Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

Taking in early morning light in the Owens Valley is a magical experience. Drab grey rocks come to life in a variety of colorful hues as the sun’s first rays of light are filtered through the atmosphere. The success of capturing my now favorite photo of  Mobius Arch, taken back in 2006 and the subject of one of my first podcast episodes, hooked me on repeatedly visiting the Alabama Hills in the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately such great light and scenery does not go unnoticed these days…

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First Light on Mount Whitney Seen Through Mobius Arch

Photo Details:
Canon 1DS Mark III, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, f/13, 115 seconds, ISO 200

Venturing out to Mobius Arch is seldom a solo event. The tight space that one can capture this photo is often filled with numerous photographers clamoring to get the perfect angle shutting out other photographers. On this morning it was the most crowded I’ve seen with at least 5 photographers in the area.

Photographers stake their ground to photograph Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills

In this day and age its nearly impossible to keep a good photo location under wraps. Given the popularity of this arch I wonder when the BLM will take action to preserve the area or regulate access. During this visit it would seem the BLM was more interested in making it as easy as possible for folks to find the arch with a freshly marked trail being in place. Given these circumstances its no wonder the likes of Marc Muench keeps his Unknown Arch location quiet.  As the popularity of this area grows I do hope that photographers take care of this special location and stay civil to each other.

Mobius Arch Crowd of Photographers

Technorati Tags: photography, California, arch, Mobius Arch, nature, landscape, stock photo, Alabama Hills

In 2004 I stumbled upon an incredibly interesting area of White Sands National Monument while hiking out into the 360 square miles park, an area I can only describe as an ancient dune field. When I first discovered this area I photographed one of the many yardangs I found in this isolated area (see photo #2 in My Top 5 Favorite Photographs and Accompanying Stories), but upon my return in April of 2010 the formation I originally photographed had been eroded into oblivion and was gone forever. I have to admit I was really bummed the formation was no longer present, but that disappointment soon transformed into an adrenaline fueled high as I discovered yardang after yardang the farther I hiked out.

Snakehead Yardang, White Sands National Monument

One of the more fascinating yardangs I found and photographed was one that resembled a snakehead emerging from a 60 foot dune. I took care to photograph various compositions of this fragile sand formation and cherished the fact that no one would ever see this formation in the exact same way. As I discovered while visiting the area of my last yardang photo these formations  are here one day and gone another. The winds of the Tularosa Basin simultaneously shapes and destroys the landscape providing a unique experience with every visit. It is for this reason that every visit to White Sands National Monument is as exciting as the first.

Photo Details:
Canon 1Ds Mark III, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 II, 16mm, 1/200 sec, f/16, ISO 200

Technorati Tags: Photography, Fine Art, New Mexico, White Sands National Monument, Landscape, Nature

Two of the most photogenic nature icons in San Francisco are the fog and Monterey Pine trees. Shaped by the wind Monterey Pines have a rugged appearance and texture. When shrouded by fog these trees stand out even more with their sweeping canopy and jagged branches. This scene was photographed very close to my home and in viewing it you can’t help but get the feeling these trees are reaching out to embrace the fog as it wisps by. Only after years of walking my dogs here have I learned that in fact that is what they’re doing. Their needles condense water from the fog and it drips down to the ground allowing them to hydrate and grow ever taller into the fog.

Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) Trees in the Fog - San Francisco, California

Technorati Tags: photography, nature, stock photo, San Francisco, California, Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata

Few would argue that one of the cutest sea mammals around are Sea Otters. Whether they’re grooming, using tools to crack open shellfish to eat or just warming themselves in the sun Sea Otters seem to have an eternally cute appearance. As Sea Otters rest in rafts you never know what pose they might take. The rare combination is the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” pose between neighboring otters. I happened to get luck one morning witnessing and seeing this classic pose. I do wonder if I’ll catch this pose again… I hope so.

In the news: Sea otter numbers take a turn for the worse

Raft of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) - Monterey, California

Technorati Tags: photography, wildlife, Monterey, California, Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, stock photo

The dunes of White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are an endless fascination of mine. The landscape here is full of paradoxes. The regularity of irregular patterns formed by the wind create incredibly photogenic sand patterns. The rolling dunes provide an infinite fabric to catch contrasty shadows in the sand patterns throughout the day making optimal lighting virtually an all day affair. Yet what I love most about this terrain is the ability to find simplicity amid the complexity.

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White Sands Textures I - White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Photo Details:
(3) Three photo panoramic, Canon 1Ds Mark III, TS-E 90mm f/2.8

Technorati Tags: photography, fine art, nature, landscape, panoramic, New Mexico, white sands, national monument, stock photo

Glacier National Park is one location that will forever capture my imagination and reverence of nature. No matter where I travel in Glacier National Park I can always find myself lost in thought as I gaze across the landscape. Whether its towering mountains, reflections, eroded stone, or wildlife it can be found with in the maze of glacially carved valleys. It is no wonder that this amazing place is considered sacred by the Blackfoot nation.

Technorati Tags: photography, landscape, nature, fine art, panoramic, Glacier National Park, NPS

Experiencing the purity of nature is always exhilarating. Nothing to me exemplifies the purity of nature more than the untouched patterns found in the desert. While often explored by Death Valley National Park visitors the desert winds always reclaim Mother Nature’s domain. These still moments are fleeting and oh so prized.

Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Technorati Tags: photography, fine art, Death Valley National Park, California, stock photo

Often hidden in the fog of the northern California coast is the Farallon Islands. On rare days from San Francisco the atmosphere is clear enough to see their outline across 27 miles of the Pacific Ocean. Virtually out my backdoor is a view of these distant islands. The 850 foot elevation of this particular vantage point from my neighborhood helps in conjunction with the 840mm focal length used to capture this image. Of all my years in San Francisco this particular day provided the unique combination of clear view and amazing color in the sky. While the Farallons are often concealed in fog on this evening they were concealed in a curtain of color.

Farallon Islands Curtain of Color

Photo Info:
Canon 1Ds Mark III, 600mm + 1.4x = 840mm,  1/320 sec, f/13, ISO 400, Compensation: +2/3

Technorati Tags: photography, fine art, Farallon Islands, color, stock photo, California, travel, landscape