Castle Valley Hike - Castle Valley, River Road, Moab

Sometimes Mother Nature takes pity on photographers and allows a few moments of joy to come into their lives. The morning started off with what is normal for one of Jeff Clow's Photo Tours - up well before dawn, meet for a quick continental breakfast, and head out for some great landscapes. Not this morning. The weather forecast had not predicted rain (by the way, how do weathermen justify getting paid? End rant), but rain it did. We decided to wait a while and head out a little later. It was still raining when we eventually headed out, and we headed to Red Cliff Lodge on River Road to wait it out. The rain finally stopped, but we were left with overcast skies and a bleary morning. Don't get me wrong, you can still get some stellar photos with these type of conditions, but the great orange color of the sandstone is muted. After shooting for the morning and the early afternoon hours, we began heading back to Moab, stopping at a few spots along the way.

The last of our stops was Castle Valley. A number of us decided to hike on this trail rather than stay by the road. What a great decision that was. As we began the hike, we noticed small pockets of blue beginning to peak through. By the time we got to this spot, the photography Gods smiled upon us and blessed us with some amazing blue skies and terrific skies. Moments like these make photographers realize that waiting out the inclement weather can be worth it, and that when the weather is great, we appreciate it more.

Grit - Endicott, Washington

Since my visit to the Palouse last June, I have posted quite a few photos of the very impressive and unique landscapes that dominate this region in eastern Washington State. The Palouse encompasses almost 4,000 square miles of some of the most fertile land on Earth.  In addition to its undulating landscape, there are plenty of barns, farm equipment, grain elevators, farm houses and plenty of abandoned property to photograph. The biggest surprise for me was the number of old cars that also can be found throughout the area. 

The mother load was a private collection that we got access to somewhere near Endicott. What a classic piece of nostalgia staring us in the face. The first clue about the treasure trove that awaited us was the old Texaco Station off of the road. To make it even better, down the driveway was a whole collection of classic cars waiting to be photographed. This is an old truck that has seen better days, and it probably has tons of stories it could tell on its journey to this spot. 

Monumental Sunrise - Monument Valley, Navajo Nation

Last week I posted a photo from our first morning in Monument Valley of the East Mitten Butte with the sky looking like it was on fire. The sun had not yet risen and the clouds were an amazing shade of red. I wanted to post this photo of the East and West Mitten Buttes, as well as Merrick Butte, to show how quickly the light changes at sunrise. This photo shows the sun just peeking above the horizon, with the clouds taking on more of a blue color. This photo was taken a mere sixteen minutes after the previous one. That's right -- only sixteen minutes. That is why serious landscape photographers get up so early - well before dawn. That enables us to get Mother Nature's light show that is on display on many mornings. 

This is not an unusual phenomenon, but rather what photographers expect (and sometimes) hope for.  As I was experiencing this scene, I decided that I would add an artistic flair to the resulting photo by creating a sunburst. This is rather easy to achieve by merely stopping down the lens to a smaller aperture (in this case f/22). 

Before the Climb - Arches National Park, Utah

Double Arch, Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

Arches National Park is a treasure trove of sandstone rock formations, mainly arches. Most of them are arches -- over 2,000 of them, but only a few are easily accessible. My favorite arch for sure is Double Arch. Located in the Windows area of the park, it always acts as a magnet for me. This was the only one of our stops that I was out of the car in a flash and down the trail so I could get a few shots without people. You will notice that I didn't fully succeed, as there is one lone person in the "window" on the left. I left him in to give you an idea of how big Double Arch is. After shooting a few, I began the climb up past where the person was to sit at the bottom of the "window". I was joined by Jaki Good Miller and Mike Louthan. What a view we had from way up there. As I get older, climbing up is getting more difficult, but hopefully I will be able to be perched up there in the future.

Crack Close Up - Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Some times you don't know what you are missing until you try something new. I have always been more of a wide-angle type of landscape photographer. I typically have shot anywhere from a 15mm - 200mm point of view. I have never owned a really long lens (>300mm) before because I didn't feel I had a need for it. That was until early this month. I will be heading to South Africa in October and I decided to buy Fuji's first foray into long lenses for their mirrorless cameras. The Fuji 100-400mm (150-600mm equivalent) arrived in mid-February and I took it to Moab with me to test it out. Turns out that I love this lens. 

Not only do long lenses compress the photo (compresses the foreground and the background, making them  appear closer together than in real life), they also allow a photographer to take photos of smaller portions of a expansive views. Take this location for instance. The landscape at Grand View Point in Canyonlands is as expansive as it gets. When taking wide-angle shots of it, smaller details get lost in the view. There are these massive cracks in the landscape that are quite amazing. With the long lens, I was able to zoom into one of the cracks to get this shot. Just to give you an idea of size, look at the dirt road leading to the point of the crack. A car would be a small speck on the road.

I know these concepts are not new to seasoned photographers (they were not new to me), but when you start shooting with a longer lens, you begin to realize how valuable they become (and worth carrying despite their size and weight).

Fisher Towers View - River Road, Moab, Utah

With all of the superb parks in the Moab area (Canyonlands NP, Arches NP and Dead Horse SP), River Road is often overlooked by visitors. It is a shame, as there are some stellar spots. The added bonus is that the Colorado River runs along the majority of the road. One of the best areas to visit on the road is Fisher Towers. Jeff Clow's Photo Tour had visited the road earlier in the week, but the weather was quite overcast.  When the tour was over, Jaki Good Miller and I were headed to Grand Junction and decided to take this scenic route. Great choice, as Mother Nature treated us with some great clouds and weather along the way. 

As we approached Fisher Towers, the sun started to hide behind them and, while we got some quick shots, the towers were dark. Given that we only had less than an hour left of sun, we decided to drive further north and try to get a shot looking south to the towers. I had shot from this spot before, but was never there at the right time of day. Just as we set up, the sun broke though and gave us this scene. The bonus was the reflection in the river.

After the Snow - Wilson Arch, Moab, Utah

I often try to take photos that I haven't seen before and convey different looks of a location. If you visit Moab, south of town on the highway is Wilson Arch. We passed the arch early in the morning during a snowstorm and snapped a few photos of the arch. We then headed south to visit Canyon Rims. On the way back to town, we stopped at the arch to take some photos without the snow. I have visited this location quite a number of times and had shot it from all angles, so I wasn't feeling overly interested in shooting it again. At the same time, I didn't want to waste the great clouds that we had in the sky. As I looked south from below the arch, i saw this part of the rock formation that I had never shot from before. Off I went scrambling along the rocks until I got to this spot. I used the wall of sandstone as a leading line and found that the lone tree added interest to the scene. The terrific clouds made this an even better scene.

Butte on Fire - Monument Valley, Navajo Nation

I had a terrific eight days with my buddies Jeff Clow and Jaki Good Miller early this month. We visited Monument Valley for a few days before Jeff's Moab Photo Tour. It was great to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Monument Valley is my favorite place in the American Southwest and it was great to see the excitement on Jaki's face on her first visit to this amazing place. I have been a little slow in getting to look at my photos, as my main computer decided to die on me. A new one is on order and I was able to take a quick look and edit a few on my laptop. This week I will post exclusively from this trip.

I thought I would start off with our first sunrise on the first day. I stayed in the View Hotel, which is located in a prime spot. While the amenities aren't stellar, the view is. We were treated to a light show at sunrise, with the colors starting off with blue hour color and turning to the great colors pictured in this photo. As you can see, the light and clouds were spectacular. I probably took 200 photos of the scene, including the East and West Mittens as well as Merrick Butte. For some reason, this photo of just the West Mitten called out to me when I did my quick first look at the photos. We shot from the balcony of the hotel, which gives you the reason why it is named the View Hotel.

Vancouver Bound - Inside Passage, British Columbia

Alaskan cruises often offer diverse landscapes that differ greatly as you head south toward Vancouver. The Alaskan mountains are the first sight that you might see, especially if you started your trip on land near Denali. If you are lucky enough, you can take an all day train ride from there to the departure port and enjoy the rugged and beautiful landscapes and seascapes along the way. Once on your cruise ship, you pass towering mountains that seem to rise from nowhere on shore, and there are the inevitable glaciers that can be seen either close up or in the distance. The further south you travel through the inside passage, the landscape begins to warm up. The snow and ice give way to densely forested mountains and landscape. The whole way, you see more sea creatures that people. You finally begin to see civilization toward the end of your journey. I took this photo one evening about a day from our destination port of Vancouver. A lot of the ruggedness of the landscape was gone, replaced by a more gentle one. I think it is getting time to revisit Alaska.

Green and Blue - Colfax, Washington

Spring is just around the corner, and, when I was looking through my Lightroom catalogue and saw this photo, it just conveyed the start of the growing season. This photo is one of the biggest growing regions in the world, namely the Palouse. This fertile region of the US consists of more than 1.2 million acres of farmland. That is a lot of growing of crops, consisting mainly of wheat and barley. When I visited the Palouse in early June, the rolling mounds and hills were everywhere around me - as far as the eye could see. What was really cool was when the wind would blow and the grass would move like the waves of the ocean. I just love the first greening of the land after winter, and, as you can see in this photo, it contrasts well with a blue sky. I am sure that the Palouse does not look like this right now - planting starts in earnest in April. I am hoping to revisit the Palouse sometime during the harvest when the crops turn an amber color.

Skyline Trail View - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

When you get a nice clear day with a view of Mount Rainier, you should take full advantage of it. The mountain is often obscured by low-hanging clouds or fog. The day before, I had arrived at the hotel and there was no mountain to be seen. I only had this one full day to spend there, so I was grateful that the weather gods were kind. I like to hike, so after shooting in the very early morning, I headed out on the Skyline Trail. Very quickly, I discovered that I would not be able to traverse the length of the trail due to snow and ice. I later discovered that I was lucky to get as far as I did, as the winter set a record low snowfall. I wasn't expecting that, as it was the last week in May. I have since found out that Mount Rainier has 26 major glaciers and 36 square miles of permanent snowfields and glaciers.

I took this shot of this majestic mountain at the point that I turned around on the trail to head back to the parking lot. While I liked the color version of this photo, I think the black and white treatment brings out the details and sense of cold to me.

Coquille River Light - Bandon, Oregon

I don't know how many lighthouses that I have shot over the years, but it has to be a lot. Each one has its own shape, condition, colors and beauty. Some are painted with stripes. At least one is square. They guard oceans, lakes and rivers. All of these physical attributes convey character to me. 

Unfortunately, they are becoming relics of the past. They have been made obsolete by today's technology. They used to protect the many boats and ships from crashing into the coastline, but now radar and sonar are a more sure-fired way for ships to be kept safe. Some of the lights are still working, shining beacons of light into the night, but it is now more for show than safety. They are becoming the future generation's version of windmills.

This is why I keep taking photos of these one-time life savers. I seek them out in either rain or shine. I will never capture every lighthouse there is, but I will continue nonetheless. I shot this lighthouse on a rainy day. It is located in Bandon, Oregon, and it guided boats past the dangerous sandbars of the Coquille River. 

Morning at Schwabachers - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Lower Schwabachers Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Over the years, I had been on a perpetual search for a great day to photograph Schwabachers Landing. Probably had been there seven times or more before my last trip to the Tetons. I finally got the weather I had hoped for (except maybe some nice clouds - I guess I am never satisfied) on that trip. I think I worked the scene harder than I had worked any before. I shot it from every angle possible and every height possible. I tried every focal length that I had in my bag. Lots and lots of photos. Finally, I shot several panoramas, and I think they were my favorites, as it shows the full scene. Of all of the panos I shot, this one is my favorite. Fully working a scene is essential to getting a shot that you love.

Harris Beach in the Rain - Brookings, Oregon

Okay, you are standing on some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world with gorgeous rock formations and sea stacks sticking out of the ocean. You have waited a long time for this trip so that you can photograph its beauty. You hope for gorgeous weather with blue skies and just the right amount of cumulous clouds that look like they were painted there. You time it so you are there at the golden hour. For landscape photographers, that is the dream. Reality sometimes bites and the sky has no blue (only white), the golden hour light is non-existent, there is fog in the distance and it is raining. What do you do? Shoot anyway. Try to make something out of nothing. When I encountered this a few years ago, I decided to set up the tripod and shoot some long exposures. I rarely think of black and white photography when I am shooting - it is usually a post-processing decision. When I shot this, I knew it would be processed in B&W. Why? Two reasons. The color was muted in the scene anyway, and I knew a B&W treatment would better bring out the details of the rock formations.

Oak Tunnel - Magnolia Street, St Augustine, Florida

A long road with with oak trees lined up on either side of it. The branches forming a natural arch over the road. Spanish moss hanging down from the branches. Early morning or late evening sunlight lighting up the tree tops and moss. If this sounds somewhat familiar to you, it describes many a southern plantation. These scenes make great photographic subjects. Whenever I head south, I look for these places to shoot. I wasn't expecting to see this earlier this month when we visited the Florida coast, but thanks to a friend, he told me that a street like this existed in St Augustine.

While not quite as beautiful as some of the plantations, it is still a beauty. No, there isn't a large plantation at the end of the road and the road is not your typical dirt road, but I will take it. If you visit St Augustine, make sure that you take a drive and find, it but don't look for Oak Street as you might think it was named, but rather Magnolia Street. Go figure.

Corsican Beauty - Lake Tolla, Corsica, France

On a tour of the island of Corsica, our tour guide asked if there were any French on the bus. When she found out that there were not any French, she exclaimed “good”.  I thought it odd that she would ask that, as Corsica is part of France. After learning the history of the island, I knew why she asked. 

Throughout history, Corsica has been invaded and occupied by more than ten other countries   (Carthaginians, Greeks, Etruscans, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Saracens, Lombards, Genovese, French and English). All through this tumultuous history, the Corsicans have strived and fought for independence. Given its history, It is easier to understand their disdain for the country that currently controls them (France).

The island itself (the fourth largest in the Mediterranean) is almost as diverse of its occupiers. Its attractions include gorgeous bays, beaches and cities and towns along its coastline. Inland there are and sawtooth mountain peaks, valleys, lakes, dense forests and hilltop villages. Of course, I was drawn to the latter and travelled to Lake Tolla in the mountains. From this vantage point, the beauty of Corsica is on full display.

 

Iconic - Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, California

What do you think of when some one asks about San Francisco? I'll bet that the Golden Gate Bridge comes to mind. Every city seems to have a defining iconic symbol that somehow conveys what it is known for. For the city by the bay it is this bridge. The bridge is considered by many to be the most beautiful and most photographed bridge in the US, if not the world. Try finding a travel guide or website that doesn't have its image prominently displayed. 

I traveled to San Francisco often during my working career. I think one year I was there ten times on business trips, and I would often head down to the bridge and hope the fog would roll in. It is an amazing experience to see the bridge clearly, and then within a few minutes, it would be gone. Unfortunately, those trips were before my passion for photography was reignited. How I wish that I had brought a camera with me. Of course, this was before the iPhone was invented. Whenever I now travel to San Fran, a camera and a stop near the bridge is mandatory. This photo was taken from the Sausalito side of the bridge from Fort Point State Park. It was taken toward the end of rush hour one evening a few years ago. 

 

Exploring Monument Valley - Navajo Nation

Monument Valley, Navajo Nation, Utah/Arizona Border

As you read this, I am flying out west to visit one of my favorite places in the US, namely Monument Valley. It is located on the border of Arizona and Utah and is part of the Navajo Nation. Almost all of you have seen Monument Valley, even though you may never have set foot there. The valley has appeared in countless movies, commercials, music videos and print media. It is the quintessential location that screams the US west. Monument Valley has quite a number of sandstone rock formations, whose orange color seems to perfectly contrast with the blue sky. Many of the bigger formations have special names that either depict what the formations look like or represent a spiritual meaning to the Navajo people.

The most exciting part of this trip is that I get to share it with some special friends, namely Jaki Good Miller and Jeff Clow. Jaki has never been to Monument Valley and I am sure that she will love it as much as I do. After our visit, we are heading to Moab to participate in Jeff's Moab Photo Tour, where I will be meeting quite a number of other old friends. 

Wilson Mesa Ranch - Telluride, Colorado

I always enjoy looking back through my thousands of photos and taking another look at some of the places I have been. More importantly, I remember the people I was with and the fun we had together. When I came across this photo of Wilson Mesa ranch outside of Telluride, the memories of shooting with Rick Louie and Chris Nitz came back to me. Rick conducts a photo tour in Colorado, and, if you are looking to catch some Colorado foliage, look him up - you won't regret it. 

If memory serves me right, this shot was taken near the end of the tour and we were sort of outrunning a storm. We spotted this scene from the road and spent quite a lot of time shooting it. After taking quite a number of shots, I didn't feel like I was capturing the full scene, so I shot this panorama that better captures what my eyes were seeing. It was a great end to the day, although when we got to Telluride, we took an interesting gondola ride through the rain and lightning, but that is a story for another post.

Apollo 8 Power - Kennedy Space Center, Florida

You have seen countless commercials on television that have the tagline, "Not your father's...". The one that comes to mind recently is by Buick. Well, after visiting the Kennedy Space Center a couple of weeks ago, I think that the same phrase can be used by them. 

I think the last time we visited the space center was in the mid-1980's when my son was a young child. I kind of remember that it was nice, but nothing really stood out to me other than back then it wasn't Cape Canaveral, but rather Cape Kennedy. Before our trip this year, I went online to check out some touristy stuff to do and the space center was near the top of the list. After visiting, I can't believe what they have done since my last visit.

The center is a full-day attraction (we didn't do everything that we wanted to and could have stayed another half day) and the tours, movies and displays were outstanding. When you first walk in, the rocket "garden" is the first thing you see, and seeing all of the many rockets there was really cool. My favorite stop was at the end of the tour when you get to the Apollo/Saturn V Center to get close and personal with these amazing rockets. Standing below this Saturn V booster rocket gives you a great appreciation of how powerful (and big) they are and the risks that the brave astronauts faced that traveled into space.