Madonna at St. Mary's Church

It's amazing what beauty you can find in out of the way places. This photo was taken in the small churchyard behind St. Mary's Church in Arcata. I happened to drive by one day when I was out doing photography and caught a glimpse of the statue almost hidden behind the building. It turned out to be one of my favorite photos.

Flower in Yellow

This is another photo in my study of yellow set. It was taken at Fern Canyon and is one of my first close ups. I'm not a big fan of taking pictures of flowers because it's a very common subject. I'm trying to find ways to distinguish the ones I take from other flower photography.

Brotherly Love

I usually don't take pictures of my kitties for artistic purposes, but I love this photo. They had just woken up from a lazy Saturday nap together in the Chair. It's adorable when they cuddle like that. This photo shows so much expression and exudes contentment.

Gourds in Black & White

This photo was taken at the Arcata Farmer's Market. The original photo looked very monochromatic and drab, but the contrast in the shadows is enhanced by converting it to black & white. I like the shapes and lines created by the gourds, it creates a nice flow in the piece.

Berry in Yellow

This photo was taken at Fern Canyon, one of my first close up shots. It didn't look quite right in color and didn't look quite right in black and white either, but I thought recoloring the berry would look nice. This is going to be the first photo in my Study of Yellow series.

Old Town Gazebo with Birds

Historic Old Town Eureka is home to quaint streets lined with Victorian buildings, unique shops, and great restaurants; a fantastic place to spend a sunny afternoon. The gazebo and fountain is a central fixture in Old Town. I love this photo because I made some noise in order to get the birds to fly so that I could catch them mid-flight for my shot.

Trinidad Head with Birds

This photo of Trinidad Head was taken from the Trinidad Harbor Pier. I love that I caught the Gulls mid-flight. It really conveys a sense of motion. The colorful boats and the incoming fog in the background also add depth.

Rainbow Chard at the Farmer's Market

The Arcata Farmer's Market is a spring and summer staple on the Plaza. It's a great place to buy locally produced organic vegetables, fruit and flowers, as well as baked goods, honey, eggs, plants, and handmade crafts. It takes place every Saturday from 9:00 am-1:00 pm, May-November. I've taken so many great pictures at the Farmer's Market. I love that all the produce looks so fresh, healthy and vibrant, especially the gorgeous reds, yellows, and purples in this Rainbow Chard.

Lupine Field

The short trail to Fern Canyon is surrounded by a beautiful stretch of purple lupine looking out toward Gold Bluffs Beach. The lupine is especially pretty in the late spring and early summer and it's not uncommon to see Roosevelt Elk grazing in the field and along the trail.

Victorian in Ferndale

Ferndale Main Street is known for its colorful, intricate Victorian architecture known in the 1800's as "Butterfat Palaces". This building was built in 1898 as the New York Cash Store. I like this photo because when the lights hits the buildings just right it highlights all of the colors in the paint and stained glass.

Fern Canyon

Fern Canyon, 2 miles north of Orick, CA., really is a "lost world". In fact, it's one of the locations where Stephen Spielberg filmed Jurassic Park: The Lost World. It's awe inspiring to walk among the lush ferns and greenery of this primeval canyon. Fern Canyon is a "must see" for anyone visiting Humboldt County and the redwoods. It's a cool and inviting place to enjoy a walk through the ferns, redwoods, and mini-waterfalls in the summertime.

Arcata Marsh at Sunrise

Sunrise is the best time to visit the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary. It's the time when the light is the best and the birds and wildlife that make the marsh their home are most active. This photo was taken at the lake where the marsh meets Humboldt Bay. I love the light in this photo and the mirror effect created with the water and the sky.

Seastacks in the Surf

Trinidad State beach is my favorite place to photograph seastacks; the large freestanding rocks on the shore and in the ocean. The coastline of Humboldt county is pristine and untouched. You can literally walk out on the beach and be the only person out there at times. Of all the seastack pictures I've taken, this one is by far my favorite.

Ferndale Cemetary B&W

The cemetery in the Victorian Village of Ferndale, CA. is one of my favorite places to do photography. It's so peaceful, and very interesting to see the older headstones from the 1800's. This photo looked nice in color but converting it to black and white really brought out the contrasts and shadows.

The River at South Fork

I took this picture last May, one of the first warm days of the season at the South Fork of the Trinity River just outside of Willow Creek. It was a gorgeous day and every time I look at this picture it makes me think of summer. I hope we get to go again this year.

Strawberry in Red

When I first took this picture at the Arcata Farmer's Market I thought it was very mundane and filed it away in my "In Progress" archive as a lost cause. But I converted it to black and white and started experimenting with re-colorizing the image and came out with a picture I was really pleased with.

This picture inspired me to do a series of similar photographs titled "Study of Red" which is still being completed. I plan to show the series through Alternative Galleries this summer. http://www.flickr.com/photos/northstar_223/sets/72157612538262386/