area known as "Bisti Badlands", on Friday, January 28, 2011. Bisti [pronounced "BIS-tie"] is Navajo for "badlands". Located about 35 miles south of Farmington, NM, this seldom-visited area is a wonderland of fantastical hoodoos, mushrooms, balanced rocks and petrified wood. The siltstones and mudstones formed during the Cretaceous Period from swamps rich in organic material, and now form the white-gray and tan slopes and hills known as the Fruitland formation. Capped with much harder sandstones and seams of coal, these amazing sculptural forms are an example of "differential erosion", whereby the softer underling rock erodes much more quickly than the overlying rock. Eventually, the caps fall off, and the exposed tier of mudstone quickly erodes away. Despite its other-worldy and rather desolate appearance, this land is very fragile; a careless step could quickly destroy what it took Mother Nature millions of years to create.

Jan 29, 2011

Photos: 69

Andrews Lake snowshoeing

Andrews Lake, located off of Hwy 550 north of Durango, is a scenic lake located in the mountains of the San Juans. Its elevation of over 10,000' offers stunning views of the surrounding area, as well as fishing and popular hiking trails in the spring, summer and fall. In the winter, Andrews Lake and the surrounding forest is closed to all motorized traffic, but is a perfect venue for nordic skiing and snowshoeing. These photos are from a Jan 6 snowshoeing trip. Temperatures were in the 30's with no wind and brilliant blue skies.

Jan 7, 2011

Photos: 50

AZ Desert Wildflowers

Gallery of flowers taken in the Sonoran desert of southern AZ. Dates: Late March '10 - mid April '10

Jul 4, 2010

Photos: 112

Dragoon Mountains - southeastern AZ

Photos taken of the Dragoon Mtns, near Tombstone, AZ - see location on map.

Dec 30, 2009

Photos: 20

Leaf Portraits

Arrangements of fall leaves into portrait-type photos.

Nov 7, 2009

Photos: 33

Damn Yankees Cat Show

I love cats. Their sleek, graceful forms, fastidious and independant nature, and obsession with small, moving objects has allowed them to charm their way into my life for over 20 years. I've never owned a pedigreed cat, but have always been fascinated with the wide variety of phenotypes seen in domestic cats, even if it is not as variable as with dogs. So, when I saw the advertisment for this show - held about 2 miles away from my house - I knew I had to go, particularly since I have never attended a cat show before. It was quite interesting and I enjoyed it; most of the cat owners were more than willing to answer questions and share background information about their chosen breed and/or cats. Most were happy to let me take photos as well. I also took several photos of some of the judges as they worked through select classes. Where possible, I have included information supplied by the owners on their cat(s).

Sep 12, 2009

Photos: 71

Seascapes

Photos taken at Westerly, RI beach, on Saturday, August 22, 2009. High surf and dangerous currents were present due to Hurricane Bill, so we drove out to this beach - the closest open Atlantic water to where we live - to take photos and watch the waves. Lifeguards were patrolling the beach and warning people to stay out of the water, and most people were smart enough to take this prudent advice. As the afternoon turned to evening, more and more people showed up to watch. It is impossible to capture feeling and energy of the sea during a storm surf with just a few photos. Each wave is unique and lends its own identity to the collective experience. I took over 200 photos during the time we were at the beach. All were unique. For this album, however, I combed through and selected a range that I felt would give the viewer a good representation of the views and experience that day.

Sep 4, 2009

Photos: 25

Colorado Wildflowers

This gallery is dedicated to wildflowers (both native and introduced) taken in Colorado during our Aug. '09. trip. Many of the photos were taken along the Crater Lake trail, which is just north of Molas Pass along Hwy. 550, which runs north out of Durango. Identification of these flowers comes from _Wildflowers of Colorado Field Guide_, but Don Mammoser, Adventure Publications, Inc.

Aug 21, 2009

Photos: 162

Clouds and Land: from 20,000' and above

Clouds and cloudscapes have always intrigued me. Growing up in the southwest, dramatic and beautiful cloud formations were a regular occurance; mid-summer marked the onset of the monsoon season, which I've always loved. Our perspective of clouds is most often from the ground looking up...but what about looking down upon them, or at eye level? It is a rare treat to have such a spectacular view of clouds. During our recent trip back to the west/southwest, I was lucky enough to: a) have my camera handy; b) be seated in a window seat; 3) be at the perfect time and place to capture their ephemeral beauty. Occasionally, an interesting topographical feature or landmark will be present along the flightpath; where visible, I have identified the location.

Aug 12, 2009

Photos: 42

Grand Canyon, Little Colorado gorge - Aug '09

Photos taken during CO-AZ trip - it was GLORIOUS to be back to my beloved Canyon country from the monotony of the northeast! We stayed in Flagstaff for two nights, and took a day trip to the south rim of the Grand Canyon on Wed, Aug. 5. We drove up 89A, through Cameron, and stopped for some photos of the LC gorge. It was warm, hazy and monsoon clouds continued to develop throughout the afternoon, eventually culminating in rainstorms that hit the canyon. After first spending some time at a small vista overlooking Tanner Canyon at Desert View, we headed west along Rim Drive to Shoshone Point. An unmarked parking lot is the trailhead for an easy 20-min hike through the ponderosa pine/juniper forest to the point. Stormclouds continued to approach from the southeast. Later, at Bright Angel, we were jjust in time to see (and capture on film) a spectacular double rainbow arcing out of the canyon. Those photos were taken at the rim overlooking the Bright Angel Trail.

Aug 10, 2009

Photos: 23

Animal, bird and insects

Occasionally, I am lucky enough to have my camera (or quick access to it) when I cross paths with one of the many small creatures that share our world. Conditions for such photos are clearly limited and usually dictated by the animal rather than myself. Subsequently, I've ended up editing most of the photos to take them from a ho-hum original to an image that hopefully makes a more interesting composition.

Jul 17, 2009

Photos: 29

Nature Abstracts & Still Lifes

I've always been fascinated by textures, patterns, colors and objects found in nature, and the play of light and shadow on them. Sometimes random, like the surface of weathered sandstone or a bed of pebbles. Sometimes orderly, like the geometric Fibonacci spiral of a plant. Observed from afar, these are usually readily identifiable and part of a larger picture: landscape, tree or rock. Closer views bring both a clarity of detail and often lends ambiguity to the identity or scale of the subject. Nature also provides a never-ending supply of still life subjects that are largely unobserved or otherwise taken for granted, and I have found myself increasingly drawn to capturing their images as well. This gallery represents a variety of photos taken (and in some cases, cropped) to focus on the abstract and still lifes of nature.

May 29, 2009

Photos: 75

Flowers

Who doesn't love flowers? They delight the senses and have been cultivated, collected and admired by humans for centuries. Their ephemeral nature causes one to appreciate their beauty even more. Pictures are noted by location, date taken, and flower name, if known. Artists wishing to use any of these photos for reference may do so. However, I ask that you respect the following: 1) original photo image may NOT be sold; 2) please credit me for the source material for your artwork. Thank you for respecting these guidelines.

May 22, 2009

Photos: 177

The Field - four seasons

I love dramatic, sweeping landscapes, interesting topography and open space...preferably with little or no human presence clearly visible. Alas, there isn't much of that where I live in CT; in fact, it is pretty much the opposite of that. No mountains, and what land doesn't have conspicuous development is generally covered in an endless deciduous broadleaf forest. People born and raised here find it comforting; I find it clausterphobic and monotonous, and, quite frankly, not terribly inspiring. One thing that New England does have that I find intriguing are the stone walls that are found everwhere. Given that my eye is drawn to areas of open space and my fascination for these enigmatic rock walls, I have come across an area that appeals to me on both these merits. It is a large field containing some converging rock walls that is en route from a regular shopping area I go to. After driving past it almost weekly for almost 2 years, I decided to document the seasons in photos.

May 21, 2009

Photos: 86

Panoramas - Grand Canyon

Panorama composite photos taken of various locations on and below the rim of the Grand Canyon. Photos are shown in order from oldest to newest.

Mar 22, 2009

Photos: 17

Bisbee, AZ

Photos taken of this old mining town showing its fading and restored early 20th century architecture, homes on the hills, and enigmatic staircases. Residents add their eclectic touch via murals, decorated walls and building facades and bright colors. It's a town filled with eccentrics, lifestyle refugees and those that want to live in a friendly town off the beaten path in an ideal southwestern climate.

Mar 2, 2009

Photos: 93

Nelson

Photos of my cat, Nelson. Orphaned as a newborn, he was hand-raised by a dear friend whose bedroom the mother cat had brought her four kittens into a day before she disappeared. As a result, Nelson is one of those cats who loves everyone, and even people that don't like cats like him. In mid-November of '08, he was diagnosed with moderate chronic renal failure at 7 1/2 years of age, following a serious kidney infection. He has since recovered from that, but there is no cure for his kidney damage. He will require subcutaneous fluids for the rest of his life to help his body flush out normal metabolic byproducts, like urea, that his kidneys are not able to process on their own (kidney damage = inability to concentrate urine). Since his diagnosis, I've made a point of grabbing my camera when I can get photos of him which help to capture his personality. This ongoing portfolio will be a tribute to my beloved and precious feline companion.

Dec 31, 2008

Photos: 126

New England Fall Colors

Various landscape and abstract photos of fall foliage and plants in fall.

Nov 3, 2008

Photos: 161

Mystic Aquarium pics

Taken during October, 2008.

Oct 5, 2008

Photos: 108

South Kaibab-Grandview backpacking trip, GCNP

Photos taken on a 28-mile, 3 day/2 night trip taken in mid-October 2006.

Oct 20, 2006

Photos: 79

Colorado

Photos taken in Colorado during July '06 and late Sept. '07. The summer trip was in southwestern CO, including Mesa Verde, Durango, Engineer Peak and a hiking trail west of Silverton. Sept. '07 includes photos taken along Hwy 82, through Aspen, and Hwy 91, through Leadville.

Jul 15, 2006

Photos: 163

Southern Utah canyon country

Jun 8, 2006

Photos: 214

Nankoweap backpacking trip, GCNP

May 5, 2005

Photos: 50

Royal Arch route, GCNP

Apr 10, 2005

Photos: 99

Sonya Johnson
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