The Traveling Widower

Category: Photography techniques

  • The First and Only Day – Baja Part III

    A sandy path leading to the ocean with a pier in the distance under a clear blue sky.

    February 24th, 2026

    It was not easy getting up early on Tuesday – I was still tired from my late night E/R experience on Saturday/Sunday, and had to get up at Oh-Dark-Thirty on Monday for the trip to Ensenada, so a 5:45 AM wake-up was tough. But, I managed to stumble off for breakfast at 6:15, and had everything ready to go for loading up the vans for the short drive to the dock. 

    The “visitor center” for the whale watch tours consisted of an office for buying tickets (which we did not have to do), a small cafe and gift shop, and a room where you get your life vest. And a few port-a-potties back in the parking lot. After getting the vests, we all headed out on the long dock to load on to the boats (Panga’s) – the loading dock was kind of fun since it floats and rocks, so boarding the boats can be a challenge. The first boat out only had four passengers while mine had 7. Not crowded, but I’d rather have been in the first boat. 

    My plan for  this first trip was to get the lay of the land so to speak for photography.  I had three cameras plus my phone, and I wanted to experiment and find out what worked best for the remaining 5 trips out to the lagoon. After all, I’ve never photographed whales from 6 inches away before. 

    This was absolutely a perfect day – just warm enough, no wind, and the water was really calm. We saw lots of whales as soon as we headed out. The first boat was far ahead, and already had a bunch of whales surrounding them, so we went over to share. No whale hogging allowed on this trip. That was not a problem as it turned out.

    A group of people in life jackets interacting with a gray whale next to a small boat in calm waters.

    It was an amazing experience. We had 3 or 4 whales coming right up to the side of the boat, rolling over like Golden Retrievers. Yes, I did rub one of them – really soft skin. And no, I did not kiss them. Other people in our group did that. At one point, we had two adults and one baby on one side of the boat, and one swam under, scraping along the bottom of our boat. It was impossible to get a full photograph of the whales – just whatever portion of their body that was sticking up next to the boat. They move around quickly, so it is pure luck on what you capture with the camera. 

    I started out photographing with the Sony when the whales were over by the other boat, but quickly switched to the GoPro when three or four whales approached our boat. I wish that I had just used my phone for the close up. I totally gave up on the other underwater camera I had brought along. One other challenge was the other passengers in the boat – I wound up with a lot of heads, arms and other body parts in my photo’s – not much you can do about that. Not everyone is focused on photographing the whales. So, here are a few of the still shots I made that morning – mostly close-ups of the head and blow holes.

    A close-up view of a whale partially submerged in clear blue waters, displaying barnacles and other marine life on its skin.
    A gray whale partially surfaced in the ocean, showing its head and upper body, with ripples and bubbles in the water around it.
    Close-up of a gray whale partially submerged in calm water.
    A close-up view of a gray whale surface feeding near a small boat with several people observing it. The ocean is calm with a clear sky in the background.
    A close-up view of a whale's dorsal fin partially breaking the surface of the water, with a background of clear blue water and a distant shoreline.

    I did luck out with some of the GoPro videos – this one is the best. I managed to get most of a whale, including the eye. I have a few more clips I’ll put on the next post.

    All good things come to an end unfortunately – the boat drivers have to be back after 2 hours, so we left our friendly whales and headed back to the visitor center. I was pleased – I figured out what I would do in the afternoon session – just use my phone and the GoPro, and maybe switch out the wide angle for the regular lens on the GoPro.  Once we got to the dock, I managed to get out of the boat without falling in the water, and made it back to the center to turn in my vest.

    A wooden pier extends over calm water, leading away from a sandy shore. Several people wearing orange life jackets walk along the pier, with a seagull perched nearby. In the background, there are buildings and distant hills under a clear blue sky.

    On the drive back, we noticed an Osprey having lunch, sitting on a sign. These birds are all over the place – they build huge nests on top of the port-a-potties, or any other structure convenient for them. This turned into a great photo-op for me with the Sony camera

    An osprey perched on a wooden sign that reads 'No Pase Zona de Restauracion', with a fish in its talons in a natural landscape.

    Once back at the camp, we all headed over for lunch, and had about an hour afterwards to rest before we went back to the visitor center for our next outing. I went back to my cabin and started checking out the battery levels in my cameras, when all of a sudden, the world started spinning around, and my heart was pounding. Crap – this was just like what happened on Saturday night. Once again, I tried to just calm down, but my BPM was way over 100, and I staggered every time I stood up. I realized that going out on the next whale trip was not going to happen, and that maybe I should get some help. Calling 911 was not going to work this time.  Fortunately, the door to my cabin was open, and I must have looked like I needed help – I soon had three staff members asking what was wrong, and one of them rushed over with a blood pressure cuff. Way high, not too surprising. The van drivers were hanging around waiting to see what I was going to do, so I told them I’d stay behind, and the group headed off for the boats.

    One of the staff members came back with a home made Gatorade mix, since I was probably still dehydrated from the previous days, and they set me up in a shady spot where I could rest. I was not sure what to do – I was scheduled to take the van ride back to San Diego on Friday, and maybe switching to the plane would be a smarter move. Or maybe I could switch to Thursday instead. I still wanted to get a few more cracks at photographing the whales. I passed this request on to the staff, to check with Keith (the owner). Needless to say, I was really depressed, stressed and a bit panicked now.

    I rested for a while, and then walked up the hill to the dining hut for a refill of the Gatorade mix, and to have someone to talk to. Keith was already there, waiting for me. He first said that there was no room on any of the flights out. And then he lowered the boom – he was very concerned about my condition and put it bluntly to me. If anything serious happens, I will die there. There are minimal medical services in Guerrero Negro, and there is nothing close by that can handle heart related issues. He told me I should get back to the US ASAP – he could get a car to drive me back later in the day, or early tomorrow. It was my choice, but that was his recommendation.

    I gave it some thought for a few minutes – part of me REALLY wanted to stay. The intelligent voice, and probably my wife’s as well, was saying…”Idiot, get your ass back to the states!!!” Intelligence won the argument. It was not just the risk, but also the impact I could have on everyone else. What would happen if I had one of these incidents while we were out in the lagoon? I guess they could just push me overboard. At any rate, I told Keith I’d leave and he went off to make the arrangements. I finished another glass of the homemade gatorade, and pondered my fate. Lots of bad words. This was a really bad day to have given up drinking alcoholic beverages. 

    After a while, the dizziness was gone, and my BPM was down to something more reasonable, so I decided to take a long walk along the beach, and find someplace to sit and relax. And curse and cry in privacy  By the time I got back to my cabin, Keith had everything set – I would leave early the next day – the driver would arrive at 5:30 AM. Another very early morning. The driver did not speak English, but we would switch cars close to the border, with a driver who could get across the border, and also spoke English. I could hardly wait. I enjoy adventures, but this was one I could have lived without.

    So, I had a nice dinner with the group, enjoyed watching them play some very strange game which involved eating poisoned jelly beans (not really, but it was peculiar and funny), and wandered back to my hut. Such a shame – I was really enjoying this trip – what a fun group of people, and incredible staff.

    My favorite all-round photo from the trip (not really):

    Two portable toilets and storage boxes on a sandy beach with a figure standing in the distance against a clear blue sky.

    One more post after this…I promise. I like to draw out the story.

    If you are interested in this type of adventure, here is a link for the Baja Jones whale camp: wwww.graywhalewatching.com
    I really enjoyed my brief stay – it seems a bit primitive, but the staff is wonderful, the cabins are comfortable, and the trip down to Guerrero Negro may seem complicated, but it turned out to be a fun experience. And seeing (and touching) these beautiful animals so close, was absolutely incredible. I will hopefully be able to go again.

    And if you are REALLY adventurous and want to drive to Laguna Ojo de Libre and camp, you can rent one of the pads, and just sign up for one of the whale watch tours: https://www.campendium.com/laguna-ojo-de-liebre-campground

  • Maybe I Should Specialize in Bird Photography

    A cheerful man stands in a forest by a lake, using binoculars to observe birds. He wears a vest with a badge and holds a camera, surrounded by various bird species perched on trees and the ground. Generated with Google Gemini

    February 7th, 2026

    I really do need to stop taking pictures for a while and start prepping for my next trip, just two weeks away. But I’m a compulsive obsessive type, and it’s hard for me to stop doing something I actually enjoy. Like walking around in nature preserves and taking photographs. 

    Last week, before I had my knee procedure, I spent a wonderful 3 hours hiking and photographing birds at the Cosumnes River Preserve – I got some nice images, but that short trip was more about just being out in a beautiful spot. Fast forward to Friday – my knee was still sore, but I really wanted to get out of the house for a while. Walking was OK, and the weather was still great, so another outing to the preserve seemed like a good idea.

    The nice thing about photography close to home, is that you can try out new things, or correct mistakes you made the last time you visited the place, unlike most of my trips where every day is a new location, with totally different lighting conditions. So this time, I brought a tripod instead of the monopod for increased stability of my big, heavy camera and lens, and I shifted to shutter speed priority, since I had quite a few shots which were a bit blurred. The lighting was not too bad, but the birds all move around a lot, especially when they are feeding. I also wanted to focus on lighting this time and avoid shooting into the glare, and also stay there long enough to get that nice, warm sunset lighting. That turned into a long list. 

    Earlier in the week, there were only a few die-hard birders and hikers at the preserve. This time, on a Friday night, there were gobs of high-school age kids, all carrying binoculars and clip-boards. I’m guessing this was some type of class assignment. Birding 101? Who knew? It seems like the viewing area is also popular for couples who want to take posed selfies at sunset. Whatever. 

    Sometimes with photography, you just luck out – the lighting is perfect and the beasties are cooperative. Well, this was one of those days for me. There were a few birds which I had not seen the day before (Black Necked Stilts, Dowitchers) and a few that were within camera range (Pintail Ducks). The Coots, geese and other waterfowl were all present and active as well. And the lighting was getting better and better as the sun was setting. I wound up shooting about 400 images, with a higher percentage of keepers than I normally get. And quite a few are worth entering for competition and contests. I’ve just started curating with Adobe Lightroom, but here are a few of them.

    A common coot swimming on a calm water surface, reflecting its image in the water.
    A blackbird with vibrant red shoulder patches perched on a branch, singing against a blurred background of water and vegetation.
    A wading bird standing in shallow water with reflections visible, surrounded by green vegetation and wetland plants.
    A greater white fronted goose standing in shallow water with its reflection visible in the calm surface.
    A black-necked stilt wading in shallow water, reflecting on the surface, surrounded by sparse vegetation.
    A male teal duck swimming in calm water, featuring a distinctive green head, reddish-brown face, and gray body with black and white wing accents.
    A white fronted goose standing in water with its wings outstretched, showcasing its plumage, set against a blurred natural background.
    A pair of white fronted geese in a pond, one stretching its wings while the other is submerged, with greenery in the background.
    A female pin tail duck swimming in calm water, creating gentle ripples on the surface.
    A duck swimming in calm water, with visible ripples and reflecting its image on the surface.
    A northern pintail duck swimming in calm water, creating ripples as it moves.
    A black-necked stilt wading through shallow water, surrounded by aquatic plants and reflections.

    My personal favorites are the Pintail Ducks – pretty much everything is perfect technically, and the level of detail is awesome. Something to do with that 55 megapixel sensor. The higher shutter speed also caught drops and streams of water mid-air. One or two of these will make for nice additions to my growing gallery of acrylic prints. I’ll make room for them somewhere. 

    As for getting into serious birding….nah. I’d have to start remembering all the names, something I’m not very good at. (Fortunately, Google does a good job of identifying them). I’m more of a generalist when it comes to nature and landscape photography. No specialities, just whatever shows up in the viewfinder. 

    Thought for the day: I am spending a small fortune on these adventures, traveling around the world, taking thousands of photographs, most of which I wind up deleting. Then I go to a small nature reserve 50 minutes from my house, and get all kinds of great images. If only there were penguins in the Central Valley, I might not travel as much. But wait…there they are!  

    A water tower with a sign reading 'Welcome to Sacramento, America's Farm-to-Fork Capital,' surrounded by trees and a blue sky, with a group of penguins walking nearby. AI generated using Gemini

    No more posts until I’m back from petting the Grey Whales in Baja.

    Peace