Ramble On
Silver2Silicon - About Us
We named our photo business, Silver2Silicon, to describe our journey from traditional, silver halide-based photography to digital capture (i.e. - using a silicon wafer). Along the way, we've owned more cameras than we can count, spent more hours in the darkroom than we can remember and now rely on a mouse instead of our print dodging tools and an enlarger. The change in technology has been nothing short of revolutionary, but the view through the viewfinder remains nearly the same.
Photographing in Antelope Canyon
Without question, the slot canyons located on the Navajo Nation outside of Page, AZ are one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. These slot canyons are all part of the same drainage system, eventually spilling into the Colorado River and Lake Powell. Over countless millennia, water and sand carried by flash floods has scoured the soft sandstone, which smoothed the rock and created flowing, waving shapes. At certain times of the day and with favorable weather, the overhead Sun shines through the slot openings and illuminates the interior, highlighting the rocks in a blaze of color.
Travelogue: Planning a 2-Day Photo Trip to Death Valley
Over the last 17 years, I’ve visited the Death Valley National Park more than a dozen times and taken well over 10,000 photos. My short, 2-day trips would coincide with the end of a business trip to Las Vegas – usually in April & timed nicely with the spring wildflower season. Since the compressed schedule limited my time in the park, I’ve been able to fine-tune a schedule that works pretty well for me – and maybe for you too.
Hiking Golden Canyon to Manly Beacon
There is literally a ‘golden hour’ in Golden Canyon, a time when the first hints of color can be seen in the rocks and before the sun gets too high overhead and the area is awash in an ‘atomic level’ blast of sunshine. During this hour, the canyon is a wonderous sight, full of subtle details and shadows. There really isn’t a bad photograph you can take.
Death Valley Dune Wave Series
The Mesquite Flat Dunes in the Death Valley National Park is a study in contrasts. It is impossible to ignore the majesty and sweeping arc of the dunes set in a landscape so barren as to be almost other-worldly in nature. But below the tops of the dunes and in the small valleys between the peaks there is a much different view of the area, where the small details and shapes become more apparent.
Evenings at Mesquite Flat Dunes
Of the five sand dune regions in Death Valley, the best known and easiest to reach are the Mesquite Flat Dunes. Located just outside of Stovepipe Wells and about a two-mile hike from Rt. 190, the dunes reach a height of more than 100’/30m.
Night Photography in Death Valley
The night sky in Death Valley can be spectacular. Most nights are cloud free and the location is far enough from Vegas where the only issue with light pollution is for southern facing shots. Death Valley is one of three parks in the United States dark enough to be listed by the International Dark Sky Association, providing ample views of the Milky Way and the star field.
Photographing the Rhyolite Ghost Town
Just over two hours from Las Vegas lies the ghost town of Rhyolite, NV. In the early 1900’s, it was a booming mining town, boasting three banks, a stock exchange, a school for 250 students, 50 saloons, 19 lodging houses, 16 restaurants, 2 electric plants and even its own railroad. Like other mining towns, as the gold ran out, its population of nearly 5,000 headed to greener pastures. In 1916, the town was ultimately abandoned and only 14 residents remained by 1920. Many of the structures were either relocated or deconstructed for their building materials. Those remaining today are only ghosts of their former glory.