Headed to the Stanford Dish by the dawn’s early light.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 70mm, -1 EV, f/16, 1/15s

A lot of cloud cover. So much for the glorious morning light. So, I plodded up the hill. Higher up, I could see over the trees and all the way to the Palo Alto Baylands, which the morning sun had transformed into a sepia monochrome.

^ Click for larger image.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 200mm, -1 EV, f/16, 1/125s

I ascended up some more and could see Hanger One at Moffett Federal Airfield. At this point, I was glad I brought along the tripod to steady the camera since I was out of breath. No amount of VR is going to help after a steep hill climb.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/100s

There is ample opportunity to photograph the Dish along the way from various vantage points. While the skies were a bit dreary, the hike was also comfortably cool. Tradeoffs.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 200mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/100s

I finally reached the Dish and head up for a closer view. About this time, the sun was starting to break through the clouds.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 26mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/640s

I did see a lot of squirrels. Pretty amazing to capture a sharp photo of a squirrel at 1/40s.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 200mm, 0 EV, f/16, 1/40s

Instead of continuing down the trail, I headed back. Here’s the other dish.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 185mm, 0 EV, f/16, 1/60s

Every once in a while, I would look back and see if I should photograph the Dish again. By now, the skies were bluer.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 82mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/320s

On the descent, there’s a hazy view of the Stanford campus.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/250s

The fallen. Love the golden grass and blue skies.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/320s

One last glance at the Dish.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 70mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/320s

The King of the Hill. Oops, dirty sensor.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 145mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/250s

And a pretty bluebird waiting by the exit to bid farewell.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ISO 100, 145mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/200s

From an earlier trip to Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona.

Nikon D7000, AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VRII ED, 18mm

This was taken around noon when the sun was high and bright. I took several photos (0 EV, +2 EV, -2 EV) and used Photomatix Pro, an HDR application, in an attempt to recover some details from the shadows in the canyon.

Nikon D7000, AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 G II ED, ISO 100, 75mm, -2 EV, f/5, 1/40s

After visiting the Desert View Watchtower in the late afternoon, we headed back to the Kachina Lodge. On the return trip, we pulled over as often as we could to see the Grand Canyon at sunset. As the sun dipped down, the bright sky transformed into a rich pink and purple palette. Absolutely gorgeous.

The Lawrence Hall of Science is a children’s science museum in Berkeley, California. Located in the Berkeley Hills, it offers a beautiful panoramic view of the San Francisco bay. Used an ND filter to smooth out the spray of the fountain.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 48mm, f/22, 13.0s

At 4:22 PM, the view was nothing spectacular, especially with the atmospheric haze.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 35mm, f/22, 1/400s, -2 EV

By 5:38 PM, the sun dropped right behind the Golden Gate bridge and rendered the cityscape into a sepia-toned monochrome.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 66mm, f/18, 1/500s, -2 EV

By 5:52 PM, the sun was going, going, gone…

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 66mm, f/8, 1/100s

Then began the long wait for the city lights to flicker on. Since this was over President’s Day weekend, I wasn’t sure if the office buildings would be lit at night. However, by 6:35 PM, Bay Area was aglow. From my vantage point, it was hard to tell whether the lights in San Francisco were on or not because they were so faint.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 40mm, f/2.8, 4.0s

For the best view of Florence, head up to Piazzale Michelangelo. To save time, I took a taxi across the River Arno to Piazzale Michelangelo. The car route is not the most direct route, but if you are determined to be there by sunset, don’t know the exact route, and are a few minutes behind schedule, then riding a taxi is the way to go.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 44mm, f/2.8, 1.3s

After the sunset, I headed to San Miniato al Monte, a Romanesque basilica located a few minutes above Piazzale Michelangelo, to enjoy the Gregorian chants. I just love the acoustics of old churches.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 38mm, f/2.8, 1.6s

The walk back to Florence is easy and all downhill. Before I crossed the River Arno, I took a few photos of Ponte Vecchio.

Nikon D800, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 100, 40mm, f/8, 8s