Focal points june 2016 by John Nilsson

Focal Points

Sierra Club Camera Committee Newsletter June 2016

The Greatest Wildlife Show On Earth

We’ve watched the lions of the Disney movie “African Cats” pass within a foot of our vehicle in one of the most spectacular sightings we’ve ever had. An adult bull elephant once visited me in an outdoor shower and after I raced into the tent to retrieve my camera and set up to take some photos, the big bull came so close he actually touched my Canon 5D II with his trunk (about that time I quickly retired back into our tent.) Later I watched as this lone bull frolicked in a river using his trunk as snorkel.

The African bush is unlike any place on earth—it is absolutely magical. At the same time it is raw, unpredictable and without remorse,

Words cannot convey the physical sensation of having every organ your body vibrate when a big male lions roars and you’re sitting in a vehicle just twenty feet away. It’s a sound that cannot be replicated—only experienced. It’s primal, guttural and the most terrifying sound I’ve ever heard.

In one heart rending experience, we witnessed two lionesses defend their three cubs against a rival pride of lions. We were 35 feet away and will never forget the sound and fury of that encounter, nor can we forget the protective and determined lionesses as they charged into the rival pride to defend their offspring. The emotion of that experience remains with me today. My wife and I were transfixed watching the drama unfold as one of the lionesses took on twelve of the rival pride. I couldn’t even lift my camera—this was a real as it gets. The lionesses successfully defended their cubs but one of them was fatally mauled in the battle. Expect the unexpected in the African bush.

I’ve been blessed with the time and resources to travel there numerous times and have experience many great sightings. We’ve seen a leopard spring from a tree to take down an impala, wild dogs pull a wart hog from its den, a coalition of cheetahs sprint to a kill, and lions bring down zebras and wildebeests.

When deciding what to write about for this newsletter, I chose a subject many consider to be the great-

We’ve watched elephants shield an hourold calf, ostrich whelps emerging from their shells, three white rhinos at a water hole just meters from where we were eating dinner. And once while in a makuro (a small canoe type African boat) a hippo rushed out of the water mouth agape with tusks bared just feet from us (yes, it frightened the heck out of me.)

est wildlife spectacle on earth—the annual wildebeest migration, where two million animals migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya from July through October each year. Recently, the event has been dubbed one of the “Seven New Wonders of the World,” and why not—it is magical, powerful, and in every way, indescribable. Nowhere on earth is there a movement of animals on this scale as is the wildebeest migration

The migration begins in the Serengeti in Tanzania and continues onto the Maasai Mara in Kenya. We happened to be on the Kenyan side of the Mara River for the crossing and therefore fortunate to have the animals moving towards my camera, rather than away from it. The goal of the migrating animals is twofold—to get to greener pastures and to stay alive. When the wildebeests, accompanied by a smattering of zebra cross the Mara River the real action begins. But first they must get by the 3

waiting crocodiles that know the yearly pattern and who wait patiently for their feast. Then if they’ve successfully crossed the Mara River they will be hunted, stalked, and run down by lions (perhaps the largest density of lions on earth) leopards, cheetah and occasionally, hyenas. An interesting aspect of the migration is its unpredictability. It’s not unusual for herds to be as large as 15,000 animals. Normally, they’ll approach the Mara River cautiously where a few males will venture down to the water’s edge. But wildebeests being wildebeest (these mammals are not the sharpest tools in the box) the trailblazers will “check out” the area and hold in position before attempting to cross. Sometimes they’ll delay 10 minutes; other times they’ll delay crossing for hours, which means every photographer must carry in their camera bags the one item that cannot be purchased at B&H Photo—Patience! As one would imagine, the spectacle draws visitors from all over the world as well as safari guide companies both professional and grossly amateur. Once, a “safari van” (and that’s using the world loosely) drove right up to the water’s edge just as the first few wildebeests entered the water, and that’s all it took. The animals were spooked and in a matter of seconds the herd literally disappeared back across the plains to look for another crossing point. Sometimes as many as a 100 vehicles wait for the animals to cross. So imagine waiting from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM with five or six hundred of your closest friends, lined up inches from each other in as many as three rows of vehicles only to discover the animals were spooked and never crossed. Spending 12 hours under the blazing sun with no facilities whatsoever can be exhausting. And if ya gotta pee, you can do it in the space between the two vehicles with a dozen other tourists looking on. Which begs the question - do I really want to return the next day chancing getting skunked again or should I go off and see dazzles of zebra, journeys of giraffe herds of elephants and lion prides—you can only do one or the other. This last year my wife and I were fortunate because in an 8-day period we witnessed 10 separate crossings, one of which contained as many as 10,000 animals—WOW! Space limits me from describing these scenes further, but suffice it to say, that if you have the chance to witness this spectacle, do it, and do it now, because the Africa that exists today will not likely be there tomorrow. Quote of the day: “Africa was once a sea of animals and islands of people—today it’s a sea of people, with islands of animals”

Sierra Club Camera Committee June 2016 Meeting When:

Monday, June 13, 7:30 PM

Where:

Felicia Mahood Center 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., West LA

What:

This month we will be conducting a Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Show! All members are encouraged to bring up to10 examples of their best photographic work to show to the membership.

Format:

Either print or digital media. Plan to arrive early at the hall to set up your prints or to provide your digital photos to the moderator for inclusion into the slide show.

All digital media must be submitted on a thumb drive. NOTE: Please be certain ONLY the file of photos you want to show is on the thumb drive. This will speed up the process. Photos should be at least 5MB in size so that they will show properly on the screen. We will provide display tables for those who would like to provide print media of work . Expect to give a short personal presentation on your submissions to the group.

Please Note:

Since we are not having a speaker this month, there will not be a Meet and Greet at Jin Giang Restaurant.

Out in the Back Yard

....John Nilsson

There are an amazing variety of photo opportunities availed by this rich and vibrant City of Los Angeles.

These photos were taken just a few miles north of my home in DTLA under the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena. Here you can find some beautiful trails winding through heavy tree cover next to the Arroyo Seco River (currently a drizzle). It is easy to justify driving 6 hours to photograph Death Valley or Big Sur. A Sunday afternoon was all it took to record these photos and a car pool saved gas!

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June 2016

2016 SCCC OUTINGS/EVENTS Front Page Photo Credit:

West Watterman Wildflower Hike

Saturday, June 4, 2016 - 9 AM Carole Scurlock, Steve Anderson

Butch is a new member of SCCC and lives in Edwards, CO. He is a retired Insurance Executive who teaches Photography at Colorado Mountain College and writes a column in The Vail Daily Newspaper. He has traveled extensively in Africa and throughout the world.....and always has his trusty Canon at his side. --------------------------

West Waterman Wildflower Hike from Three Points to the Incense Cedar Meadow: 7 mi, 1500’ gain. We’ll take a slow-paced walk along the West Waterman Trail looking for wildflowers, with plenty of time for identification and photography. There are a couple of rare plants along this trail – the San Gabriel Linanthus and Johnston’s Monkeyflower, and often some stream orchids and early lilies in the Incense Cedar Meadow. Meet 9 am at LC rideshare with 2 quarts water, lunch, and lugsoles.

If you would like to send in a front page photograph and accompanying article for consideration, please send photo IN PORTRAIT CONFIGURATION. Size 11.5” on long side by 9” on short side. Minimum density of 10mp and Resolution of 300dpi.

Co-sponsored by the Natural Science Section, Pasadena Group and Camera Committee. Leader: Ginny Heringer. Assistant leaders: Carole Scurlock, Steve Anderson.

Please Send to:

dtlanow@gmail.com New photographers are selected as often as possible. Questions on how to size your cover photo submission to fit are welcome.

SIERRACLUB CLUB ANGELES ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE SIERRA CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June MAY2016 2015

Member Announcements John Nilsson, Editor, writes: Your contributions to the newsletter - both written and pictorial - are important! I view the Focal Points as by and for the membership of the Sierra Club Camera Committee and I can only continue to provide a fresh and interesting newsletter if I receive lots of new content each month.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure you are all out there shooting!

I look forward to your contributions and remind you of one overriding concept: This is your publication - anything you present to me that is appropriate to the Sierra Club Camera Committee will be published in Focal Points. Keep â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em coming! Thanks!

Steve Anderson Writes:

PLEASE NOTE: ALL MEMBERS

Steve Anderson, the current chairperson, once again is reminding members that he wants to give up this position to someone else and move on. If you are interested in leading the Camera Committee, please click on the following link on the Angeles Chapter Volunteer Connection page: http://clubvolunteer.org/position_ view?position=173 or email Steve at the address on the last page of Focal Points. If a replacement cannot be found before the end of 2016, the position will become vacant and may effect the Camera Committee in a negative way. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. To read the liability waiver before you participate on an outing, go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June 2016

Member Announcements, continued

Bevery Houwing writes: I’m on my way to Africa today and will miss the next couple of meetings. I hope you can include this in the next couple Focal Points so SCCC members can plan to attend… Beverly Houwing will be the guest speaker at the Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles on Thursday, June 23, 2016. Having visited all seven continents in 2015, she will share photographs and stories of her travels from this and other adventures around the world. Here is the program: Social Hour: 6:00 to 6:30 P.M. Dinner: 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Presentation: 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. Before the presentation, plan to have dinner with us at this private club, located north of Downtown Los Angeles, meet the members and see their amazing collection of unique memorabilia — including a 30,000 year old mastodon skull and an authentic shrunken head!! Check out the many items that members have contributed over the years. The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles is located at: 2433 North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031 Here is a link for more details about the presentation on the Adventurers’ Club website: http://www.adventurersclub.org/calendar/jun2016.php#d23 For reservations, members please leave your name and the number in your party by midnight Tuesday of the week you plan to attend. If you are a guest and want to join us for dinner, please call and leave your name, number in your party, and contact telephone number. This is a Ladies Night so this event is open to everyone. Consider yourself invited!! Members and guests (Dinner & Program): $22 per person For dinner reservations, please call (323) 223-3948 All questions about the Club or its programs can be directed to President@adventurersclub.org. Thanks very much! Beverly Houwing beverly@squidgallery.com 11

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June 2016

Member Announcements, continued

Joan Schipper Writes: We Want Your National Parks Photos and YOU! We want you and your national parks photos for a Camera Committee Project. Please join us – or at least send us some images!

Several years ago a group of Camera Committee members devoted images, time and talent to create a program we titled IMAGES OF THE WEST. The program was originally conceived as an introduction of our Angeles Chapter CamCo to the New York City Sierra Club Photography Committee, but it became our introduction to the Angeles Chapter, too. The finished program included music scored just for the show and excellent narration by John Boyle. The show went to NYC and came back to travel around the LA Basin to numerous Sierra Club groups. Now, with the National Park Service anniversary celebration in full swing, the CamCo leadership thinks a fresh program with a focus on National Parks would be an excellent contribution – and a fine new calling card for us. So we are calling for your best National Parks images and if they show the hand of the National Park Service more’s the better. Also, we welcome all interested members who want to contribute to the production, i.e. to discuss the theme, logistics, presentation and organization of the project. If you are interested in being involved in this effort, please contact Joan Schipper and John Boyle at CamCoNPS@gmail.com. Thanks in advance for your anticipated contributions of talent and photography.

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

Member Announcements, continued

June 2016

Allan Der writes: This looks like fun!

Announcing: July 30th, 2016 Lonely Speck Meetup at Trona Pinnacles, California On July 30th, 2016, Lonely Speck is traveling to Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark in California for a night of camping and astrophotography. Wanna join us?

The Banning Ranch Conservancy writes: PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR A VIDEO ABOUT THE BANNING RANCH INITIATIVE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0rYp2jtXsw&feature=youtu.be

If you have an idea for a trip that the Camera Committee might like to plan for, tell a leader. They are always open to ideas of new places to go, new places to shoot. See the end of the newsletter for a list of contact information for the leaders. 13

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June 2016

SIERRA CLUB’S LEGACY IN YOSEMITE NEEDS OUR SUPPORT

Many Camera Committee members may not be familiar with a facility the Sierra Club has

operated for over 100 years in Yosemite Valley (across from Housekeeping Cabins). The original building was built in 1903-04 as a memorial and served as the first Visitor Center before Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove became part of the National Park in 1905. It’s notable that Ansel Adams was the building’s curator from 1920-1924 after the structure (above) was re-constructed by the Club in 1919. Note, the building was recently renamed (along with other park facilities) and is now called the Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center. It was formerly called LeConte Memorial Lodge. The building is currently open to the public from May 1 thru September 30. It is staffed by Sierra Club volunteers and managed by a paid Sierra Club staff member who is both the curator and volunteer coordinator (Today, and for the past 14 seasons, curator is Dr. Bonnie Giesel, a John Muir scholar). On Friday and Saturday evenings, programs are presented featuring guest speakers. Camera Committee member Jeremy Evans has been a presenter for the past few years. During the day, visitors may learn about the Club’s history and early conservation leaders. In addition, there is an educational play space for children, and a large reference library with books covering a wide range of topics related to the Park’s history, geology, plants, and animals.

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June 2016

Over the years, the facility and the interpretive program have been been financially supported by a mix of donations and Sierra Club unrestricted funds (allocated by the Club Board of Directors). Late last year, as part of this year’s budget process, the Board voted to abandon the program and to return control of the building to the Park Service. In March 2016, this decision was revisited and the Board agreed to fund the program for 2016. The Board has not agreed to fund the program beyond 2016. Instead, the 100 or so Sierra Club volunteers, who staffed the program over the past 14+ years, have been asked to raise a huge amount of money to create an endowment to fund the program into the future. More details given below. Note, if the overall goal of nearly $3 million is not met, all of the funds will be returned to the donors. As Club members, this is the only way we can ensure the Club will continue to honor and celebrate it’s history as the current Board clearly does not value this legacy. I am asking each member to make a contribution as you are able. I am pledging $500. If you have friends who support the Club and have the means, please ask them to consider supporting this effort in a big way. Since this program is an educational effort, all donations are tax-deductible. To learn more and donate online, visit: http://vault.sierraclub.org/leconte/ To donate by check, please write “Restricted to LeConte Memorial Fund” in the memo line and make payable to: The Sierra Club Foundation. Mail to: The Sierra Club Foundation 2101 Webster St, Suite 1250 Oakland, CA 94612 Thank you, Peter Mason

Do you know anyone who would like to become a member of the Sierra Club Camera Committee? We are seeking new members to share their outdoor experiences and photographs. If you have a friend or acquaintance whom you feel would benefit from and add to our membership, please ask them to join us at our next meeting. Membership only costs $15.00 per year! A tremendous value for certain.

More members - More to share 15

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

This Month’s Member Photos

Harvey Freed Trip to Tuweep

June

2016

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

This Month’s Member Photos continued

Larry Miller

I took both during a recent trip to Big Sur

with the SCCC. The elephant seals were photographed from a vista point just south of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. The above photo was taken at Weston Beach in Point Lobos State Reserve.

June 2016 ....Larry Miller

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

This Month’s Member Photos, continued

June 2016 .....Helmut Hafner

WHOOPER SWANS WINTER VISITORS OF JAPAN Whooper Swans are quite numerous winter visitors to the northernmost island of Japan-–Hokkaido. There are several places in Hokkaido where Whooper Swans can be found—one of them is Lake Kussharo. Lake Kussharo is a caldera lake in the Alan National Park of eastern Hokkaido . The lake is on the migratory path of the whooper swan and has become a favored place for photographers to visit. In Japan, these magnificent birds find sufficient food to survive safely over-winter and gather in flocks of dozens, even hundreds at many locations. At some of those sites, volunteers provide food that attracts these intriguing birds. Few birds, other than perhaps Red-crowned cranes and Steller’s sea eagles, can claim to draw so many photographers from across the world to Japan in winter. Whooper swans pair for life, and their cygnets stay with them all winter. With a wingspan of 22.1–25.0 in, they are a magnificent site during flight The yellow markings on their bill are like human fingerprints; they are all different. Each individual bird can be recognized by their bill pattern. Whooper Swans are usually unafraid of humans and will take food directly from a human’s hand, this happens mainly during the winter when food is scarce. Their friendliness has drawn crowds of people and tourists who come to admire their beauty and signature whooping calls. If you want to photograph Whooper Swans in winter conditions – Hokkaido is the place. Some luck with the weather, a cold morning, good snowfall and beautiful sunsets may help. ......Helmut Hafner

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

This Month’s Member Photos, continued Whooper Swans, continued:

June 2016

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE This Month’s Member Photos

continued

June 2016

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Member Photos

June 2016

continued

I am submitting 3 images taken in Santa Barbara in February. The first one was taken at the back of a house along a street in Santa Barbara; the colors and detail on the walls of the house were not added by me to the image. The verticle one was taken at the Santa Barbara Marina. The third image was taken during a festival at the El Presidio De Santa Barbara State Historic Park of one of the people that were dressed in period costumes. .....Chuck Gonzales

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE This Month’s Member Photos, continued:

MAY 2015 .......Clive Alcock

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Member Photos - continued:

MAY 2015 ....Basil Katsaros

Basil is a new member of SCCC and lives in Denver, CO. He is an avid photographer and traveler and is happiest when he is rolling down the interstate in his motor home - camera at the ready. ÂŠ 2016 Basil Katsarso all rights reserved

Above and right: Acadia National Park Below and Below Right Bar Harbor

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER COMMITTEE SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTERCAMERA CAMERA COMMITTEE

June 2016 MAY 2015

For Sale By Members

Have:

Kodak and Fuji film, which has been refrigerated, that I want to give away. Contact Chuck Gonzales at cphotog@att.net

NIKON EQUIPMENT:

All Professional grade Full Frame

Nikon D800e Body -

Very nice camera - sharpest Nikon made. Perfect condition.........................................$2,000.00

Lenses: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14 -24 1.2G ED -

Workhorse professional wide angle with little distortion. Glass Perfect.......................... $1,200.00

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24 - 70 1.2G ED -

Professional quality mid-range zoom................................................... $1,200.00

Nikon AF Nikkor, 50mm 1:1.8 D

Nikon AF-S Nikkor, 28-300mm 1:3.5-5.6G....

Quick focus, very sharp, compact and light............................................... $50.00 Very versitile, short and light................ $600.00

Sigma (Nikon mount) 150-500mm APO DG OS Optical Stabalizer Very sharp and fast focus....................... $750.00 Zeiss 50mm manual (Nikon mount) ___________ ioShutter for Canon

Manfroto Digital Director -

Super well built and very sharp............. $600.00

Use your iPhone as a remote shutter controller! This is a really slick littlem t you’ll wonder how you ever did without! Contact me and I’ll go over details or see at www.ioShutter.com...................................................$25.00 Real-Time Live View Monitoring on your iPad Air Controls Camera Functions from iPad Interactive Focus and Digital Zoom Remote Shooting Control Brand New, never used. Sells new for $500.00.......$350.00

Contact: John Nilsson - dtlanow@gmail.com 24

- 970-390-7600 - I Take Credit Cards

SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE

June

2016

Leader Contacts

Steve Anderson, Leader, Co-Chair - 714-962-2054 steveanderson1138@msn.com

Stephen Beck, Leader stephendalebeck@gmail.com

Peter Mason, Leader - 530-265-2528 peter@petermason.com

Bill Betts, Co-Chair - 310-372-3595 webpub@mindspring.com

Judy Molle, Leader - 916-214-6177 judithmolle202@gmail.com

Alison Boyle, Leader, Co-Chair: Outings - 310-842-8384 alisonboyle@ca.rr.com

Wesley Peck, Membership - 562-420-8543 wesdpeck@gmail.com

John Boyle, Leader, Co-Chair - 310-842-8384 midlandbp@ca.rr.com

Joan Schipper, Leader, Co-Chair: Outings 323-828-8334 joanschipper@ix.netcom.com

Bob Cates, Leader - 818-883-2165 bob.cates@att.net

Carole Scurlock, Leader - 626-794-5207 cscurlock@charter.net

Ed Ogawa - Treasurer ed5ogawa@earthlink.net John Nilsson, Focal Points Editor 970-390-7600 - dtlanow@gmail.com Allan Der. Instructor - 714-892-4857 ader@sprynet.com