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Back to the Tulips

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Been a bit late in posting some of my recent photos.

The tulip fields of Skagit Valley are a photographer’s dream—a mesmerizing canvas of vibrant reds, soothing pastels, and dazzling yellows stretching endlessly across the horizon. Every spring, as the Pacific Northwest shakes off the last remnants of winter, these blossoms burst into life, transforming the valley into a breathtaking spectacle.

Capturing the tulip blossoms through a camera lens is more than just photography; it’s an immersive experience. The interplay of light and shadow, the delicate textures of each petal, and the contrast between the orderly rows of flowers and the wild beauty of nature make for stunning compositions. Whether it’s the golden glow of sunrise casting a warm embrace over the fields or the dramatic hues of sunset painting the sky, every moment offers a unique opportunity to create art.

For photographers like me, the challenge lies in finding fresh perspectives—experimenting with angles, playing with depth of field, and embracing the unpredictable beauty of the Pacific Northwest’s spring weather. The joy of photographing these blossoms isn’t just in the final image but in the process itself—the quiet moments spent among the flowers, the thrill of chasing the perfect light, and the satisfaction of capturing a fleeting masterpiece.

Hope you get a chance to catch these colorful blossoms. The Tulip festival in Skagit county ends on April 30, and the fields are in full bloom now.

Skagit County
WA USA

Frozen Peyto

I've seen Peyto Lake painted in summer's brilliant blues, but witnessing it cloaked in winter's white was an entirely different experience. The silence is profound, the air crisp, and the beauty breathtaking. This is the magic of the Canadian Rockies in the winter.

Have you experienced it?

Banff National Park
AB Canada

Trapped for the winter

Above the glossy sheen of ice, the mercury was 15C below freezing. Insulating myself with thick layers, I barely managed to survive the cold and the windchill that had made it even worse. But apart from that, the conditions were near perfect to catch the unique phenomenon at Lake Abraham - its frozen bubbles. Every group of bubbles point to the tell-tale sign of vegetation in decay, and waiting to be free when the warming summer melts away the ice.

Just as a photograph freezes a fleeting moment in time, the icy grip of winter has frozen these ephemeral bubbles in space.

Lake Abraham
Alberta Canada

Winter Escapes

From gray to glorious! The Pacific Northwest has been delivering some serious winter weather lately, but today, we were gifted with a bluebird day for the books. It's a reminder that even in the depths of winter, beauty and light can always be found. Feeling so grateful for this stunning landscape and the chance to experience it in all its forms.

Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

Cloud strokes

While exploring the countryside of New England many years ago, I forced myself to really slow down and enjoy the scenery. Driving through the backroads and avoiding the high-speed turnpikes  proved fortuitous as I chanced upon this beautiful scene at a small rural pond. Its still waters mirrored the vibrant hues of a New England autumn, creating a breathtaking double image. In the sky above, wisps of clouds stretched across the canvas like artful brushstrokes, adding another layer of beauty to this serene scene. This was the epitome of tranquility, even though I was but a few minutes away from a fairly major town. It was a reminder of the simple beauty that surrounds us, even if we are sometimes not aware of it.

Mohawk Trail
MA USA

Amber silhouettes

Bathed in the fiery hues of a summer sunset, the Olympic coast puts on a breathtaking display. Amber clouds paint the sky, casting dramatic silhouettes of rugged cliffs and stoic pines against the vibrant backdrop. Waves gently lap the shore, completing this serene coastal scene.

Witnessing this spectacle in what was initially just a casual summer backpack with friends was a truly unforgettable experience. This was one of the many spectacular stills I captured during the two nights on the peninsula.

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Limbs of Starlight

Have you looked up at the night sky recently on a clear night? It is mostly a few pinpoints of light often drowned by human-caused light pollution. Look closely up at a really dark night sky at high altitudes, and you'll see the sheer density of stars.

What appears as empty space to the naked eye is teeming with countless points of light. This long exposure reveals the trails of these distant suns as they arc across the night, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. It’s a powerful reminder that we are just a tiny part of something much larger.

This is a 1hr long sequence capturing concentric star trails over the limbs of a dead tree in Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon National Park
UT USA

Seeking sunlight

The western coast of Washington state has been pounded by storm after storm for the last 25 days. As a result, a full day, or even a few hours of sunlight has been a rarity in Seattle. This effect, compounded by the incredibly short days of winter here, has certainly impacted my mood during what is meant to be the most joyous time of the year.

Here is to hoping that this will change over the next few weeks, both from the increasing length of day, and from a change in weather patterns.

Meanwhile, here is an image from a prior winter in Seattle during a remarkably crisp winter day.

Seattle
WA USA

The Square of Forty-Five

Welcome to 2025. We are now closer to 2050 than we are to the turn of the millennia. Let that sink in.

So much has changed in the last 25 years. I still remember the birth of 2000 with the Y2K scares, the rise of the dot-com economy (eventually leading to its collapse in the following year), the growth in popularity of cell-phones as a technology and many more. In the intervening years between then and now, we invented snazzy new smartphones, made advancements in AI, healthcare, medicine, and many more, all while dealing with multiple financial crises, multiple pandemics, and a more volatile geopolitical arena. Now, 25 years later, we are still dealing with some of the ramifications of those developments, including the middle-east quagmire, a tech-bubble in AI and more.

Who knows what the next 25 years will bring....

But in the meantime, let us enjoy the present. The Space Needle finally presented an amazing fireworks display and we were lucky to avoid any weather disruption.

Seattle
WA USA

End of an year

At first glance, it just seems like a regular sunset view over the Puget Sound by Seattle in the Pacific northwest. But observe closely and you can spot the telltale signs of high altitude winds from the layers of undulating cloud patterns in the sky. These high altitude cloud patterns are the result of layers of wind blowing over mountain ranges that dot the western coast of Washington state. And these layers will often catch the colorful sunset light, adding to extra drama in the image.

A Washington State Ferry departing to Bainbridge island from Seattle adds to the visual interest in this scene overlooking the sound.

Here is to a closure on 2024, a tumultuous year for many in this world.

Seattle
WA USA