I am very excited to be heading back to the Bristlecone Pine groves of the White Mountains in California near the Nevada border next week. These trees, among the oldest of all living things, grow high in the desert mountain range east of the Sierras. They are very beautiful in their gnarled and twisted ancientness.

Communing with nature in the Patriarch Grove of Bristlecone Pines is one of my favorite activities, and the tree shown in the two images below is one of my favorite trees among the Patriarchs. In fact, one friend of mine has claimed that I was “in love” with this tree. Certainly, I have spent much time gazing at it and waiting for my long HDR exposures to complete. One could certainly do worse in picking an inamorata!

I am looking forward to leading a night photography workshop in the Patriarch Grove, and also of course pursuing my own work in this incredibly gorgeous landscape.

You may be interested in some of my other stories on my blog about the Bristlecones, most ancient of all trees. Check out Seeking Methuselah; Touching the Rainbow; Distant Night Storm; and When Workshops Collide.

A gentle reminder about my autumn workshops in Berkeley, CA:

An early-bird special is in place for these workshops until the end of August 2012. If you are interested in these workshops please consider taking advantage of the discount—particularly as based on past experience we expect the workshops may fill by mid-September:

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography Bootcamp with Harold Davis: Saturday October 6

Digital Black & White Master Class: Full Day Workshop with Harold Davis: Saturday November 3

Photographing Flowers for Transparency with Harold Davis: Saturday December 1

Comments from those who have attended my workshops:

“He was very giving of his talents and time. The course was very organized and thorough. Loved it! Learned so much! ”

“Very creative and a marvelous instructor.”

“AWESOME…instructor and photographer.”

“Harold’s techniques as demonstrated through his many books have revolutionized my approach to photography and has accelerated my abilities in a very short period of time. I appreciate that he is so accessible and giving of his time.”

“I think that Harold’s passion for teaching about photography is only second to doing photography in a creative way. ”

“Harold is a peach. Great skill, without the ego of most master photographers.”

If you are in the Southeast near Richmond, VA please keep in mind my full-day workshop. The cost is $60 ($72 with lunch) and the goal is to inspire you to creatively take your photography up a notch. Click here for information and registration.