It’s Monday and I have a confession to make… I cannot get enough of photographing full moons. Even more special are Blue Moons or Super Moons. Ask a photographer what makes a great image and they’re sure to say “it’s all about the light” and this is true, but as a nature photographer my personal bias is a full moon and any foreground object (with great light of course) makes for a
Death Valley is full of contradictions. It’s inhospitable, yet welcoming… drab, yet colorful… barren, yet full of life… and I could go on. It’s these contradictions that keeps me coming back to discover new things. Often what beauty Death Valley shares is elusive, but when you witness these transient moments of beauty you truly appreciate how special a place it is. Such a moment was this
California is home to some incredible trees including those thought to be the oldest (Bristlecone pines), tallest (California Redwoods) and massive by volume (Giant Sequoias). Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) can grow to be well over 200 feet tall and have trunks large enough to create a tunnel for a car to drive through. Some of the most impressive specimens in Northern California can be found in Yosemite
Flooding was so extensive this past June in Yosemite that tons of unique photo opportunities presented themselves. One of my favorites was this view of a flooded meadow near Cathedral Rock. The railing is about 3-4 feet tall to guide visitors to walk around the meadow along Yosemite valley loop road. I can’t say I’ve ever seen the valley so flooded to the point water was coming up the shoulder of the road
This photo is one instance where taking photos with my iPhone helped me hone a vision of an image I wanted to capture with my dSLR. A fun day out with my camera phone helped me see something I’d have walked past otherwise. A little experimentation and I knew I had to return with my dSLR. Another instance of this occurred with the photo in my Trees in the Fog blog entry. These days I find myself experimenting a
One of the biggest challenges I faced while in Yosemite photographing moonbows was ensuring that my camera would not be ruined by the heavy mist at the base of Yosemite Falls. The mist was so heavy that it was equivalent to being in a moderate rain shower with wind. I was very fortunate to receive a ThinkTank Hydrophobia 70-200 rain-cover just before my trip and it sure helped keep my camera dry in trying conditions
To see the world in a new way sometimes all you need is some different lighting. While out photographing moonbows last month, at Glacier Point lookout, I enjoyed watching Yosemite valley transform as the full moon rose above the horizon. To my amazement the moon low on the horizon painted the valley a subtle orange hue as you might expect to see during a sunrise. I shouldn’t have been too surprised as the moo
Photographing Yosemite in the Spring is an amazing sight, particularly this year, with waterfalls flowing in full force. This year I’ve seen more waterfalls in Yosemite than ever before. Seasonal waterfalls were visible no matter where you looked. Even more amazing in these conditions is photographing what you cannot see namely a moonbow or lunar rainbow. Anatomically our eyes cannot see color at night, but our