Puddle Reflection - Maroon Bells, Aspen, Colorado

Last fall, I captured my favorite photo of 2014 at Maroon Bells. That wonderful location just outside of Aspen had long been on my bucket list, especially during the foliage season. The scene was what you might expect at this photographic iconic location. Get there around 4am and wait in the dark and cold morning for the 7am sunrise. You need to get there that early to get a good spot. By the time that the light began to light up the sky, there was no space to be had. Tripod legs were interlocked with other photographers, some of whom were unknown. When the sun began to hit the peaks, it was almost impossible to vary the composition of the mountains and lake other than zooming in and out, changing from horizontal to portrait, or going for a higher or lower perspective. 

After shooting more shots that I probably should have, I untangled my tripod legs from my neighbors and looked around for different subjects. Two of my habits are to look behind me and to look for water and both came into play on this shot. The mountain peaks behind me were lit up quite nicely, and there was standing water on the path from the previous nights downpour. Lesson to learn: get the iconic shots and then look for the unusual ones.

Prey Spotted - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

I have been going through my Grand Teton images from May again and realized that I must have shot over 300 images of the Great Gray Owl that our group spotted. Even with my relatively short telephoto zoom lens and my lack of skills with bird photography, you would expect that I got a couple of good shots. I was particularly proud of one that I posted a couple months ago when I got him in flight. I was so excited about that shot that I neglected to look at some of the photos I took right before it. This is one of those shots where the owl had just spotted its prey and was beginning to launch itself toward dinner. 

Still Leaning - Piazza dei Miracoli and La Torre di Pisa, Italy

There are some locations that when you say its name, everybody envisions a picture of it in their mind. That is so the case when one mentions the city of Pisa. An image of the famous leaning tower of Pisa comes to mind almost immediately when the city is mentioned. A few years back, we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon there and it was as magnificent as expected. 

The tower lies behind the Pisa Cathedral on the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracle). The tower is actually the free standing campanile (bell tower) of the cathedral. The construction of the buildings is marble. The tower was flawed from the beginning, with a foundation that was not sufficient to support the weight of the marble. Rather than rebuild the lower floors, engineers of the time concocted a scheme where the upper floors were built with one side taller than the other. Because of this, the tower is actually curved. 

Million Dollar Highway - San Juan Mountains, Colorado

North of Silverton, San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Summer is just about over and fall is just around the corner. Last September, I joined my buddy Rick Louie's Fall Colorado Photo Tour to explore the foliage season somewhere other than New England. Colorado has always been one of my favorite places to visit, but I had never been there during the fall. The New England foliage and the Colorado foliage couldn't be more different. In New England, you have a larger variety in the colors, while Colorado is mostly yellow with some orange thrown in. The other difference is Colorado's rugged mountains that serve as a backdrop to Mother Nature's color display. 

Rick's tour is a terrific one that explores the area around Telluride. He takes you on some back roads that you might never visit if you are on your own. This scene is from the famous Million Dollar Highway just north of Silverton. This road is highly visited, but how we got there was memorable. Traversing over Ophir Pass from the Telluride side of the San Juan Mountains was an adventure by itself. Just one morning's experience that I hope to repeat in the future.

Road to Athabasca Glacier - Jasper National Park, Alberta

Columbia Icefields, Jasper National Park, Alberta

One of the very popular stops along the Icefields Parkway is the Columbia Icefields in Jasper National Park, just over the Banff National Park border. Here you can experience a unique adventure that will take you onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. From the Glacier Discovery Centre, you take a "transfer" bus (you can see one in this photo) to a staging area where you board an Ice Explorer. This unique vehicle (there are only 23 that exist in the world) is capable of climbing a 60% grade at a top speed of 25 miles per hour. Once on the glacier you disembark and are able to walk on it. Even in summer months, it is cold and many cup their hands and drink the pure glacier melted water. Quite the experience.

This shot was taken from the parking lot and shows the road that leads to the glacier on the right. 

Glacier Bound - Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Path of the Glacier Trail, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

One of the places that you can get a very close up look at a glacier is in Jasper National Park. Located about forty minutes from the town of Jasper at the end of Edith Cavell Road is the trailhead of the Path of the Glacier Trail. The trail takes you to two glaciers, namely the Cavell Glacier and the Angel Glacier. They are both terrific to visit and photograph. That is not to say that there isn't beauty along the trail itself, as this photo reveals.

I had gotten up early to try to catch a sunrise at the glacier, but there was a slight drizzle and a layer of clouds. Already awake, I decided to go anyway and hiked to the glaciers. I was unable to get a sunrise photo, but, as I took in the beauty of the area, the skies began to break. On my way back to the trailhead, I spotted this scene of one of the mountains.

Lunar Landscape - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

How do you convey the ruggedness and diversity of the landscape of the Badlands to someone who has not been there before? My conclusion is that you can't. I have posted a number of photos that show microcosms of this unique area, but it is hard to give an overall picture of the place. First there is a 100-mile "wall" of rock formations that rises out of nowhere from the plains of South Dakota. Second, the diversity of the rock formations found on the wall are impressive, ranging from jagged peaks to water and wind eroded rock.

As one looks at this landscape from one of the numerous trails and overlooks, you get a great appreciation of how it got it's name by the Lakota People (one of the seven tribes of the Sioux). Remote and rugged, you almost feel that you are looking at a lunar landscape. This photo shows the erosion that has carved the rock over the past half a million years. Water accounts for an inch of erosion each year. I picked a black and white treatment for this photo because I felt that it shows the details that appear in the rock formation.

Glacier Banking - Denali National Park, Alaska

When we went on vacation to Alaska a few years ago, we were fortunate to spend some time in Denali National Park. I was quite excited about our first day there, as we were scheduled to get in a small plane in Talkeetna to fly by the "High One". My wife, Carol, who doesn't like to fly, was muttering "Why did I agree to do this?" Despite a light rain, we boarded the plane. Carol had the prime seat next to the pilot and I was right behind her. That turned out to be a big mistake, as I had to shoot through a propeller out my window. Fortunately, we did a lot of banking over the great mountains of the Alaskan Range and glaciers.  

In this photo, I was able to get both the mountains and a glacier in the composition as well as the plane's wing. It was quite the experience, but if I ever get a chance to do this again, I will make sure to get a window that doesn't have a propeller next to it.

Banff Bound - Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta

I have been way behind going through my photos from my various trips over the past year or so. I hope to get through most of the backlog before I head back out on the road in September. My current focus is reviewing my photos from Banff and Jasper National Parks from last year. 

You can't mention Banff or Jasper without thinking about the Icefields Parkway that connects these two amazing parks.  This 140-mile road has so many things to experience, from pristine mountain lakes to the towering Canadian Rockies and the wildlife, that it is hard to see everything in just one visit. Don't take my word for it though. The parkway was named “One of the 10 Most Beautiful Drives in the World” by Conde Mast magazine and “One of the World’s Great Scenic Highways” by National Geographic.

This photo gives you an idea of what to expect when driving the parkway. My buddy Jeff Clow and I were headed back toward the town of Banff from somewhere north of the Columbia Icefields one late afternoon. I am not sure where exactly we were, as these scenes appear throughout this amazing road.

Sunrise Color - Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington

I have posted a number of shots of the beautiful and amazing farmland that surrounds Steptoe Butte State Park. Most of the shots were taken just after sunrise, which was at 5am. However, our group was out of the hotel by 3:30am to capture the twilight light that started at 4:15am. Now no one really wants to get up this early for anything, but let me tell you, it was worth it. This particular morning, we were blessed with some terrific clouds that lit up the scene in such a beautiful way. The colors were amazing. If you look closely in the foreground, you can still see the contours of the landscape as well as some low hanging fog. You can't get this type of shot after sunrise.

Fisheye Fun - Palouse Falls State Park, Washington

If you follow my photography, you can't help but notice that I have posted a lot of photos from my trip to the Palouse in June. I can't believe that it took me so long to visit this place and that it's magical landscapes have captured my imagination. I plan on revisiting sometime down the road. Not everything about the Palouse is farmland though, as today's photo proves. About an hour and a half west of Colfax is Palouse Falls State Park. We visited it near the end of the trip and we were racing the storms as we drove out there. Upon our arrival, the wind was really blowing quite strongly, and I was a bit disappointed that the water was quite muddy. I guess early June isn't the best time for clear water. I worked my way around the falls and the Palouse River and took quite a number of shots. My attempts at panoramas weren't coming out the way I wanted and then I remembered that I had an 8mm fisheye lens with me. 

The fisheye is a specialty lens that you can have a lot of fun with. I found this spot that was able to get the falls as well as the full length of the river. When I went to edit it, I decided not to try to correct for the fisheye's distortion. After all, I wanted to have fun with this scene so what better than to show you the distortion.

On the Ranch - Colorado River Scenic Byway, Utah

Sorrel River Ranch, Colorado River Scenic Byway, Moab, Utah

If it is summer time, I am usually spending some time planning out my trips for the following year. I try to include some favorite places as well as some new ones to visit. While not every trip has been determined, I know one of them will be to Moab in March with my great buddies, Jeff Clow and Jaki Goode Miller. Moab has long been a favorite of mine, being near two great national parks (Arches and Canyonlands), as well as the fabulous Dead Horse State Park. The lesser known gem is River Road (aka Colorado River Scenic Byway) that follows along the Colorado River. There is a special added attraction for me, as I first visited this area with my son back in 2004 when he graduated college. We spent two weeks hiking and shooting throughout Utah. One of our favorite places was when we stayed at the Sorrel River Ranch pictured here and had a great stay despite the mice scampering across the room. These memories always stay with me whenever Moab comes to mind. 

Spring in Acadia - Acadia National Park, Maine

Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

On our scouting trip in April to Maine for Jeff Clow's Fall Maine Lighthouse Photo Tour, Jeff, Jaki Goode Miller and I spent a few days in Acadia National Park. It was the third week in April, and New England's terrible winter was still on display. In fact, the day we drove into the park, the waves near Thunder Hole were probably 30 feet high and were barely visible through the fog. It was a pretty impressive scene. The next morning, when we headed back out toward Thunder Hole, the scenery was decidedly calmer. Driving along Park Loop Road, we stopped at this lake to catch a few reflection shots of the trees. While they still were a ways from sprouting their leaves, I really liked the starkness of their barks as the early morning sun began to light up the scene. 

Fog No More - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Mount Rainier and Reflection Lake, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

I spent two nights in Mount Rainier National Park before my trip to the Palouse. I really wanted to get a sunrise shot of the mountain in the water of Reflection Lake. When I got to the hotel in the afternoon, everything was fogged in and would be for the rest of the night. I went to bed with high hopes of the fog clearing the next morning. The alarm went off at 4am (twilight was at 4:43am), I looked out the window and could see Rainier. I was so psyched, but it would not last for long. As I headed to Reflection Lake, I slowly realized that the valley was fogged in. Sure enough, you could barely see the majestic mountain. Landscape photographers are used to disappointment and always have a Plan B. Mine was to head back to the hotel and hike the trails.

Undeterred,  I decided to head back around 10am to see if the fog had cleared. Sure enough, it had. As I took in this scene for the first time, I knew that a panorama was in order to capture the width of the lake. It wasn't the soft early light that I wanted, but it still was a beautiful scene.

Palouse Morning - Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington

I am not apologizing anymore for posting so many photos of the Palouse. It's landscape has captured my imagination in so many ways. I have fallen in love with the area and I kick myself for waiting so long to visit it. The landscape is great most of the day, but there is no denying that the sunrises and sunsets when viewing from Steptoe Butte State Park are mesmerizing. It won't be long before I head back there.

Cascade - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Sunbeam Creek, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Photography purists will insist that you can't get decent shots in mid-afternoon because of the bad light. While that may be true for some subjects, I still believe that if you do a little exploring, you can find some that work out great.  When I was in Mount Rainier National Park this past May, I was up well before the crack of dawn to get some sunrise shots. I hiked the rest of the morning and headed back to Paradise for some lunch. The early afternoon light wasn't great but I went out to explore anyway. Driving east from Paradise, I passed this little sign that said Sunbeam Creek. Just past the sign, I spotted this waterfall out of the corner of my eye. I knew immediately that I was going to shoot a long exposure to get the water cascading over the rocks. I also figured that the end product would probably be a black and white, as the colors were washed out because of the light. I also composed the shot to eliminate the drab sky. 

So, take your camera out with you when the light isn't great. Maybe exploring will not pay off but when you see something that may work, give it a try.

Eastern Point Lighthouse - Gloucester, Massachusetts

It has been a while since I have posted a lighthouse photo, and, since it is the middle of summer, I thought it was a good time to do so. Not all of the great lighthouses of New England are located in Maine. This one sits at the outskirts of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is a terrific one to visit. The lighthouse was built in 1832 and has gone through a couple of renovations since then. It sits on Cape Ann and was built to protect boats when entering the east side of Gloucester Harbor. If you plan to visit it, be aware that the locals have put a sign up that indicate the the access road is private. It is not, it is a public road, so proceed through the sign. Once there, the best view is to walk out on the extremely long stone walkway and look back toward it.

Mount Battie Tower - Camden Hills State Park, Camden, Maine

The coast of Maine has quite the number of great locations for visitors to check out. When we were doing some scouting for Jeff Clow's upcoming Maine Lighthouse Photo Tour this past April, I took Jeff to Camden Hills State Park to see what he thought of it as a possible tour stop. The park is just north of the town of Camden and you get a great view from the top of Mount Battie of the surrounding area. Mt. Battie is quite small in comparison to other mountains, topping off at only 800 feet, but, since the surrounding area is so flat, you get great views of Camden Harbor as well as the Maine coastline. Also at the top of the mountain is this cool tower that looks like a turret from a castle. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the Camden area.

Olmsted Point - Tioga Road, Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park is my favorite national park in the United States. In the summertime, the tourist flock to it in droves. Try getting a lodge or campground reservation inside the park and you know what I mean (there are few hotels outside the park). Yosemite Valley gets the bulk of the traffic for good reason. When it gets crowded, I like heading out on Tioga Road where the volume of people is significantly less. Not only is the scenery still beautiful, you also get different looks to some of the famous rock formations, like this one of Half Dome. Try it if you want to try something new and avoid the crowds.

The Mighty Colorado - Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is one of nature's wonders that continue to amaze everyone who visits there. The canyon itself is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point, and reaches a depth of a mile. I think what amazes me the most is that this canyon was created by erosion over a 2 billion year period by the Colorado River. Hard to believe that water could have carved this masterpiece, no matter how long it took. I thought of this when I composed a closeup of the river as it slowly moved its way westward to the Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora.