When I took early retirement in 1995, I took a cross country trip that introduced me to many areas I had not seen before. This turned out to be a life-changing event. I had never been particularly interested in photography or hiking but when I discovered the Southwest, Utah and Arizona in particular, that all changed. The Southwest is a land of awe inspiring beauty and I wanted to capture it on film. Upon returning home, I started taking photography classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College and traveling - exploring so many places I had not seen before. Initially I did mostly black and white photography using the junior college darkroom but found that black and white was wonderful for photographing Yosemite but I needed color for the Southwest where you see the golds, purples, pinks and reds of slot canyons and sandstone cliffs in shades of red, brown, turquoise, gold, and white. I switched to color and then in 2008, to digital photography. I use a Canon EOS Rebel which I keep upgrading and a Tamron zoom lens, currently a 16-300 mm lens, which allows me great range in what I am photographing. This is important as with one lightweight lens, I can do close-ups, wide angle shots and then zoom in on something that is miles away. When hiking, it is not always feasible to get close to objects.
I love the national and state parks of the western United State as well as other areas like the Sierras and the Cascade Mountains. I do a lot of hiking, and taking photographs makes me focus more closely on everything along the trail. After years of visiting many of the beautiful places in our country,I find I am clearly drawn to rock formations; large and small; whether they be cliffs or canyons; spires or monoliths; sandstone or granite; or just beautiful rocks by the side of the road. I think of myself as photographing "Hikes for Rock Lovers" and am creating a website that shows many of these hikes to help people discover new areas and chose a hike they might like. If you mostly enjoy trees and pastures or people and cities, my photography is not for you. But if you stare in amazement at a rock face where nature has painted a picture or has created a sculpture, you will enjoy my work. One of my favorite local places to photograph is Salt Point State Park on the coast north of Jenner. The sandstone there is deeply eroded and pitted with smooth areas in between and it ranges in color from almost white to black with some colorful patches thrown in. Photography and protecting the beautiful lands available to photograph is my passion. One of my primary goals is to introduce people to new areas and encourage them to explore in the hopes that they will love this glorious, beautiful country as much as I do and will try to protect it for the joy of later generations.
you can contact me at phyris@sbcglobal.net