It’s late spring – there are many signs of nature’s regeneration.  The world around me is dabbled in green and colors of seasonal flowering plants.  Yet, no matter the season, I’m a real sucker for a photogenic, dead tree.

I can’t say this it’s universally true for all swamps/marshes, but I have found that springtime at the Horicon Marsh is especially welcoming and photogenic.  Not only are bug levels low, but the vegetation is cropped closer than in mid-summer and the new-growth reeds create interesting lines and patterns.

The patterns and reflections from these silhouettes look like a cross between some sound oscillation scope and Asian character sets.  More open water reflects evening colors for more drama.

Photography is simply the capturing of light….right?.  Sometimes what makes a photograph appealing to me is not the light captured but the mood or suggestion created by the selective use of darkness.

Strong contrast or embellished dark space can create interesting patterns or strong focus on light areas.

Seattle has so much going for it.  The city offers most everything you’d like including great food, an interesting cultural diversity and a downtown area  I find attractive in many of the same ways as San Francisco.  On top of all that, you can drive 40 minutes east of downtown Seattle and you’re in the mountains and temperate rainforests.  Here are two pictures of Snoqualmie Falls, a short drive from Seattle.  The falls is outside of Snoqualmie, a town that seems too cute to be able to afford.  If the falls look familiar, you may remember them from the intro to David Lynch’s  Twin Peaks television series in the early 1990’s.

I recall this being off Pittsburgh street in Milwaukee.  You can see the Allen Bradley clock tower in the background.

As I said, I am fascinated by “gear” found along the railroad.

There are interesting gear and equipment along the tracks.  These traffic light towers are one of my favorites.  I honestly don’t know if they work, but they sure look retro-cool.

I often have an urge on a weekend morning to get up early and shoot something in the best light of the day.  If I don’t have an already targeted destination I’ll just drive to some urban rail yard and walk.  I’ve got a collection of found beauty, the forgotten, lost and tagged.  Here’s the first.

These two photographs share something in common.  The photo above is of an apartment at 900 Lombard.  The building below is the Legion of Honor Art Museum.

This is a view from Telegraph Hill (approaching Coit Tower) looking at Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral  and Russian Hill in the background.  Look at one striking view in San Francisco and you’re likely to find another when you turn around.

This view of Coit Tower was at my back as I took the photo at the top of this posting.