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
Summer storms
The dry barrenness of the Eastern Sierras, in the rain-shadow of a range reaching upwards of 14000ft, seems to harbor no interesting weather phenomena except balmy sunny skies or grey snowy conditions. But occasionally, rainclouds creep up and over the towering peaks and descend down onto the rolling plains below. And when that happens, an afternoon thunderstorm forms over the vast open landscape.
I was fortunate to catch the tail end of one as it was dissipating, but still managed to have enough mass to catch the evening light.
Inyo National Forest
CA USA
Dreamstate
It was a sunrise that wasn't.
A few years ago, I found myself camping in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, giving me the opportunity to get some unique photographs of this National Park. And I really looked forward to shooting a sunrise with beams of light catching the rising vapors of a nearby river, attempting to recreate a composition I had previously done.
This time around, that sunrise wasn't to be - a thick layer of fog had all but enveloped the meadow, dropping visibility and light. And it wasn't until an hour after did it thin enough to let the light through. As I was wandering around struggling to get compositions, I came across this poignant scene of a lonely tree standing steadfast in a vast meadow still moist from the morning mist.
Which version do you prefer - the Color or Black and White?
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
The Field Marker
From the top, the the fields of wheat and legumes formed a tapestry of various shades of tan stretching endlessly onto the rolling plains of eastern Washington. Welcome to one the country's largest bread bowls.
The rich fertile fields of the Palouse cover vast swaths of south-eastern Washington, western Idaho and north-eastern Oregon, and is particularly well known for its wheat and lentils. Late spring, a few weeks after the sowing of crop, creates a profusion of green that attracts photographers by the dozens. In contrast, by late summer and fall, the fields are ready to harvest, and taken on various shades of golden brown, depending on how mature the crop is.
While the verdant greenery is a delight to photograph, the dull shades of tan are a challenge to photograph, even in the golden light of the early morning. Here, I chose to highlight a near straight line that formed an undulating, yet unwavering line stretching to the horizon.
Palouse
WA USA
The Sawtooths
I envisioned a dusty old lake, a few drying trees swaying in the wind, and a bare rocky terrain rising up from the basin getting backed in the hot Idaho sun. What I didn't expect was a placid gem of a lake nestled amidst granite monoliths towering over the alpine terrain. As I watched the jagged peaks of the Sawtooths catch the first light of the day, and captured in the mirror-like reflections on the still lake, I felt transported from the grounded imagination I had had to a scene far more memorable than what I had expected.
I felt a joy freezing a slice of time and preserving for eternity a moment that has probably been repeated for aeons.
Sawtooth Wilderness
ID USA
The Canyon Walk
The graceful red sandstone slot canyons of Antelope Canyon has always had a special draw, and a few years ago, I satiated my yearnings with a photography tour of these photogenic canyons. Photography the mid-day sun beams light up the canyon in a golden red glow is an experience like no other. So it saddened me to hear that photography tours have been stopped here. From a financial perspective, these photography tours paled in sales compared to the bread and butter tours that they run in the canyon, due to the smaller group size as well as interruption to the regular tours.
Antelope Canyon
AZ USA
One More Summer
As one more summer slowly transitions to fall, I have realized that, at least in the Pacific Northwest, I live for the bountiful summers. The short sweet summers abound with life and color, and more than make up for the dreary winters. Summers are when I seek out the mountains teeming with wildflower laden meadows, glistening alpine lakes, and snow-capped peaks.
We are halfway done now, and only a precious few more weeks remain for one more summer to be done.
Bridger Teton Wilderness
WY USA
The Long Open Road
The housebound nature of life over the last few months has created a yearning for the long open road, traversing along mountains and through valleys, over deserts and across rivers. In moments like these, I look back to memories of past travels, including this vista of the rugged red sandstone hills of Capitol Reef National Park. By juxtaposing a lone campervan speeding away from where I was, helped add a sense of scale to the vastness of the landscape all around.
Capitol Reef National Park
UT USA
Waiting for Showtime
The reflection was every bit as astounding as I had remembered it. My first visit to this location was nine years ago, a sunny evening where I rushed on the windy mountain highway to catch the last light. And my first sight of the glacier-capped Shuksan towering over the lake was sublime, and worth every bit of effort taken
This time, I ambled into the viewpoint with plenty of time to spare. While the reflection was amazing, the sublime light just wasn't there. I was, instead, rewarded with mobs of mosquitoes hanging on to every breath. I captured a few images at last light.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
High on Light
When we found these delightful little blooms, my partner referred to these as Einstein heads, for they had a straggled appearance of Einsteins unkempt hair. Later, I discovered that these were the seedpods of the Western pasqueflower. And they are really soft as they look.
So I returned back to the spot for sunset, hoping to capture these delightful little blooms at sunset. I just wished I had cleaned my lenses prior to taking the photograph.
Paseytan Wilderness
WA USA