upsidetocrazy - Tumblr blog

[upsidetocrazy]

https://soundcloud.com/carlos-eliason/meander

[upsidetocrazy]

https://soundcloud.com/carlos-eliason/morning-coffee

[upsidetocrazy]

https://soundcloud.com/carlos-eliason/evening-noodle

[upsidetocrazy]

If you’re going to go to Mono Lake, you might as well hit up Bodie. That’s right, the abandoned ghost town you’ve always heard of, but never thought to go, since it is a bit off the beaten path. Just off HWY395, this point of interest sits inside a valley roughly 13 miles away from the main highway. A forewarning though, the last three miles of road are unpaved. My Ford Focus made it without any issues, but it was slow going. Once we did slave through gravel and dirt we were greeted with about 20 or 30 abandoned buildings from the old mining town, circa late 1800s. If nothing else, this is one for the cool factor.

A bit more touristy than I was expecting, there’s plenty of room to park, eat a lunch, even use the facilities. Everything is set up to be walkable, but not so polished that it feels like a Disneyland. I definitely enjoyed the textures, but sometimes other tourists got in the way. You can’t have everything sometimes. What I did managed was a few snapshots of derelict building. Who doesn’t love a good wood building who’s moisture has been sapped by sand over the years?

A dusty town full of dusty ghosts If you're going to go to Mono Lake, you might as well hit up Bodie. That's right, the…

[upsidetocrazy]

A drive down HWY395, through the twisted hills of California and Nevada high desert, leads you to an otherworldly valley. The maw of which expands from a 180 degree panorama. On my right, a view of the currently pithy Sierra Nevada mountain range. Normally flocked with snow, a historic drought steals the majesty of blinding white off these mountains. To the left, an expanse of rolling hills towards Nevada desert. Directly ahead, the brine of Mono Lake, brimming not with fish, but algae, insects, the occasional aves and of course, the rush of earth herself, salt, carbonate and water.

A blinding wave of soda deposit catches your eye first, since searing white upon a beige landscape tends to do that. Sodium bicarbonate, or commonly baking soda and in this form, nahcolite, breaches the shore of the lake. White hot deposits leave the encrusted earth a fine and powdery pale.

The smooth gradient of orange, to cyan, to blue sky, seemed one of the highlights of the trip. Rock formations linger just below the surface, as tufa hovers in the background.

The next morning saw the other side of the lake. Driving just 20 minutes from the small town of Lee Vining and you find yourself in a tufa forest; Mineral deposits leftover from a long recessed lake reveal climbing columns of everyday rock.

Though I was a little disappointed by overcast, the toxic colors of the lake still managed to spring out. Awash in a gray landscape, the greens and yellows of shrub of algae certain made a nice, if morbid, addition. Add to that a deeply muddled sky and surrounding desert landscape and I almost feel like I’m on some distant moon, rather than eastern California.

Is all that worth it? Yah, the drive from the central valley can get a bit long, and sure the lake gets pretty stinky (I’d hate to smell it during summer) but it sure got me out of a rut I’d been in the past few weeks. If anything, Mono Lake offers the surreal, a lovely escape from your ordinary. Walking around a forest of semi-ancient rock does wonders for the soul.

My suggestion, go during the off-season. Normal winters find this a somewhat tough place to get to. We found everything a breeze, the cheap hotel, the drive, and of course, the weather.

  The rush of earth herself – Briny shallows at Mono Lake A drive down HWY395, through the twisted hills of California and Nevada high desert, leads you to an otherworldly valley.

[upsidetocrazy]

Another feature on the #REI1440Project

Another feature on the #REI1440Project

Humbled again! So pleased to once again be featured on REI’s #REI1440Project. This time, my kayaking shot from Kailua, Hawaii got up front.

REI asked: Why do I love spending time outdoors? My answer was easy:

It changes you, it heals you, it teaches you things about the world in which you live. How small or large we can be, how much impact we’d like the have. It gives you the energy you put…

[upsidetocrazy]

Taking on some new assignments for a local magazine (more on that later) means I’ve got to upgrade to some light modifiers. I hate not having extra light on hand for paid gigs, and that leads to buying new gear, of course. I buckle down and grab myself some proper light stands, umbrellas, etc. Off to the delta to try out the new hardware!

First off, I’ve always been a softbox guy. Though my use of off-camera light tends to be pretty limited, I’ve always found softboxes to offer, what I consider to be, the most pleasing aesthetic. This go around I’m taking umbrellas for their ease of set up and also did I mention they’re easy to set up? For what I’ll be shooting, beer and a quick portrait, I only want a bit of fill light for a natural organic look. I hope.

Bonus points if you can guess the celebrity impersonation

All in all, a great experiment with the umbrella. Mia cooperated fully, a rare occurrence, and soft ambient light was working for me. Clouds were darn near perfect too. Now onto technicals…

My light was off axis in front about 45 degrees and near eye level. For those interested in the rough strobist info for most the above shots: Canon 5DMKii, f8, 1/160sec, ISO50 on a 24-105mmL. A LumoPro LP180 flash was firing at half power into a white shoot-through umbrella on top of a Manfrotto 7.7′ stand. I’ll consider this a success, now I can’t wait to shoot that beer!

Also, we couldn’t THIS have been our backdrop? Shot just as we were leaving…

Open sky, open shutter - Lighting equipment test Taking on some new assignments for a local magazine (more on that later) means I've got to upgrade to some light modifiers.

[upsidetocrazy]

It seems island getaways have been popular for me as of late. First Iceland, now Oahu, Hawaii. Yes, tourist destination for sure, though the real challenge for me is always finding the pretty in puckered-up places. Add to that the rat’s maze of figuring out how to condense one week of fun and a mere 64 GB of nearly 3,000 photos into one blog post…. I’ll be here all night. One thing is for sure, the best part of the trip was being able to stay in this gorgeous vacation home in Kailua, mere blocks from the beach. Heaven in a house really.

Clouds on fire – sunrise in Kailua

Being on the eastern side of Oahu, sunrise walks were a requirement. Some days we got lucky, others we didn’t. I’ve always been obsessed with clouds, and those that greet the sun always leave an impression. Layers of cotton candy, swiftly tumbling over each other, at any time of day, and I’m happy man.

Add to the insane sunrises a few hikes and you’ve got yourself a great start to the day. The first day we arrived, we got up early to greet the sun amidst derelict pillboxes. Crowds gather at the old concrete mini-bunkers quickly, so grab a seat early. Yes, getting up early can be hard, but I always find it worth it.

Moonlit walk at Kailua beach

It’s like the dream you don’t wake up from. Or, at least, the dream you wish you could stay in. A walk on a tan sandy beach. A bursting moon overhead, clouds filter above. Pockets of lunar rays hit the sand at your feet and yet, everything is vivid. Thick with color, your senses are tinged. The slight brine in the air, grain beneath your feet, warmth at your side and the unforgettable feeling, one that poets linger all too long about.

The part I find charming is that I constantly find myself at the apex of the moon’s cycle. Backpacking, traveling, whenever, seems the big silver ball of cheese in the night sky is following. Creepy/cool.

 Downpour at Makapu’u

You won’t always be blessed with great weather, even in Hawai’i, so you might as well enjoy it. A quick jaunt up to the lighthouse and viewing station was a perfect half-day trip for a rainy spout.

Once at the summit you’ll find a lot. More pillboxes to use as viewpoints, the lights house, a 180 degree view of the ocean, and several spots to sit back and enjoy the surroundings. What I loved was the bygone and abandoned feel. Remnants from the past century are lying around, so don’t take your eyes off anything.

Pacific water fun

Yes, it’s Hawai’i, so I’m going to have some fun in the water. Snorkeling and kayaking are a must, even if I hated the snorkel bit at first. It ended up not being bad at all, a big bathtub really.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay

In short…

A week is too soon, too short and sometimes too long all at the same time, especially when exploring some place new. Find a local, get the skinny on where the best fun bits will be. I still can’t believe my girlfriend and I were lucky enough to stay where we did, (seen below) but in the end I suppose it was a complete package of zen, sweat and lots of fun. Until next time…

Island color – Paint it on thick It seems island getaways have been popular for me as of late. First Iceland, now Oahu, Hawaii.

[upsidetocrazy]

I say there are three things to remember when one thinks about Iceland. 1. The people are friendlier than heck. 2. Don’t worry too much about the weather, it’ll do what you don’t want it to do, and; 3. See as many waterfalls as possible. If you don’t, I feel sorry for you.

Iceland has no shortage of water. Stuck between the arctic circle, and a warm, moist gulf stream, Iceland finds itself with an ever changing venue of weather. I didn’t believe it before, but after visiting, its crystal clear. The weather will change at any moment. Rain, wind, snow, sun, then over again with rain. And that water has to go somewhere. Why not make a delightful show for us tiny humans?

FOSS (Waterfall)

In my measly six days spent in a country whose magical Nordic secrets tend to seduce me even today, I witnessed only a few, albeit spectacular waterfalls. I can recall each with great detail but the one thing I remember most is the quiet whisper of all. Gone is the thunder and roar one expects from great curtains of water rushing from cliff above. Instead, a steady hiss freezes you, reminding one to take not and not forget the still ever-present power.

Even the mighty Gulfoss never yelled. Instead he clamored on, a low murmur amongst the hillscape. Sheets of gasping water drenched a gulch, spraying even those plenty far away. Fed by Iceland’s second largest glacier, I sincerely expected a show of pure power, but instead was greeted by serene grace.

Closer and closer. I gain speed, and as I do my clothing seeps with moisture. A cool arctic wind blows at my back, made worse by the mist of Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls. All worth it. I definitely wish I had more time at this one. Despite my soaked nature, the peace of water rushing past your head and into a dark pool below is like none other. The fun of having a very British lady ask you to take her picture with a water-laden iPhone makes it pretty memorable too.

The last light of a dying day. Rushing onward to see the waterfall Seljalandsfoss (say that three times fast) become a dangerous and delightful task. Walking up to a metal grate staircase, you see the cavernous hollow beyond this fall. Pushing forward and things get slippery. I could hardly see. A deep red sky contrasted perfectly with the stage lighting once I reached the backside of the waterfall. “The one you can walk behind” they all said. I prefer, “the one you could fall asleep behind, wake up, and forget that you’re on planet earth.”

Of course, these are only a small handful of the more popular, and easily accessible waterfalls in Iceland. ALL of these can be seen by the major tour companies, and yes, all of them are equally as magical, despite their popularity. If given the chance, I would go back in a heartbeat, just for the ‘foss.’

The earth-defying waterfalls of Iceland I say there are three things to remember when one thinks about Iceland. 1. The people are friendlier than heck.

[upsidetocrazy]

I needed to get out. What felt like an infection surrounded our city. A smoggy haze filled the air, and I was beginning to get cabin fever. Tule fog, as it is known settled in the valley and didn’t leave…

[upsidetocrazy]

wall of fall on Flickr.

[upsidetocrazy]

_MG_9790 on Flickr.

[upsidetocrazy]

karmosin on Flickr.

[upsidetocrazy]

hard freeze on Flickr.

[upsidetocrazy]

Scarlet - side on Flickr.

[upsidetocrazy]

murder on Flickr.

[upsidetocrazy]

withstand on Flickr.