Briones Overlook Staging Area - Part 3 (EBMUD Park) - Orinda, CA

I went up to a East Bay MUD Park at Briones Overlook Staging Area on May 28, 2016 to take photos. After visiting the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area in Moraga, CA (you can view my photos from that park here), I visited Briones Overlook Staging Area. At this park, I took scenery photos, wildlife photos, and many sunset photos. I am here to share with you the photos I took in the park. Since I took many photos, I am splitting the photos into 3 blog posts. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos.

Full Resolution Photos: If you want to see full resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. If you wish to purchase prints of any of the photos, please contact me here. To view my best East Bay MUD Parks photos, use this link. To see my best monochrome and abstract photos for 2016, use this link. To see all of my photos from this trip, use this link.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 |

In this blog post, I show you the rest of my sunset photos from the park. Photos will include Briones Reservoir and Little John Cove.

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 53 N 122 12 06 W 

Black and white process of the photo above.  

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir. Photo shot at the same spot as the photo above. 

 Black and white process of the photo above.

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir. The rest of the photos from Little John Cove is shot in around the same spot. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 54 N 122 12 06 W 

Black and white process of the photo above.  

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir.  

 Black and white process of the photo above.

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir.  

Black and white process of the photo above.  

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir.  

 Black and white process of the photo above.

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir.  

Black and white process of the photo above.  

Sunset and dusk at Briones Reservoir. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 49 N 122 12 16 W 

Black and white process of the photo above. 

This is all the photos for today and for this chain of blog posts. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 |

Briones Overlook Staging Area - Part 2 (EBMUD Park) - Orinda, CA

I went up to a East Bay MUD Park at Briones Overlook Staging Area on May 28, 2016 to take photos. After visiting the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area in Moraga, CA (you can view my photos from that park here), I visited Briones Overlook Staging Area. At this park, I took scenery photos, wildlife photos, and many sunset photos. I am here to share with you the photos I took in the park. Since I took many photos, I am splitting the photos into 3 blog posts. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos.

Full Resolution Photos: If you want to see full resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. If you wish to purchase prints of any of the photos, please contact me here. To view my best East Bay MUD Parks photos, use this link. To see my best monochrome and abstract photos for 2016, use this link. To see all of my photos from this trip, use this link.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 |

In this blog post, I begin my sunset photos from the park. Photos will include Briones Reservoir and Little John Cove.

Sunset at Briones Reservoir. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 46 N 122 12 14 W 

Black and white process of the photo above. 

Sunset scenery photo from Little John Cove in Briones Reservoir. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 51 N 122 12 09 W 

Black and white process of the photo above. 

 HDR composition of the trail and forest in the park. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 52 N 122 12 07 W

Sunset at Briones Reservoir. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 49 N 122 12 16 W 

Black and white process of the photo above. 

Sunset at Briones Reservoir. Photo shot at the same spot as the photo above. 

Black and white process of the photo above. 

HDR composition of sunset in the park. I felt the sunlight back lighting the tree would make an awesome abstract shot. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 50 N 122 12 12 W 

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! In the next part, I will post the rest of my sunset photos from the park. Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 |

Briones Overlook Staging Area - Part 1 (EBMUD Park) - Orinda, CA

I went up to a East Bay MUD Park at Briones Overlook Staging Area on May 28, 2016 to take photos. After visiting the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area in Moraga, CA (you can view my photos from that park here), I visited Briones Overlook Staging Area. At this park, I took scenery photos, wildlife photos, and many sunset photos. I am here to share with you the photos I took in the park. Since I took many photos, I am splitting the photos into 3 blog posts. I hope you enjoy viewing these photos.

Full Resolution Photos: If you want to see full resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. If you wish to purchase prints of any of the photos, please contact me here. To view my best East Bay MUD Parks photos, use this link. To see my best monochrome and abstract photos for 2016, use this link. To see all of my photos from this trip, use this link.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 |

The photos for today will be scenery photos from the park, scenery photos of Briones Reservoir, and bird photos.

A photo of high voltage power lines running through the park. I took a photo of them because I think having the tower split the image in half would look awesome. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 45 N 122 12 15 W 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Two photos of a female Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) shot on Oursan Trail. There were quite a lot of birds flying through the park, but I only managed to get a photo of this one.

A scenery photo of Briones Reservoir from Oursan Trail. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 40 N 122 12 19 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

A photo down the dam at the reservoir shot from Oursan Trail. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 42 N 122 12 24 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

A scenery photo of Briones Reservoir from the dam on Oursan Trail. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 42 N 122 12 24 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

Scenery photo of Briones Reservoir from Oursan Trail.

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 47 N 122 12 30 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

A photo of the mountains that can be seen from Oursan Trail. This was shot nearing sunset.
Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 47 N 122 12 30 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

A photo of Oursan Trail. On the left is Briones Reservoir. Photo was shot nearing sunset. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 48 N 122 12 31 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

Scenery photo of Briones Reservoir from Oursan Trail. Photo was shot nearing sunset. 

Approximate GPS location (type into Google) according to the Canon GP-E2 GPS Receiver: 37 54 52 N 122 12 39 W

Black and white process of the photo above.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! In the next part, I will begin my sunset photos from the park. Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 |

Valle Vista Staging Area (EBMUD Park) - Moraga, CA

I went up to a East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area on May 28, 2016 to take photos. On this trip I took photos with my DSLR and my DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter. Please take note that flying aircrafts and quadcopters are not allowed in the park. I was not aware of the rule when I flew. You can read more about that incident and see my aerial photos here. After I finished in this park, I also headed to another East Bay MUD Park at Briones Overlook Staging Area in Moraga, CA. The blog post with photos from that park can be found here.

As for why I am only posting these photos now, here is why. If you have watched my June vlog, you would know I got my wisdom teeth pulled and I had a pretty busy month, so I didn't have a lot of time to process my photos. I am finally done processing the photos and I can finally share the photos with you guys. I really hope you enjoy viewing these photos.

Full Resolution Photos: If you want to see full resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. If you wish to purchase prints of any of the photos, please contact me here. To view my best East Bay MUD Parks photos, use this link. To see my best monochrome and abstract photos for 2016, use this link. To see all of my photos from this trip, use this link.

Scenery photo of the trail, mountains, and clouds in the park. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Scenery photo of a large patch of grass and the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

A photo of the trail and forest in the park. On the right is Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Valle Vista Staging Area (EBMUD Park) - Moraga, CA (Aerial Photography)

On May 28, 2016, I did a flight with my DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter through the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area in Moraga, CA to shoot photos of aerial scenery. I also took some photos with my DSLR. You can view my DSLR photos here. In this blog post, I am here to share the aerial photos I took that day, but please read through the following before you go on to viewing the photos.

Please note that the operation of aircrafts and quadcopters are not allowed in East Bay MUD parks (at least at the time these photos were taken). I was not aware of this rule when I performed this flight and I didn't see the rule posted anywhere when I arrived at the park.

Here is the entire story for that day. I saw this park and huge lake on Google Maps and thought it would be a great spot to fly. At the time, I was not aware that the "lake" is actually the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. If I had known that, I would not have done the flight. I also saw that it was not a East Bay Regional Park, which I know has banned the operation of quadcopters and remote aircrafts. I did take a general look around after I arrived at the staging area, but didn't notice any signs that banned quadcopters so I thought I was in the clear. Around the same time, East Bay Regional Park Police and a park ranger were called in for some other stuff. Either way, they saw me bring my quadcopter into the park. I set up my quadcopter at a picnic table and waited for several minutes to see if one of them was going to come talk to me about a rule I might not have been aware of. They did eye me a few times and I eyed them a few times but they didn't come over. By that point, I thought it was fine and started my flight. It wasn't until after I finished my flight and packed away my quadcopter that a East Bay Regional Park Police officer came to talk to me. He told me that I wasn't suppose to fly my quadcopter here and said that he's letting me off with a warning.

I would like to thank the ranger that day and the East Bay Regional Park Police for helping me learn the rules of the park and for being kind enough to let me off with a warning. I won't do this again in East Bay MUD parks as long as the rule is in place. With this in mind, if any one running the East Bay MUD parks, rangers, or East Bay Regional Park Police would like a copy of any of these aerial photos I took in this East Bay MUD park for publications, websites, etc..., contact me and I'd be happy to provide a high resolution copy for use as a show of gratitude.

As for everyone else reading this, I would also like the following to be known. I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety issues. Getting in trouble or crashing my quadcopter is definitely not something I want or willing to do. I generally do a thorough look through of the area I'm going to be flying in on Google Maps before the flight. Sadly, Google Maps did not have the reservoir labeled at the zoom level I was at on the map. I do a detailed review of the satellite imagery of the area I'm going to be flying in before my flights to check for potential obstacles & hazards (such as high voltage power lines). I also check distances during my planning and conservatively calculate how far I'm willing to fly my quadcopter and attempt to factor in wind resistance that might be expected on the day of the flight. When I get to the area I'm going to fly in, I also spend some time looking around before the flight to check for potential obstacles. During my flights, I generally only fly forward so I can see what is in front of the quadcopter by the video feed. Now and then, I will do a 360° spin around to check for other potential obstacles. During my flight, I also keep a constant watch on my battery power, flight speed, distance, and other factors. I take many precautions before and during my flights to ensure the flight is done safely.

Full Resolution Photos: If you want to see full resolution photos of any of the photos you see here, use the following links. To view my best aerial photos for 2016, use this link. To see all of my aerial photos I shot on this flight, use this link.

Aerial scenery of the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area, Upper San Leandro Reservoir, and the forest and hills that surround the reservoir.

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of the Upper San Leandro Reservoir. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery on top of a hill. The hill and the land to the left is the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area. On the right is Moraga Country Club and Moraga, CA. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School and Moraga, CA. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area facing Redwood Regional PArk in Oakland, CA. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area facing Redwood Regional PArk in Oakland, CA. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area with Moraga, CA right over the hill. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area with Moraga, CA right over the hill. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

Aerial scenery of the East Bay MUD Park at Valle Vista Staging Area and Upper San Leandro Reservoir. I took this photo because it looked sort of like a canine's mouth. 

Black and white process of the photo above.

This is all the photos for today! I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.