KAREN SCHUENEMANN PHOTOGRAPHY
Central California including Pinnacles National Park:
In December, 2016, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel with a friend up Central California and to visit Pinnacles National Park. This park has the feel of a Regional Park in that it is small and intimate. The grand Oak trees and the rolling hills beckon memories of Sonoma County where I grew up.
We were on a quest to observe Bobcats and were extremely lucky to see four of them on our trip. We also saw an abundance of Deer, Quail, Wild Turkeys, and a number of raptors. The serene beauty of this area should not be missed, and if you are extremely lucky, you just might see a Condor!
Moving down the great state of California, I'd heard about the endangered San Joaquin Kit Foxes. I joined some dear friends for a quick adventure looking for the adorable foxes in March, 2017. We left at 3 in the morning and at 6:30pm that same day, we finally located a family of foxes as the sun was setting in the San Joaquin Valley. What a great trip getting to observe and appreciate these small critters.
A second trip was made a week later. This encounter was truly special. The kits didn't make an appearance until it was dark...and I mean dark. We were just going to leave, and I saw movement. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see the shapes of the youngsters as they emerged from the den. I started shooting at ISO 4000, moved up to 8000, then 12,000 and then 28,000. The night shots that I'm sharing were all shot at ISO 28,000! My excitement in getting any shots is really quadrupled when I realize the dark conditions that they were shot and that my camera could actually capture! I know that they are not super sharp but the softness lends itself to the imagery and the emotion of the night.