Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

2011 was a fun year to be behind the camera. I was very lucky to witness some breathtaking moments and round out some projects that made their way into my eBook. As was the case in 2010 it is impossible to rank my best photos like I had been in years past (best photos of 2010, best photos of 2009, best photos of 2008 and best photos of 2007).  So in no particular order here are my 10 favorite photos taken in 2011. Enjoy and feel free to let me know if you have a favorite!

Portrait of Blake
Technically this is my 11th selection, consider it an honorable mention. I had to include a picture of Blake with a big smile for reasons you’ll later understand as you scroll down.

Portrait of Blake

Ecliptic Star Trails – Nature and Landscape Photography by Jim M. Goldstein
I took several star trail photos in Death Valley National Park this year, but this is one that really stood out for me. Being able to photograph the curvature of the stars as they approach both poles was a real highlight of my October Death Valley Photo Tour. I’m looking forward to sharing the incredible night skies here with those in my February Death Valley Photo Tour. I still have room if you want to join me..

Ecliptic Star Trails

Road to the Sun View, Glacier National Park
Being atop the northern Rocky mountain range always yields dramatic views. Wafting clouds through a glacially carved valley made this view extra special from the Road to the Sun in Glacier National Park.

Road to the Sun View, Glacier National Park

Lunar Rainbow (Moonbow) at Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park
Water levels were at record levels during my visit to Yosemite in June. As a result the waterfalls were flowing at a greater capacity than I’ve ever seen before. This made photographing moonbows a lot easier. In this instance I was being drenched from the mist, but it was so worth it. In April and June I return to hunt for Yosemite moonbows during two phototours.

Lunar Rainbow (Moonbow) at Lower Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Racetrack Star Trails
The Racetrack in Death Valley is dramatic enough, but adding star trails takes it to a new level. This was a 4 hour exposure resulting in nearly 60 degrees of rotation in the sky.

Racetrack Star Trails

Trying Moments
Remember that smiling photo of Blake at the beginning of the post. I didn’t want you to think he’s unhappy all the time. He’s a super happy kid. That being said even happy kids have their unhappy moments. I thought this moment was very telling of how challenging it is to be a parent sometimes.

Trying Moments

Stormy Sunrise, Glacier National Park
This fiery sunrise developed as quickly as it vanished. This fleeting moment was magical, but fear not I also took a time-lapse of it (see below).

Stormy Sunrise, Glacier National Park

With a bonus time-lapse:

Sunrise at Wild Goose Island Lookout from Jim Goldstein on Vimeo.

Rendezvous – Racetrack, Death Valley National Park
The mystery of the moving rocks on the Racetrack always fascinate people. Seeing two rocks paths on the verge of intersecting was particularly cool as it left me wondering how long it would be before they meet.

Rendezvous - Racetrack, Death Valley National Park

360° View of Star Trails Above the Racetrack
Ever wonder what the entire visible night sky would look like as a star trail photo? So did I so I made this photo with a Canon 8-15m lens that Borrowlenses.com (the best online lens rental store) made available to me for my trip. At the top of the circle is the eastern mountains that skirt the Racetrack playa. At the bottom of the screen are the western mountains that skirt the Racetrack playa. The small version of this image doesn’t do it justice so be sure to click the image to see a slightly larger version.

360 Degree View of Star Trails Above the Racetrack, Death Valley National Park

Under the Rainbow, Maui
In mid-December we took a family vacation to Maui. This was one of the more magical moments. I couldn’t believe how gigantic this rainbow was.

Under the Rainbow, Maui

Milky Way Over Death Valley (180° Panoramic)
This is a 70 megapixel 180° panoramic photo of the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon above the Racetrack Playa. There is nothing more humbling than seeing an infinite number of stars in the sky. Again this has to be seen large so you may want to check in on my Google+ stream to see it.

Milky Way Over Death Valley (180° Panoramic)

Technorati Tags: best photos, best of 2011, photography, pictures, fine art, stock photo, White Sands National Monument, Glacier National Park, Death Valley, landscape, nature

Life is full of unexpected detours as I’m sure you know. Last week my 15 month old son was enjoying a fine vintage of a contagious virus that required a parents full attention to keep him from infecting other kids. I’ll give you one guess who won the lottery for that privilege. While we avoided having to wearing a hazardous material suits in public, we did get to go on some walks in our hilly neighborhood that allowed us to see some amazing views of San Francisco versus hanging out at the playground. It was a great reminder that every once in a while you need to take a detour.

Last month the detour I took was on the Road to the Sun in Glacier National Park. (Double win for repetition of detour and play on words son/sun). The Road to the Sun is an amazing engineering marvel. The two lane road is only open a few months of the year and it affords visitors amazing views of Montana’s rugged Rocky Mountains. There aren’t many turnouts, but I decided to seek one out versus get caught up rushing from point A to B. Taking the detour, even if just to a turnout, was the best move of the trip.  It really allowed me to savor the view not to mention the smell and feel of the brisk mountain air. If you’re not taking detours I’d recommend taking a few. They’re great for slowing down and getting in touch with the land and yourself.

Road to the Sun Views - Glacier National Park, Montana

On a side topic I should also note that I’m blown away by a spike in interest in my blog over the past few months. If you’ve recently subscribed to my blog I wanted to thank you. Feel free to comment and ask questions. I really enjoy interacting with fans here on my blog.

Technorati Tags: photography, landscape, nature, Glacier National Park, Road to the Sun, stock photo

Few places are as dramatic in appearance at sunrise as Glacier National Park in Montana. When I visit Glacier National Park I never miss an opportunity to witness a sunrise (even if I’ve had to fight my inner voice).  One of the best locations to take in a sunrise in the park is at the Wild Goose Island lookout.

You only get one sunrise and one sunset a day, and you only get so many days on the planet. A good photographer does the math and doesn’t waste either. – Galen Rowell

To capture the full sunrise scene pictured below I created a panoramic from 3 images via a Canon 24mm tilt-shift lens. Even though my multi-image panoramic technique expanded the angle of view to capture more of the scene than a single frame could, its impossible to do this scene justice. Out of frame was a Bald Eagle circling about getting an even better view of the scene unfolding. In all of my years visiting Glacier I’ve never seen a Bald Eagle. It made an amazing sunrise all the more special.

Sunrise at Wild Goose Island - Glacier National Park, Montana

Photo Details:
(3) Three Photo Panoramic
Canon 5D Mark II, TS-E24mm f/3.5L II, 1/6 sec, f/14, ISO 100
Lenses via BorrowLenses.com who I recommend highly!

Technorati Tags: photography, Glacier National Park, Montana, sunrise, Wild Goose Island, scenic, landscape, travel, stock photo

Glacier National Park suffers from no shortage of iconic vistas and formations. Hidden Lake lookout, above Logan Pass, is a place you can lose yourself taking in the iconic vistas and mountain peaks. Even the locals (Mountain Goats, Marmots and Bighorn Sheep) seem to stop to enjoy the views from time to time. They also seem to enjoy watching visiting photographers as I found out. The Mountain Goats (photos to come) might just surprise you by being right behind you and Marmots aren’t too shy about inspecting your gear. In fact on a previous trip to Glacier National Park a Marmot tried to take off with my tripod. Now that I think about it perhaps the locals here are closet photographers when no one is around

Special thanks to BorrowLenses.com as both of these photos were made using their Zeiss Distagon T* 3.5/18mm ZE and Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lenses.

Hidden Lake - Glacier National Park, Montana

Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata) - Glacier National Park, Montana

Photo Details:
(Top) Canon 5D Mark II, Zeiss Distagon T* 3.5/18mm ZE, 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO 100
(Bottom) Canon 5D Mark II, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, 1/320 sec, f/5, ISO 400
Lenses via BorrowLenses.com who I recommend highly!

Technorati Tags: photography, national park, Glacier National Park, Montana, landscape, wildlife, Hidden Lake, Logan Pass

The more I travel the more I see people taking photos with mobile devices (cell phones, tablet computers, etc.) Case in point while in Glacier National Park I spied a tourist photographing Logan Pass from a turnout on the Road to the Sun with an iPad 2. It’s very common to see people taking photos with their mobile phones, but the difference in this case is that the iPad 2 has a very weak camera by modern standards. The iPad 2 rear camera has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which adds up to 0.92 megapixel. By comparison most mobile phones now have resolutions on the order of 3-5 megapixels. I’m not sure this photographer will be very happy with his images when he realizes this. Bummer too as he was from Europe and I’m sure it will be a while before he’s back in Glacier National Park.

Are you seeing an increase in this trend on your trips?

Tourist Photographs Mount Clements with an iPad 2 - Glacier National Park, Montana

Technorati Tags: photography, iPad 2, stock photo, Glacier National Park, Montana, tablet

Logan Pass in Glacier National Park is a truly special place and a gem of the U.S. National Park system. It is for this reason it is one of the most popular locations to visit in Glacier National Park. Adding to the allure is a very short season that the pass is open. At an altitude of 6646 feet (2026 m) it is often one of the last portions of the park to open. In fact this year the Road to the Sun, the road leading to Logan Pass, opened on July 13th… the latest the road has ever opened to date. As you’d imagine it was well worth the wait. Photographed just last week (see below) is Clements Mountain, a small waterfall and colorful wildflowers.

I’ve been back 3 days and I already can’t wait to return to Logan Pass at the soonest opportunity.

Wildflowers and waterfalls in front of Clements Mountain in Glacier National Park, Montana

Photo Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E24mm f/3.5L III (via BorrowLenses, 1/320 sec, f/16 at ISO 320

Technorati Tags: photography, nature, landscape, Glacier National Park, Logan Pass, waterfall, national park, Montana, Clements Mountain, wildflowers, stock photo, stock picture

One thing I’ve come to terms with over the years is that when in the field no matter how psyched or enthused I am, I end up having a comical internal conversation with myself to wake up for a sunrise photo. Mind you this isn’t all the time, but the frequency is greater when I’ve been putting in long hours the day before. Case and point was my recent trip to Montana and Wyoming where I was frequently putting in 20-22 hour days that included driving, research, hiking, setup, shoots, file transfers and file backups.

Logically I know the time, place and gear to use for sunrise photo shoots, but that doesn’t make getting up any easier. For your entertainment here is a window into one mental conversation I had with myself for the following subject/goal:

Subject
Wild Goose Island, Glacier National Park

Goal
Photograph sunrise for single still images and time-lapse. If circumstances permit shoot short video sequences.

Gear
(2) tripods with tripod heads, (2) Canon 5D Mark II cameras, (2) cable release/intervelometers, Zeiss f/2.8 21mm lens & Canon f/2.8 24mm tilt- shift lenses via Borrowlenses.com, Singh-Ray polarizer and my camera bag with a few other spare lenses just in case.

How the Inner Conversation Unfolded
Alarm clock goes off at 4:30 and I quickly turn it off.
(Note: I set my alarm at 3 different times 15 min apart just in case. I do this to make sure I get up if I’m tired from consecutive long days.)
My eyes open and I instantly get a view of the pitch black sky to see what the weather conditions are so as to evaluate whether the days photo shoot is a wash or not. This always prefaces my inner morning conversations.

Good Jim: Hmm weather looks good.  It’s clear to the west for morning light to pour into the valley, but there is wind. Looks good albeit not perfect for the shot I envisioned.

Bad Jim: Oh man! It is way too early, dark, cold and I’m exhausted. That wind is going to blow any chance for a glass reflection this morning. Let’s do this tomorrow.

Good Jim: Dude! Weather conditions are going to be dramatic with the weather front coming in, especially seeing that it’s clear to the west. Looks likely clouds are going to be hugging mountain peaks that will glow during the blue and later golden hour. No sunrise is ever exactly the same. Let’s go.

Bad Jim: Let’s see how things look in another 15 minutes.

Good Jim: Dude we have no time to waste.
I run a quick mental calculation run to figure out travel and setup time.
I can’t leave any later than 5am if I’m going to get 1st choice in location and properly setup.

Bad Jim: Seriously I can get this in tomorrow. Just a bit more sleep…

Good Jim: I did not come all this way flying 1000 miles and driving 9 hours yesterday to miss an opportunity to photograph this sunrise or the next at Glacier National Park. Get the lead out. There will be no missed opportunities on this trip!

At this point I snap into gear and quickly get my pre-prepped equipment together, run a double check on gear and clothes and drive out to the lookout point. As it turns out there is one car already at the lookout with a photographer resting inside.

Good Jim: Dude! I could have been here first if I wasn’t wasting time debating with myself first thing this morning.

I quickly collect my gear, locate a spot for the best view, set up, take test shots to fine tune focus and exposure, and wait for the light.

Sunrise at Wild Goose Island, Glacier National Park - via my iPhone
dSLR photos coming soon

As I knew conditions were perfect and sunrise was unbelievably beautiful. Everything went perfectly. I got great stills, a time-lapse and short video sequences.  Thinking back that I’d have opted for sleep rather than being there to photograph this amazing sunrise is beyond me and a reminder that I can be my own worst enemy. The key is not to let that happen with a great deal of discipline.

Sadly I’d like to say this is a one off situation, but it’s not. This type of inner conversation happens more times than I’d like to admit. Fortunately from experience I know that great things happen when you push yourself, get out of your comfort zone and remain disciplined.

Looking back at many of my images I don’t just see the photographed subject, I see the experience and remember back to similar early morning thoughts that I could capture this another day. Nature never shows reruns, every show is one of a kind. I remind myself of that often particularly on cold dark mornings when I’m dead tired and a new sunrise awaits being photographed.

Technorati Tags: photography, philosophy, real-life, inner voice

This coming Saturday I’m honored to be presenting in Utah at the Professional Outdoor Media Association conference on the topic of mobile applications publishing. If you’re a JMG-Galleries blog subscriber and will be there, do say hello. I look forward to meeting you.

After that if all goes well I’ll be aiming to re-explore Montana’s Glacier National Park during a very small window of time. Any chance I can get to visit Glacier I take. It’s one of the most amazing locations and a source of great inspiration.

I’ll blog as I can, but there is a good chance I’ll be off-line for much of next week.