Today's Sunset Over Big Bear Lake

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom

Sunday Sunset

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

A Nevada Sunset Viewed From Utah

Topanga Canyon Sunset - February 1971

Click on photo to enlarge

While going through my old slides, to find the spider image I posted a few days ago, I came across this sunset photo taken in February of 1971, just off Topanga Canyon Boulevard, near the Top O' Topanga overlook.

I would've been driving my cherry fifteen dollar 1946 Studebaker that day, just weeks before I began what turned out to be a 30 year career as a Postman. This is one of the very first photos I ever took with a halfway decent camera, however, it wouldn't be long afterwards that I could afford a Nikon and become hopelessly addicted to photography.

I remember driving past that tree many times, noticing how the sun would set between the divided trunk, and wishing I had a camera to capture the moment.

Looking at the picture I realize that tree was probably the initial inspiration which has led to my now having 35 years worth (and counting) of photographic memories, images which recall in me the people, times, and places of those years, and I'm wondering if the old tree is still around to frame todays sunsets for some other longing eye?

Copying the scratchy 35 year-old slide was done with the Digital Duplicator slide copier I purchased for our Canon S2IS digital camera. The image was then rendered slightly, with some brush effects in Photoshop, to cover blemishes in the aged transparency, but the color remains pretty much true to the original.

As I find the time, most likely in winter, I'll be copying and carefully restoring hundreds of the old slides, removing the dust specks, scratches, and blemishes so rendering with brush tools won't be neccesary. And I'm sure I'll be sharing many of them here. After all, what use are they if no one sees them?
;~)

Owl Crew Sunset - May 25th, 2006

Click on photo to enlarge

I keep forgetting to take my camera along on the Spotted Owl surveys and have missed some spectacular sunset photos in the past couple of weeks.
Last night I remembered the camera and this picture, taken at 7:57 P.M. as we reached the first owl territory of the night, isn't particularly stunning but the dead tree makes the photo somewhat interesting.