Just east of the Sierra Nevadas, lies an often overlooked range called the “White Mountains”. Maybe due to my home state, New Hampshire, which also has the “White Mountains”, I’m prone to gravitate to this range in nearly the complete opposite part of the country. I’ll cover more of this area in the future, since a lot of my portfolio is from the area. But today, I’d like to show off some shots from a truly magical location, eleven thousand feet up the range.
Bristlecone Pine At Sunset, Eastern California, 2007
Phase One P45 Digital Back, 39mp, on a Hasselblad H2
HC 50-110 Lens @ 50mm : ISO 50 : 1/2 at f22
This shot is for sale on my Etsy Store here
The bristlecone pine species is famous for having some of the oldest known living organisms on the planet. At least one, is over 5000 years old. The experts won’t tell us just where this tree lives. But it’s thought to be located somewhere in the White Mountain range. And that’s not all… An even older tree was actually cut down, kinda by accident, in the 1960’s. This episode of Radio Lab talks all about this. It’s a really fun listen. Go to 15:30 and check it out.
The above shot was taken as the sun crept behind the larger mountain range to the west- the Sierra Nevadas. I love this shot. It’s one of my favorites blown up really large on canvas. At four feet wide, it still holds up wonderfully. And you can walk up and pick out the pine cones. I love how the tree trunk glows with oranges and yellows. And behind the tree, over the range, the sky is milky and pink, yet contained by deep blues. This shot also shows off the earth the trees thrive in- shards of dolomite and sparse soils.
Here are a few more shots.
Bristlecone Pine, Eastern California, 2007
Phase One P45 Digital Back, 39mp, on a Hasselblad H2
HC 50-110 Lens @ 85mm : ISO 50 : 1/8 at f22
This shot and others can be found on my westernspaces.com site
Dead Bristlecone Pine, Eastern California, 2007
Phase One P45 Digital Back, 39mp, on a Hasselblad H2
HC 50-110 Lens @ 55mm : ISO 50 : 1/4 at f32
This shot and others can be found on my westernspaces.com site
Bristlecone Pine Valley, Eastern California, 2007
Phase One P45 Digital Back, 39mp, on a Hasselblad H2
HC 50-110 Lens @ 50mm : ISO 50 : 1/4 at f22
This shot and others can be found on my westernspaces.com site