Rolling Hills and Red Barns

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I am back after a long hiatus. And while I haven't been posting, I most certainly have continued to shoot, traveling to some amazing National parks in the desert Southwest, as well as exploring the wonders of the Pacific Northwest, such as the Palouse.

The Palouse has always had a special place in my heart. Having first visited it over 5 years ago, the region of rolling green hills, picturesque barns, historic towns, and a charming rustic life, drew me in once again. And perhaps one of the best places to take in the essence of this unique place is witnessing the sunrise atop Steptoe Butte, a conical butte rising 1000ft above the rolling landscape.

From atop the butte, the lines of shadow and light provide an aerial perspective into the sinuous curves of the farmlands,  creek-beds that wind between the hills, red barns, farmsteads and silos that pepper the region, distant windmills capturing clean energy, and the vast agricultural heartland of Washington. The chaotic sleep schedules, the abundance of dust in the air, and the harsh sunny climate does not make it a destination for everybody, but the place certainly rewards the patient and the perseverent.

This was shot from atop the butte with a telephoto lens at F11, ISO 800 at 1/15s

Steptoe Butte State Park
WA USA

A Bend in the River II

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As I came across this bend in the river, ensconced in the vibrant coniferous greenery of the Canadian Rockies, I was reminded of another similar bend in the Colorado river near the town of Page, AZ. While the contrast couldn't be more different, there was common thread that connected these two natural wonders, ie, water.

It was water that carved away the deep gorge in the red sandstone layers of the desert Southwest, and it was water that carved away these layers of sedimentary rock of the geologically young Canadian Rockies. While one region was a waterless desert, this one had all the markings of a lush rainforest, signifying the over-abundance of water.

I enjoyed walking in this forest, even as I was getting soaked in the misty rain that was so typical of this breath-taking region of Canada

Banff National Park
AB Canada

Magical Galapagos

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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

Through the Green Jungle

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I got off the bus and stared at the trail-head - a wooded damp trail threading into the forests; a low layer of fog and rain mired my visibility further. A convenient multilingual sign gave a helpful description of the significance of the pilgrimage, but nothing about the 16km to cover today, nor the terrain I had to go through, or what I would experience. But perhaps that was best left unsaid, as it allowed me to fully be surprised by every single turn of the trail, but every foggy vista, by every pass I submitted, by every creek and cascade I passed by, and by every temple I stood in awe of.

This was the nature of the Kumano Kodo trek, one of the most sacred pilgrimages in the Kii Peninsula in the Honshu island of Japan. I had decided to come here to escape the crowds of the Golden Week, where every resident of Japan seemed to be traveling everywhere. And I was glad I did, for I found peace and solace in quite misty forests of the trek.

This shot was taken at one such place halfway through the first day, where the mist became part of the wonderful verdant greenery that made this trek ever so special.

Nakahechicho
Wakayama Japan

Hobbiton in Black

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

The Lord of the Rings still manages to transport me to an ancient mythical land, replete with magical creatures, primeval woodlands, medieval villages, rustic landscapes and people with character. As much as I wanted such a place to be real, Middle Earth was far away, nothing but a figment of fiction that we create in our minds.

And that was why when I journeyed to Hobbiton, the movie-set-turned-tourist-attraction in Matamata in the North Island of New Zealand, I felt that figment of fiction had been partially realized. The village of Shire was just as one imagine, with circular hobbit holes adorned with beautiful flowering plants set up on the slopes of the rolling hillscape. I almost felt I could enter into Bag End and find Bilbo Baggins going on about his daily routine.

Here is one rendition of Shire on a rather cloudy day. The (fake) oak tree above Bag End formed an imposing backdrop to this impressive testament to set of Hobbiton and Lord of the Rings.

Hobbiton
Waikato, New Zealand

2017 in Review

2018 was an amazing year. Between traveling to seven amazing destinations around the world, completing my second graduate degree and settling down in the Pacific Northwest, this year has been a whirlwind of changes. Here is to hoping that 2018 will be as adventurous as the last for all of you.
From upper left, the locations are
1. Holiday lights in Cartagena, Colombia
2. The blue alleys of Chefchaouen, Morocco
3. The Torii way at Fushimi Inari temple in Kyoto, Japan
4. The Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum ensemble in Samarkhand, Uzbekistan
5. Summer Jailoos in Songkol, Kyrgyzstan
6. The unique rock formation sof Cappadocia, Turkey
7. The misty forests of British Colombia
8. Solar eclipse in Madras, OR
9. El Capitan at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX

Its never too late to get my 2018 Calendar. All proceeds go to NRDC and WildAid, two non-profits whose missions I wholly support.

Greys of the Pacific Northwest

It was one of those grey Pacific Northwest days, where the moisture-laden clouds from the Pacific blanket much of the landscape here. I had been hiking through a dense foggy temperate rainforest, hoping for a break and the clouds. But it wasn't until the very top did I break out of the clouds.

Up from that rocky vista point, I spied a beautiful amalgam of the rocky peaks floating above the clouds which had settled in the valleys below, permeating the dense carpet of conifers. The mesmerizing motion of the clouds put me in a trance on that rocky outcrop, and I let time go by despite the long day that was ahead of me. I closed in on one of the rocky slopes that showed the beautiful line of trees indulging the moisture-laden mist.

Garibaldi Provincial Park
BC Canada

Check out my 2018 Photography calendar. All proceeds from the purchase of this calendar go to NRDC and WildAid

The Greens of the Pacific Northwest

Barely 24hrs prior, I was slogging along an uneven ridge on the High Divide in Olympic National Park, with views of Mt Olympus on one side, and an amalgamation of green valleys and mountain ranges leading to the Pacific on the other side. The hot late summer day and the lack of shade made hauling a 35lb pack all the more excruciating, but the scenery more than made up for it.

But the very next day, I found myself in a green haven, hiking through lush vegetation down one of the valleys along a leafy trail that followed the gurgling sounds of a life-giving creek. Tall conifers shared the canopy with vine maples and broad-leaved oaks while the undergrowth was dense with idyllic ferns and vanilla leaves, with huckleberry shrub loaded with juicy ripe berries spread all over.

A few hours in, the sound of rushing water, far more intense than the gurgle, caught my attention. Following it through the undergrowth, I came across this beautiful cascade where the creek wound its way through a leafy canyon. Barely any light filtered through, leading to a soft and mellow scene. It was a welcome respite from the prior twos of hiking in unbearably hot weather.

See this life-size in my 2018 Calendar that you can purchase here. And for a limited time, save 5% using code LULUORDERS5

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Enthralled by Bamboo

Bamboo shoots as tall as skyscrapers, and not just a dozen or two, but a forest of thousands of towering bamboo all arching upwards and forming a canopy of vibrant green fronds that covered the sky. That was the stage at the beautiful Arashiyama Bamboo forest in the outskirts of Kyoto

I felt like a dwarf walking through this forest, enthralled by the hypnotic greenery. And even though I was never far from civilization, the low light and the ephemeral mist made the thicket far more mysterious and eerie. But the crowds thronging the pathway on that late spring day ensured that I would never be far away from people, which made capturing a shot of the greenery quite challenging

This one was a single image shot at F8, ISO 3200 at 1/8s

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Kyoto Japan

The Red Dragon

I remember this very special tree, with its gnarled trunk twisting and turning like veins on a human body and ending onto thousands of tiny leaves, donning its beautiful fall coat, appearing very many times on my photo-stream. Every time I came across it, I remember making a pledge to visit the place the following year; but those grand plans never came to fruition.

Until now.

The tree was a Japanese maple tree growing with the confines of the Japanese garden in Portland. And like any other maple tree, its takes on a different form in each of the seasons. But its fall coat is undoubtedly its most prettiest form - its leaves turn a deep red, contrasting beautifully with the moss on its trunk and the surrounding vegetation, a vibrant red dragon dancing in a lush green forest. I decided to squeeze in a day trip from Seattle just to capture this dancing beauty.

Naturally, a tree this popular comes with its own paparazzi (myself included). As the sun slowly crested the trees in the horizon on that late morning, I had to squeeze amidst the swarm of photographers, cameras and tripods to line my camera just right to capture the light filtering through the reddish brown fronds that were slightly past its prime, resulting in this image. I shot this at F18 (for the starburst effect), 1/2s and at ISO 200

Portland
OR USA