Cult of Darcy

01/21/2025

The tide ebbs and flows. Sometimes it washes to shore innumerable treasures, other times it brings the stench of decay. But one thing is for certain, the next ebb tide will rinse it all out to sea again, and thus begins a new cycle. Even though so much is out of our control, we can always make the effort to leave it a little better than we found it, literally and metaphorically.

Take care of yourselves, friends. 💙

Xoxo,
Darcy

01/06/2025

There was almost no wind during my hike near the wind farm yesterday but then a little gust came to add some movement to my long exposure. The green grass is starting to push up from under last year's dried grass and soon the hills will be green and velvety.

Even though I don't make New Year's resolutions, I'm making an effort to see new things that are local to me. It's more challenging to shoot new places as I'm not familiar with the landscape and best times of day so I'll definitely go back to this spot and try some other trails and compositions.

I did go off trail a bit to get a better vantage point for some shots and that's when I found a cow skeleton! That was pretty exciting for me and Uni. Sad for the cow, but nature doesn't waste anything and I'm sure it fed at least several large mammals, as well as birds and insects/larvae.

The hike itself is easy, with wide trails and gentle slopes. There are cows, so make sure to close gates behind you and watch out for cow patties. Lots of ground squirrels have dug their burrows here so be careful not to trip in any holes if you step off trail.

Btw the long exposure was captured using the Live Composite feature on my camera .cameras . I also added an neutral density filter to enable a longer exposure that would really show how much the clouds moved.

12/28/2024

A permanent place for these stills of Yerba Buena Island, all shot on my phone, as it was a spontaneous stop on our way home from lunch in the city. You can access YBI from the Bay Bridge in either direction, just be ready to make your turn as the exits come up pretty fast!

A couple decades ago, my sister and I lived on Treasure Island and we would run around TI and up to the top of YBI a few times a week. It was pretty quiet back then. Today there are huge new apartments and condos on both islands, and even a ferry terminal!

Both islands are interesting to visit especially if you're interested in history. Originally an Ohlone fishing village with artifacts dating back to 1450BC, in the 1700s it was mapped by Spanish "explorers", the land was eventually bought from the Mexican government. The islands were used for military purposes, including a Naval training station. During WW1 thousands were quarantined during the influenza pandemic in 1918-1920. And from 1939-1940, the site hosted the World's Fair, attracting 17 million visitors.

Anyway, history buffs and lovers of epic San Francisco views will enjoy a stop here. Bookmark for your next Bay Area adventure.

12/21/2024

For the last few years I have been photographing the LDS Temple around Christmas. I wanted to challenge myself to not just take the same shots every year, and this afternoon it looked like there could be an interesting sunset. It wasn't a burner but it still added some texture.

If you scroll through you can see the phases of the evening as it becomes dark and the lights start to show. The gardens and fountains are stunning and the temple itself seems futuristic.

I'm loving the vibe of this series, it feels a little psychedelic to me. Let me know your favorite shot!

11/29/2024

Black & White Friday has arrived! 🖤 🤍 Yesterday, instead of partaking in a traditional Thanksgiving, my neighbor and I went for a little walk in Sibley Regional, appreciated nature, and I took a bunch of photos of her, some that turned out to be some of my favorite images ever! It helps that Kiya has modeling experience so she knows her poses and I can focus on composition, texture and light.

She had a Calvin Klein inspired outfit, and of course I take everything literally so I had to do some monochrome edits. I grew up shooting monochrome film, and have always been inspired by photographers like Herb Ritts (who shot some of the famous 90s Calvin Klein ads), so this was super fun taking it to nature. Fashion gone feral. ;)

I've also been thinking a lot about my career as a photographer, and I really fu***ng hate the term "content creator". I put a lot of passion and artistry into my work and I feel gross calling it content. I like to think that these images would look even better printed and hung than in an IG feed.

My favorite thing to do is landscape photography, but the growing market seems to be personal branding. Most of the inquiries I get are for portraits/personal branding/lifestyle, which is kind of funny because I really don't consider myself a portrait photographer at all, and yet here I am. 🫠

I'd love to hear what you think of this B&W series!

11/20/2024

Fall roundup of pics from home and Redwood Regional Park. Full moon, rainbow, hike, and various vehicles that parked on my street.

11/19/2024

10/31/2024

Mexico is always calling me, but the signal has been amplified these last couple of days. I'm all ears!! Here's a couple shots of some cacti from my trip to BCS in April, which was my last trip outside the US. No wonder I'm getting signals, it's been over 7 months. Let's see how the end of this year pans out! 🌵

10/26/2024

Roundup of my Alameda beach walk yesterday. We are so lucky to have so many beautiful natural places all over the East Bay. This long wide beach is on the Bay so there aren't really waves and some people even swim in it. There was even someone swimming yesterday! The Bay water is a lot cleaner than it used to be and it was crystal clear yesterday. It's crazy that for being in such a populated area and such a beautiful day, I hardly saw anyone there.

At the South end, where the beach ends and a more estuarine environment begins, you will find the Elsie Rohmer bird sanctuary. Thousands of shore and sea birds congregate especially during winter. Dozens of pelicans were hanging out fishing yesterday.

Any time you can spend outside is sure to boost your mood and relieve some stress. As the daylight hours become shorter, I really have to make a concerted effort to get outside to keep the blues away.

10/21/2024

Roundup of the comet as shot on my phone (light edits in Lightroom for saturation and contrast). Google Pixel 8 Pro. It's incredible how far technology has come in my lifetime. And as they say, the best camera is the one you have with you!
Happy travels Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, see ya in 80,000 years.

10/09/2024

Have I ever told you I'm a sunrise girl? Yes, it takes a little more effort to wake up before the sun comes up, but there is nothing quite like the stillness at dawn and the exhilaration as the sun begins to bathe everything in its life-sustaining light.

Btw, if you want to get that starburst effect when photographing the sun, shut your aperture down to f8 or more, f22 would give the crispest rays. Even some phones can do this, usually in pro/custom settings. You can also underexpose slightly to make sure the area around the sun isn't completely blown out.

Are you a sunrise or sunset person?