Budding Maple Leaf & Really Right Stuff Macro Rail

Budding Maple Leaf

Here's an image from my front yard.  I shot directly into the light with the Nikon 105 2.8 and extension tubes.  Taken on a tripod with a Really Right Stuff macro rail.  The macro rail lets me fine tune the focus without having to move the tripod which makes close-up/macro photography much easier.  You can even stack two macro rails to fine tune the left and right axis in addition to the fore and aft...  Cool stuff but much harder with moving subjects like mayflies.

Silver Creek Wild Flowers And Current Sun Valley Conditions

Upland Larkspur--Taken at The Silver Creek Preserve With The Nikon 105 2.8 Lens

I drove down to Silver Creek yesterday and spent the morning shooting.  The skies were gun-metal gray and it rained on and off lightly.  Raptors were perched here and there on fence posts and telephone poles.  The soil was damp and it finally smelled like early summer despite the cool, wet weather.  There was not much going on in the way of hatches--I was hoping to see a few baetis or PMD's.  It really feels like everything is almost two weeks later this year.  The Big Wood water flow has essentially dropped to half the flow of 4 days ago--it's roughly 1,000 cfs at the moment with about 3 feet of clarity.  That won't last for long though...  By next week the daytime highs are supposed to be in the 70's and depending on how warm it stays and for how long and how warm/cold our overnight lows are will tell the story of just how big the Wood will get this year.  Add to that a little rain and well, we'll just see.

The Big Lost has DROPPED back down to 214 cfs.  Again, that could change any day but at the current level it should be nothing short of stellar!

The one promise of Summer, though, that I discovered walking around the Nature Conservancy were a few of the wildflowers which had emerged here and there.  Phlox and Bluebells & Upland Larkspur littered the trail from the cabin down to Silver Creek.  The light was perfect for wildflower close-ups.  Here are a few more...

Upland Larkspur

Phlox

Bluebells

Bluebells 2

Underwater Jellyfish Footage

Monterey Bay from nick price on Vimeo.

 

 

Here's a short piece I shot in Monterey a week or so ago.  I used A Go Pro video camera and Eye Of Mine Housing and mounted the camera on a boom and stuck it underwater...  I have lots to learn but it's a fun process and a memory eating process as well.

On the fishing front here, the only thing going at the moment as far as moving water goes is the Lower Lost which is still really really good.  Watch the water level if you are thinking of heading over as it should come up quite a bit in the next two weeks.  The cold weather has knocked the Big Wood flow from around 2,000 cfs down to 1,500 cfs over night.  Cold weather is forecast for at least the next 3 or so days and should delay runoff even more.  It snowed in Ketchum two nights ago and yesterday as well...

Big Lost River In May And More...

Lots to post here...  Here are 3 images from a recent day on the Big Lost River.  The water flow is about 445 cfs at the moment and could any day go beyond fishable.  It's still clear though and enough baetis to make the purist smile.  The moody skies of May are here too.  Probably my favorite month of the year to shoot.  Clouds and contrast and sometimes thunderstorms and wind and snow up high and budding trees and the prevalent cottonwood stench by the water.  We are FINALLY starting to see some green on our trees and the recent warmer temps--supposed to get a bit moody again through the week--have brought our freestone water much higher.  The Big Wood is blown and flowing at the moment just under 2,000 cfs.  Should be a substantial runoff year. 

Big Lost River Rainbow

 

I was just asked by a talented Swiss fly casting instructor, Christopher Rownes, for my permission to use a few of my images on his site.  It's a great site with lots of underpublished black & white images.  Black & white is so many things yet infrequently used commercially in the fly fishing world.  It's without a doubt my favorite medium.  Check out his site and a few of my images along with plenty of other great images HERE. 

On another note, and an inspirational one too, I just came across an incredible slideshow of underwater wave photography.  It's really a must see as it's evocative and captures moments most never see.  It's called The Underwater Project and it's by Mark Tipple.  Here's the Link: The Underwater Project

Waves & Sky & The Alma Rosa Winery

Image taken from a boat launched from the Monterrey harbor.  This rock and wave was about 1/2 mile offshore...

I spent an afternoon wine tasting near Buellton, CA.  The image above was taken at the Alma Rosa Winery which is a favorite of mine.  The setting is spectacular and the buildings are humble yet tastefully done.  The wine speaks for itself...

Alma Rosa Moment

 

A view into the Alma Rosa tasting room


 

A Rose Study

Rose Petals.  Black & White

Rose Study 1

Rose Study 2

Rose Study 3

Rose Study 4

Rose Study 5

 

All of the above images taken in Santa Barbara, CA with the Nikon 105 2.8 lens.

Color Eyes Pro & Monitor Calibration

Silver Creek Trumpeter Swan


I have been having a very difficult time for the last year or so trying to get exactly what I see on my iMac monitor and a print to look precisely the same as far as luminance and color go.  Sounds easy...  Well, after doing quite a bit of research and after biting the bullet, about $300, I just bought and installed Color Eyes Pro.  The installation and calibration is moderately easy.  The directions could be much better and offer better guidance.  But, after finishing calibration and then comparing a few prints today to what my monitor showed I am very happy.  Most older iMac screens do not offer the ability to lower the brightness (luminance) enough. Many of my prints were turning out too dark and then I would need to re-edit.  Not an ideal situation.  In any event, if your prints are not turning out how you would like or if you know you need monitor calibration then I highly recommend Color Eyes Pro.  I will save many many hours as a result of having a properly calibrated monitor.

Spring Flowers

The above crocus showed itself in my garden a few days ago.

 

 

Images taken with the Nikon D200 and the Nikon 105 2.8 lens. 

Big Lost River

 

I fished the with these two brothers on the Lost the other day and their stoke to be on the river was very evident which made for a memorable day.  Total enthusiasm and even toward each other.  The above image sums up the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Stoke"

Clouds, A Fencepost & The Big Lost River

"Thunderhead"

"Fencepost"



"Fencepost" is a freelensed image taken with the Nikon 105 2.8 lens.

Still a COLD and wet Spring here but if you are intent on good dry fly fishing, now might be the best time of the year on the Big Lost River.  The water level is about 288 cfs and from roughly 11:30 AM to 4 PM the midge and baetis madness erupts.  Cloudy days have been far better.  It really is a treat to have a great Spring tailwater fishery in our backyard open.  With steelhead season in full swing, many are focused on the Salmon River and have forgotten about the trout thing.  Should be great stuff on the Lower Lost until the water levels go way up sometime in mid to late May.

Salmon River Steelhead

 

 

 

 

More images from Stanley, Idaho.  The warmer weather finally has brought the Salmon River up a bit and I suspect it will continue to go up until at least Tuesday when the overnight low is supposed to be back in the teens...

On another note, I recently licensed an image to Orvis.  It is a brown drake shot and is being used as a header on their fly fishing web page.  You can check it out HERE.

Salmon River

Female Steelhead

Old Cabin.  Stanley, Idaho

Salmon River

Salmon River

 

We are in the middle of our steelhead season on the Salmon River near Stanley.  Lots of cold and wet and snowy weather so far...and as payday, steelhead too.  The water level should finally make a bump later this weekend as high temps are looking to migrate to at least the mid-forties.  Any small bump at this point should really get things going as more fish will likely move upstream and other runs will become fishable...