Just thought I’d pop on here to let everyone know that I’m back from Iceland and have been exploring California since I’ve been back. In the last two weeks I’ve done the following:

• Talked to my Publisher Peachpit Press about starting a monthly Digital Photographer’s Video Podcast (it will be for serious amateurs and should start in the next few months).
• Visited Neil & Susan Silverman in Santa Rosa, CA. (they are photographers and teach on-line classes at www.BetterPhoto.com). We went out shooting the workers picking grapes at a vineyard.
• Met with Doug at ThinkTank Photo in Santa Rosa about future camera bag designs and negotiated a discount for seminar attendees (more on that soon).
• Visited Lewis Kemper in Sacramento (he’s another Photographer who also teaches for www.BetterPhoto.com that I see at least once a year when I speak at FotoFusion in Florida each January). Marv Miller (another photographer friend) drove over from Novato, CA to join Lewis and I for Lunch.
• Had an awesome home cooked dinner at Bert Monroy‘s place in Berkeley, CA (he’s a hyper-realistic digital artist and good friend) with the crew that runs my Photoshop for Photographers seminars.
• Presented a Photoshop for Photographers seminar in Sacramento, CA.
• Had lunch with Curt Fargo from MicroTools. He’s the guy I get all my camera sensor cleaning supplies from. If you’re not comfortable cleaning your digital SLRs sensor, then be sure to visit his CleaningDigitalCameras.com site for info on how to do it right.
• Ran into photographers Greg Gorman and Jeff Schewe on the sand dunes in Mendocino, CA (they were teaching a photoshop/photography class for the week). I hung out with them for a night and had some absolutely awesome food and wine (along with George Jardine, Adobe’s Lightroom Evangelist). I also went out shooting with the class the next day. If you ever want some great instruction and absolutely awesome food (Greg’s chef Willy is amazing), then visit Greg’s site and consider attending one of his Mendocino workshops.
• Did some night shooting in Eureka, CA including the Carson Mansion.
• Explored much of the Northern California redwoods. I’m currently in Crescent City, CA and just wish there would be a little fog to lower the contrast in the redwood groves.

I’ve been going in and out of wireless coverage areas, which has made cell and net access difficult. I’m heading towards Portland, OR, but still have two weeks before I need to get there. I plan to explore the Oregon coast and then photograph the waterfalls that are on the Oregon/Washington border.

I’ve been so busy meeting up with friends and shootings that I haven’t had a chance to update my blog. I’ll try to find some time over the next week to post a few photos that I’ve taken over the last month. FYI: The photo above was taken at sunrise on Friday near Fern Canyon, which is just North of Orick, CA