black and white

Stills in the slot canyon

In the heart of desert sandstone lay slot canyons carved by water as it courses down after sudden squalls. The sinuous walls of the canyon, etched by eons of wind and water, reveal intricate layers, like ancient manuscripts waiting to be deciphered. Wandering the multitude of canyons in Navajo Nation was a perfect opportunity to explore the delicate beauty hidden within rugged depths. A black and white treatment for these images helps focus on the patterns and details, rather than the muted colors that the canyon originally presented.

Navajo Nation
AZ USA

Sparks of Sand

When I photograph sand dunes, I normally seek out patterns in the ripples of the dunes, especially during the golden hours. But this time, I decided to focus on the faint shadow cast by the clouds as a gust of wind whipped up the sand.

Great Sand Dunes National Park
CO USA

Misty Woods

Unlike the last photo which was taken on a sunny weekend, this one instead was on a cloudy day, typical of winter in the pacific Northwest. Instead of grand landscapes, I chose to focus on the ethereal fog that keeps the rainforests of the Olympic peninsula rather wet and moist.

Olympic National Park

WA USA

A National Park Journey - Arches National Park

On my very first visit to the heart of red-rock country, my mind just couldn't fathom the formations I had been seeing: arches of all shapes and sizes hewed out of smooth red sandstone, set in a landscape full of sinuous curved canyons where towering pillars of rock precariously balanced on narrow fins. This was Arches National Park, a place so bizarre that even listening to ranger talks didn't help my brain comprehend the diversity of forms that arose from erosion by water and wind.

I would return to this park multiple times, and even though it covered only a small area, I never felt like I got to experience the entirety of this unique park. I knew that one of the places I wanted to return to was Delicate Arch, pictured above, hewn out of a narrow slab of rock over thousands of years of erosion. Between getting the right weather and avoiding the crowds, it is not easy to shoot this formation while surrounded by the best of the La Salle mountains. This image is my take on this one-of-a-kind arch, and not pictured is a queue of about 50 people waiting to get their portrait taken by the arch.

Arches National Park
UT USA

Pillars of Winter

The winter leaves precious few opportunities to get out into the wilderness, especially during the severe winter storms which kicks avalanche dangers up a notch. This frozen lake is probably one of the few that are still accessible. But when I set out to this frozen lake under overcast conditions and gloomy skies, I wasn't expecting much. But nature can sometimes through a surprise.

The frozen lake was a white winter wonderland. Fresh snowfall had layered all the trees with a thick coating of wet snow, which were now drooping down with this new weight. And even though the granite peaks that normally tower over the frozen lake were obscured by a thick layer of clouds that absorbed all the color from the sky, the snowscape was pristine. And just as I was ready to turn around and head back, the low clouds slowly lifted, revealing the three pillars of rock so characteristic of this place.

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

The Eve of Spring

The winter in Pacific Northwest can get a bit moody, and the weather a bit harsh. This often leaves me homebound, where I sit and wait out for the change of seasons to spring, for when the snow slowly disappears, the icy lakes thaw , and the plants get ready to grow and regenerate again.

This scene from Sabrina Lake Basin in the Eastern Sierras of California captures just such a time during the change of seasons. In this early spring scene, a late afternoon thunderstorm paid a visit to the mountains still recovering from winter.

Inyo National Forest

CA USA

A Walk in the Woods

I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees

- Henry David Thoreau

The earthy trail wound through the tall denizens of the misty woods. It was eerily silent, the only sound being the crunch of every step I took towards my destination. And yet, I never felt alone - I had the forest for company and I had so much to learn during my trek on the Kumano Kodo.

Kumano Kodo
Kii Peninsula, Japan

The drop


Morning light had just started to illuminate the far end of the still lake. A raft of ducks made their way across, submerging periodically to fish for their morning meal. The cool air was silent, interrupted by the occasional shriek of osprey out on a hunting flight. High clouds swirled in the hazy skies above, a sign of an approaching front of smoke. I was not worried; it was my last day there, but I certainly didn't want this moment to end.

As I was pondering on composition ideas, I noticed a school of fish leaving tiny ripples in the still reflection, and wondered whether I could employ that to get a foreground. This image is the result of one such attempt.

Sawtooth National Forest
ID USA

Summer Memories

Summer clouds.jpg

Everyone is excited about the colorful season of Fall coming up, where nature puts on a show before she finally settles down for the winter. Perhaps we can spare a moment for the balmy days of summer spent lying down on a green grass meadow watching the wispy clouds flutter away. Watching the fleeting patterns of clouds reminds me of bucolic summer days of years past, a time of carefree life and trivial experiences.

This particular area of Palouse brought back those memories, and I tried to render it as I imagined in my minds eye.

Palouse
WA USA

Lost in Granite

In the summer of 2015, I had embarked on one of my most challenging backpacks in the Eastern Sierras, on a 55-mi route that wound through the Evolution and Dusy basins. Granite escarpments ringed by towering alpine peaks surround a broad basin filled with glistening lakes. Set in a remote region of the John Muir Wilderness, these places are a haven for landscape photography.

I tried to capture in this panorama what it really is like to be immersed in such a rugged landscape. But nothing can replicate the feeling of really being lost in the granite.

Kings Canyon National Park
CA USA