Archives
“Endless seas of grasses wave and writhe in the wind, imitating the ocean just below; a dance of land and sea.” – Ed Lehming Something that deeply resonated with me as I stood amidst the expansive, grass-filled plains above Estero Bluffs was the striking resemblance between the swaying of the grass and the adjacent ocean. It appeared as though the motion of the grass was an extension of the ocean’s own movement…. Read More
“From the first moment I spotted it from far off along the shoreline, it invited me to approach and admire its beauty; a profusion of exquisite purple flowers spilling over the rugged cliff.” – Ed Lehming For this image, I posted a high-resolution photo, so I hope it does not cause me problems. There is just so much detail that I wanted to be able to share it fully, without resolution loss… Read More
“Among the grand landscapes and broad vistas lie the simple and commonplace, which combined, make up those vast scenes. Often overlooked, they are beautiful in and of themselves.” – Ed Lehming Something that I am ever conscious of, and often observing, is the humble scenes like this; a small cluster of plants creating something beautiful in their simplicity. This composition of the yellow flowered Beach Evening Primrose and the white Lappula Squarrosa… Read More
“Just around the corner, just out of sight, wonders present themselves, but you have to have the courage to look beyond what appear as barriers, always anticipating something wonderful.” – Ed Lehming That was the feeling the day I made this photo. This stretch of beach was just beyond an outcropping of rock. The tide was on its way in, and every second wave raised the water level. But I just had… Read More
“Bounded by ancient stone and lush green brush, the sea ebbs and flows in a timeless rhythm, advancing forward and drawing the land into itself.” – Ed Lehming On the Pacific coast, just below the town of Aliva Beach is a public access spot called Avila Sea Caves. The parking area is just behind where this image was made. The draw of this place is primarily Smuggler’s cave, a large sea cave… Read More
“Even the most mundane and commonplace things that most take for granted are seen as beautiful by those who don’t have them.” – Ed Lehming I love California poppies. I think, mostly because they don’t grow where I live. I expect to people who have them everywhere, they may seem as common as dandelions are to me. One of the things I love about travelling is finding new things and I do… Read More
“Motion within motion. It is amazing what a difference a slightly different perspective makes. By looking at things differently, new wonders emerge.” – Ed Lehming I almost named this image “Motion within Motion”, but what struck me first, and how I generally name my images, is the impression I first get from the image, and that impression was “surge”. It was not till I spent a bit more time with the image,… Read More
“It’s a strange thing, that an ending brings such joy. Sunsets draw people to the waters edge. It’s almost a time of reverence. Such beauty, different every day, and the calmness that ensues as light fades and bathes the worth in gold.” – Ed Lehming I have to say, my visit to Moonstone Beach last month was an absolute pleasure. I have not been spending nearly enough time outdoors with my camera… Read More
“The constant wonder of natural things is that the closer you look, the more wonderful details emerge” – Ed Lehming In my previous post I mentioned the unique character of the sand at Cambria’s Moonstone Beach and the fact that many people sat on the beach just sifting through the pebbles and setting “treasures” aside. It turns out, that several California beaches have this name. Primarily due to a form of feldspar… Read More
“I feel at my best near or on water. The ocean can be both serene and energetic at the same time and I feel at peace with this seeming contradiction. Be it pounding surf or gentle ripples, the energy of water flows to my core” – Ed Lehming I’m sticking with the Central Coast of California for a while. It’s a region that is relatively new to me. It has its own… Read More
“There are details in the darkness, if we just care to see” – Ed Lehming Here I am, back at blogging. It’s been a long time and there have been many changes along my journey through life and I felt that now was an opportune time to get back into sharing my images and thoughts about them. To start, I wanted to share an image I made last week, while standing above… Read More
“Look around, isn’t the world simply amazing? Even from the window of a car, the passing world beckons us to partake.” – Ed Lehming I experience this all the time, even when driving, or in this case, as a back seat passenger, there is so much beauty all around us, we just need the eyes, and mindset to see it. I, for one, can’t turn this off. Everywhere I look is an… Read More
“Light, glorious light. It shapes my world and fills the dark places with joyous brightness” – Ed Lehming I’m returning to my California series with this image, made on a mountainside overlooking northern Napa Valley. Despite the dull and rainy conditions, occasional splashes of light occasionally brightened the day. The contrast between the shadow and brightness was glorious! In this peaceful scene, the wildflowers fill the foreground as the sun bathes the… Read More
“Vineyards tucked among California’s Sonoma Valley in the springtime, offer the promise of future pleasures.” – Ed Lehming The continuation of day one in California, and another winery, there may be a theme emerging here! On parting from Reverie II Wines, we proceeded via a step and winding road over the Mayacama Mountains, which separate the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. It was a road filled will steep grades and switchbacks, the roadside… Read More
“There are times when the beauty and wonder of what lies before us brings an unspeakable joy and peace. Savour those moments so that they can sustain you in times of trial.” – Ed Lehming The image I chose for today was made above Reverie II Winery in California’s Napa Vally. It was our first stop of a day of wine tasting and touring both Napa and Sonoma Valleys and our first… Read More
“It’s a pure joy to wander the woods and fields in the spring. Life and colour abounds with the the promise of more to come.” – Ed Lehming Above is another image made in the Sacramento area. I went for a walk along one of Sacramento’s many small creeks. These urban oases offer so many surprises. In the river valley it’s pure natural bliss, but when you look up, office towers and… Read More
“Often, we find beauty in the most commonplace. The simple touching of water on a shoreline and a few trees can yield something refreshing to the weary soul.” – Ed Lehming Today I’m going to start something a bit different. At least for me. This past May, after two years of travel restrictions and COVID protocols, my wife and I travelled to visit family in California. It felt like forever since we… Read More
“When photographers get beyond copying the achievements of others, or just repeating their own accidental first successes, they learn that they do not know where in the world they will find pictures. Nobody does. Each photograph that works is a revelation to its supposed creator.” – Robert Adams As the above quote articulates so nicely, I never know where a photograph may be waiting. All too often an image reveals itself and I don’t… Read More
I love the movement of water. So, on my visit to Yosemite in 2013, I spent a good portion of my time hiking the shores of the many creeks and cascades throughout the park. Tenaya Creek, pictured above, parallels the Mirror Lake Loop trail and there are many opportunities, close to the trail, to view and photograph the creek as it churns down toward the main valley. What makes it even more beautiful,… Read More
One of my sacred places is Yosemite National Park, in California. I fell in love with this sanctuary on my first visit in 1990, when my wife and I were just starting to date and I have returned several times since. The sheer vastness and majesty of this place is difficult to describe. There are literally millions of photos taken here, as other visitors try to capture a fragment in time but… Read More
Just a simple composition today. If you ever get the chance to go to Carmel, take it. This is a beautiful coastal town full of Spanish charm, art shops, beaches, and eateries. I enjoyed the architecture, which is a real mix of some pretty eclectic styles. When I look at a scene like this I often wonder “How old is this?”. “Is it a reproduction, meant to look old?”. This post and… Read More
Today’s post is a bit of a step back in time to 2013. One place I can never get enough of is Yosemite National Park in California. The sheer scale of the landscapes is overwhelming for a ‘flatlander’ like myself. There are opportunities for images that are just not possible where I live. For example, the image above was made while leaving the park after a day of photography. Just when I… Read More
A nice view of Monterey Harbour. The tide was low, revealing rocks clearly. The lupine and rocks helped frame the shot nicely, and the sky was a wonderful mix of clouds and turquoise.
Ed Lehming Photography 
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