For Father’s Day 2007 my most excellent spouse, Patricia Ann, and my youngest son, Matt, surprised me with a Canon Powershot A570 IS digital camera. Matt spent a fair amount of time researching this purchase to get the most value for his limited budget. There is no question that the larger 35mm digitals produce better still pictures, but it does have more versatility than its bigger cousins. One of those versatile features is Photostitch. When set in this mode, the camera places the picture files together in a subfolder for combining later on a computer. As each photo is taken, approximately one third of the previous photo is retained on the left side of the LCD screen to aid in lining up the next shot in the series. The Photostitch software on the computer helps with the arrangement and overlapping to produce what I think are fairly impressive panoramic scenes. Most of the masthead photos on this site were made from the resulting composites. Last Christmas, they surprised me again and got me the Nikon D90. The newer panoramas on this page were made with shots from that camera composed in Photoshop Elements. Click the thumbnails below to see the higher resolution versions.
Harding Truck Trail Creek Bed
My first time to this neck of the woods, actually at the western edge of the Cleveland National Forest and uphill from the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. April 22, 2011
San Diego Safari Park
San Pasqual Valley as seen from the deck of the Great Rift Lift. The balloon appears jagged because there was a slight breeze and it moved between the three shots in which it appears here. This composite is made from 13 individual pictures covering almost 180 degrees. January 29, 2011
Rancho Santa Margarita Lake
On a gorgeous winter Saturday afternoon, the Three Sisters of the Saddleback Mountains stand guard over the placid lake. January 15, 2011
Late Spring, Serrano Cow Trail in Whiting Ranch
About .9 miles into Whiting Ranch from the entrance near Glenn Ranch and Portola Parkway, the Serrano Trail splits. To the left is Dreaded Hill Road. To the right is Serrano Cow Trail featuring some of the best scenery in the park, in my opinion. This dazzling hillside is about a quarter mile past the split. May 24, 2010.
O’Neill Park, Mesa Day Use Area
Not quite spring yet on this February afternoon, but enough rain to turn everything green. February 7, 2010.
Lake Mission Viejo
This man-made lake, construction for which began in 1974, is one of only a few in California clean enough to both swim and fish in. January 3, 2010
Hotel Del Coronado
Usually portrayed from the beach side, the hotel’s distinctive architecture is unmistakable even from the street side. September 27, 2009
Laguna Hills
Take Lake Forest Drive south to the end, turn left on Santa Vittoria, then right on Jalisco. Drive about 3 blocks to where the road turns left and you will see a little grassy wooded area. There the bare Laguna Hills is all there is to see. August 3, 2009
Veeh Reservoir
This apparently man-made lake straddles Moulton Parkway in Laguna Hills. This is the southern portion, tucked away behind Lake Hills Community Church. July 22, 2009
Looking East on Borrego Trail
The first 3/4 miles of the Borrego Trail in Whiting Ranch runs through the bottom of a canyon with houses lining the tops along both sides. This view is looking from almost due north to south on the east side of the trail. June 14, 2009
Live Oak Trail
Hiking in Whiting Ranch is one of my favorite activities and the Live Oak Trail is one of my favorite places in the park. The winter rain brought more green than usual this year. January 7, 2009
El Capitan Theater
September 27, 2008
Irvine Strawberry Field
Yes, there are a few left. This one is just a few feet south of busy Irvine Boulevard between Parker and Fairbanks. The view is looking west from Parker. Fire Station 38 is at the far right. April 15, 2008
August Strawberry Field
The same field after harvest, disc, reform, new drip lines and plastic, ready to plant again. August 11, 2008
Irvine Panorama
From the other side of the strawberry field near the corner of Fairbanks and Bertea, Santiago Peak watches over Toshiba and Fire Station 38. May 30, 2008
Rancho Santa Margarita Lake
A December late afternoon on the west shore when the northeast part of the country was suffering the one-two punch from the first big winter storm system. December 16, 2007
Disney Waterfront
Tom Sawyer Island is the centerpiece of Rivers of America. The Columbia sailing ship is docked on the left while the Mark Twain stern wheeler exchanges passengers on the right. November 28, 2007
Paradise Pier at California Adventure
Disney’s California Adventure as seen from Paradise Pier. The California Screamin’ launch track is cooled continuously (at the right here) except when a train is in position. Ariel’s Grotto is just right of center. The Sun Wheel and the Orange Stinger are on the left. November 28, 2007
Olivenhain Skyline
Taken from the front lawn of a relative’s hilltop residence in San Diego County, this scene begins on the left looking east toward Rancho Santa Fe. It covers approximately 135 degrees in six individual photos. June 17, 2007
Mission Viejo West
This view is toward the west on the left side to northeast on the right, from one of the many trails in the city. The Mirador condominiums are on the ridge to the left and the mountains on the right are known locally as Saddleback, actually Modjeska and Santiago Peaks. September 30, 2007
Mission Viejo Farther West
The Mirador condominiums are behind us as we again look west on the left and scan to the north on the right. Del Lago Elementary School is in the middle and the community of Foothill Ranch can be seen in the distance. November 18, 2007
Vista Del Lago
This view is from north to southeast in six pictures. Santiago Peak is bathed in late afternoon sun after daylong Santa Ana winds have cleared the air. A glimpse of East Beach at Lake Mission Viejo can be had just right of center. November 24, 2007
Snow on Saddleback
Cold air followed the first significant rainfall of the season leaving traces of snow on the Saddleback Mountains. December 9, 2007
Hollywood as Seen from Universal Studios
…on a hazy September morning. The grass and trees in the foreground are part of the Lakeside Golf Club. The group of buildings behind that on the right are the Warner Studios. This view was cropped from a single photo. September 27, 2007
Dreaded Hill in Whiting Ranch
The vegetation in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park has largely recovered from the fire of October 2007. This fine spring morning (7:23 am) it was nearly at it’s peak. A few weeks later it began drying to it’s more usual brown. March 24, 2009
Water World at Universal Studios Hollywood
A visit at Universal Studios, Hollywood is not complete without catching the spectacular show at Water World. The top composite was made with the Photostitch software that came with the camera. The perspective mapping was done with Photoshop Elements. I couldn’t decide which I liked better so you get both. September 27, 2007
Borrego Canyon Trail from Foothill Elementary School
The Santiago Fire engulfed nearly the entire Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. This is near the main entrance where the trail runs through a long narrow canyon on Sunday October 28, 2007.
The Backyard
Just a few minutes after trimming and mowing, when the Eucalyptus leaves are almost all gone. July 12, 2007
