Another overcast morning. What happened to the sun? Overcast morning surfImage ID: 18993
Phil CollaJuly 7, 2007
Got out for a quick swim while my daughter was in soccer practice. Not much going on, surf was tiny, had to get right up on the reef in order to find anything that was remote hollowish. The water was warm, summer is here. Bored photographer takes own pictureImage ID:…
Phil CollaJuly 2, 2007
Got up to Los Angeles for a family gathering at my dad's new place. While we were sitting in the kitchen at brunch I saw a fat red squirrel out the window, just sitting there munching on something. After 10 minutes of watching him I figured I should go take…
Phil CollaJuly 1, 2007
One of my favorite frames from last year. I had South Ponto entirely to myself all morning, and nice hollow waves were firing, pitching up over the sandbars that had set up just north of the cliffs. Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad, California.Image ID: 17394Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA More…
Phil CollaJune 30, 2007
Common dolphin.Image ID: 00071Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphisLocation: San Diego, California, USA These common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) are gathered just under the surface of the water in front of my boat. We'll motor slowly, leaning over the bow, trying to get a good picture of them without it looking like…
Phil CollaJune 27, 2007
Black bear in a tree. Black bears are expert tree climbers and will ascend trees if they sense danger or the approach of larger bears, to seek a place to rest, or to get a view of their surroundings.Image ID: 18792Species: American black bear, Ursus americanusLocation: Orr, Minnesota, USA Despite…
Phil CollaJune 26, 2007
Black bear walking in a grassy meadow. Black bears can live 25 years or more, and range in color from deepest black to chocolate and cinnamon brown. Adult males typically weigh up to 600 pounds. Adult females weight up to 400 pounds and reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4…
Phil CollaJune 25, 2007
We used to live a few miles from Torrey Pines and Del Mar, and walked on the beach there fairly often. As they erode, the cliffs above the sand supply the beach with cobblestones. Depending on the season and recent surf energy, the beach ranges from nearly stone-free to being…
Phil CollaJune 24, 2007
My daughter's favorite fish is yellowtail (Seriola lalandi). We grill it on the bbq, in foil, with olive oil and garlic. Its pretty good that way! While out searching for kelp paddies offshore of San Diego, we would often find yellowtail in the summer, schooling around the paddies. These predatory…
Phil CollaJune 23, 2007
I've spent hundreds of hours in the shallows at Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe). The diving is so special there that I will spend every minute I can in the water, breathing a little as possible and waiting until my tank is drained before surfacing to call for a skiff ride…
Phil CollaJune 22, 2007
High atop Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui lives the Haleakala Silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense macrocephalum). This remarkable plant lives only in the crater and on the slopes of Haleakala, above 6800' (2100m). The silversword grows from seed and lives from 15 to 50 years. At the end of its…
Phil CollaJune 21, 2007
Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe) straddles both tropical and temperate fish ranges and offers a unique mix of species to see. It is not uncommon to see Panamic fanged blennies and red-tailed triggerfish alongside blacksmith and garibaldi. Shown here is a small school of Cortez chub (Kyphosus elegans) that was stationed…
Phil CollaJune 20, 2007
Of the few people who actually dive at Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe) (sorry, cage dives don't count!) only a fraction will dive on the rugged, exposed, weather side of the island. There, not far from the "west anchorage", lies a secret complex of arches and large underwater caves. The arches…
Phil CollaJune 19, 2007
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon near Page, Arizona. In January I spent a day there shooting the upper canyon (there are two slot canyons, "upper" and "lower") and had a blast. We had Antelope Canyon virtually to ourselves (a small group of five) for several hours. A photographer works…
Phil CollaJune 13, 2007
Eco Fund Launched To Protect the Great White Shark - GuadalupeFund.Org (California) June 9, 2007 Isla Guadalupe, Mexico has become the internationally recognized destination for divers seeking unprecedented encounters with Great White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). The 90 square mile island located in the Pacific is also home to many rare…
Phil CollaJune 10, 2007
Common dolphin leaping (porpoising).Image ID: 18933Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphisLocation: San Diego, California, USA It's morning offshore of San Diego and the clouds have not yet burned off. It is hard to take good photos in this type of light. For some reason this shot of a common dolphin (Delphinus…
Phil CollaJune 8, 2007
Common dolphin.Image ID: 06421Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphisLocation: San Diego, California, USA This is a small herd of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), porpoising and leaping as they travel. This was taken about 10 miles offshore of San Diego.
Phil CollaJune 7, 2007
Common dolphin leaping (porpoising).Image ID: 02354Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphisLocation: San Diego, California, USA This is a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), leaping alongside our liveaboard boat on the way down to Guadalupe Island. We've seen herds of common dolphins numbering in the thousands. They are amazing leapers.
Phil CollaJune 6, 2007
Common dolphin.Image ID: 00066Species: Common dolphin, Delphinus delphisLocation: San Diego, California, USA This is a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), sometimes called a short-beaked saddleback dolphin, gliding under a glassy ocean just in front of the bow of my boat, with overcast skies reflecting back.
Phil CollaJune 5, 2007
Black bear cub in a tree. Mother bears will often send their cubs up into the safety of a tree if larger bears (who might seek to injure the cubs) are nearby. Black bears have sharp claws and, in spite of their size, are expert tree climbers.Image ID: 18746Species: American…
Phil CollaJune 4, 2007
Black bear portrait. American black bears range in color from deepest black to chocolate and cinnamon brown. They prefer forested and meadow environments. This bear still has its thick, full winter coat, which will be shed soon with the approach of summer.Image ID: 18742Species: American black bear, Ursus americanusLocation: Orr,…
Phil CollaJune 3, 2007
Black bear in a tree. Black bears are expert tree climbers and will ascend trees if they sense danger or the approach of larger bears, to seek a place to rest, or to get a view of their surroundings.Image ID: 18745Species: American black bear, Ursus americanusLocation: Orr, Minnesota, USA Unlike…
Phil CollaJune 2, 2007
Black bear walking in a grassy meadow. Black bears can live 25 years or more, and range in color from deepest black to chocolate and cinnamon brown. Adult males typically weigh up to 600 pounds. Adult females weight up to 400 pounds and reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4…
Phil CollaJune 1, 2007
Ok, here's a last fractal (for now). I'm just completing a set of fractal images for printing 6'x6' (that's big!) and will finish off this month's blog by showing you just one more: Detail within the Mandelbrot set fractal. This detail is found by zooming in on the overall Mandelbrot…
Phil CollaMay 31, 2007
Whoa, here's another crazy fractal from the Mandelbrot set. When I was setting the colors on this one it sort of reminded me of the trippy hippy art of the '70's. Right on man. The Mandelbrot Fractal. Fractals are complex geometric shapes that exhibit repeating patterns typified by self-similarity, or…
Phil CollaMay 30, 2007
Fractal 'o' the day, from the classic Mandelbrot family of inequalities: Detail within the Mandelbrot set fractal. This detail is found by zooming in on the overall Mandelbrot set image, finding edges and buds with interesting features. Fractals are complex geometric shapes that exhibit repeating patterns typified by self-similarity, or…
Phil CollaMay 29, 2007
Today's fractal picture is: Fractal design. Fractals are complex geometric shapes that exhibit repeating patterns typified by self-similarity, or the tendency for the details of a shape to appear similar to the shape itself. Often these shapes resemble patterns occurring naturally in the physical world, such as spiraling leaves, seemingly…
Phil CollaMay 28, 2007
Here's another example of detail within the Mandelbrot fractal set, illustrated by assigning color to the number of iterations required for the expression to explode: The Mandelbrot Fractal. Fractals are complex geometric shapes that exhibit repeating patterns typified by self-similarity, or the tendency for the details of a shape to…
Phil CollaMay 27, 2007
The Temple of Hatshepsut is the mortuary temple for Pharoah Hatshepsut, one of the rulers of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt and one of the most successful female pharoahs in history. The Temple of Hatshepsut is located at Deir el-Bahri, near the Valley of the Kings, across the Nile…
Phil CollaMay 26, 2007
The Ramesseum is the mortuary temple for one of the greatest rulers the world has ever known: Pharoah Ramesses II. Also known as Ramesses the Great, Ramesses II was a 19th Dynasty pharaoh who ruled for 67 years during the 13th century B.C. The Ramesseum is part of the ancient…
Phil CollaMay 25, 2007
From Font's Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, one can look across the Borrego Badlands (Carrizo Badlands), once an ancient lake but now a corrugated, tortured, barren wasteland (e.g., Mordor). Carrizo Badlands viewed from Fonts Point. Image ID: 05530 Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA Carrizo Badlands…
Phil CollaMay 24, 2007
17 Palms Oasis is located in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, several miles down the lunar-looking Arroyo Salado wash. The drive along Arroyo Salado is fun and relatively simple, although a four-wheel drive car is recommended. Seventeen Palms Oasis, consisting of (not surprisingly) 17 palms, appears out of nowhere as you…
Phil CollaMay 23, 2007
Over the years I have had the good fortune to spend many weeks on liveaboard boats, in remote locations, diving and shooting photos. Typical trips will schedule some night dives, however we are not hard core on the diving and usually prefer to stay dry in favor of happy hour…
Phil CollaMay 22, 2007
Much of my time underwater is spent looking for simple, available light photographs. These are not sexy photos, but they tend to sell well and are typically used as backgrounds or screened back with text or inset photos laid over the top. The best part is they are simple to…
Phil CollaMay 21, 2007
We wrapped up our stay in Egypt with some time at my brother's house in Cairo, touring the older parts of the city and seeing some off-the-beaten-path markets, mosques, and other amazing stuff. One highlight of our time in Cairo was a day at the Giza necropololis to see the…
Phil CollaMay 20, 2007
Everywhere we went in Egypt, we saw hieroglyphics. I never got tired of looking at them. The richest area for seeing hieroglyphic carvings was in the necropolis of ancient Thebes, most notably the Luxor and Karnak Temple complexes, Ramesseum and at Medinet Habu. We also saw some hieroglyphic carvings in…
Phil CollaMay 19, 2007
While we were in Luxor, we spent an afternoon visiting the Valley of the Kings, site of the tombs of the New Kingdom pharoahs from the 16th to 11th centuries BC, including the most famous one of all, that of Tutankhamun. The valley itself is quite stark and barren, with…
Phil CollaMay 18, 2007
For those winters I worked with Dan Salden and his whale research team in Maui, I stayed with my friend Skip at his surf pad, a quiet condo just yards from the water on Honokeana Cove, in Napili, not far from Kapalua. Most mornings before we drove into town to…
Phil CollaMay 17, 2007
The Karnak Temple complex is part of the necropolis of ancient Thebes, across the Nile River from what is now Luxor, Egypt. Built over a period of 1300 years, Karnak is actually a group of ancient temples and buildings, the assemblage of which is the largest example of a single-location…
Phil CollaMay 16, 2007
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