Valley Oak at sunset, North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, near Oroville, California

 After an afternoon of hiking in the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, near Oroville in northern California, we got back to our vehicle at sunset. Right next to the parking area was this beautiful valley oak, making a silhouette against the bright horizon. We've heard about this place for many years, but this was our first visit and it won't be our last. This visit was in January, so we plan to go back later in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom.

Taken with a Samsung a52 6u smartphone, ISO 2000, f1.8, 24 mm focal length equivalent, 1/8 sec, using Night Mode without tripod, processed in Digikam and GIMP

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Half Dome view in the winter, before and after

We skied out on the Glacier Point Road in Yosemite to look down on Yosemite Valley during the winter. Clouds moved across the sky and obscured our view. We stopped at the Washburn Point turnout and saw a cloud bank. Rick thought it made an interesting image of Bob's silhouette against the gray clouds. A few seconds later, the clouds separated enough to see Half Dome in the distance. These two images make a very interesting "before and after."

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!