Fire Road. Calero Park. January 16, 2006. Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

This photo is interesting to me in several ways.

First, I like the image… ;-)

Second, it is an example of how the best subjects can often be the closest and seemingly mundane subjects. This spot is on a fire trail that I frequently hike across on my way to some other place. It is not exactly what you would think of as a “destination.”

Third, the picture was almost an afterthought when I shot it. I had spent some serious time with camera on tripod a few minutes earlier trying (but not really succeeding) to get an image of a bird on top of an old snag. Then I had spent additional time trying and failing to find an image in a lower grove of oaks. Finally I figured, what the heck, might as well hike to the ridge before I go back to the car. As I turned around to descend, I thought this looked somewhat interesting so I took a few handheld shots imagining that it might make an OK color image.

Then I tried it in black and white… ;-)

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