The San Juaquin Valley

The Central Valley of California does not get a lot of attention from photographers, but it is a natural wonder. It is perhaps the most fertile place on earth. I shot the first image from a hilltop overlooking I-5 just south of Tracy. The California Aquaduct, which brings this place to life, can be seen just to the left of the highway.

The second image is shot at the mouth of the Pachecho Pass where I enter the valley after crossing over the coastal hills from Monterey on the way to Sacramento. The shape and texture of the hills are quite nice. Later in the summer these hills are likely to be black from grassfires.