Me and my Cheetah

Me and my Cheetah were in the wild spending time together. It was fun.

I walked with her until she saw a rabbit and took off. She came back to show me her prize and then left. I never saw her again.

I love Botswana! It was the greatest way to spend my Christmas. I'll be back in the States soon and will get back to work on my new website.

https://www.artoflightphotogallery.com/

https://500px.com/baroness

I and Cheetah Bring Holiday Greetings from Botswana

Me with My Beautiful Cheetah Friend  Enjoying the Bush Lands of Botswana

This is my first Christmas in Botswana and I'm having a fantastic time!

While visiting the Bush this holiday, I made a new Cheetah friend.  We have been sharing the festive season together.  As you can see, we are enjoying the moment in Botswana's lush green country, blanketed in the crisp light of day.

Everything is so fresh in Botswana.  It is like Heaven on Earth!  A paradise.  There is nothing else like it.

From heavenly Botswana, we wish you and yours, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Artist Statement

Sacred Land, Sacred People

ART OF LIGHT PHOTO GALLERY - New Website Launching Soon!

I'm updating my portfolio and preparing to launch my new website: 

Art of Light Photo Gallery

Keep checking back for updates!

https://artoflightphotogallery.com

It was a stormy day at convict Lake, bad weather paints beautiful pictures. I got soaked; it was worth.
Photographers always look for drama to right a story.  Beautiful, Beautiful morning at Mono Lake The water was emerald green and clouds took my breath away.  It was so calm and no one was around the lake but me.

Winter is here again. Love the snow everything looks so beautiful.
Sea was frozen and covers with snow so dramatic and freezing cold.

Mono Lake, CA, USA

Early morning light was perfect 9am and no people.  Just me and the lake, clouds were puffy water was emerald color,.  It was so quiet I felt like I was on Fantasy Island.

Chobi National Park

Dancing Cranes in winter storm JAPAN

FOGY EARLY MORNING SEA EAGLE

MONGOLIA DUBBLE HUMP CAMEL HIGHWAY

WIPE OUT CAPTURED IN BROKEN WAVE

Wipe Out!  And I caught it.

I never have to journey too far for me to add drama to my adVentures.

IN PERFECT BALANCE - SURFING IN CALIFORNIA

This was the surfer's moment of balance, gliding on the waters.  He was so perfect.  And the water was a perfect mixture of green and blue.

When the surfer finished his ride, he went back for more fun but got caught in a big wave that seemed to smash him and sent him flying into the churning water.

WALL OF ICE - YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA U.S.A.

YOSEMITE, ICE AND ME!

CHEETAH IN BLACK AND WHITE

ELEPHANT FAMILY IN AFRICA

I love this shot!  The little baby elephant standing so perfectly still... facing me while its mother watches over her baby.  

I've been experimenting with Black and White.  The texture is so great on the front elephant.  I can feel the weight of the ears.  The shadow makes an outline around them.  Like someone took a pencil and traced them.

MONGOLIAN CAMELS CLAIM THE HIGHWAY

You never know what you're going to see when you leave your home and have an adventure...!

These camels decided that they wanted to walk on the local highway rather than the dirt road.  

When I went to take the shot, it was like they were posing for me.  

I get that a lot with animals (the posing for a picture) no matter where I am.  It is almost like we are talking the same language and have an agreement in that moment....  

YOUNG BOY COMPETES IN MONGOLIA CAMEL RACE

I love this shot.  It speaks for me!

CAMEL RACING IN MONGOLIA

Winter Camel racing in Mongolia - another treat for the eyes!  I'm so glad I made it to this country.  It was cold but the people warmed my heart.

Me and My Camel

I've ridden camels before, but never in Mongolia.  I've waited 5 years to make this trip.  The weather was perfect this year and everything fell into place to go... so, I went!

Mongolia 2019

 

EAGLE COMPETITION - MONGOLIA

The Golden Eagle Festival and competition was just amazing.  Such passion!  Such skill!  I loved every second of it.  I've never seen anything like it.

When I wasn't in the tribal community, I was in the capital, Ulaanbaatar.  I saw the ballet at The National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Mongolia.  I had great seats and it was a wonderful performance.  I also saw two theatrical performances - both excellent.  I highly recommend seeing at least one opera and ballet performance when you visit Mongolia.  

MONGOLIAN EAGLE HUNTER

Mongolia was fascinating.  I could be away from the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and feel like I stepped back in time hundreds of years.  The indigenous people were so friendly.  I stayed with a family.  Boy, do they work hard!  

Every morning the food was prepared fresh.  It was delicious.  But a lot of time and labor to put it all together.  I have such respect for the family and community I stayed with during my trip. 

Like Out of a Movie

3 MUSKETEERS & BIRDS

Shooting in Mongolia was like being in a fantasy in a fantastical land.  The journey was a trip of a lifetime.  I waited so long for the adventure and it was worth it!

I posted many of my photos on 500px:  https://500px.com/baroness

Fierce Competition

EAGLE HUNTER READY FOR COMPETITION

The hunters and their birds of prey are magnificent.  Like kings in the desert.

EAGLE HUNTER COMPETITION

MONGOLIA's RED FLAMING CLIFFS

The colors and textures of the terrain were unbelievable.  

You can see the sun light painting the ridges in the background and just touching the tops of the foreground.  It was a magical moment.

The Fountain of Youth...

IF ANYONE CAN CLIMB HERE THEY LIVE FOREVER AFTER

I'm standing on a river of ice under a waterfall.  The climb was exhilarating!  I love Mongolia!

CHINA'S SHAKING CAVE - A MOMENT TO REMEMBER!

I walked to the mouth of the cave with my guide.  I looked ahead and saw drama... I love an adventure.

I was expecting to enter the cave with my guide but she refused to go any further and stayed behind as I walked past her.  I didn't know why she was afraid to go with me.  She said nothing of the potential danger. Besides, the location was inviting me to explore it.  And so, I kept walking.

I was mesmerized by the lighting and texture of the cave which kept me walking farther inside until I realized that I was all by myself.  I stopped. "Boy, this is so perfect," I thought.  "Here I am with my tripod and no people!"

I started setting up for a shot.  My camera readied on the tripod when all of the sudden, the ground started shaking.  I had no clue how big the quake was.  I was inside the mountain; it surrounded me above, below and on both sides.  It was so solid that it muffled the sound of the moving earth - it was just me and my camera trying to stand still.  I was shaking and my camera was shaking.  And I didn't know where to go.  I didn't know how far I was in the cave.

This was a moment to remember.

When everything became still I remained where I was.  Shortly thereafter, the guards found me and immediately escorted me out of the cave.  When I found my guide, I asked her, "Why did you let me in?"  She didn't have an answer.  I fired her on the spot and hired a ride back to the city.

Later I found out that the earthquake was so big that the local tribes were badly affected.  I was lucky to have been inside the cave because it was very safe.  Yes... it was another solo magic moment!

Southern California Desert in January

From the Death Valley... blown in the wind.  I was all alone early morning.  Not a soul.  Me, the dunes and the wind.  

The wind was blowing so hard that I could not even use a tripod to shoot.

THE SHADOWS

One of my favorite places to shoot is in the desert of Southern California.  I never get tired of the possibilities.

BLOWN IN THE WIND

Although I love to shoot in Death Valley, my mind was in the desert of Mongolia and my upcoming trip.