The River Through Petaluma A few days after the talk at Google (I think the Authors@Google *LINK to video are adding subtitles now, for those of you that have trouble hearing), I went up to Napa to visit my mom and my grandmother. Besides getting a bunch of homemade fudge (which I brought to the Stanford photowalk), I also stopped on the way back south in Petaluma at Leo Laporte's "cottage".I've always been a big fan of Leo's!  Beside just seeing out of one eye (a strange bond I feel with him), I've really gotten a kick out of the way he approaches and discusses technology.  In fact, I listen to his podcasts so much that my wife often says, "If I have to hear that Leo ONE MORE TIME, before jamming the radio to get off AUX to FM."Leo was in the middle of a podcast when I walked in to watch his operation in person.  We didn't really get a chance to talk, but he was gracious and said hello quickly while in the middle of the broadcast.  I think he's very clever with his media powerhouse there.  I was fascinated seeing the operation -- everything from the logistics to the electronics - smart.His whole team was out in the front part of the college, and, while there, I also met Dr. Kiki (Dr. Kirsten Sanford is probably what it says on her degree).  She was as nice as I expected as well - her show is called "Dr. Kiki's Science Hour" -- another nice podcast for your lineup!After leaving, I stopped in downtown Petaluma to grab some lunch and some internet.  Whilst there, I went over one of the bridges to grab this shot.  I don't know if the water is always this brown and muddy, but it certainly was this day!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
A Morning at the Secret Lake This was shot in the Andes of Southern Argentina just near the border of Chile.I spent several hours of hiking in the dark just so I could get to this spot at sunrise.  All the darkness in the lower half is the shadow of the mountain behind me as the morning sun rose above it.  I was so thirsty from the hike, and had not brought any water with me.  Looking on Google Earth beforehand, I knew there was a lake up here and I could fill up… so I got down on my hands and knees and drank like a horse…  oh boy that was some good fresh water…  You can see my little footprints in the snow there on the left.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Trees and an Aircraft Carrier in the Fog The time I spent in San Diego was very moody and covered in fog.  I went down to the shore one night to spy the USS Midway.  The fog was pea-soup thick and it gave the environs quite the mood.  I found these amazing trees nearby that seemed wonderfully illuminated against the glow from the aircraft carrier.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Frozen Granite Getting to this spot in Glacier National Park wasn't easy.  It was even tougher trying to get Ethan and Tina into the exact spot too.  Even though this area had all this cool granite around it, there was a bit of a swamp there that we had to traverse first.  And, just around the corner was a nice sandy beach!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Meditation It's sort of hard to find time to meditate nowadays, eh?  I mean, there is a lot of stuff going on.  I wonder if the old-school Buddhists would be as good at meditating if they had broadband.  It's quite easy to distract yourself online.  By the way, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for distracting yourself with the blog!  I guess I'm happy to be a source of distraction for you.And, should you find the inspiration to meditate a little, maybe this shot from Siem Reap, Cambodia will help.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Secret Emerald Lake I saw the craziest and most unbelievable things in Patagonia.  It was like nature rewrote its own rules to build this place.  I'd like to make a reference to the ill-fated Genesis project in Star Trek II, the Wrath of Kahn, but I won't.I came across this shockingly clear and mysterious green lake.  The water magnified the pure green algae that covered every strange underwater formation.  There were also fish swimming around inside, but I kept the ISO so low on these shots, the fish got blurred out.  I do have some higher ISO shots of the fish I will add at a later date.  They were these little blue-colored fish.  I think they were trout, but I'm not totally sure.  Anyway, I felt lucky to be here in the Autumn, just after a small rainstorm, making all the trees nice and moist with a glistening glow.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Guarding the Beaches of LA Being a lifeguard in LA must be a great job.  Or it might be a boring job.  Or it might have occasions of greatness filled with a long periods of boredom.  There was a lifeguard sitting here in the station on Manhattan Beach when I took the shot.  I guess I could have asked her while I stood outside her station for 10 minutes with all my glass aimed right at her.  I kept giving her a nod of confidence, indicating that everything was okay.  I was really just waiting for the colors to get right in the reflection.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Lunch at Chateau Rodin I had been hiking around Paris with way too much equipment for several hours.  Whenever, I'm in photo-gatherin' mode, I am fairly tireless.  I go from spot to spot like a Navy SEAL...  but this day, I actually planned to have lunch at Chateau Rodin, the famous estate of the great French sculptor.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
A Canyon Oasis This place is deep inside Glacier National Park.  The only bad thing about photography is I can't show how deafening the sound of the waterfall inside the canyons was!  It ricocheted around the rocky walls and seemed to be perfectly acoustic echo chamber.  I didn't get in, but the water seemed super-cold.  It was a nice spot to stop and take a break for a bit.  You would think the noise would kind of relaxing, but it was less of the alarm-clock-bubbling-brook and more of the 747-emergency-landing...- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

A Morning at the Secret Lake


This was shot in the Andes of Southern Argentina just near the border of Chile.

I spent several hours of hiking in the dark just so I could get to this spot at sunrise. All the darkness in the lower half is the shadow of the mountain behind me as the morning sun rose above it. I was so thirsty from the hike, and had not brought any water with me. Looking on Google Earth beforehand, I knew there was a lake up here and I could fill up… so I got down on my hands and knees and drank like a horse… oh boy that was some good fresh water… You can see my little footprints in the snow there on the left.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog." href="javascript:openLB(742625004,'',XLarge,'',680,768);">A Morning at the Secret Lake This was shot in the Andes of Southern Argentina just near the border of Chile.I spent several hours of hiking in the dark just so I could get to this spot at sunrise.  All the darkness in the lower half is the shadow of the mountain behind me as the morning sun rose above it.  I was so thirsty from the hike, and had not brought any water with me.  Looking on Google Earth beforehand, I knew there was a lake up here and I could fill up… so I got down on my hands and knees and drank like a horse…  oh boy that was some good fresh water…  You can see my little footprints in the snow there on the left.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

A Morning at the Secret Lake


This was shot in the Andes of Southern Argentina just near the border of Chile.

I spent several hours of hiking in the dark just so I could get to this spot at sunrise. All the darkness in the lower half is the shadow of the mountain behind me as the morning sun rose above it. I was so thirsty from the hike, and had not brought any water with me. Looking on Google Earth beforehand, I knew there was a lake up here and I could fill up… so I got down on my hands and knees and drank like a horse… oh boy that was some good fresh water… You can see my little footprints in the snow there on the left.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
See photo in original gallery.