Joshua Tree National Park will temporarily close effective 8 am on Thursday, January 10, to allow park staff to address sanitation, safety, and resource protection issues in the park that have arisen during the lapse in appropriations. Park officials plan to restore accessibility to the park in addition to limited basic services in the coming days.

Park officials are identifying the additional staff and resources needed to address immediate maintenance and sanitation issues and will utilize funds from the park fees to address those issues per the recently updated National Park Service contingency plan during a lapse in appropriations.

While the vast majority of those who visit Joshua Tree National Park do so in a responsible manner, there have been incidents of new roads being created by motorists and the destruction of Joshua trees in recent days that have precipitated the closure. Law enforcement rangers will continue to patrol the park and enforce the closure until park staff completes the necessary cleanup and park protection measures.

The communities near Joshua Tree National Park have provided significant assistance and support to the park, and park officials hope to restore visitor access to the park as quickly as possible to mitigate any negative impact to the local economy.

Bob Crum

Well, here we go, ready or not, tumbling into 2019. No better time to take a deep breath and think about what kind of photographer we all want to be in 2019. I have paused to do just that. Always a good idea to reevaluate and consider new challenges. You know, for motivation, to keep the creative juices flowing.

Santa brought you a new camera (smartphones don't count) for Christmas because I told him that you've been a good, faithful reader all year long. Or, you took the loot Santa left you in the stocking and you dashed out and bought one. I am so proud of you! After studying the owner's manual, you're wondering what to do with this wonderful creative tool. Right?

There are many genres of photography to entertain your fancy. In the meantime, let's get back to the subject of photo projects. On the Olympus photography website, Mike Boening wrote: “To begin let’s explore why you might want to build a photo project. Maybe you have been looking for a new challenge in your photography, or an adventure. Some people start a project to get them out of a creative rut. In either case, starting a project can help with any of these things and more. Photo projects can lead to you discovering more about yourself, and what types (genres) of photography motivate you. Maybe there is a place you don’t go often, the city or the country, and you would like to know more. These are great places to start.” The idea is not to park the camera in a closet!

Many photography educators propose a 365-day project as I did in my last column. Boening pens: “In a 365-day project you take one photo a day consecutively for 365 days. This is a very challenging project and one that can lead to much discovery, but also one that involves much commitment. Maybe you can select one item outdoors from your home and take a picture of it for 365 days straight and watch it through the seasons, or maybe you select another item or items at random with some meaning like things people use to get their day going? It’s up to you but be prepared because taking at least one image for every day of the year can be a challenge.” Indeed, but think of the rewards!

Shooting a photo every day is too daunting you say? I get that. Then how about a 52-week project? Quoting Boening again: “This one, like the 365 Day Project, can be what you want it to be but you only take an image once a week for a year. This one is selected more often by those who are just starting a photo project for the first time. You also can put more thought into how you capture the images you will be taking.” Easy to do folks! So how many up for a 52-week project? Anyone?

The photo of the week is another rose. Wait! There's a good reason. I'm experimenting with a new photo editing program: PhotoLab from DxO. Hence, I needed a similar subject to do a comparison test. With Bug taking the day off, I needed a new actor for this shoot. The talent agency whose motto is: To bee is to be; sent me Sir Bee. Can you imagine the challenge teaching a bee to land on the rose, stand still and pose? Ahhh... another challenge vanquished!

BTW, did you notice the photo of the week data? Harsh dazzling sunlight, bright highlights and a fast flying bee required some quick and extreme camera settings. C'est la vie!

Send suggestions, comments and/or questions to: focusonphotography@earthlinknet

The Holiday Yard of the Year was awarded to Maureen Shea at 408 Robin Ct. Maureen stated that they have decorated their home for over 20 years. “The joy and smiles it brings to other people makes us keep doing it year after year,” said Maureen. They try and change a little every year, but they still want to keep the fun theme going with cool characters and animals. “What would Christmas be without a Santa—everybody loves him,” concluded Maureen. Take a drive around town and enjoy the many homes that have decorated their homes for the holidays. The Shea family were presented with a $40 gift certificate courtesy of Otto & Sons Nursery (1835 Guiberson Rd.) from Ari Larson representing Fillmore Civic Pride. If you are interested in learning more about Fillmore Civic Pride please contact Ari Larson 805.794.7590 or petenari55@hotmail.com

Courtesy Heather Furness, 5th grade

I hope you have a great New Years! It may not be New Years when you read this, but I still want to wish you a Happy New Years. People could celebrate New Years in lots of ways. Some examples are parties and just staying up and then going to sleep. You don’t have to celebrate big. I mean, if you want to, you could have a huge celebration. If you have a party and you don’t have any decorations (if you want some), just do DIY decorations. Like, you could get string, glue the number 2019 to the string, and hang it up somewhere. You could find more ideas online. Well, even if it’s past or before New Years, I still want to wish you a Happy New Years!