Sameer Halai

entrepreneur. designer. traveler. global citizen. mountaineer.

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Jan 4

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☃️ A snowman for company while snowshoeing on a frozen lake near Tahoe

#snowshoeing #tahoe

☃️ A snowman for company while snowshoeing on a frozen lake near Tahoe

#snowshoeing #tahoe
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Jan 1

Open
A peek view of the Ferry Building and Coit Tower, while driving across the San Francisco Bay Bridge!

#sanfrancisco #baybridge #california

A peek view of the Ferry Building and Coit Tower, while driving across the San Francisco Bay Bridge!

#sanfrancisco #baybridge #california
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Jan 1

Open
💥 Happy New Year everyone! 🥳

Do you see that one subtle detail in this pic 😛? It’s a laser-cut creation by my friend @avsmakes 

#2020end #hny2021

💥 Happy New Year everyone! 🥳

Do you see that one subtle detail in this pic 😛? It’s a laser-cut creation by my friend @avsmakes

#2020end #hny2021
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Dec 31

Open
Ocean Beach in San Francisco always has great sunsets. But it can be quite cold, you always need to wear warm layers all year #oceanbeach #pacificocean #sanfrancisco

Ocean Beach in San Francisco always has great sunsets. But it can be quite cold, you always need to wear warm layers all year #oceanbeach #pacificocean #sanfrancisco ...

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Nov 30

Open
Somewhere in Lassen Volcanic National Park!

#california #mountains #lassenvolcanicnationalpark #brokeoffmountain #snowman #snowperson

Somewhere in Lassen Volcanic National Park!

#california #mountains #lassenvolcanicnationalpark #brokeoffmountain #snowman #snowperson
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Nov 16

Open
For years I have been flying north south across WA to CA and always choose my flight seat to get a view of Crater Lake in Oregon from up above. Had never visited it, always wanted to visit in the winter. Luckily, it has started snowing by now there when we visited recently. The lake was formed 7,700 years ago by a collapse of a volcano. At 1,949 ft / 594m it is the deepest lake in the US! We are standing at 7,100ft / 2,165m and temperature was 22°F / -5.6°C 

#craterlakenationalpark #winter #oregon

For years I have been flying north south across WA to CA and always choose my flight seat to get a view of Crater Lake in Oregon from up above. Had never visited it, always wanted to visit in the winter. Luckily, it has started snowing by now there when we visited recently. The lake was formed 7,700 years ago by a collapse of a volcano. At 1,949 ft / 594m it is the deepest lake in the US! We are standing at 7,100ft / 2,165m and temperature was 22°F / -5.6°C

#craterlakenationalpark #winter #oregon
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Nov 8

Open
Mount Shasta is called Úytaahkoo or “White Mountain” in the native language Karuk. It has an elevation of 14,179 ft / 4321.8 m. It’s located in California but is part of the Cascade Mountains that stretch all the way to Oregon, Washington and even Canada.

Driving alongside it, it was nice to see it appear from the shadows and the dark clouds.

#california #mtshasta #mountain #snow

Mount Shasta is called Úytaahkoo or “White Mountain” in the native language Karuk. It has an elevation of 14,179 ft / 4321.8 m. It’s located in California but is part of the Cascade Mountains that stretch all the way to Oregon, Washington and even Canada.

Driving alongside it, it was nice to see it appear from the shadows and the dark clouds.

#california #mtshasta #mountain #snow
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Oct 11

Open
Sunset in El Dorado Hills near Sacramento! Love all the shades of blue and yellow in here. It was right after the sun dropped.

El Dorado Hills is about 18.6 miles from the 1848 gold find site in Coloma, the impetus for the California Gold Rush. Gold was washed down the South Fork of the American River, into areas now in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, but farming and ranching supplanted the Gold Rush. Portions of two Pony Express routes in this area from 1860-1861 remain as modern El Dorado Hills roads.

#sunset #california #eldoradohills

Sunset in El Dorado Hills near Sacramento! Love all the shades of blue and yellow in here. It was right after the sun dropped.

El Dorado Hills is about 18.6 miles from the 1848 gold find site in Coloma, the impetus for the California Gold Rush. Gold was washed down the South Fork of the American River, into areas now in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, but farming and ranching supplanted the Gold Rush. Portions of two Pony Express routes in this area from 1860-1861 remain as modern El Dorado Hills roads.

#sunset #california #eldoradohills
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Sep 21

Open
This is quite surreal, because it is. The fires in California make the sun appear this way and the sky does its own thing too. I took this photograph in the Tahoe National Forest near Nevada city.

#tahoe #fire #sunset #smoke #wildfire #california

This is quite surreal, because it is. The fires in California make the sun appear this way and the sky does its own thing too. I took this photograph in the Tahoe National Forest near Nevada city.

#tahoe #fire #sunset #smoke #wildfire #california
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Sep 21

Open
Bottom is right in the middle of the night. Top is an hour before dawn. It’s a time lapse of the Milky Way over some mountains. A couple of the images in this sequence are off. Can you tell which ones? #milkyway #collage #timelapse

Bottom is right in the middle of the night. Top is an hour before dawn. It’s a time lapse of the Milky Way over some mountains. A couple of the images in this sequence are off. Can you tell which ones? #milkyway #collage #timelapse ...

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Aug 15

Open
Another unexpected guest on a macro shot 😊

#wildfowers #ant #macro

Another unexpected guest on a macro shot 😊

#wildfowers #ant #macro
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Jul 19

Open
Can you believe we didn’t even know this comet existed until less than 4 months ago? And now we won’t see it again for 6700 years! C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) or Comet NEOWISE is a retrograde comet with a near-parabolic orbit discovered on March 27, 2020, by astronomers during the NEOWISE mission of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope. Under dark skies, it can be clearly seen with the naked eye and might remain visible to the naked eye throughout most of July 2020, at least until July 23, the point of the comet's closest approach to Earth at a distance of 0.69 AU (103 million km; 64 million mi). Comet NEOWISE made its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on July 3, 2020, at a distance of 0.29 AU (43 million km; 27 million mi). This passage increases the comet's orbital period from about 4400 years to about 6700 years.

#comet #neowise #neowisecomet #astrophotography #nightphotography #nightsky #heavenly

Can you believe we didn’t even know this comet existed until less than 4 months ago? And now we won’t see it again for 6700 years! C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) or Comet NEOWISE is a retrograde comet with a near-parabolic orbit discovered on March 27, 2020, by astronomers during the NEOWISE mission of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope. Under dark skies, it can be clearly seen with the naked eye and might remain visible to the naked eye throughout most of July 2020, at least until July 23, the point of the comet's closest approach to Earth at a distance of 0.69 AU (103 million km; 64 million mi). Comet NEOWISE made its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on July 3, 2020, at a distance of 0.29 AU (43 million km; 27 million mi). This passage increases the comet's orbital period from about 4400 years to about 6700 years.

#comet #neowise #neowisecomet #astrophotography #nightphotography #nightsky #heavenly
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Jul 13

Open
I was hiking / climbing in the Tahoe National Forest and taking some pictures of the wildflowers when I suddenly noticed this tiny little thing on one of the petals. I only had a few seconds to get this photo and I got lucky to have it be in exact focus. Anyone know what this little guy is called?

#tahoe #macrophotography #insect #wildflowers #climbing #hiking #mountains

I was hiking / climbing in the Tahoe National Forest and taking some pictures of the wildflowers when I suddenly noticed this tiny little thing on one of the petals. I only had a few seconds to get this photo and I got lucky to have it be in exact focus. Anyone know what this little guy is called?

#tahoe #macrophotography #insect #wildflowers #climbing #hiking #mountains
...

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Jun 28

Open
This is the lightest part of the main Milky Way band. I used stacking for this one (i.e. I merged 8 separate exposures into one) - something I have never done before. It’s supposed to reduce noise significantly, but I haven’t pixel peeped yet.

#milkyway #nightsky #california

This is the lightest part of the main Milky Way band. I used stacking for this one (i.e. I merged 8 separate exposures into one) - something I have never done before. It’s supposed to reduce noise significantly, but I haven’t pixel peeped yet.

#milkyway #nightsky #california
...

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Jun 18

Open
Before sunrise!

#california #mountains #sunrise

Before sunrise!

#california #mountains #sunrise
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Jun 9

Open
Did you know that a pine cone is also called a conifer cone? A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta (conifers) that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The individual plates of a cone are known as scales. A pine cone is also an example of what some people consider sacred geometry. It has what is described as a sacred spiral (based on the fibonacci sequence), which is considered to be inherent in many things in nature, including, for example, a snail shell.

#pinecone #cone #sacredgeometry #sacredspiral #bw #macro

Did you know that a pine cone is also called a conifer cone? A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta (conifers) that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The individual plates of a cone are known as scales. A pine cone is also an example of what some people consider sacred geometry. It has what is described as a sacred spiral (based on the fibonacci sequence), which is considered to be inherent in many things in nature, including, for example, a snail shell.

#pinecone #cone #sacredgeometry #sacredspiral #bw #macro
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May 26

Open
Beautiful day in the Sierra Nevadas at Sonora Pass, part of the Pacific Crest Trail

Please avoid crowds and crowded areas and practice safe distance.

#california #summer #mountains #snow

Beautiful day in the Sierra Nevadas at Sonora Pass, part of the Pacific Crest Trail

Please avoid crowds and crowded areas and practice safe distance.

#california #summer #mountains #snow
...

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Apr 8

Open
Went for a walk in the neighborhood. It was a grey rainy day. But there was a sea of these flowers next to the sidewalk. Do you know what these are called? Birds of Paradise!

Their official name is Strelitzia reginae and they are also known as crane flower. They are native to South Africa and derive their name from the unusual flowers, which resemble brightly colored birds in flight. In the United States, Florida and California are the main areas of cultivation, due to their warm climate. It is a common ornamental plant in Southern California, and has been chosen as the Official Flower of the City of Los Angeles.

#birdsofprey #flowers #california

Went for a walk in the neighborhood. It was a grey rainy day. But there was a sea of these flowers next to the sidewalk. Do you know what these are called? Birds of Paradise!

Their official name is Strelitzia reginae and they are also known as crane flower. They are native to South Africa and derive their name from the unusual flowers, which resemble brightly colored birds in flight. In the United States, Florida and California are the main areas of cultivation, due to their warm climate. It is a common ornamental plant in Southern California, and has been chosen as the Official Flower of the City of Los Angeles.

#birdsofprey #flowers #california
...

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Mar 28

Open
This is a color photograph, with no filters, colorization, desaturation etc. This is what it looked like in the Bay Area on March 25. The heavy fog and the bright daytime sun created this very drab color palette. This is true to what it actually looked like to the naked eye.

If you look very carefully, you can also make out the very very faint outline of the Golden Gate Bridge all the way in the background. Can you see it?

#naturalgrayscale #bw #landscape #bridge #sanfrancisco

This is a color photograph, with no filters, colorization, desaturation etc. This is what it looked like in the Bay Area on March 25. The heavy fog and the bright daytime sun created this very drab color palette. This is true to what it actually looked like to the naked eye.

If you look very carefully, you can also make out the very very faint outline of the Golden Gate Bridge all the way in the background. Can you see it?

#naturalgrayscale #bw #landscape #bridge #sanfrancisco
...

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Mar 7

Open
Sunset in San Francisco! 
It was fog which helped filter out the sun’s brightness to enable this pic. Love how the relatively tack-sharp bird in the foreground helps contrast a bit with the haze and mist in the distance.

#sunset

Sunset in San Francisco!
It was fog which helped filter out the sun’s brightness to enable this pic. Love how the relatively tack-sharp bird in the foreground helps contrast a bit with the haze and mist in the distance.

#sunset
...

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Feb 23

Open
Sunset from Berkeley Marina! That is the Golden Gate Bridge in the background #berkeley #marina #sunset #ggbridge

Sunset from Berkeley Marina! That is the Golden Gate Bridge in the background #berkeley #marina #sunset #ggbridge ...

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Feb 10

Open
🌝 So when you lay your hands on a 600mm lens, you obviously have to take a pic of the moon. I tried but I couldn’t find Neil Armstrong’s steps in this pic 😇 But this is the closest optical photo of the moon that I have ever clicked. What do you think? #moon #fullmoon

🌝 So when you lay your hands on a 600mm lens, you obviously have to take a pic of the moon. I tried but I couldn’t find Neil Armstrong’s steps in this pic 😇 But this is the closest optical photo of the moon that I have ever clicked. What do you think? #moon #fullmoon ...

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Feb 1

Open
We have been getting some decent sunsets this week in San Francisco. So that’s the jetty of the Berkeley Marina in the foreground and the Golden Gate Bridge across the Bay in the background. And right to the left of the sun is Alcatraz, the historical prison island! #sanfrancisco #sunset

We have been getting some decent sunsets this week in San Francisco. So that’s the jetty of the Berkeley Marina in the foreground and the Golden Gate Bridge across the Bay in the background. And right to the left of the sun is Alcatraz, the historical prison island! #sanfrancisco #sunset ...

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Jan 19

Open
We had an outstanding rainbow 🌈 in San Francisco this week! It physically terminated past the Emeryville marina at .... Treasure Island (😛)! No filters, it happened just before sunrise and mashed in perfectly with the misty, cloudy, golden glow. Oh, and do you see the faint outline of Alcatraz in the center back?

#rainbow #sanfrancisco #bayarea #emeryville #lifeisbeautiful

We had an outstanding rainbow 🌈 in San Francisco this week! It physically terminated past the Emeryville marina at .... Treasure Island (😛)! No filters, it happened just before sunrise and mashed in perfectly with the misty, cloudy, golden glow. Oh, and do you see the faint outline of Alcatraz in the center back?

#rainbow #sanfrancisco #bayarea #emeryville #lifeisbeautiful
...

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Jan 1

Open
💥🎇 A great start to 2020! Happy New Year everyone! 🌠✨ We just saw the Northern Lights! We got lucky! Really lucky! That dreamy, moonscape terrain is the Arctic Ocean, mostly frozen. The Arctic Circle is at 66° 33'N, we are at 70°N at the moment, at the Northern most point of USA, still around a 1,000+ miles from the North Pole!

It has been 100% cloud cover and snowing and it is -15F / -26C with crazy wind chill. Three-to-five seconds is the maximum time I can un-glove my hand before I start to lose sensation. Camping out in the cold and waiting for the clouds to open up has been quite an ordeal 🥶 But it was totally worth it, patience pays 😇

#happynewyear #northernlights #alaska #winter #auroraborealis

💥🎇 A great start to 2020! Happy New Year everyone! 🌠✨ We just saw the Northern Lights! We got lucky! Really lucky! That dreamy, moonscape terrain is the Arctic Ocean, mostly frozen. The Arctic Circle is at 66° 33'N, we are at 70°N at the moment, at the Northern most point of USA, still around a 1,000+ miles from the North Pole!

It has been 100% cloud cover and snowing and it is -15F / -26C with crazy wind chill. Three-to-five seconds is the maximum time I can un-glove my hand before I start to lose sensation. Camping out in the cold and waiting for the clouds to open up has been quite an ordeal 🥶 But it was totally worth it, patience pays 😇

#happynewyear #northernlights #alaska #winter #auroraborealis
...

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Dec 31

Open
Did I tell you I like glaciers? Because I do 😊

For this who may not know:
glaciers are basically rivers of ice and they move a lot more slowly, just a few feet a day. Over the last few decades, these glaciers have started to recede a lot. There are 616 named glaciers in Alaska.

#alaska #matanuska #glacier #winter

Did I tell you I like glaciers? Because I do 😊

For this who may not know:
glaciers are basically rivers of ice and they move a lot more slowly, just a few feet a day. Over the last few decades, these glaciers have started to recede a lot. There are 616 named glaciers in Alaska.

#alaska #matanuska #glacier #winter
...

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Dec 30

Open
Until now I had always been on alpine glaciers, which are glaciers that hang off the peaks of mountains. This glacier, Matanuska, is a valley glacier as it exists on a valley. But unlike a snowfield that just sits and melts, this is indeed a glacier that moves by a foot every day as it “flows” downwards along the valley. It was fascinating to see all the different glacial features from up close. I chose this picture because it showcases the most information - we see the blue ice, the black ice (yes what looks like dark rock is actually just pure ice), the morraines, parts of crevasse, all with people to scale.

#glacier #alaska #matanuska #hike

Until now I had always been on alpine glaciers, which are glaciers that hang off the peaks of mountains. This glacier, Matanuska, is a valley glacier as it exists on a valley. But unlike a snowfield that just sits and melts, this is indeed a glacier that moves by a foot every day as it “flows” downwards along the valley. It was fascinating to see all the different glacial features from up close. I chose this picture because it showcases the most information - we see the blue ice, the black ice (yes what looks like dark rock is actually just pure ice), the morraines, parts of crevasse, all with people to scale.

#glacier #alaska #matanuska #hike
...

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Dec 27

Open
With a depth of 1,949 feet (594 m), Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest in the United States. It partially fills a nearly 2,148-foot (655 m)-deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 (± 150) years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. There are no rivers flowing into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 250 years.

#craterlake #oregon #lake #crater #caldera #bw #aerial

With a depth of 1,949 feet (594 m), Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest in the United States. It partially fills a nearly 2,148-foot (655 m)-deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 (± 150) years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. There are no rivers flowing into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 250 years.

#craterlake #oregon #lake #crater #caldera #bw #aerial
...

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Dec 17

Open
Teriberka, in Russia, during the Polar Winter!

It was densely cloudy so the bottom yellow is the city lights being reflected back, and the top green halo? You guessed right. Yes. Aurora Borealis! Not the best view of the Northern Lights themselves but so interesting nonetheless!

#teriberka #russia #northernlights #arctic #polar

Teriberka, in Russia, during the Polar Winter!

It was densely cloudy so the bottom yellow is the city lights being reflected back, and the top green halo? You guessed right. Yes. Aurora Borealis! Not the best view of the Northern Lights themselves but so interesting nonetheless!

#teriberka #russia #northernlights #arctic #polar
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Dec 6

Open
Didn’t know this secret-looking skating rink shows up here in San Francisco in the winter. Will be fun to check it out soon! And yes that’s the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge in the background!

#iceskating #winter #holiday #sanfrancisco #california

Didn’t know this secret-looking skating rink shows up here in San Francisco in the winter. Will be fun to check it out soon! And yes that’s the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge in the background!

#iceskating #winter #holiday #sanfrancisco #california
...

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