General Info page

return to index

taken 15 minutes' walk from home

This photo-journal website is meant to be of general interest to anyone who stops by. The main object is finding attractive landscapes, wherever they are found. The website is an important outlet for my writing/editing compulsions, and it is always fun to mess around with digital photos. As you can tell on the UK tips, I'm also a history nut. 

Intellectual Property Dept. - except where cited (e.g. web photos) all images on this site were taken by me, and I am responsible for any content or comments regarding the photos, but you'll find no controversy here. I strive to get historical info right via correlation from multiple sources.     

Website History - I began posting digital photos in October 2001, and among the first pages was a Carson Pass walk to Lake Winnemucca in late September, with 24 hikers, facilitated by my friend Rich.  It was the start of my involvement with his hiking group, which over the following years provided me with a lot of 'grist for the mill'. As I've written, since then, on this page, 'my photo pantry would be near-empty if not for Rich'. There is more below about him.

2025 Update - I recently posted photos from the Eastern Sierra Nevada trips from 2010 to 2023, see index. I put this together during 2025 as a tribute to Rich. 

Rich's monthly hikes - in fall 2023, my long-time hiking friend Rich had to retire from leading the hiking group and he is now living in the Auburn, Ca. area with his more than capable wife Linda. Early in '24 I took over the hiking facilitation role and we're still going on a monthly basis as of October, '26.  

Contact info - Should you have comments/questions, feel free to email me at mdimage@elkgrove.net 

Privacy concerns - should you be the subject of one of my photos who prefers to not to be shown, just let me know.     

return to index

Photo history & artistic influences -

Once I had an SLR in my hands, at 20, my main interest seemed to be in landscape photography, the first set of photos being of bare hardwood trees in winter, against lovely fall sunsets. I was driving on scenic route 100, which parallels the Brandywine River Valley (Wilmington, Delaware), ca. 1972.  

I continued to take photos over the subsequent decades, especially when traveling and on camping/hiking trips. But by the mid-90s I had become discouraged with 35mm prints and only liked slides. which are admittedly cumbersome.

Once digital cameras came out around Y2K, with images now seen on a PC screen, I liked the Canon Powershot G series...G2, G4, G6, G10, G12 and finally G16. Some of the Eastern Sierra trip photos were taken with a Canon DSLR Rebel T6i.  I continue to use a refurbished G16 (Oct. '26) .   

Artistic influences- I have learned the most about image composition (over the decades) by going to art museums, wherever I live, or visit, seeking out landscape artists' depictions of scenery, so I was essentially 'taught by others'. It eventually became clear to me that similar artistic & aesthetic principles apply both to good landscape paintings and photos. 

return to index

return to index