Stories — A Camera Story

The Sky On Fire

Enamored by another mountain top in the Pacific Northwest, I started hiking under less than ideal conditions: forecast of grey skies, cloudy weather, gale-force gusts and chance of summer rain. I didn't believe the forecasts, until I was hiking in freezing weather with wind spraying sand and rock on my face. Needless to say, setting up my tent in that unwelcome weather was less than an ideal experience.

I waited until the the wind died, until the clouds cleared up and until the sun peeked from behind. And in the magical moments that unfolded at sunset, all that effort in getting here no longer seemed in vain.

The clouds hung around the valley and on mountaintops, slowly drifting and dissolving into thin air, just while setting aglow in the last light of the sun. Peaks appeared and disappeared for an ephemeral instant, right while the sky above was turning a shade of pink. The scenery all around was a dance of clouds, light and the sky.

Sometimes, heading into the remnants of a thunderstorm can yield dramatic scenes...

Mt Baker Wilderness

WA USA

Dusty and Dusy

Four summers ago, I had embarked on what I was perhaps one of the most mentally grueling backpacks I had ever done, a solo 7-day trek into the mountains covering 55 miles and 3 mountain passes above 11500 ft (3500m). It was physically and mentally taxing, and my only escape from being trapped in my head with my own thoughts was photographing the surreal landscape I walked through.

The penultimate evening of my sojourn found me on the dusty shores of Dusy basin, a moonscape with very little vegetation situated at 12000ft. It was a stark landscape, with sun-burnt granite covered by patches of tiny shrubs and stubby grass, interspersed by deep-blue alpine lakes reflecting the wonderful scenery all around. Despite the long arduous days, I was sad that one of my best treks into the Sierras were coming to an end.

Dusy Basin

CA USA

Summer Sunsets

Fire lookouts in the state of Washington are built like the warning beacons in Gondor, perched atop craggy peaks with precipitous drop-offs, and with jaw-dropping panoramic views of the rugged surroundings. And this one, perched on a rocky outcrop just a hairs throw from Mt Baker, is no exception.

The steep climb to its summit is well worth for the jaw-dropping sunset views and panoramic vistas, and I'll never forget the night I spent eyeing the snow-capped summit of Mt Baker.

Mt Baker Wilderness

WA USA

Camping on the edge

Would you want to camp here?

There are some gnarly campsites in the North Cascades with jaw dropping views. And then there is Sahale Arm. Getting to the campsites here involve a 4400ft (1300m) climb from deep in the valley below up steep hiking trails ending in a glacial moraine with precipitous dropoffs. And even in this unforgiving terrain are scattered campsites with panoramic birds-eye view of the Cascades.

I can't wait to return to the high country once again.

North Cascades National Park

WA USA

The Way of the Night

Perhaps one of the rarest sights for someone living in the city is the arch of the Milky Way. With the light pollution that exists in cities, it takes effort to seek out those dark skies where one can catch sight of this. I remember every clear night I have spent in the backcountry waiting for my eyes to get dark just to tracing the line of stars arcing across from horizon to horizon, with a brilliant gaseous center straddling a multitude of galaxies and brilliant nebulae.

And so, when I was in Bryce Canyon National Park during a New Moon, I sacrificed sleep in order to stay out and watch the night sky turn from dark to bright under the brilliance of starlight.

Bryce Canyon National Park

UT USA

Driving Around Iceland

The problem with driving around Iceland is that you’re basically confronted by a new soul-enriching, breath-taking, life-affirming natural sight every five goddamn minutes. It’s totally exhausting.

- Stephen Markley

Every turn, every mile, and every day brought out a new scenery to stare at, a new waterfall to wander to, a new mountain to be amazed by, a new glacier to gape at, a new terrain to traverse, and a new landscape to shoot. The long days of driving around this tiny island, while tiring, was anything but boring. It was a wonderous destination with jaw-dropping beauty, a magical place I would love to return to.

Ring road

South Iceland

Palouse Moments

The beautiful green hills of Palouse are one of the largest producers of wheat in the country, producing 153.2 million bushels. The abundant rainfall, fertile volcanic soils and moderate climate help, but it certainly didn't get to this scale by practicing organic farming.

Here we see a crop duster on one of its many runs spraying insecticides on a field of wheat, getting dwarfed by the vast rolling landscape all around.

Steptoe Butte State Park

WA USA

The Morning After

The thunderstorm had reverberated through the yurt that stormy night. And high up in the windswept plateau at 3000m in the heart of the Tien Shan mountains, the sheepskin rugs outside the yurt had been the only protection against the raging weather. I had forced myself to sleep in the thin air of these mighty mountains that ran along the spine of Kyrgyzstan.

After that restless sleep, I had hoped that the morning sky would be more forgiving. And when I had stepped out, the sky had redeemed itself. The sun had just cleared the eastern horizon, and the overcast weather from the prior evening was replaced with a clear sky dotted with puffy clouds. Across the deep blue lake, the snow-capped peaks rose to meet the fleeting clouds. In the distance, I spotted a row of yurts belonging to another tourist camp nestled at the base of the hills.

I watched as the light slowly transitioned from hues of deep pink to bright orange, and life slowly started seeping into the tourist camp I was staying in. Soon, it would be time for breakfast, and it would be time to step away from the freezing cold and pack my gear. But I didn't want that moment to arrive.

Songkol

Kyrgyzstan

Bustling Istanbul

It took a while to soak it all in.

A brightly lit restaurant thoroughfare below an arterial bridge was bustling with a dinner crowd savoring on freshly-caught seafood. Restauranteurs and shop owners shouted their wares loudly, hoping to make a few last minute sales on that thoroughfare, while hundreds of fishing lines dangled from above, hoping to strike luck in the crowded waters of the Golden Horn in the heart of Istanbul.

It was the eve of Eid, the last day of fasting of the Holy month of Ramadan observed in the Islamic world. As is tradition during this month, the locals are out everywhere at sundown, feasting on local specialities to break the fast. The mosques all around had a festive atmosphere celebrating the Holy month. The promenade facing the waterfront was buzzing like a beehive, a veritable smorgasbord of restaurants, sweet shops, shopping malls, boat docks and travel agencies catering to locals and tourists alike. It took a while to absorb it all in, but I knew I had to hurry to capture the blue hour on the eve of Eid.

Istanbul

Turkey