Author: treve

When I'm not creating architectural photos for clients (see my primary website at www.treve.com), I like to travel, hike, kayak and enjoy other artistic and cultural pursuits. I'm also concerned about environmental and social issues and issues of faith.

Explore USS Hornet: A Hidden WWII Gem

Not quite on the radar as a main tourist attraction, the USS Hornet is well worth a visit. It’s of particular interest for those interested in the history of World War II and aviation. She was launched in 1941, served in World War II and also served in the recovery of the Apollo 11 and 12 space capsules. The onboard exhibits include an Apollo space capsule and one of the trailers used to quarantine the astronauts once they had returned to earth.

While in service she was instrumental in shooting down 668 Japanese airplanes and in sinking quite a number of ships. She had quite a colorful history.

The Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation preserves the legacy of USS Hornet as a national historic landmark. We visited the Hornet on a Monday afternoon arriving about 2:00 pm. Admission was $15 for seniors. Once onboard we found the docents very knowledgeable and friendly. There were not many visitors that afternoon, so we felt like we had the whole ship to ourselves. Onboard are a variety of aircraft and exhibits, with something for all ages to enjoy. You can even climb into the cockpit of a fighter jet.

We spent about an hour and a half touring the exhibits which gave us a taste for the history. One could easily spend hours here if you wanted to take in the exhibits in more depth. There are also docent led tours to various parts of the ship that are not open for self-guided tours.

The ship was designed for a crew consisting of 86 officers and 1280 men and an air complement consisting of 141 officers and 710 men. I came away from the tour with a greater appreciation for the role of the ship and of the various aircraft that would have flown off the deck of the carrier.

A 49ers Game Day Experience in Levi Stadium

About a year ago, Peter, my Cornish “cousin” asked me if I would take him to a 49ers game on his visit to California. Peter is actually my Aunt Sue’s nephew. Sue is my aunt by marriage. She grew up in Cornwall and moved to the United States in 1964. Last year we escorted Sue, who is now 87, back to the place of her birth, Cornwall. Peter was kind enough to drive us around and to look after us. Thus, it was with pleasure that I agreed to take him to a 49ers game. This particular game was a big game with the 49ers playing the Kansas City Chiefs, in what was being billed as the Superbowl rematch.

Since I am not yet driving following knee surgery, my wife Joann drove us to Levi Stadium, a 20-minute drive from Sue’s place.

We arrived at the stadium plenty early, which was appropriate, given we did not know our way around and I was not moving fast with my gimpy knee. As we walked by the parking lot, we observed hundreds of tail gate parties going on, some with very elaborate setups with 49er branded pop-ups, pizza ovens and grills, and even a few well-stocked bars. Once we were inside the stadium, we were entertained by the 49ers drum corps. Then it was time to get in line for hot dogs, fries and beer.

Our seats were in section 201, row 7 seats 24 and 25 over the end zone. We were quite early as you can see from the empty seats behind us. By the time of kickoff at 1:25 those seats were full. As you can see the proper attire included 49er jerseys, but we managed to get by with just our 49er caps.

It was a lively game, although we were disappointed that the 49ers lost 28 to 18. Our quarterback, Brock Purdy, apparently wasn’t up to his usual performance. Once the game was over, we found our way out of the stadium without much trouble. We discovered that our intention to use Lyft or Uber for a ride was not viable. No drivers were available. We prevailed on my wife Joann to come pick us up. It was quite an experience at the game with some 68,000 very noisy fans. I took a few photos to document the experience–including experimenting with a long exposure app on my iPhone to create something of an intentional camera motion (ICM) photo. I think this image captures the emotion of the game, at least from point of view in the stands.

Book Review: The Invention of Nature

Let me start by telling you how this book came into my hands. I was at a dinner party at a friend’s house. This was a dinner party that revolved around the theme of creation care. All of the dinner guests were people of faith that have an interest in taking care of the planet. We had an Episcopalian priest, a Presbyterian minister and a number of people from various churches. I had just finished reading On the Origin of Species and The Voyage of the Beagle, both by Charles Darwin, both as homework for a trip to the Galapagos Islands. On sharing some of the insights I had in my readings, my good friend
Carol said I have a book you should read. She handed me a copy of this book.

The Invention of Nature by Andra Wulf

I would consider this book to be a “must read” for anybody with an interest in the natural world.

Humbolt had an insatiable curiosity about the natural world and Wulf’s writing infects the reader with that curiosity. Darwin called Humbolt “the greatest scientific traveler who ever lived.” Humbolt was instrumental in formulating a wholistic and unified approach to the natural world, ideas that are fundamental to our current understanding of the world. His ideas influenced scientific, artistic and geopolitical worlds, from Jules Verne to Thomas Jefferson, to Simon Bolivar, to Henry David Thoreau, to John Muir and beyond. While his legacy lives on in many parts of the world, particularly Latin America, he seems to have been forgotten here. As Andrea Wulf remarks “it is almost as though his ideas have become so manifest that the man behind them has disappeared.” A very entertaining and enlightening book. Highly recommended.

Drakes Estero

14 of us, all BASK members, were ready to get on the water shortly before 10:00 am. With tide being low we dallied a bit, getting on the water at 10:20. You can see the muddy footprints in the photo. The tide prediction for Drakes Bay indicated 3.0 feet of water at 11:00, and we were hoping that by the time we reached the sand bars near the beach we would have enough water to paddle, assuming we could find the channel.

Our course took us south along the west edge of the estero until we ran aground. At that point we paddled east inside the sand bar and eventually found a channel that would take us to the beach. We landed just shy of the point at which the incoming current threatened to send us in the wrong direction. Along the way we saw a group of river otters, pelicans and bat rays.

After lunch we were back in our boats, paddling back along the eastern edge of the estero, and turning into Home Bay.

Paddling along the shore we found the airplane propeller, the remains of a It seems hard to imagine P-39 Airacobras. I wrote about this in a previous blog a few years ago. We also found a few Leopard Sharks and Bat Rays.

We logged 10.4 miles over the course of the day, paddling into a slight current and wind on the way to the beach and taking advantage of the same current and wind on the return. A perfect day to be on the water at Drakes Estero. More photos are available in an online gallery.

Photographing the Peter Iredale Shipwreck at Fort Stevens

After leaving Whidbey Island on July 12, we headed to Fort Stevens on the northwest tip of Oregon. My motivation to visit this location was based on photos I had seen of a shipwreck on the beach. This is the wreck of the Peter Iredale, a four masted square rigger that ran aground in 1906. One of the rangers told us that this is the most photographed shipwreck in the country. I had envisioned a photo of the wreck against a glorious sunset.

Alas, we had fog. This put the wreck in a whole new light and offered some opportunities that I had not anticipated. I had my Nikon D850 and tripod as well as my trusty iPhone 14 and my Sony RX100. I put all these devices to use.

I had an idea to capture the scene as a long exposure to blur out the surf while keeping the wreck in sharp focus. That’s the first variation you see here.

For the second variation I wanted to use the soft light of the overcast to bring out the rusty color. This being a popular location, some patience was required to find an opportunity when people were not swarming over the wreck. Then as people were exploring the wreck I thought it might be interesting to employ some Intentional Camera Motion (ICM) to create a blurry image. This turns out to be my favorite images from this photo session. The blur and the people seem to add a sense of mystery. In the morning the sun came out and that created a whole new feeling to the scene.

In addition to the wreck, some of the old military installations make for fascinating subject matter for photography. Here are several images I captured at West Battery which seemed to lend themselves to a black and white presentation.

Family Reunion on Whidbey Island

On July 8 we all congregated at my brother’s place on Whidby Island for our biannual family reunion. Sixteen of us, my two brothers, and their families. Missing were one nephew and his wife that were in the midst of moving and job hunting. We came from Texas, California and Hawaii.

Johnson family reunion 2024

My brother has 25 acres of beachfront property, which I like to refer to as the Johnson resort. His place would not accommodate all of us, we rented a house in Langley, a short drive from Kurt’s place.

For food we feasted on oysters which Kurt grows on his beach, clams that inhabit the same beach, as well as crab and leg of lamb; Kurt raises a few lambs as well.

Making sandcastles, flying kites and making forts out of driftwood were all fun activities. Kurt roasted up a delicious leg of lamb for one of our meals. And one morning when donuts were on the mind we piled into our cars and drove to Whidbey Doughnuts, a short drive from our rental property in Langley.

On the beach it took no time to collect clams and oysters, and we spent quite a few hours telling family stories, looking at family photo albums, and looking at maps to plan the next leg of our road trip.

It was such a delight to spend time together and to watch the grand kids playing together so famously. I’m looking forward to our next get together, sometime in 2026.

Hiking Hobbit Trail and Visiting Cannon Beach

On July 4 we left Bullards Beach to continue our journey up the Oregon coast. I broke out my stars and stripes cowboy hat as part of my Independence Day regalia.

One of the recommended stops was the Hobbit Trail. This was a short 1.2-mile hike through a mossy fanciful wood to the beach. We kept our eyes open for any diminutive inhabitants. The trail emerges at a beautiful and secluded sandy beach where we broke out our lunch. Our next stop was Heceta Head Lighthouse.

Our destination for the day was Cannon Beach where we spent two nights. I was intent on photographing Haystack Rock. When we were planning our trip, we could not find any available camping. Everything was booked. The Oregon coast is a popular place in the summer. We made reservations to stay at The Studio at the Harrison Inn. This suited us well, since it was a short walk to the beach. Cannon Beach is a delightful place to visit, even with the Fourth of July crowds.

From Cannon Beach we headed inland to join our kids and their families for two nights at Seaquest State Park. Here it was time to fire up the Dutch Oven. We cooked Enchilada Casserole for dinner and Mushroom and Brie Breakfast Strada for breakfast.

And of course, no camping trip is complete without roasting marshmallows. You can view more photos in an online gallery.

Exploring Oregon Coast: A Family Road Trip Adventure

On July 1 we pointed our rig north for a road trip up the Oregon coast with the destination of Whidbey Island, where we would join family for a reunion. We had marked out 17 days to give us time to explore part of the Oregon coast and time to visit with family and to have a leisurely return drive.

For our first night we had reservations for Abalone Campground at Sue-Meg State Park, site 40. We arrived shortly before 6 pm, logging 295 miles over six hours.

The next morning, we woke up to fog and overcast and took our time getting started. We had reservations for Fern Canyon, a popular hike, just a short drive from our camp. The drive out to Fern Canyon is a one lane dirt road for the most part, and not a road I’d want to drive with much traffic, since passing oncoming traffic can be an issue in some places.

The hike up Fern Canyon is well worth the effort. The canyon walls are graced with ferns. We were advised to wear water shoes, since you are walking up the creek and likely to get your feet wet. We wore our regular walking shoes and carried our water shoes. There were plenty of boards to walk on and rocks to hop and we managed the hike without getting our feet wet. We logged 1.4 miles. Not bad for my gimpy knees. In hindsight I would have gotten an earlier start. The trail gets quite busy in the late morning which means that getting photos of the canyon without people is a challenge, and the light is a bit softer earlier in the morning. I carried my iPhone 14 and my Sony RX100 with a tripod. I was anticipating long exposures in the confines of the canyon. The canyon opens at 9:00 am.

Following two nights at Sue-Meg, on July 3 we were off to Bullards Beach State Park on the Oregon Coast, a well-established campground. From our camp we walked out to the beach to watch the sunset. It was very windy on the beach, so we took refuge in a makeshift driftwood shelter somebody had made.

The next day we explored the Coquille River Lighthouse and took a short walk on the beach. The wind and blowing sand discouraged us from spending much time on the beach. Bullards Beach State Park has over 100 camp sites and caters to equestrians and bicyclists. More photos from this trip are available in an online gallery.

Irving Penn: A Journey Through Seven Decades

I’m trying to keep my posts in chronological order, and while we visited this exhibit in June at the de Young Museum, it’s now mid-September. It’s been a busy summer and while this exhibit closed on July 24, it’s still worth noting.

Irving Penn’s work spanned seven decades, and this exhibit includes about 175 pieces that cover his entire career. It includes early documentary scenes, portraits of cultural figures, travel work, fashion studies, still life photography, and personal projects. It also includes photographs made during Penn’s 1967 trip to San Francisco.

To quote Nadja Sayej There is no photographer in history quite like Irving Penn. He built a bridge between commercial photography and fine art photography. He helped define the Vogue aesthetic and overwrote popular ideas about beauty with his trailblazing fashion photography. And he shot everything, from celebrities to still lifes, with the same thoughtful intensity. He’s arguably one of the top artists of the 20th Century, and his work is as relevant as ever.

From still lifes to hippies, to Hells Angels to Celebrities and even the natives of New Guinea, Penn’s ability to connect with his subjects and to create compelling images is extraordinary.

Our visit to the museum started with lunch in the cafeteria before moving on to the exhibit.

While Penn’s photos are well represented in various media, I decided to try to capture the feeling of the exhibit with some intentional camera movement (ICM).

Napo Wildlife Center

Arriving on May 6 we spent four days at the Napo Wildlife Center deep in the Amazon jungle. The center is owned and managed by the Kichwa Añangu Community providing a community-based tourism project. It is located in the Yasuni National Park which is arguably the most biologically diverse spot on Earth.

Getting to the center is an adventure in itself. From Quito we flew over the Andes and into the Amazon rainforest landing in the small city of Coca. From there we climbed into a motorized canoe for a two-hour ride down the river to the community center.

There we transferred to human powered canoes for a two hour ride up Añangu Creek to the lodge. We did have a bit of a delay. About halfway up the creek we encountered a tree that had fallen across the waterway blocking our progress. We waited while a couple of villagers arrived by canoe with a chain saw and they quickly cleared the way.

It was amazing to see this lodge with luxury amenities in such a remote place. Even more amazing were the excursions we had going out in canoes and on foot to explore the environment.

One of our adventures took us by canoe and then on foot to a viewing tower. We climbed a 120 foot tall tower to arrive at a viewing platform in the top of a kapok tree overlooking the rain forest. What a view! While we were on the platform the clouds thickened and our guides broke out ponchos to keep us dry.

I guess one has to expect rain in a rain forest, but the rain did put a damper on our bird watching.

On another outing we traveled by canoe back down the creek to the community center where we were introduced to some of the native culture. Here’s a photo of our guide Juan instructing Joann in the use of a blow gun. Amazingly enough she hit the target on the first try!

The women offered us a welcome dance, demonstrated some of their musical instruments and offered us tea and other native foods including roasted palm grubs, which were actually quite tasty.

And of course, the wildlife. On one of our outings, we spent quite some time watching a sloth slowly making its way up a tree while stopping to munch on the vegetation. We also saw at least four species of monkeys, and a variety of birds.

We visited two clay licks where birds are known to visit. I invite you to visit my online gallery for more photos of our trip to the Napo Wildlife Center.