COVID-19 Journal (Started March 24, 2020)

COVID-19

Two words that will forever change the paradigm, of how people, organizations and businesses interact on a global scale. How? As I sit and begin this online journal on March 24, 2020, I cannot reliably predict, but one certainty exists. Never before has the world been so connected by technology, yet so separated from one another physically.

What follows below are dated logs of my experiences, thoughts and reactions to the world around me as I navigate COVID-19, coronavirus, social distancing and any other terminology that is developed.

• June 3, 2021: Met with clients and colleagues for a dinner and it felt great just to get out and sit down in a nice restaurant for dinner.

• April 19, 2021: Yosemite is one of my favorite places on Earth and I was so grateful to have booked this back in June of 2020 before even knowing how the dust on COVID-19 would settle. Fortunately, the National Parks have been operating for the most part and the outdoor mask order has stayed lifted. Despite all of the concerns, you would not know we were in the middle of a global pandemic as the Yosemite Valley Lodge was at full capacity. It was nice just to be able to sit in the hotel lounge having a cold beer and wings after a long hike.

• March 13, 2021: A silver lining of COVID-19 is it has given me the drive to really explore my home town like I never have before. The best way to know a city is to walk it and the absence of people have provided quite a blank palette particularly in the early morning hours. Of course, like any downtown, one has to keep wits about and head on a swivel, particularly with the latest trend of Asian hate crimes. It’s a shame that crime sometimes seemingly comes a fad and this is the latest one.

• February 25, 2021: While I am not a homebody by any stretch, I usually do not feel the itch or the need to have to get out. However, even someone like me has a tipping point and the past 9 months have begun to take their toll. Luckily, I was able to get out for a little alone time at Joshua Tree and just clear my mind, focus on nature, and photography.

• January 7, 2021: Just when you thought it was safe to turn the page on 2020, the new year reminds us that time has memory and actions have consequences. The highly charged political environment of 2020 carried over with a riot that resulted in death, injuries, and the US Capitol being stormed. Another first for me in this lifetime. With inauguration day a couple weeks out, hopefully people keep their minds and wits about them.

• Dec 25, 2020: Christmas came and went this year with little fan-fare. I usually host and have a few families over, but this year, it was a nice simple time with the immediate family and interestingly, I did not miss the party vibe as much as I thought I would. I have been hearing from a lot of people that COVID-19 has made them re-evaluate their lives, the aspects and people that matter most, and the “noise” such as social media. While I haven’t really undergone any sort of epiphany, I tend to be self-reflective and can certainly understand how these folks feel.

• September 2020: My first real getaway since COVID-19 was a short trip to Coronado Island. Surprisingly, aside from some “hygiene theater,” the hotel is pretty lax with their mask policy. There are signs requiring it but no one is actually enforcing the signs. All staff is required to be masked up though and so there’s that.

• August 2020: The world is starting to reopen, but very slowly and cautiously. There is a lack of uniformity in how the pandemic is being handled at the federal, state, and local levels. A clear example is the highly variable severity that different locales are using to community severity. Red communicates a threat level in LA that might be entirely different in Miami. No one seems to really have a strong handle on things and the folks that people usually look-up for guidance don’t seem to know what they are doing.

• July 2020: There is an age old adage that says, “give me enough numbers and I can make them say anything you want.” The same seems to hold true for COVID-19 as the pandemic has become fully politicized. Right wing and left wing folks can’t seem to agree on simple guidelines and argue incessantly about the survival rate, contraction rate, and efficacy of face masks or personal protection equipment (PPEs). I guess it doesn’t help that we are in the middle of an election year.

• June 2020: I ventured out to DTLA in the wake of the looting and riots and the city is eerily quiet. A lot is often made about cities “healing” when something so life changing to so many people occurs and for the first time in my lifetime, I finally understood what this meant. The city streets were quietly recovering while a small gathering in front of City Hall had a reverent mood in the early AM. One the COVID-19 front, many pundits and “experts” had been predicting that June would mark the beginning of normalcy. Personally, I am looking at September / October at the earliest.

• May 28, 2020: An already tough year takes another turn as the world’s eyes are on the United States in the wake of the George Floyd situation. Riots in major cities across the US and World about civil injustice has reached a breaking point. Tensions are high and all the while a global pandemic is still ongoing.

• April 1, 2020: Definitely anything, but a joke. Working from home for me was an easier transition to make because I had operated a home-based business for the five years leading into 2019. Suddenly, everyone you talk to is an expert virologist or epidemiologist who has an opinion about the trajectory of the virus.

• March 19, 2020: Only a week after the voluntary work from home was introduced, a mandatory work from home “Stay at Home," has been implemented by many companies in Los Angeles County. My work followed suit in response an employee showing up with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.

• March 13, 2020: Many companies enacted a voluntary work from home option. The first case within the area in which my is located was reported. 2020 was already off to a tumultuous start with wildfires, Kobe Bryant’s unexpected death, and now this.

The Last Frontier

The vast expanse of Alaskan water, ice and wilderness combine to create an environment that inevitably makes many people feel small. From bald eagles soaring in the wild to magnificent glaciers melting at alarming rates, I was able to see first-hand why everyone I had spoken with in the past about Alaska refer to it as a “magical” place.

As part of the season-ending 13-day cruise which embarked from Los Angeles, we had the privilege of visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier National Park. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the port in Victoria, British Columbia so that essentially became another “sea day.”

Visiting Alaska really reinforced the importance of traveling and getting to know a place and its people, in person. Over the past couple decades, so much news has been made and politicized about Alaska. It is reasonable to expect people to visit with certain biases, however, after speaking with locals, I really got a better feel for how difficult life can be, here.

In short, these are hardworking folks who care about the environment. At the same time, when the climate presents people with few choices aside from fishing, logging and oil, and the Federal government places barriers on these industries, people are going to be left out in the cold, no pun intended. Additionally the Alaska Resident Stipend (PFD) mineral royalties paid out to residents is quickly running out and people have come to depend on this additional money. It’s certainly a difficult situation and I empathize with all sides.

Highlights from each port of call follow below:

• Ketchikan: Really has the vibe of a blue-collar, hard-working port city. There is a small airstrip that was busier than I would have anticipated. The main draws are hiking trails and the infamous stretch of brothels, that starts with Dolly’s house Museum. What presents itself on the surface as a sleepy town gets even sleepier in winter months. Based on the conversation I had with the cashier at a souvenir shop, the retailers close once cruise season comes to an end, leaving full-time residents to deal raging unemployment. Those who do not budget or who do not earn enough to budget for the slow winters are forced to undertake odd-and-end jobs to make due. For this reason, he spoke about rampant drug (particularly meth) use.

• Juneau: Juneau is a bustling metropolis compared to Ketchikan, though based on what I heard, it is still a far cry from Anchorage. There is ton of history here and the majority of our time was spent hiking and whale watching (see related blog entry). Our guide was a personality and had lived all around the world, epitomizing the breed of folks who are genuinely interested in protecting the environment and sustaining life.

• Skagway: If there is such a thing as a hipster community in Alaska, Skagway would be it. It is truly an eclectic blend of people from all over the world. Our server at the well-known Red Onion Saloon lives in Skagway half the year and was getting ready to drive back to Austin where she sings lead in a metal band. The city has a ton of charm and has a little something for everyone, from hiking, to architecture, to train history and of course, shopping. Some of the residential parts off the beaten path looked a little rough.

Super Bloom 2019

Since the 2000’s, rainfall in Southern California has been somewhat of a feast or famine phenomenon. Following a wet winter in 2010-2011, rainfall in the south land tapered off and the city’s inability to reclaim water effectively at the time plunged it into a multi-year drought. This changed in 2016-2017 when Los Angeles received 19 inches of rainfall, leading to the first “super bloom,” of wildflowers in many years.

Thinking back to that time, I remember jealously looking at the multitude of wildflower photos and not being able to take the time off work to see them in person. Fast forward two years later, I was given a second chance when the area was drenched with over just over 18 inches of rain. This time, I was ready…I kept an ear on the reports, called the information line, and drove out to Carrizo Plain National Monument in late-April.

While the vast landscape did not disappoint, I observed a couple downsides from the experience:

1. Up close, I could see many patches where people carelessly trudged through the fields for selfies and Instagram photos

2. It was challenging finding compelling compositions that captured the vast expanse. It was one of those days where I could not convey the grandeur of the scene with my viewfinder

I wound up taking a multitude of “memory,” shots, but none that were really portfolio-worthy. Having said this, it was breathtaking to see in person and I will have a better idea of what to do the next time the skies open.

Forbidden

The 2018 California Woolsey fire which burned through parts of Ventura County, Malibu, and the San Fernando Valley had a profound impact on families, properties, and the surrounding environment. The effects will continue to be felt for some time, however, for nature, fire - depending on its intensity, can have a way of enriching soil. Such seems to be the case at the Upper Las Virgines Open Space Preserve, whereby hills are as green as I can remember them, following several Los Angeles rainstorms. During a recent hike, I found that many areas of the Preserve were more accessible, as a result of the overgrowth having been burned away and in the process of regrowing. I walked around, interested at the contrast of lush hills next to charred wood remnants and came across the tree, pictured. The shot was taken in unremarkable mid-morning light, as AM clouds were beginning to clear, but the shape of the tree as well as the eastern sun hitting the trunk caught my eye. My intention was to convert this to BW in post, however, upon opening the image in Lightroom, I started playing with the tones and decided to take this into a more artistic direction. The result was a split-toned composite which relies heavily on its mood, composition (I felt the square crop worked best for the scene), and concept to capture the viewer’s attention.

Howl at the Moon

I am not all that familiar with astral photography and my first few attempts several years ago resulted in what I would consider to be very poor results. Due in large part to the attention that social media and news outlets have given to promoting lunar eclipses in recent years, I become increasingly aware of and used the events to strengthen my sky shooting abilities. With the help of some YouTube videos and well as trial & error, I had my best showing on January 20, 2019, when a total blood moon eclipse could be “seen,” in totality from Los Angeles. I say seen in quotes, because the cloud cover turned out to be really heavy that evening. Luckily, they were fast moving and I was able to snap a few images during the moments of clarity. Learning from YouTube that the easiest way to obtain crisp images of the moon is to image stack, I stacked the phase shot using RegiStax 6. The second image is a composite of the total eclipse with a shot of the full moon behind a break in the clouds.

Mission Accomplished! - San Francisco Fog

Although not uncommon, the AM fog in San Francisco is difficult to predict and requires some degree of serendipity. There are some moments that I want to witness firsthand and capture for myself. The scene of the fog rolling into the city and obscuring the Golden Gate bridge is one of these moments that I can cross-off my list now.

Prior to the trip, I checked in with a few friends / contacts about the conditions and was all told the same - good luck! I stayed for a total of four days and the first three were totally clear. I actually had no intentions to shoot on the final day, but woke up at 4:00 am looked outside of my Union Square hotel and could barely see the top of the buildings across the way. I immediately willed myself out of bed and into the cold dawn. On my drive over, I couldn’t even see the top of spires and really began to get excited. Exiting Alexander Avenue, turning onto Conzelman Road, I was racing with anticipation and upon arriving at the viewpoint, was amazed at the view. I wound up shooting at the lower viewpoint for an hour or so before making my way up to higher ground. I tried to stay true to the actual scene and it was quite marvelous to see in person.

A Chance Encounter

Three Rivers, CA

Walking back to my Air BnB from during an early AM hike, I came across this beauty grazing in a large open area amid morning mist. I remained as quiet as possible so as not to startle her and continued to wait until her body shifted naturally. After about 5 minutes, she lifted her head up to take a break and I snapped the shot. Post involved clarity, color, and contrast adjustments to intentionally give the image an ethereal mood.

Butterfly Kisses

Although most of my photography focuses on landscapes and natural settings, my 1 year old daughter has inevitably become a favorite subject of mine. The pictured photograph was chosen as my "best" of 2017 for several reasons:

1. Every time we go to the grocery store, my daughter points at the mylar balloons that engulf the checkstands, so keeping her distracted her during checkouts, is a sporting event in itself. A week prior to this shot being taken, we gave in and got her a butterfly shaped balloon and of course, I had to make use of the last few days of helium. Enter the park, a hill, and mommy to help with the setup.

2. Prior to leaving the house, I already had an idea of the shot I wanted to capture. However, upon arriving at the park, it was more difficult to find a spot that would work with the composition and light, than I had expected. Trees were originally not part of my, "vision," however, I liked the way this one incorporated itself and it's such a great feeling as a hobbyist to have the final output match what was intended.

3. Perhaps the most gratifying part of the experience, was having a photo that my daughter can look at in the future and appreciate on its own merits, but also for the fact that she was the "model."

There were a few "winners," from the shoot, however, I decided on this one because her pose best conveyed innocence and joy we have as kids, playing something as simple as a balloon.

The Lifeline

Prior to taking this picture, I had not visited a zoo in over 30 years. However, my young daughter has me doing many things that I was previously not, so I decided to take introduce her to various animals recently. Ironically, the only shot that I came away taking in a setting full of animals, was this one of a Bengal Fig.

Out of the camera, the shot itself, was quite flat, so I began experimenting with different techniques in post, to present a scene the way I remembered it. In this image, I forcibly showcased the elements which drew my attention to the tree in the first place. The result is one that teeters the boundary of realistic and fantasy, while exhibiting the strength of nature.

This was a single exposure and not a bracketed HDR shot.

Love Monster

Racetrack Playa

My experience at the Racetrack Playa was awesome overall, but bittersweet at times. The highs included seeing the Ubehebe Crater on the way, driving our rental 4x4 Jeep through washboard roads and spending all day in a truly amazing landscape.

The lows were related mainly to the amount of obvious human tampering that had occurred over the years. Seeing stone trails people had manipulated by switching or removing stones, footprints left from folks walking on the playa when it was wet and even tire marks on the ground were somewhat disappointing.

Ultimately, it forced me to work that much harder for a “keeper” shot. I thought I had found the perfect stone and babysat it for the afternoon only to find that the light and backdrop was really not ideal. With minutes to spare, I started running around frantically in search of a more compelling scene. Seeing the sun beginning to dip behind a western hillside, I setup and captured the shot in the featured image.

Despite the serendipity with the light, this was a great learning experience to scout more thoroughly and envision how scenes can play out.