Dave Skinner Photography: Featured Galleries and Collections

Stockton Station and Waterfront

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:37:00 GMT

More Saturday morning pictures of the home roost. There were a dozen or more fishermen trying their hand at the 30-40 different species of fish in the deep water channel. A couple of sea lions had arrived a few days ago, which gave them the excuse for not catching as much.

KP Family

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:20:00 GMT

Still the same building, but, boy, have things changed in the past 40+ years!

Sierra Cyclists, Blooms and Oaks

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:30:00 GMT

An after-church jaunt to find some wildflowers to capture ended up in an almost wild goose chase. Field flowers were sparse, the roads had few places to turn out, and we were soon headed back down the mountain.

The old buildings in Fiddletown are worth a look, and while there we met Larry and Chuck who were putting in their 'almost 100' mile trek beginning somewhere in the valley. They looked rested, envigorated and happy to be tootling along a dangerously narrow 'highway.' So we can add 'brave' to that list.

The treasury of flowers worth shooting (with plenty of room to park) were most likely hand scattered seeds along a recently built bridge. Not the naturally wildest selection, but beautiful nonetheless.

God providentially planted the oak trees in His own second-cause way.

University of the Pacific

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

The oldest college in California, The University of the Pacific was founded in 1851.

Asparagus Festival 2008

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:34:00 GMT

Another warm Saturday to fight the hordes in downtown Stockton. We went to see Tyson the skateboarding dog and the Olympic hopeful USA polevaulters.

This festival raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the volunteers' associations that are represented and 'manned.' Great food, events and visitors made it a wonderful few hours.

Not More Flowers! Please!

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:28:00 GMT

Another early morning visit to Delta College's little flower garden reflected a pink and red theme.

Vietnam Veteran Celebration

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:07:00 GMT

Celebrating 35 years after the last serviceman left Vietnam, a Welcome Home memorial rally was held in Stockton March 30, 2008. Speakers included mayor, Ed Chavez, Congressmen Dennis Cardoza and Jerry Mcnerney, Medal of Honor recipient Richard Pitman, and others.

Attendance was an estimated 500 or so.

Apricots and Plums

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:37:00 GMT

Time to get outside and enjoy the pollen count and the glory of God's beautiful re-creation.

Chinese New Year Parade

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:09:00 GMT

Both the Vietnamese and Chinese celebrated the New Year with their annual parade in Stockton, CA. Quite colorful and musical, entertaining for young and old.

Lodi Lake February

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:16:00 GMT

It was back to the lake after taking Angel to the Mudd Mill to make a ceramic piece. McDonalds first, then on to a winter (low water) mood with not much going on. We had fun and peace and quiet until three cyclists blasted onto the sandy beach.
This is the Mokolumne River flowing through this area, with a number of backwater estuaries to explore. A number of kayakers were enjoying the day, too. Nice and sunny after a month of rain.

Central Valley Refuges

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:50:00 GMT

We visited the Merced National Wildlife Refuge and San Luis National Wildlife Refuges today. The fog didn't lift until about 2:30, so bird watching was a bit bittersweet as the colors weren't saturated and you couldn't see very far.
There are about 20 Tule Elk on 800 acres at San Luis Refuge. They aren't people friendly or photogenic and tended to stay away from their corral fence. Majestic nonetheless when viewing them with binoculars or a scope.
Again, I was using an inexpensive telephoto lens and couldn't get the sharpness a better lens would have given. Maybe next time.

One Foggy Morning

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:26:00 GMT

Fog lends a mysterious aura to our otherwise mundane color days. It can cause depression. It can bathe you in dew. It can make you want to move to the desert.

Thankfully, it disappears in a few hours if you live in the right place.

December Wedding Part I

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:30:00 GMT

Liz and Ryan were married in Lockeford, CA on December 16. The church was built in 1859 and has been restored. As part of the Historical buildings in the county, it is used mainly for weddings.

December Wedding Part II

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:34:00 GMT

Liz and Ryan were whisked away in a Hummer limo to the reception hall in Stockton, CA. Everyone had a wonderful time, especially the kids.

December Color

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:19:00 GMT

Still waiting for the winter blast to bring the last leaves home. The colors are still enjoyable.

Delta College Flower Garden

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:22:00 GMT

Mid-November isn't the best time to explore the local flower garden, but I'll let you be the judge. The sun was up but hid behind a low-lying fog on campus, so the colors are nice and low-key.

Sorry, but I don't know the names of most of these. I think beauty is infinitely more important than genus/species, anyway.

These were all shot with a Nikon D70 and 55mm Micro-Nikkor at 200 ISO. This is one wonderful lens.

Mokelumne River Walk

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:22:00 GMT

Haggin Museum Rose Garden

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:13:00 GMT

An 8 a.m. visit to a new rose garden at the museum proved rewarding, even though it's October and even though everything wasn't blooming.

The ducks and pigeons were having a good time, at one point surrounding me withing a few feet, wanting a morning handout.

San Francisco 2007

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 02:19:00 GMT

A foggy Wednesday morning greeted us as we crossed the busy Bay Bridge into and through the City. You have to exit the freeway, catch Van Ness over the hill to Lombard, then go west to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.
The bridge pictures are taken from the north side of the bay.
Point Bonita is the local hang out for surfers, bicyclists and Greenpeace folks.

Luther Burbank Home and Gardens

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 02:39:00 GMT

Luther Burbank was the Thomas Edison of the plant world, creating more than 800 new plant species and affecting much of what you and I eat and enjoy in the vegetable and flower garden, including the Shasta Daisy and the Plumcot.
His original home has been restored with original furnishings and the surrounding gardens and carriage house exhibit a museum and large variety of landscaped plants and flowers.
Did you know that Luther's father was born when George Washington was President, and his only wife died when Jimmy Carter was in office! Wow!

Grant Grove Sequoias

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Tue, 22 May 2007 02:41:00 GMT

Named after famous generals, the largest Sequoia trees in the park are named for General Grant and General Sherman. This is the most popular tourist spot in Kings Canyon National Park, since driving all the way to the end of Hwy 180 will take you another hour or more on a wildly twisting up and down road. But the drive is worth it: there are VERY few people there and the sheer, steep and spectacular cliffs are breathtaking.

Hume Lake Servant's Week

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 27 May 2007 00:18:00 GMT

Three days of working, eating, fellowship and more of the same made for some tired, but happy campers.

Sierra Nevada: Hume Lake Vacation

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 27 May 2007 00:14:00 GMT

What a beautiful area to enjoy in late May! Hume Lake is in the Giant Sequoia National Monument on the road to Kings Canyon a few miles to the east.
This part of the Sierra Nevada is generally pristine and uncrowded as the road (Hwy 180) deadends in Kings Canyon and there's little to do but hike, fish, ride horses and take pictures, unless, of course, you're coming to camp at Hume Lake Christian Camp, which hosts over 45,000 people a year (kids, mostly). Then there are a zillion and one things to do while you enjoy all that nature has to offer in these mountains.

Hume Lake Strata and Flora

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Fri, 25 May 2007 03:08:00 GMT

--- Central Sierra Nevada ---
Most of these were taken while walking around the area of Ten Mile Creek and the east side of the lake. My camera battery went dead and shortened the exploration time a bit, though.
I couldn't identify all the flowers. Some were only about 1/4" diameter.

Kings Canyon Visit - 2007

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Sun, 27 May 2007 00:28:00 GMT

Kings Canyon, east of Fresno, has been called the Little Yosemite because of the high canyon walls above the Kings River. Deeper than the Grand Canyon, it is easy to strain your neck looking at the surrounding peaks.

More amazing than the cliffs of massive granite are the zillions of wildflowers that greet you. Late May was a great time to visit --- before the summer rush.

Most photos taken with a Nikon D70, but a few were Nikon F3 scanned images, hence the fuzziness and odd colors.

I couldn't identify a number of these creations. Sorry.

Yosemite - May 2007

wordydave@sbcglobal.net (Dave Skinner Photography) — Wed, 23 May 2007 02:46:00 GMT

In spite of the many thousands of visitors on a Saturday morning in May, we found that taking pictures from Leidig Meadow offered relatively people-free landscapes. WARNING: Do not visit the park on a weekend. You do so at your own peril and will most likely be frustrated by trying to find a place to park and a place to pee.

The day's shots were taken with a Nikon D70 digital camera and a Nikon F3 film camera (w/ a 24mm lens). The few washed-out, blurry shots are film scans.

This national park treasure is overpopulated but can still inspire and move your soul with an awe of God's beautiful creation.