October 2011 - Lenspiration

Pic of the Month: October ’11

by James Staddon | Oct 31, 2011 | Pic of the Month

Ocean Mist I don’t normally go stepping into ankle deep water while wearing socks and hiking boots, but an unfortunate wave of circumstances called for it’s necessity a few weeks ago while photographing the last light on the shores of Battle Beach State Park, OR. While photographing one of the best sunset I witnessed... Read More »

Tufa Towers of Mono Lake

by James Staddon | Oct 19, 2011 | Impressive Places

Have you ever heard of tufa? I didn’t know much about them until today. Typically, when underwater springs rich in calcium mix with lakewater rich in carbonates, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate, or limestone as we know it. Though tufa is essentially common limestone, to see it in the shape... Read More »

Mammoth Lakes

by James Staddon | Oct 18, 2011 | Impressive Places

It feels as though I have reached yet another panicle of this trip. The town of Mammoth Lakes, CA, just across the Sierra Mountains from Yosemite, is the gatewate to an incredible system of lakes and mountain ranges connecting several National Forests and Parks such as John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness,... Read More »

Malibu Lagoon

by James Staddon | Oct 17, 2011 | Stories & Expeditions

Sunday evening, my hosts for my stay in Los Angeles took me to a small beach in Malibu, California to watch the sun go down. It was a very relaxing, reflective time and I only took a few pictures. There wasn’t much to take pictures of anyway, but the bright green moss growing on this rock caught my eye, seeing it was... Read More »

Off the Beaten Path

by James Staddon | Oct 15, 2011 | Impressive Places

I’ve been repeatedly impressed at how incredible some un-highlighted, off-the-beaten-path places can be. Before heading to one of California’s famed Redwood parks yesterday morning, I decided it might be worth a try to stop by the coast in the early morning to catch the sunrise. In the process of determining where to... Read More »

The Incredible Redwood

by James Staddon | Oct 14, 2011 | Impressive Places

It felt as though I had stepped back in time when drove into Jedediah Smith State Park this afternoon, one of several parks in northern California created to protect the rare habitat the redwood. I learned today that redwood trees are the tallest trees in the world, growing as tall as 350 feet, and can live as long... Read More »

The Oregon Coast

by James Staddon | Oct 13, 2011 | Impressive Places

I spent the morning at Shore Acres State Park, right close to Sunset Bay where I was last night. The incredible wave action along this portion of the coast was awesome to watch though it produced a lot of mist. This, coupled with the fact that it was mostly cloudy the entire morning resulted in it not being as... Read More »

Pacific Splendor

by James Staddon | Oct 12, 2011 | Impressive Places

So, today Josh and I drove from Portland to Coos Bay, OR, just in time to make it to Sunset Bay for, well, sunset! What an extraordinary place. Breathtaking only begins to describe the awe-inspiring vistas and the sound of massive waves breaking on the rocky shores is comparable only to thunder. One could spend days... Read More »

Another Cloudy Day

by James Staddon | Oct 11, 2011 | Impressive Places

After shooting waterfalls in Connecticut last week, I was looking forward to shooting majestic mountain peaks in Oregon this week. So what do you do if those mountain peaks are shrouded in clouds? Shoot more waterfalls! Today I took the opportunity to drive along old Rt. 30 through the incredibly picturesque Columbia... Read More »

Kent Falls

by James Staddon | Oct 9, 2011 | Impressive Places

Because I was in Connecticut a few weeks too early to see the peak fall colors, I focused on shooting waterfalls during my three day visit. It was cloudy most of my stay anyway, so it worked out very nicely. The first falls I photographed was Kent Falls, a spectacular, multi-tiered, easily accessed falls (actually... Read More »

New Haven Lighthouse

by James Staddon | Oct 4, 2011 | Impressive Places, Perspective

Yesterday I spent the late afternoon at Lighthouse Park on the southern shores of New Haven, Connecticut. The old lighthouse which once guided ships through Long Island Sound is no longer in use, yet it stands today as a symbol of the importance of instruction and direction in all areas of life. “My son, attend to my... Read More »

Purchase with a Purpose

by James Staddon | Oct 1, 2011 | Updates & Opportunities

It’s October 1: the day for a special announcement! My brother Jonathan would like to attend 9-weeks of ministry training at ALERT, an academy in Big Sandy, Texas that equips young people with the discipline, character, and life skills necessary to meet the needs of people in crisis. Jonathan is very excited about... Read More »