“Pleasanton Circular File ” by Steven Christenson

Back in the early days of QUEST, when we were first piloting the Your Photos on QUEST segments, Steven Christenson was one of the first photographers to respond to our call for submissions, posting on the QUEST YPOQ Flickr page his set of photos from Mission Peak Preserve near Fremont, California.

When I was trolling for our first YPOQ photographer for the new season of QUEST TV, I went back to some of those early submissions and was immediately struck by Christenson’s set of vibrant, kinetic images, especially his night sky photographs and star circles. Not only are they totally unique and beautiful, there’s obviously a good story to be told in how he actually makes them.

Shooting photographs in very low light is a special skill, one that Christenson has honed to a fine art over the last few years. In fact, he’s gotten so good at it, he was honored as one of the winners of the International Astronomy Photographer of the Year, 2010 awards in the “People and Space” category. Here’s his winning photo, taken at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California. He shot it as people gathered on the beach during one of the few days each year when the setting sun shines directly through the archway of a large rock formation.

“Photon Worshipers” by Steven Christenson

“Bristlecone Pine Star Circle ” by Steven Christenson

Indeed the process of “finding light in the darkness”, as Christenson puts it, is more involved than one might imagine. First off, you have to get to a place that has a good vantage point on the stars. In Christenson’s case, this usually involves driving and/ or hiking a good distance before he even sets down the tripod. Then, you have to deal with the notoriously foggy/ rainy/ cold Bay Area weather. He’s been battling with the weather at Pigeon Point Light House State Historic Park in Pescadero for years. But he’s managed to get some spectacular images there nonetheless.

Once all the stars align so to speak, and Christenson has set up his shot, the waiting begins. As the earth rotates and orbits the sun, the stars appear to travel through the sky and his camera is set to take an image at set intervals. It can take all night for him to get the images he needs to stitch together his final images. He often sleeps in his car or out under the open sky if weather permits.

For our shoot with Christenson, he took us hiking up Mission Peak, his favorite location in the Bay Area to shoot. Between our audio tech, Helen, associate producer Josh and myself, we’ve collectively lived in the Bay Area for more than half a century and none of us had ever been to Mission Peak. It’s absolutely spectacular up there. It’s one of the things I love most about this job that I have the opportunity to see and experience things that have been under my nose for years but have never noticed.

And if you’d like to join Steven Christenson for a nighttime photography tour of Mission Peak or several other Bay Area locations, be sure to check out the Star Circle Academy website.

QUEST on KQED Public Media.

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The water flowing past Big Break Regional Shoreline through the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers drains half of California's watershed, and creates the largest estuarine environment on Pacific shores.

We once again enlisted the help of our colleagues at the East Bay Regional Parks District on this feature. They've collaborated with us twice before, on science hikes in Briones Regional Park and Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve.

We were welcomed at the gate by EBRPD Naturalist Mike Moran. Normally, we'd have rolled right on in to the parking lot, but the district has closed the parking area temporarily as part of a significant renovation, to include new trails and interpretive facilities. The lot should reopen sometime in November of this year (2010). Check the EBRPD website for closure updates if you are planning a visit. That said, don't be discouraged by the locked gate, even without the lot, the shoreline is still accessible through the foot path to the right of the main entrance.

Before we'd even unpacked our gear, Mike pointed out some raptors on the horizon, perhaps a quarter mile away. Some careful spotting through the binoculars revealed they were likely a pair of Swainson's Hawks. To my untrained eye, it might have appeared they were juvenile Red-tailed Hawks, but the different markings on the underside of the wings (e.g. lack of the black bars on the leading edge), plus the overall narrower profile of the wings themselves indicate otherwise. I've learned not to rely on the presence of a red tail, but Mike's keen eye helped me add this majestic buteo to my life list. What a way to start the day.

Other highlights? An amazing number of dragonflies and damselflies, including the Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum). Stumbling upon a field of the understated but lovely yerba mansa plant (Anemopsis californica). Getting to see the marsh monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), a close cousin to the sticky monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus) so common in the drier areas of our region. And lastly, an encounter not with an actual bird, animal or plant, but with something they had left behind– Otter scat.

And there's much more that I can tell you in this short post – please go check out the science hike and let us know what you think. Even better, through our partnership with EveryTrail, you may take it with you in print or via your smartphone and let us know how it goes.

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Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Big Break Regional Shoreline Science Hike

 Big Break Regional Shoreline KML file

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• EBRPD – Big Break Regional Shoreline
• Pacific Flyway Council
• PRBO:Tracking Migrating Shorebirds

Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Lower Russian River

 Lower Russian River KML File

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• Russian River Watershed Council
• Bay Nature: Paddling the Russian River's Middle Reach
• Sonoma County Water Agency
• Stewards of the Coast Redwoods

Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Pulgas Water Temple Area

 Pulgas Water Temple Area KML File

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• Pulgas Water Temple

Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Angel Island

 Angel Island KML File

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• Angel Island State Park
• Bio: Breck Parkman, Senior State Archaeologist
• Angel Island Archaeology – Post-Fire Survey Photo Gallery

Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail

 Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail KML File

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• SFWATER.ORG : Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail

Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Pescadero State Beach

 Pescadero State Beach KML File

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• Pescadero State Beach

Randy has donated prints to Save Mount Diablo, an organization dedicated to preserving the land. They're also partners with the Mountain Diablo Interpretive Association, a "non-profit volunteer organization which assists the California Department of Parks and Recreation in maintaining and interpreting Mt. Diablo State Park for its 700,000 visitors each year."

Randy's currently working on a new series focusing on the bald eagles in the Bay Area. You can also see more of his work on his website.

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Quest Educational Resources

 Print Guide - Muir Woods National Monument

 Muir Woods National Monument KML File

 Tips to get the kids in your life out into nature

 Designing an Exploration on Google Maps

Additional Links

• Redwood Transect Kit for Educators