I visited Mount Umunhum for the first time this morning and it definitely exceeded my expectations. It was only 35 miles away, but took about an hour to get there because the last leg of the trip was up a winding mountain road.

From the top, the city of San Jose was spread out right in front of our eyes. As I peered further north, I could see buildings in San Francisco through the mid-morning haze. I could also see the Pacific Ocean from some vantage points.

I love this time of the year when the leaves change color. That last gasp of warm reds and calming yellows signal the imminent arrival of winter. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, yet we haven’t experienced our first major rain of the season. Soon, the weather reports promise. Soon.

Took two panorama photos at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The above photo was taken with the iPhone using the built-in panorama feature. The advantage was that this was easy to take, but the photo contains noticeable distortion and there were exposure issues from the wide dynamic range.

The second photo was stitched together from multiple photos taken by camera. The ceiling is not curved and the photo is better exposed particularly towards the right side by the large window.

It was only a few weeks ago that the local hills received a light dusting of snow. Now, even though the air remains brisk at times, the signs of spring coming arrival are emerging around us.

Yesterday was a remarkably clear morning. The past few weeks have been absolutely dreadful with poor air quality due to the smoke blowing in from the Northern California wildfires.  Glad to see blue skies and haze free mountains again.

“Why are you shooting JPGs?” That would be the question I would pose to my younger self. If I had RAW copies of photos from half a decade ago, I could revisit some earlier adventures and see if I could improve the processing. I can still make some minor adjustments with JPGs, but RAW provides a greater latitude in the degree of modifications I can make.

The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden offers a delightful eyeful of fall flowers, particularly for those resigned to drought-parched gardens at home. While I enjoy walking through the gardens, I must confess that I love looking at the flowers more…at home. In the quiet hours of the night, I can admire the curves and colors of the rose petals and gasp at the details not visible to the naked eye.

Nikon D800, Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8G, ISO 100, f/8.0, 1/320s

When viewing flowers at 100%, I often find small hidden insects or, in this case, a faint dusting of morning dew clinging to the innermost petals of the rose. Absolutely lovely.

I headed up to the Stanford Dish for a July 4th hike. I brought along the 28-300mm lens for fun. The side facing the mountains had clear blue skies. Along the bay, it was hazy and overcast.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 180mm, -0.3 EV, f/5.6, 1/1,000s

The last time I was up at the Dish was a year ago. I took a photo of this same tree. Retina version is a lot more detailed.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 140, 48mm, -0.3 EV, f/8, 1/1,000s

Experimented with shooting into the sun, and trying to bring back the shadow details. Wasn’t in an HDR mood, I guess.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 50mm, 0 EV, f/16, 1/60s

If good fences make good neighbors, what about bad fences?

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 230mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/800s

The real treat of the hike was encountering this deer. It started on the other side of the fence, but easily ducked under and headed off across our path.

Nikon D800, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, 300mm, 0 EV, f/8, 1/250s

I recently returned to the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect at an outdoor garden in mid-November, even in California. This being the tail end of autumn, most of the vegetable beds were empty. I did enjoy the fragrance from the few remaining flowers on the sweet osmanthus tree. I would love to plant one of those trees in the backyard.

I love chrysanthemums, as well as a cup of chrysanthemum tea. This yellow chrysanthemum was in bloom.

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 560, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

This chrysanthemum had a spiral pattern to it.

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 4000, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

This pink chrysanthemum reminds me of a sea anemone.

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 2500, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

I also met some of the residents of the garden.

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 100, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

A friendlier-looking bumblebee.

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 100, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

I’m not sure if the droplets were from a recent rain, the sprinklers or just morning dew, but they added an interesting dimension to the morning walk.

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 4000, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 400, 105mm, f/8, 1/400s

Nikon D800, AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, ISO 560, -0.3 EV, 105mm, f/8, 1/200s