Landscapes

Walking the Plank

It was a cold and foggy morning when I awoke that morning in my hotel. My upset tummy hadn't subsided, and the effects of the high altitude were still there. I didn't want to get out of my bed, but I forced myself to and embarked on the 10mi loop of Laguna Quilotoa.

And I was glad I did, for the vistas I encountered were sublime, combining breath-taking scenery, high-alpine atmosphere, and the glistening lake in a volcanic crater. It was a visual treat to see this grand spectacle of geology stretching between the turquoise waters of the lake, the ragged walls of the crater, the tiny farms and fields on the outer slopes, dotted with distant Andean villages getting ready for the morning rituals just as the sun broke through the fog.

As I turn my sights once again towards the volcanic mountain ranges of Central and South America, I was reminded of this trek in Ecuador, and of the other dramatic volcanoes and the Andean range that forms the spine of the continent. And I can't wait to explore more of it.

Quilotoa
Cotopaxi Ecuador

,

Blue Hour at the Blue City

,

To visit Morocco is like turning the pages of some illuminated Persian manuscript all embroidered with bright shapes and subtle lines

Edith Wharton

Search for Chefchaouen and you get dazzling imagery of vibrant blue alleys and embroidered doorways framing the everyday life of the local community which thrives there. I got very absorbed exploring the innumerable unnamed streets, staring at artwork in colorful cul-de-sacs, enjoying the local children playing games, eyeing the variety of carpets and spices on sale in the souvenir stores, and catching the odd glimpse of feline denizens who seem to have command of the town with a calm demeanor.

I decided to take a step back to see how it was actually laid out, and until I got to that vista point, I never realized the scale of that town. From high above, the medina was a smorgasbord of "blue"-washed concrete buildings smashed together high up in the up on the hillside, with orange street-lights highlighting the thoroughfares snaking up the hills and highlighting the mosques that acted as focal points for the medina.I tried to imagine how it would have been a few decades ago, a thriving community of traders nestled high in the mountains. And how now, we, as tourists, get the opportunity and resources to visit places like these....

The light of Dawn

Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.

Theodore Roosevelt

One of the proudest legacy of the 26th President is the crown jewel of the American conservation era - the National Park system. And while I have been fortunate enough to visit 34 of these memorable places, very few have stuck to my mind and my heart, and one of them is the Canyonlands National Park. And nothing captures the essence of this rugged desert terrain like the view from Mesa Arch at sunrise, an arch suspended over a vertiginous cliff overlooking a vast canyonland.

One of the rituals as a photographer is to make the dawn trip to Mesa Arch, squeeze your tripod in between the two dozen others, and eek out a few shots just as the sun crests the horizon, and one more just as it disappears behind the arch. While it is photogenic place, it was the view that the location presented that I found the most endearing: cliff walls glowing yellow in the morning sun, stupas, stacks, and hoodoos silhouetting in the slanted light, twisted canyon disappearing into the vast expanse of the horizon. The sense of belonging and being humbled by nature is perhaps the primary reason why such regions must be preserved for posterity.

Canyonlands National Park
UT USA

 

Personally to you

"Have you watched the dance of the Northern Lights on a dark winter's night?
Or stood outside in the pure spring air, listening to the melodies of birds?

Have you let the plants be your seat, as you breathed in their scents and noted autumn colors?
Or looked at all the life in the grass, strolled on the shore, skipped stones, caught a trout or petted a soft eider ducking?

I know every inch of this land. I am aware of every elf mound and know where to find pretty lichens and sheltered birds' nests. I have sensed the sea's odour in the spring and lain in midnight fog waiting for the fox. Standing in the hayfield late in summer, when it gets dark early and the terns have flown south, I have felt both gratitude and sadness. There is no end to the signs of people living with the land, generation after generation.

Dear Reader: Please feel heartily welcome. Enjoy your stay here. We are sure you and yours will treat all the land of the Icelanders with consideration. We ask you to show fairness and respect when judging the activities of us residents. Certainly we hope for Strandir to touch you with its magic wand and lead you into the group of the privileged. At the end, have a nice trip home and come back soon."

Found on a remote roadside in the Strandir coast of Iceland

Strandr, Westfjords
Iceland

Last Light

I made my way on the mound of soft snow, hoping to catch a peek of the snow-capped peak before last light. My feet sank in in the loose snow, and I was unsure of my footing, but I trudged on. I was determined to not miss what was about to happen.

I had driven up to this mountainous wilderness in the northern part of Washington hoping to cash in the fabulous weather. Two days of heavy snow was followed by a weekend of glorious sunshine and bluebird skies, and I was ready to flex my new camera in this winter wonderland. I spent the day trudging up steep trails to spectacular vista points whose panoramic views were unforgettable. Mt Baker stood valiantly under the bright sun with an thick coating of white, while on the other side, photogenic Mt Shuksan's glaciers were indistinguishable in the snow.

I hurried back down the 3 miles of trail, hoping to get back to the trailhead before dark. And just before the last turn, I spied Mt Shuksan again, ready to catch the last light. I stopped on that mound, waiting for the colors to turn, the alpenglow to appear, and the belt of venus to rise. And when they all did, the result was this beautiful image of the last light on Mt Shuksan

North Cascades National Park
WA USA

,

Magical Galapagos

,

The vista stretched endlessly. The blue calm waters of the Pacific wrapped around the tiny island I was atop, while in front, right below the setting sun, lay volcanic cones of various shapes and sizes. The landscape was barren, almost a moonscape, save a few pieces of vegetation: the volcanic soil with its poor nutrients and the harsh windy weather aren't kind to flora and fauna.

And yet, Galapagos is one of the best wildlife hotspots. Phytoplankton thrive at this unique confluence of warm and cold ocean currents, resulting in a region rich in biodiversity. Between the unique avian dwellers and visitors, including the blue and red-footed boobies, the magnificent frigatebirds, albatross, and even penguins, the lush and colorful aquatic life swimming everywhere, the giant iguanas and tortoises, and so many more, you can easily lose track of how amazing this destination is.

The Bartelome island, home to this amazing vista, wasn't originally in my itinerary, but due to scheduling issue, I ended up at the top, and enjoyed this expansive view during the afternoon, with the warm sunlight setting aglow the landscape around. And I was glad I made it

Galapagos
Ecuador

,

The Land of Waterfalls

,

Iceland, the land of foss - the land of waterfalls. This windswept island nation in the arctic is home to some of the most spectacular waterfalls thanks to its unique geology and climate conditions. Its huge glaciers and ice-caps, combined with plenty of rain and snow in the central highlands lead to a massive outflows of melt-water. Its volcanic geology, with rugged terrain and plenty of highlands results in some spectacular waterfalls, often located in absolutely breath-taking surroundings.

The country has its share of hypnotizing waterfalls, and other graceful ones such as Seljalandsfoss, which empties out onto a vast plain facing west, and this sets it up for some memorable sunsets. And while this particular day started out cloudy, it cleared up towards the evening, and I was blessed with great lighting and red-tinged clouds to complement green landscape. Climbing up behind the waterfall, I searched for this composition to capture the sun and the mesmerizing flow of water.

Seljalandsfoss
Iceland

 

The Whites of Winter

I had barely expected rain, let alone snow, in the dry Eastern Sierras during a Memorial Weekend a couple of years ago.

And so, when I driving up the steep incline towards North Lake in Bishop Creek Basin, I was rather surprised to see this beautiful dusting of pristine white as soon as I climbed above 7000ft. I had just hiked on a nearby trail the previous day, drenched in sweat and slipping in slushy snow patches along the way, and to experience the vast mountain range coated in this beautiful white was extra-ordinary.

I pulled into the parking lot and made my way on that freezing dawn towards the still shores of the North Lake. And as I came out of the clearing in the trees, the vast valley opened up; the still surface of the lake lay in front of me reflecting the long mountain range dusted in but a mere few inches of snow. And even that was sufficient to transport me to a winter wonderland, and have a completely different experience from just 24h prior.

I captured this beautiful panorama while waiting for the sun to strike the peaks (it never did). I adjusted the color temperature to reflect the frosty dawn I was experiencing.

Bishop Creek Canyon
CA USA

Mountains to the Sea

The Pacific beaches of Costa Rica were special in one sense - tropical rainforests that descended right from the mountains onto the golden sands. Perhaps one of the best places to witness this was the beautiful surf of Playa Uvita in Parque Nacional Marina Belleno. From the shore arose multitudes of ridges, ranges and valleys topped by the rain-bearing clouds swept off the warm Pacific that provide life-giving water to the dense rainforest.

I had a chance to explore this beautiful place one early morning during my visit to 'Pura Vida' destination of Central America

Playa Uvita
Puntaarenas, Costa Rica

Back to the Bay

Thin wispy clouds arced around the sky as though drawn with a talented paintbrush. And from high above the plains, these masterful strokes of white seemed to stretch forever, hovering over the beautiful golden rolling hills east of the Bay Area of California, highlighting one reason why I was in the Golden State. In the distance I could spy the prominence of Mt Diablo and the other hills of the Diablo Range rising above the buckled terrain formed by the multiple faults cris-crossing the terrain, including the famous Hayward fault that was running just below.

The slanted evening light highlighted the rolling hillscape, bringing into view hidden features in dramatic scales. And even though I stood there and admired the view for a long time, I never got tired of the vast open space stretching in front of me. I can't wait to once again explore the nooks and crannies of the rolling hillscape dotted with vineyards, ranches, and the occasional windmill.

Mission Peak Regional Preserve
CA USA