iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Just a monochrome panorama of a few fluffy clouds over our filling lake. #B&W #photography #drone #landscapephotography

Panorama shot taken by drone with many clouds in the sky over the North end of Bass Lake as it fills from the recent rains.

Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Good morning Bluesky… just a quick couple of iPhone shots of the morning sky here in the foothills while out walking the pups. Especially now, get out there and enjoy the simple things, the things can help recharge your soul.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Corlieu Falls, Lewis Creek Corlieu Falls is one of two waterfalls along the Lewis Creek National Recreation Trail. Located about 7 miles north of "downtown" Oakhurst along Highway 41, it's one of the more popular trails outside Yosemite. #MonochromeMonday #waterfall #b&w #photography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Stars in the Winter Night Scene from late last night. It was cold and clear, which is a good combo for star gazing as long as you can keep dew off your lens and the frigid & damp air from seeping deep into your soul. #stars #astrophotography #nightphotography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Milky Way over Yosemite Valley I do love the days in Yosemite, but I find the nights when I experience it with just the soul of the place and the universe itself the most welcoming and wonderful. #yosemite #nightphotography #photography #milkyway

Night image from Yosemite Valley floor looking to the west, Dark silhouettes of pine trees and the rock formations (the Three Brothers in this case) are in the foreground. The Milky Way rises nearly vertically in the center of the image with some orange light faintly filling the lower portion of the sky.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Looking West Down the Canyon. Yosemite is overly rich with fantastic vistas, both grand and intimate. This is one outside the park, looking west from a turnout on Wawana Road. Over millions of years, the Merced River carved through these ever-changing ridges. #yosemite #photography #monochrome

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Sentinel In The Mists Yosemite’s Sentinel Rock viewed from the east after a storm passes through the valley. Like many of Yosmite’s grand geological landmarks, Sentinel Rock presents a very different face to the viewer depending on their vantage point. #yosemite #photography #b&w

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Shining Even in the darkest of darks, light can still be found. Its call can sometimes seem so soft, too faint to be seen or heard—a subtle vibration in the fabric of time and space. Especially against the noise of the modern world. #nightsky #moon

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

My God, It's Full Of Stars. Regardless of whether you ascribe to the idea of omniscient deities or not, you do have to marvel at the beauty that plays out across the celestial dome after our local star travels below the horizon and the faint light... #astrophotography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Just Past Full... the waning Wolf Moon's beauty shines brightly through the trees and snags. #moon #photography #makeart

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Sorry... this grossly misrepresents the parade (it is not a conjunction or alignment). While cool and significant, the planets will all be spaced horizontally across the night sky. science.nasa.gov/solar-system...

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

The God of War Dances with the Twins Mars is closely positioned near the heads of the Gemini Twins, Pollux, and Castor. According to both Greek and Roman mythology, Pollux and Castor were twin half-brothers. Their mother was Leda (the future queen of Sparta and mother to Hellen of Troy). #stars

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

When The Moon Ate Mars A few images from tonight's occluding of Mars by the Moon. The first image is a composite depicting four positions of Mars spanning approx 10 minutes before the occlusion. There is 1 position of Mars towards the upper right showing it's position several minutes after. #moon

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Wolf Moon Rising Tonight's full Wolf Moon (actually slightly past full) caught as it rose up behind Taylor Mountain. Unlike yesterday's image, no focus stacking was involved. But, like yesterday, textures, colors & more were added or tweaked as the creative winds demanded. #moon #wolfmoon #fullmoon

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Lunar Halo On A Cold Winters Night. It did start, as many creations do, as “just a photo”. This time of the full moon juxtaposed above an Incense Cedar, with a nice lunar halo courtesy of some ice crystals hold a lot high in the cold winter sky. Then I played with it. #moon #art #photography

Dark moody scene of a full moon position above the crown of a tree with a lunar halo surrounding the moon.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

This evening's nearly full Wolf Moon. She will be 100% full around 2:30 pm on Monday, so it will already be waning by the time we see it in our evening skies here in the foothills. Focus stacked. Colors tweaked, and textures (and other things...) added by yours truly. #moon #photography #art

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

The Erickson S-64 Skycranes do get some cool names. Here’s two that were flying ops on the 2014 French Fire (filling tanks at Bass Lake, CA).

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

The largest that I’m aware of was the 747 based Global Supertanker. It only operated for a year, maybe two. Here shown in 2017 doing a drop on the Mission Fire.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

In the central Sierra, while we love all the aerial firefighters, for many our fav is a fixed wing asset - DC-10 VLAT 911 (yep, it’s number is 911 and it’s played a key role in several wildfires here over the years). Did get a little pink from this drop.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Hazy Views From Up High. Views from above Yosemite Valley are not always beautiful, crisp & clear. This was a scene during a tour I was leading when we stopped at Washburn Point when some fires in Yosemite's wilderness area (believe this was from the Empire Fire if I remember correctly). #yosemite

Sepia-toned image of Yosemite's Half Dome taken from Washburn Point. Smokey conditions from natural fire in Yosemite's wilderness area that was allowed to burn to reduce fuel load create a hazy, soft feeling to the scene.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

A few minutes have past. This was taken just a few minutes after the previously shared image. The Mares’ Tails continued there cruise across the sky. #yosemite #photography #landscapephotography #glacierpoint #clouds #naturesbeauty

View from Yosemite’s Glacier with Half Dome on the left and Little Yosemite Valley and the Grand Staircase in the center. Thin Mares’ Tails clouds streak across the sky.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Here's another from Glacier Point. This a pretty view of Yosemite's iconic Half Dome. The cloud formations that day, Mares' Tails (Cirrus uncinus clouds) were amazing. Saw these flow into the region from my home 16 miles south of the park, & pretty much chased them up to GP. #yosemite #photography

Photo of Yosemite's Half Dome taken from Glacier Point. Sky is full of high altitude cirrus clouds, Mares' Tails, that create long, thins white streaks across the sky.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Time for a little TL cleanse of sorts. Here's a scene from the archives taken at Yosemite's Glacier Point. The view is looking towards the SE with Mt Starr King the closest peak and the Clark Range in the background. #yosemite #landscapephotography #photography #sierranevada

Image from Yosemite's Glacier Point looking south east towards the Clark Range with Mt Starr King the most featured peak. Above the peaks is blue sky with high altitude clouds streaking by.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Chaos In The Stars Beneath the familiar canvas of night, a hidden dance unfolds. Not the serene and seemingly static ballet of constellations we look up on our apps and trace with outstretched fingers, but a swirling chaos of matter & energy, both light and dark. #stars #astrophotography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

A Crescent of Light Viewed Through Twisted Branches Tonight's waxing crescent moon (36%) as captured towards the end of its travels through the Saturday night sky. Moon and trees are Mother Nature's. Colors and textures are mine. #moon #photography #nightphotography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Views From Either Side. Image #1 of the night sky early on the last day of 2024 showing Orion, Taurus, Sirius and Jupiter shining through cloudy skies above leaf stripped trees. Image #2 - early evening clouds today above 1 of the mighty Black Oaks in my back yard. #photography #HappyNewYear

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Tonight's moon is a rare Black Moon (the second new moon in a single month - so like a Blue Moon, but dark). Since there's nothing really to see (from earth anyway) tonight... instead here's a thin slice of moon. A waxing crescent moon (~7%). #moon #luna #photography #art #lookup

7% waxing crescent moon against a dark background

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

A bit of reflected color. Taken at a place a few years ago, that was a family "retreat" for over 33 years; New Hampshire's Silver Lake. Have experienced many wonderful moments & scenes here over the years. #photography #panorama #landscapephotography #newhampshire #retreat #tranquility #memories

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

It's been a wet and gray day here today (both weather wise and emotionally) so a dip back into the archives felt appropriate. This was a completely unanticipated moment at Yosemite's famed Tunnel View. Many of us were lined up, in the rain, waiting for that prefect moment... #yosemite #photography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Forgot we had this blog up about some cool things to experience in Yosemite during winter www.yosemitethisyear.com/the-%E2%80%9...

Upper Yosemite Fall with a frosty “beard” around it as viewed from the Yosemite Valley Lodge parking lot.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

The Moon Rolling Downhill Sometimes what’s going up can look like it’s rolling down. #moon #nightphotography #astrophotography #art

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Waning Light at Tunnel View. I find that often, sticking around after what many may call peak shooting times, reveals some pretty magical moments. Most important thing - just get out there. #yosemite #tunnelview #photography #landscapephotography #art #bluehour

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our little town here in the Sierra Nevada foothills… to yours!

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Winter so far this year has been kinda weak in Sierra Nevada. More is on the way starting tmrw (we so need the snowpack...). It does bring back memories of a year that saw no appreciable snow until will into January. It was 2012& we were playing on a frozen, but accessible, Tenaya Lake in #yosemite

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Zodiacal Light in Yosemite Valley. Was enjoying the quiet and beauty of Yosemite Valley at night from Swinging Bridge (the one that used tom but no longer swings...) when I noticed this faint glow from behind the Three Brothers. #yosemite #photography #nightphotography #astrophotography

Scene shows a nighttime view of the star filled sky above Yosemite's Merced River. In the sky is the faint glow of Zodiacal light appearing behind the silhouette of the Three Brothers on the right.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Piper says “Good night Bluesky”

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Starry Skies on the Pacific Coast Our galaxy’s core, home to as many as a half a million stars, as seen along the central #california coast. #photography #astrophotography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Good night moon… from September, the Harvest Moon rising on a cloudy, hazy night here at Bass Lake. #moon #sierranevada #photography #fullmoon

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Glacier Point Views - Night Sky Trails Captured during the summer while viewing the Perseids. It was the day after peak but more importantly the moon was up and dominated the night sky till well after 1 AM. #yosemite #startrails #glacierpoint #photography #nightphotography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Viewing Winter by a Different Wavelength Out near the middle of #Yosemite's Ahwahnee Meadow is a small grove of cottonwoods. In fall they light up a brilliant yellow but in winter, their barren forms light up quite differently in the afternoon sun, especially when viewed in infrared. #photography

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Happy holidays from the Montalto Household. Here’s Piper and Charlie the Wonderdog.

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Tonight's full Wolf Moon, complete with lunar halo, clouds, and contrails, and Jupiter as well tagging along. #moon #wolfmoon #sony #DXO

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Glactic Core over Bass Lake Bass Lake is manmade & every winter the water level is dropped down to provide ample capacity for all the (hopeful) spring runoff. For a couple of years, the water level was drawn down quite more than normal... #milkyway #photography #astrophotography #sierranevada

Milky Way above Bass Lake in California's Sierra Nevada. It is winter so the water level it lower than during spring and summer months

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Up The Creek. No, there were no paddles are involved in the making or processing of this image... #photography #landscapephotography #sierranevada #basslakeca #b&w #longexposure

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Steve Montalto @himntsteve.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Mily Way and Andromeda Over El Cap Nighttime in Yosemite is a special place. With it's Bortle Class 1 skies it can be a wonderful place to see and capture some interesting nightsky images. Shooting in the valley can be a challenge down between the towering granite walls... #photography #yosemite

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