A late afternoon dust-storm picks up fine sand from the dunes of White Sands National Park. This National Park, tucked within two mountain ranges of New Mexico, hosts the largest sand dunes made of gypsum sand that looks like snow, but flows like salt. Finer than regular sand, frequent windstorms easily pick up the pearl white dunes, erasing footprints of days past, leaving being sharp ripples that move every single day.
Due to the constantly shifting dunes, there are no fixed trails here, except for a series of markers for directional guidance. And even though they are small, it is easy to wander and get lost amidst the vast expanse of the dunes. But that shouldn't deter you from making a visit to this unique park in the desert southwest.
White Sands National Park
NM USA
Summer in the Cascades
Who is excited for the summer?
With the ultra-warm temperatures last week, it almost felt like summer in the Pacific Northwest. And even though mountainscapes like this would be inaccessible for quite a few more months, I feel like I am ready for more adventures in the wilderness areas of Washington.
This specific image was taken a few summers ago, right at the cusp of fall where smoke from nearby fires lent a hazy atmosphere on a crisp summer morning. The open terrain above the treeline, dotted with glistening lakes and panoramic vistas of the North cascades, is really a wonderland that I hope will be incorporated into the National Park System.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Monkey Face
At first glance, I was struggling to see why Monkey Face had its name. This pillar of rock, detached from the rest of the crags on the steep western slopes of Smith Rock, didn't resemble anything like a monkey. I could see why it would be an interesting challenge for climbers, evidenced by the gasps and squeals of the rock scalers at that moment - it is certainly a unique rock to climb, but there were more challenging cliff faces all over the park to test the mettle of any climber.
I kept pondering over this as I tried to compose the grand landscape of Smith Rock framed by the lenticular clouds over the distant volcanoes, and the sinuous curves of the Crooked river. It wasn't until I wandered down from the lookout and got a different perspective of the rock did I realize why it had such a name. From this new angle, the shape of a monkey's face materialized into view, a sharp silhouette formed by the setting sun.
Just as in photography, life often requires a change in perspective to visualize something different even within same old surroundings: a new routine to start your day, a new way to measure and track your goals, or a new way to value the things that matter to you. With a curiosity to indulge in new adventures, and the willingness to accept new changes, these changes in perspective enable you to experience a new life.
Smith Rock State Park
OR USA
Waiting for a Frozen Sun
I left the hotel with the mercury exactly at 0C/32F. And as I drove up to the rim of Crater lake on that cold dawn, I saw the needle dropping further and further, finally settling at -9C/16F. I was hoping it wouldn't get any colder as I wasn't even prepared for subzero temperatures.
But it did. As I stepped out into the biting cold, I felt a freezing wind gush from the depths of the lake up the snow-covered slopes onto the icy pavement. Even with all my layers on, I was chilled to the bone. My fingers froze in an instant, despite two layers of gloves. And for this pain, all I got to see was a thick layer of fog streaming over the entire surface of the lake, reducing visibility to mere feet.
And so I waited, hoping for the rising sun to push the fog away and reveal a glorious sunrise. But it wasn't to be. Instead, the fog lifted off a small portion of the lake, revealing a patch of bright light on an otherwise gloomy grey vista.
Some days, you are lucky, and some days you aren't. Today wasn't one of those, but unless you try, you never know.
Crater Lake National Park
OR USA
Lost in Badlands
I never really grasped the size and the sense of scale of the country while flying from coast to coast. It was during my two road trips across the nation that I really learnt to appreciate the vastness and dramatic diversity of the nation. From driving through the monotonous undulating cornfields of the Midwest to traversing the glacier-capped Rocky mountains, the spine of the country, each day presented unique stories and uncovered hidden gems.
Badlands National Park was one such gem. I really hadn't paid much attention to this park tucked along a long remote stretch of an interstate, until I actually drove past it. Curiosity soon got the better of me, and I snuck into the park to better appreciate this parks' unappreciated wonders. This one image captures the essence of it: strata of rock showing vast diversity in colors and patterns that I have not really seen anywhere else.
Badlands National Park
SD USA
The Shimmer of Snow
Have you ever stopped to notice the sheen of light on the undulating snow. It is not a sight one encounters everyday, and I happened to chance upon such a scene while slogging back towards the trailhead after a long day out in the snow. The light, filtered by a thin layer of clouds, was soft, and gently highlighted the smooth slopes. A plethora of tracks wound through this undisturbed snow, and yet, there were vast unspoilt patches remaining this late in the day.
A few groves of pines stood steadfast, acting as waypoints on this vast landscape of endless mountains. These framed this vast alpine scenery as I encountered it.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
The Eclipse of 2017
2017 was a memorable year for many reasons, but watching a total eclipse tops that list. I still remember driving the day before towards the town of Madras, to a campground (which was really farmland let to fallow) right on the path of totality. I wandered into the town, walking right into the heart of an eclipse-themed carnival. After having had my fill of that atmosphere, I got back to the campground, which had swollen in numbers stretching over the entire open field. The people here were eagerly awaiting in anticipation of the big event of the next day.
Morning dawned and the crowd slowly gathered around to catch a spot of open ground to shoot the eclipse. The sky gradually cleared up of the clouds left over from the night with the rising temperature. Groups of astronomers from as far away as Poland had set up their armada of telescopes catering to different spectra and magnifications for viewing the upcoming eclipse. Meanwhile, I only had two cameras that I jerry rigged to carry mylar filters, along with a eclipse-shade for myself. I had set the cameras up to shoot at a specific interval so that I could go and watch the eclipse through one of telescopes belonging to the neighboring tent.
Soon, a chorus of sounds went around the campground as we observe the first contact of the eclipse. As the eclipse progressed, the size of the solar disc kept reducing, leading to a drop in temperature as well as the volume of the songs the passarine birds lowering to ominous levels. And then totality hit the area, and it was a spectacle like no other. A hushed silence pervaded the area, with everyone engrossed by the dance of the plasma in the coronal stream. And soon after the famed Baily's beads appeared, transforming the sun into an celestial diamond ring. A cacophony of screams, joyful gasps of delight and a chorus of claps spread around the area, with everyone feeling thoroughly blessed by the scene.
Its funny that even though eclipses that are predictable to the exact time and location, they still inspire an awe in every person who watches it. Perhaps there are some instincts leftover from our genetic past that still prods us to observe this celestial dance in rapt attention. As for myself, I can't wait long enough to see the next one
Madras
OR USA
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This is the Pacific Northwest
As the temperatures finally start warming, and the daylight hours extend to the better side of bearability, I can finally start planning for the summer hiking season. Though short, the four month window of summer is the main reason that I put up through the drudgery that is the long and gloomy winter. Endless mountains ranges dotted by glacier-capped volcanoes, breathtaking scenery with innumerable hidden hiking destinations, and glistening lakes surrounded by swaths of wildflowers, all make the summer a refreshing escape for the mind and a rejuvenating experience for the soul.
I can't wait to get out again.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Sunrise with Company
Sunrises are perhaps the hardest and most unpredictable to photograph, and certainly the one decision where the tradeoffs are extremely hard to ascertain. Whenever I try to plan ahead for a sunrise shoot, I keep exploring different contingencies and evaluate how conditions can go wrong. But once I commit, I prefer not to turn back on that decision.
The only choice after that lays in the location and composition to shoot. And this represents another challenge if you have scouted the area before. Such was the case with trying to capture sunrise in the vicinity of the San Juan islands. Thankfully, this lighthouse formed the perfect foreground for the scene. Two of the innumerable bald eagles in the area settled atop the lighthouse, much to my delight, to be the icing on the cake that was this sunrise.
San Juan Islands
WA USA
Summitting Success
I was struggling on my uphill ascent on the brilliantly white slopes of Mt Rainier. Even in early spring, it felt like on a hot and sultry midsummers day. But the views goaded me on: with each minute of climbing, the surround landscape opened up more and more. As I scouted for compositions, I noticed one hiker gazing at the vast cloudscape in front of him.
I will never get to find out what caused this hiker to power pose and gaze at the vast snowscape on the sunny slopes of Mount Rainier, but I believe that he was perhaps celebrating a triumph of having climbed up so far to enjoy this grand panorama. Who knows what other demons he he has been dealing with!
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA