… a little east of Page Springs at 5304 feet above mean sea level and Page Springs is at 3514 feet above mean sea level, so we’re about 1800 feet above the ground and looking over the Page Springs area … this is where a lot of my wildlife photos are from.
Looking from the bottom to the top of the photo we have Oak Creek flowing through the photo inside the green ribbon that is coming at us. Above the green ribbon there is a triangle peak on the horizon and that is Bill Williams Mountain (the first volcano in the San Francisco Volcanic Field) and directly below that is the gap into Sycamore Canyon with Black Mountain on the left and Casner Mountain on the right of the gap.
The red roof right of center and near the bottom cover the fish hatchery where trout are raised and above them, Bubbling Ponds, the rectangular ponds which is where the game fish are put until mature and ready to be placed in lakes and rivers. The pathways around the ponds are where we walk and get a lot of great shots (some not so good too). The trees that surround the ponds are frequented by Osprey, Black Hawks, Eagles and more as they survey the source of their meals and target them before leaving their perches to collect it.
SR89A is a very thin line above the west end of the green area and runs left to right … Cottonwood is to the left and Sedona to the right. The red rocks on the right side of the image are the break off from the Colorado Plateau running west from roughly the end of Long Canyon … it turns NW and ends up near Ash Fork on I-40 west of Williams. The Village of Oak Creek where I live is about 4 miles to the right of my current position over House Mountain, a thirteen million year old Shield Volcano that used to be part of the Colorado Plateau.
Below we have a beautiful Great Blue Heron launching from the shoreline of Watson Lake in the granite dells part of the lake … it is totally unconcerned with where on the planet he is … he lives his life as it is and where he is.
Into the weekend for me … have beautiful days, keep breathing and smile at those you meet and greet … you may be rewarded with a smile that lights you up!
Cheers,
Ted
Occasionally permit self-abandonment to the
caprice of beauty; rush past the sentinel that keeps
you in the prisoned city, and live for an hour in the
house of the world, acquainting yourself with the still
people of the air.
Learn the music of a summer night by the restless
wave of the sea, or surrender to the sunlight of an
open country where the illimitable sky at last meets
to kiss the sweet green earth and stay till the crimson
shafts burn the western world;
And something will rise in you that is not connected
with the tiring routine of your trade—something
strange and calm.
Something Will Rise In You by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …