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Nature & Landscapes

Nature and landscapes.

Biscuit Basin, Starburst, Sunburst, Yellowstone National Park

Biscuit Basin

A panorama of Biscuit Basin located just north of the Upper Geyser Basin, home of the Old Faithful Geyser, photographed in the winter of 2022.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Palette Springs, Snow, Winter, Yellowstone National Park

Palette Springs

A tree engulfed by Palette Springs in the Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone National Park, photographed in the winter of 2022.

Tangled Creek Forest

The Tangled Creek Forest is located off of Grand Loop Road in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Photographed in the winter of 2020.

Heart Spring, Upper Geyser  Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Heart Spring

Castle Geyser in the distance as seen from Heart Spring in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Photographed in the winter of 2020.

Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail, Lone Tree, Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Lower Geyser Basin

A dead tree panorama photographed along the Paint Pot Nature Trail in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the winter of 2020.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Moody Castle Geyser

A moody Castle Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Photographed in the winter of 2020.

Tangled Creek

Tangled Creek is located near the Firehole Canyon Road within the Yellowstone National Park. Photographed in the winter of 2020.

Old Faithful, Reflection, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Reflection

An Old Faithful reflection in a pool of water along the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Photographed in the winter of 2020.

Yellowstone National Park

Lone Split Tree

A lone split tree along the Grand Loop Road in the Hayden Valley area of Yellowstone National Park. Photographed in the winter of 2020.

Buscuit Basin, Joe Van Os Photo Safaris, Sapphire Pool, Yellowstone National Park

Sapphire Pool

Sapphire Pool is located in the Biscuit Basin of Yellowstone National Park. This photograph was taken in the winter of 2020.

Big Bend National Park, Chisos Mountain

The Road to The Chisos

The Road to the Chisos Basin is one of the most scenic roads in the Big Bend National Park. Changes in elevation are accompanied by changes in vegetation.

Big Bend Ranch State Park, Rio Grande, Sunset, Sunset Colors

Rio Grande

A panoramic view of Mexico from the other side of the Rio Grande in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Photographed in the fall of 2018.

Big Bend National Park, Dorgan House, Dorgan-Sublett Trail, Sunrise, Sunrise Colors

Sunrise at Dorgan House

Sunrise at Dorgan House was very special during my recent trip to Big Bend National Park. The colors provided by the sun and the clouds were spectacular. One of the best I have seen in this area.

Big Bend Ranch State Park, LE, La Cuesta, Long Exposure, Long Exposure Photography, Rio Grande, Silky Water, Sunset, Time Lapse

Sunset at La Cuesta

I photographed this sunset at La Cuesta in Big Bend Ranch State Park during a recent visit to the area. La Cuesta and Big Hill are along Highway 170 located about half way between Presidio and Terlingua.

Balanced Rock, Big Bend National Park, Panorama, Panoramic, Sunrise, Sunrise Colors

Balanced Rock Panorama

It is time for my spring trip to Big Bend National Park in west Texas. One of the first events was the hike up Grapevine Hills Trail to photograph a Balanced Rock Panorama.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Castle Geyser

Castle Geyser is located about one thousand yards northeast of Old Faithful. A paved walkway leads directly to this famous geyser. I photographed it early one morning during my trip to Yellowstone.

Big Bend National Park, Dorgan House

Dorgan House Sunset

Another Dorgan House Sunset photo from my trip to Big Bend National Park last December. I can only imagine what the Dorgan family’s day was like, especially with their 360-degree views of the wonderful area.

Big Bend National Park, Dorgan House

View of Castellon

I photographed this view of Castellon Mountain at sunset from the Dorgan house which is located at the end of the Dorgan-Sublett Trail in Big Bend National Park.

Valentia Lighthouse

Valentia Lighthouse

Valentia Island is a great place to visit. The Valentia Lighthouse is maintained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights. The lighthouse light guides vessels from the sea and leads them through the northern entrance of Valentia Harbor past Harbor Rock.

Yellowstone National Park

Bacterial Mats

Bacterial mats along the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. I’m always fascinated by many color hues in these mats.

Yellowstone National Park

Monochromatic Landscape

As I walked around the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone of National Park, I could not help but notice how monochromatic the landscape was.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful Eruption

I photographed this Old Faithful eruption during my visit to Yellowstone National Park in February. I was walking around photographing some of of the details in the Upper Geyser Basin waiting for Old Faithful to erupt.

Little Anemone Geyser, Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Anemone Geyser

I was searching for locations to photograph the famous Old Faithful Geyser when I ran across the Anemone Geyser. I thought it would make a good foreground so I waited patiently for the next eruption of Old Faithful.

Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Casualties

A trio of Yellowstone Casualties along the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail in Yellowstone National Park. This area has quite a few lodgepole pine trees that could no longer tolerate the toxic waters that flow nearby.

Firehole Falls, Yellowstone National Park

Winter at Firehole Falls

Firehole Falls is located right next to Firehole drive which follows the Firehole River. The narrow and short waterfall sits amidst 800-foot thick lava flows that form the canyon walls.

The Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in Winter

I captured this photograph of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone during my recent trip to the park. We stopped at Artist Point to photograph the famous Yellowstone Falls during our visit to the area.

Yellowstone National Park

Tangled Creek

A section of Tangled Creek near the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail in Yellowstone National Park. I was attracted by the “Bobby Sox Trees” and the golden colors of the grass.

Yellowstone National Park

Lone Tree in the Snow

Our photography workshop group searched for a “Lone Tree” the entire time we were in Yellowstone National Park. We finally found one on the last day. This tree is located near Soda Butte along highway 212 in the north side of the park.

Yellowstone National Park

Shadows in the Snow

One of our first stops during the “Winter in Yellowstone” photography workshop I attended was along the Tangled Creek portion of the Lower Geyser basin where we photographed trees casting shadows in the snow.

Yellowstone National Park

Simplicity

I decided to focus on simplicity as part of my goals during my recent trip to Yellowstone National Park. I found some small saplings along the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail that allowed me this opportunity.

Yellowstone National Park

Bison on the Range

We ran across this wonderful scene of bison on the range along highway 191 on our way to photograph the Grand Prismatic Spring. What caught our eye was the ever-changing light behind the group of American Bison.

Yellowstone National Park

Firehole Falls Panorama

This Firehole Falls Panorama was taken during a “Winter in Yellowstone” workshop to the park in the winter of 2018. This is a series of four photographs brought together in Lightroom using the Panorama merge feature.

Yellowstone National Park

Opalescent Pool

A panorama of American Bison grazing near the Opalescent Pool in the Black Sand Basin in Yellowstone National Park is a testament of nature’s beauty despite the difficult conditions.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Prints in the Snow

Prints in the snow found near the Old Faithful Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. I’m curious what walked through there and where it was going.

Firehole Canyon, Firehole Falls, Yellowstone National Park

Firehole Falls

Firehole falls is located along Firehole Canyon Road in Yellowstone NP. They are located about half mile upstream from the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers.

Prada Store

Prada Store

No trip to West Texas is complete without visiting the Prada Store. The store sits right next to Highway 90 and it is a very popular tourist attraction.

Brewster County, Hen Egg Mountain, North County Road

West Texas Sunset

A west Texas sunrise photographed in the area North of Terlingua, Texas in a region called the Terlingua Badlands. This is a new area for me and one I intend to return to frequently.

Merry Christmas 2017

Merry Christmas 2017! This is another spectacular sunset in the Joshua Tree National Park. Christmas lights on a young Joshua Tree.

Big Bend National Park, Dorgan House, Sunrise, Sunset Colors

Dorgan House Sunrise

The Dorgan House along the Dorgan-Sublett Trail in Big Bend National Park taken at sunrise. I posted a few photos of the Dorgan house at sunset but the Dorgan House at Sunrise is special.

Big Bend National Park, Ocotillo Field, Sunset, Sunset Colors

Prickly Pear Sunset

A prickly pear sunrise during my trip to Big Bend NP in the fall of 2017. The skies were filled with clouds which made for a great sunset.

Brewster County, Hen Egg Mountain, North County Road

Hen Egg Mountain

Hen Egg Mountain in southwestern Berwster County at sunset. This ia a new location for me. I scouted it in April of this year.

Nakalele Blowhole

Nakalele Blowhole

The Nakalele Blowhole in Maui, Hawaii, is a major attraction for anyone visiting the island. A short hike leads to this amazing landmark.

Big Bend National Park

Sunset Sky

Another great sunset sky in Big Bend NP. Photographing into the sun is very tricky and one must find a balance to capture the image details.

Colorful Desert

The Big Bend NP desert floor in the spring of 2015 was one of the most colorful desert floors I have ever seen. I hope to see it once again.

Big Bend National Park, Lost Mine Trail, Sunrise, Sunrise Colors

Lost Mine Sunrise

Sunrise along the Lost Mine Trail in Big Bend National Park. I captured this photo after a 2.4 mile hike up the popular trail.

Colorful Rocks

Colorful Rocks

Colorful rocks photographed in Dunquin Harbour, County Kerry, Ireland. It was a very wet, windy and rainy day making it hard to photograph.

Standing Stone

One of my favorite locations in Southwest Ireland is Valentia Island where I encountered this standing stone near the lighthouse.

Hemingway Sunset

Hemingway Sunset

I photographed this Hemingway Sunset in the Hemingway Buttress area of the Joshua Tree NP during the start of a night photography workshop.

Lone Joshua Tree

Lone Joshua Tree

I photographed this lone Joshua Tree while visiting the Hall of Horrors area in the Joshua Tree National Park in the spring of 2017.

Joshua Tree Sunset

Joshua Tree Sunset

A Joshua Tree sunset photographed in the Hidden Valley area of the Joshua Tree NP. I used my special technique to obtain another starburst.

Cap Rock Sunset

Cap Rock Sunset

I photographed this Cap Rock Sunset during my recent trip to the Joshua Tree National Park to attend a night photography workshop.

Skull Rock

Skull Rock

I was impressed by the number of interesting rock formations in Joshua Tree NP. My favorite was Skull Rock located just off the main road.

Mushroom

Mushroom

I photographed this mushroom during sunrise at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center earlier this month.

Llano Spillway

Llano Spillway

I stopped at the Llano dam to photograph the Llano spillway during one of my Texas wildflower scouting trips to the area.

Fishing Pier House

Fishing Pier House

I photographed this Fishing Pier House located on Fulton Beach Road during my last morning in Rockport, Texas earlier this month.

Lonely Pier

Lonely Pier

I photographed this Lonely Pier shortly after photographing the same pier a few minutes earlier and a few dozen yards north of this point.

Sunrise Pier

Sunrise Pier

I photographed this sunrise pier a few minutes before photographing the old pier I posted last week. I chose the other one for the sunrise.

Old Pier

Old Pier

I photographed this Old Pier at sunrise along Fulton Beach Road during my recent trip to Rockport ,Texas using my ND filter.

Foggy Fulton Pier

Foggy Fulton Pier

I decided to photograph the Fulton Pier along Fulton Beach in Rockport, Texas despite a Dense Fog Advisory during my recent trip to the area.

Captain Chen II

Captain Chen II

This photograph of the “Captain Chen II” was taken near Fulton Harbor in the Rockport, TX area during my trip there last week.

Copano Bay Sunset

Copano Bay Sunset

I captured this Copano Bay Sunset from the Howard Murph Memorial Park during my recent trip to Rockport, Texas. I photographed here before.

Rockport Sunset

Rockport Beach Sunset

I was going through my photographs from last year’s trip to the Texas Gulf Coast when I ran across this Rockport beach sunset photograph.

String Lake

String Lake

The String Lake trail follows the String Lake shoreline. I found this interesting rock and decided that it would make a good foreground.

Teton Reflection

Teton Reflection

I photographed this Teton Reflection during a visit to Jackson Lake last fall. The Teton Mountain Range is an amazing mountain range.

West Thumb, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Lake

I captured this photograph of Yellowstone Lake form the West Thumb Information Center (West Thumb Geyser Basin) in Yellowstone NP.

Waterfall, Yellowstone National Park

Artist’s Point View

If I were a painter I would certainly put Artist’s Point in Yellowstone National Park high on my list of places to visit and paint from.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Chinese Spring

This photograph of Chinese Spring was taken after the photograph I took of Old Faithful during my last visit to Yellowstone National Park.

Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Crackling Lake

Crackling Lake is a geothermal feature in the Norris Geyser Basin which is part of the Yellowstone National Park.

Big Bend National Park, Glen Springs, Sunrise

Chisos Moonset

I photographed this moonset over the Chisos mountain last December during my fall trip to Big Bend NP. The sunrise light was perfect.

Tidal Pool

Tidal Pool

I photographed this Tidal Pool at the Table Mountain National Park in South Africa. The park has many features and wildlife to photograph.

African Sunrise

African Sunrise

I photographed this African sunrise during my trip to South Africa last year. I kept looking for a lone tree and this one stood out.

Waiting

Waiting Photographer

I captured this photograph of a waiting photographer during my trip to Rockport, TX last year. He patiently stood there until the sun set.

Howard Murph Memorial Park Sunset

Rockport Sunset

I captured this Rockport Sunset during my trip to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge last February to photograph the wonderful birds there.

Badlands, Big Bend National Park, Full Moon

Moonset Over Terlingua

I captured this photograph of the moonset over Terlingua during my last trip to Big Bend NP. We hiked up a small hill to this vantage point.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse

I photographed this Lighthouse at sunrise from the overlook near the Pennybacker Bridge over Lake Austin during the last full moon of f2016.

Fall Sunrise Moonset

Fall Sunrise Moonset

I photographed this fall sunrise moonset the this week when a friend and I went to the Pennybacker Bridge Overlook to photograph the scene.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Microbial Mat

I photographed these microbial mats which form along the edges of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.

Badlands, Big Bend National Park, Moonrise, Sunset

Badlands of Big Bend

Another sunset photograph of the Badlands of Big Bend NP. This location is now a regular stop during my photography trips to the park.

Big Bend National Park, South Rim, Sunrise

South Rim View

One of the most beautiful views in the entire Big Bend NP has to be the South Rim View. This vantage point showcases the Santa Elena Canyon.

Balanced Rock, Big Bend National Park, Sunrise

Balanced Rock Sunrise

A favorite hike in Big Bend NP is up the Grapevine Hills Trail to Balanced Rock. It was there where I captured another Balanced Rock Sunrise.

Big Bend National Park, South Rim, Sunrise

South Rim Sunrise

The most memorable activity from my last trip to Big Bend NP was the 12-mile hike to the South Rim where I captured this South Rim Sunrise.

Sunrise Surf

Sunrise Surf

This photograph of the sunrise surf is the last one of the photographs from my trip to Chicago over the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Jenny Lake

Jenny Lake

I captured this photo of Jenny Lake during a visit the Grand Teton NP last September. The Overlook is a great place to view the scenery.

Dog Walker

Dog Walker

I was photographing the Chicago Skyline early yesterday morning when I stopped to photograph a dog walker on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Grand Prismatic Runoff

The Grand Prismatic Spring was one of my favorite geological sites in Yellowstone NP. I photographed this runoff at the entrance to the area.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Castle Geyser

Castle Geyser is located in the same geyser complex as Old Faithful and is a short walk down the Continental Divide Trail.

Grassy Reflection

Grassy Reflection

I photographed this grassy reflection after capturing the Schwabacher’s Landing sunrise photograph that I posted yesterday.

Schwabacker's Landing

Schwabachers Landing

Schwabachers Landing in the Grand Teton NP was one of my favorite stops during my recent trip there. This is one of my favorite photos.

Cloudy Tetons

Cloudy Teton Range

I captured this photograph of the Teton Mountain Range during my first full day of the photography workshop in the Grand Teton National Park.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Solitary Geyser

Solitary Geyser is located along the Upper Geyser Basin. I photographed this geyser panorama during my recent trip to Yellowstone NP.

Big Bend National Park

Chimneys Trail

Chimneys Trail in Big Bend National Park is a fairly easy hike that leads to a nice geological formation called the Chimneys.

Dry Riverbed

I captured this photograph of the Dry Riverbed along the Santa Elena Canyon last spring during my last visit to Big Bend National Park.

Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail, Yellowstone National Park

Desolate Landscape

I photographed this Desolate Landscape while walking along the Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail in Yellowstone National Park earlier this year.

Firehole Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Hot Lake Walkway

The Hot Lake Walkway leads to Hot Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Hot lake is probably the most “normal” looking water feature in the Park.

Lewis Falls, Waterfall, Yellowstone National Park. Elk

Lewis River Reflection

This is my fourth and final photograph of the Lewis River area taken during my trip to Yellowstone NP. I took this one near the parking area.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful

No trip to Yellowstone would be complete without a visit to Old Faithful. I had the chanced to see it during my recent trip to the area.

Gibbon Falls, Waterfall, Yellowstone National Park

Gibbon Falls

Gibbon Falls is a popular stop for tourists visiting Yellowstone National Park. I stopped there during my recent trip to the park.

Cloudy Tetons

Cloudy Tetons

I captured this photograph of the Cloudy Tetons from the Jackson Lake Overlook during my first day of the Photography Workshop in the area.

Lewis Falls, Waterfall, Yellowstone National Park. Elk

Lewis Falls

Lewis Falls is one of the many waterfalls in the Yellowstone NP. We stopped here during our second day of our photography workshop.

Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Chromatic Pool

Yellowstone NP is full of amazing geological features and specifically hundreds of geothermal features. Chromatic Pool is one of them.

Lake Butte Overlook, Sunset, Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Sunset

Following a nice dinner at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, we headed out to Yellowstone Lake to try and capture a great Yellowstone sunset.

Jackson Lake

Jackson Lake

I captured this image of Jackson Lake and the Grand Teton Mountain Range from Signal Mountain during my recent trip to the Park.

Desert Flora Sunset

I photographed this desert flora sunset during my trip to Big Bend NP last year. The clouds were sparse but the desert flowers were amazing.

Big Bend National Park, Lost Mine Trail

Sunrise on Big Bend

This image taken last December of another sunrise on Big Bend is from the Lost Mine Trail, another one of my favorite hikes in the park.

Howard Murph Memorial Park Sunset

Coastal Sunset

This coastal sunset photo is another one from my trip to Rockport. It was taken a couple of minutes before the photo of the The Photographer.

Austin Skyline, Sunset, Zilker Park Clubhouse

Full Moon Over Austin

This image of the full moon over Austin was taken just a couple of minutes prior to the image I posted yesterday titled “Howl at the Moon”.

Austin Skyline, Sunset, Zilker Park Clubhouse

Howl at the Moon

Every full moon is deemed “Howl at the Moon” night by the Austin community. I captured this image during the full moon evening earlier this month.

Austin Skyline, Doug Sahm Hill Summit, Sunrise

Sahm Hill Summit

I captured this sunrise of downtown austin from Sahm Hill Summit. I have been wanting to photograph downtown from this vantage point for some time.

Eternal Flame

Eternal Flame

The “eternal flame” is found in a grotto housed within a waterfall in a park south of Buffalo. The fire is fueled by natural gas that seeps into the grotto.

Sunset Reflection

Sunset Reflection

At first I was not too excited about this photograph but then I decided that there was more to it than the sunset reflection on the water.

Last Rays

Last Rays

I enjoy capturing the colorful last rays of a sunset. This was the case when I captured this photo during my trip to Pedernales Falls SP.

Moonrise Over Pedernales

Moonrise

I went to Pedernales Falls State Park to photograph the sunset. Instead, I ended up photographing the great moonrise occurring behind me.

Austin Skyline, Moonrise, Summer Solstice, Sunset

Strawberry Moon

For the first time in 50 years we were witness to a strawberry moon during the summer solstice. So, I set out earlier this week to capture this rare event.

Pedernales Falls

Pedernales Falls

Pedernales Falls State Park is one of my favorite parks in Central Texas. I went to the park recently to photograph the falls.

iSimangaliso Beach

iSimangaliso Beach

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was high on my list of places to visit during my trip to South Africa. I used my ND Filters to photograph its wonderful beaches.

Rocky Surf

Rocky Surf

After visiting the Cape of Good Hope I decided to stop at a rocky outcrop to photograph the surf and the rocks prior to heading back to Cape Town.

Clifton Sunset

Clifton Sunset

I drove up Chapman’s Peak Drive on my way back to Cape Town from the Cape of Good Hope and stopped in the town of Clifton. This is where I captured this sunset.

High Altitude Sunrise

High Altitude Sunrise

This is the last day of my trip to South Africa. I appreciate all of you that followed my travels and lived vicariously through my daily blog posts. Thank you for your comments and praises.

Zulu Sunrise

Zulu Sunrise

One of the great things about my trip to South Africa were the beautiful sunrises. It was great to wake up to nice color pallet of red, yellow and orange.

Stormy Plantation

Plantation

After capturing the photo from yesterday’s post, I moved closer to capture a closeup of the Blue Gum Tree tree rows, the remaining sunset and the stormy clouds.

Stormy Skies

Stormy Plantation

Upon arrival to our final destination in South Africa, we could not help but notice the miles of Blue Gum Tree plantations. Literally thousands of acres.

Santa Elena

One of our favorite photography locations in the Big Bend National Park is Santa Elena Canyon. We usually photograph the canyon at sunrise and we decided to try a sunset shot as well.

Big Bend National Park, Glenn Springs, Sunrise

Prickly Pear Starburst

It is a tradition during our annual trips to the Big Bend National Park to stop along the Glen Springs Road for a sunrise photo. This year was no exception.

Big Bend National Park, Chimney's Trail, Starburst, Sunrise

Chimneys

One of the things that I enjoy about my visits to the Big Bend National Park is exploring new locations. One of the new trails we explored was the Chimneys trail.

Balanced Rock, Big Bend National Park, Sunrise

Big Bend #1

One of my favorite hikes in the Big Bend NP is the hike up the Grapevine Hills Trail. T’s an easy 2.2-mile hike that leads to the Balanced Rock formation

Big Bend #3

The Rio Grande serves as a border between the US and Mexico. You can access it throughout the park, however, this photograph was taken outside the park.

Big Bend National Park, Ocotillo Field, Sunset

Big Bend #4

We usually stop at the “Ocotillo Fields” near the park entrance to photograph the sunset on our first day at the Park. The official road is Texas Highway 118 and it’s named “Panther Junction Road”.

Big Bend #5

The Glenn Springs area is filled with great history and it has a lot of possibilities for a great photograph. Unfortunately, the weather conditions have rarely cooperated.

Best of Big Bend

I’m off to my annual spring trip to Big Bend and I thought I would share my top five landscape photos from my 2015 trips. This one merited an Honorable Mention.

Stuart Rocks Beach Sunrise

Sunrises

This is another photo in the Stuart Rocks Beach sunrise sequence. This post also contains some tips on how to photograph sunrises and sunsets.

Austin Skyline

Photo of the Year!

I was informed late yesterday that I have been awarded the “Photo of the Year” award by the National Organization of Talent (NOT) in the category of Rare Events And Landscapes (REAL).

Stuart Rocks Beach

Sunrise State

Florida is known as the “Sunshine State” but I think “Sunrise State” would be equally descriptive. I was looking for rocky beaches to photograph the sunrise and found one near Stuart, FL.

Bull Creek Waterfall

Silky Waterfall

I made this photograph by using my Neutral Density filters. By doing so, I was able to extend the shutter time to over one minute and capture the “silky water”.

Sunrise at Stuart Rocks

Rocky Sunrise

I made a trip to Florida in March of 2015. I took advantage of the trip and ventured out to scout some good sunrise locations. Stuart Beach was high on my list.

Balanced Rock, Big Bend National Park, Sunrise

Balanced Panorama

This photograph was captured in Big Bend NP at the end of Grapevine Hills Trail, where the Balanced Rock formation resides. I posted a similar photograph titled “Balanced Sunrise” last December.

Sunset on Lake Austin

Popular Sunset

This is the second image of this sunset from my photo shoot back in January. The silhouetted trees reflecting in the water attracted me to this location.

Hamilton Pool

Hamilton Pool

This is the second image from my trip to the Hamilton Pool Preserve. This image was taken from the top of the stairway that leads down into the grotto.

Pennybacker Bridge at Sunset

March Sunset

I keep returning to Austin’s Pennybacker Bridge overlook with hopes to get a great sunset photo. I tried once again earlier this week but it was not fantastic.

Howard Murph Memorial Park Sunset

Composite

This is what is called a composite photograph. It is not a “real” photograph as it is made up of multiple photographs, ten photographs to be exact.

Howard Murph Memorial Park Sunset

Sunset Colors

This photograph was taken during my recent trip to Rockport, at the Howard Murph Park a few minutes before “The Photographer” photo that I posted previously.

Practice Landing

Touch-and-Go

This is another image from my recent trip to Rockport, TX. In this photograph, the pilot is conducting a practice landing and take-off drill.

Austin Skyline, Lou Ness Point, Sunrise

Colorful

Few locations exist for landscape photographers in central Texas. Most of us gravitate to cityscapes. This is where I captured this colorful sunrise.

Downtown Austin

200th

I can’t believe this is my 200th post. It has definitely exceeded my expectations. It seems like it was only the other day that I was writing my 150th post.

Downtown Austin

ATX

Although ATX stands for many other things, people in the Austin area refer to Austin as ATX (Austin, TX). So, this is an ATX skyline at dusk.

Austin Skyline, Lou Ness Point, Sunrise

Sunrise

I mentioned in a recent post that I went scouting for a sunrise location to photograph Austin’s growing skyline. I found a location named Lou Neff Point.

Scouting

I took some time during the day yesterday to go scouting for new photography locations when I ran across this site near Zilker Park near downtown Austin.

Oz Face

Scarecrow

I was looking for interesting subjects to photograph the other day when I ran across a cedar log that looked like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of OZ.

Bull Creek - Water Drop

Mossactites

I encountered a moss-covered cliff while hiking Bull Creek park. The constant dripping had formed many moss “stalactites”. I called them “mossactites”.

Lichen and Ferns

Lichen and Ferns

I had the opportunity recently to go on a short hike with a friend at the Inks Lake State Park. We saw some rock outcroppings covered in lichen and ferns.

Waterfall

Waterfall

This is the second image in the b&w series that began with yesterday’s “Floating Leaf” post. This waterfall image was taken just a few feet downstream.

Floating Leaf

Floating

I am attracted to B&W photography. I set out the other day to capture color images that I could convert to B&W. That’s where I captured this floating leaf.

Arches National Park - Fiery Furnace Detail

Fiery Furnace

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, the images below are from the Arches National Park and specifically an area called the Fiery Furnace.

Boquillas

We had a chance to visit Boquillas Canyon during my trip to Big Bend NP. The Canyon is the easternmost of the 3 main narrows sections along the Rio Grande.

Big Bend National Park, Lost Mine Trail

Silhouette

I like shooting silhouettes, so, when I was shooting the sunrise at the Lost Mine Trail in BBNP, I decided this was a perfect opportunity for a silhouette.

Big Bend National Park, Lost Mine Trail

Juniper

I posted a few images taken at the Lost Mine Trail during my recent trip to BBNP. The image below of Juniper Canyon was taken at sunrise from the same spot.

Big Bend National Park, Lost Mine Trail

Common

Common Ravens are observed throughout the Big Bend area. Of the birds classified as perching birds, the Common Raven is the largest, the size of a hawk.

Balanced Rock, Big Bend National Park, Sunrise

Balanced Sunrise

I titled this one “Balanced Sunrise” because I was trying to make sure I got the rock formation and a good sunrise all at the same time. This is one of my favorite photos from my trip.

Badlands, Big Bend National Park, Sunset

Badlands

During a rip to the Big Bend National Park, I noticed this very interesting area near the park’s western entrance. We labeled it “The Badlands”.

Big Bend National Park, Mule Ears, Sunset

Sotol

The Sotol plant is very prominent throughout the Big Bend NP. It was during a trip to the park that I photographed the now dead and empty stalk.

Big Bend National Park

Spheroidal

The BBNP is an amazing geological wonderland. There are many interesting rock formations impacted by Spheroidal Weathering along the Grapevine Hills Trail.

150th

This Austin skyline is not only one of my favorite images and is the first image I posted. I thought it was deserving as the celebratory 150th post image.

Maui Wedding Venue - Merriman's

Wedding Venue

I was in Maui in the fall of 2014 to attend a friend’s wedding. I took the image below of the wedding venue following the wedding ceremony.

Fall Leaves

Turkey

I posted an image yesterday of some fall leaves in a stream. The stream below is called Turkey Creek and is a wider view of the same location.

Haleakala NP - Pools at Ohe'o

Saturated

While on a trail in Maui at the Haleakala NP, I noticed that the Pipiwai Stream paralleling the trail was incredibly saturated in green.

Smooth Surf

I purchased a set of Lee Neutral Density (ND) Filters earlier this year. I used them to extend the exposure time to create a smooth surf.

On The Border

This image was taken with my tripod in the water and set to about 18-inches off the surface. I guess you could say that I was literally standing on the border.

Big Sunset

Another “Big Sunset” from my trip to Big Bend NP earlier this year. The photo was taken from a hilltop near the Rio Grande Village Campground.

Miami, Miami Skyline

Miami Sunrise

I traveled to the Miami area earlier this year to attend an event and do some photography work. One image I wanted to capture was the Miami skyline at dawn.

Liquid Gold

This photograph was taken in an area called Glenn Springs. As it turns out, this area has a very long and interesting history associated with “liquid gold”.

Denver City Park Sunset

Starburst

I posted an image titled “Fire in the Sky” last month that was taken at the Denver City Park. This starburst image was taken about 20 minutes before. the clouds turned the color of fire

iPhoneography

Every year words are added to our vocabulary. Many of them are related to devices that are part of our daily life. iPhoneography is one of those words.

Denver City Park

Fire in the Sky

Sunsets in the west seem more intense. Is it the dry air? I captured this amazing sky during a trip to Denver. It’s as though there was fire in the sky.

Mesa Arch at Sunrise

Mesa

Mesa Arch is a “pothole arch” located within the Canyonlands National Park. It is located only a few hundred yards from the main road and it is one of the most photographed sites in the Moab area.

Green River Basin Sunset

Same but Different

This post is very similar to the post I did yesterday. It’s the same but different. It’s the same area, same day, same general time of day, both are panoramas but, there are two distinct differences.

Enchanted Rock

GigaPan

I recently posted a panorama image that I took during a photo outing with some of my photography friends to the Enchanted Rock SP. This one is a GigaPan!

Return

Return

My trip to Moab was great. I posted a story about a photo that I took with my phone on the way there, so I thought it was only appropriate that I do the same during my return.

Puddles

Puddles

I found a set of puddles during a trip to Moab, Utah, and decided they would make a great subject despite the fact that it was the middle of the day.

Enchanted Rock SP at Sunset

Enchanted Sunset

I had the opportunity to go the Enchanted Rock State Park to shoot an enchanted sunset. We scouted the area and decided to shoot the rock reflecting off of Moss Lake.

Moab or Bust

Moab or bust! On my way to spend time with friends. This is my first image from my trip. Taken from inside a Jeep at 75 Mph through the car window with my iPhone 6 Plus.

Mossy Rock at the Bamboo Forest

Mossy Rock

Another image from my trip to Maui earlier this year. I was hiking along the Pipiway Stream and I found this area with the steps and this mossy rock.

Waterfall at the Bamboo Forest

Pipiwai Stream

I was walking up the trail towards the waterfall when I spotted this magnificent portion of the Pipiwai Stream.

Walkway at the Bamboo Forest

Bamboo Forest

While in Maui last spring, I spent time hiking the trails near the Pools at Ohe’o along the Pipiwai Stream, through the wonderful bamboo forest and ending at the Waimoku Falls.

Canyon’s First Light

The Santa Elena Canyon is another main attraction within the Big Bend NP. The canyon is part of the US/Mexico border and is home to the Rio Grand. This image captures the canyon’s first light.

Will the real Ernst tinaja…

Will the real Ernst tinaja… I posted an image yesterday that I took in the Ernst tinaja canyon. In that post, I showcased an image of another tinaja. Well, this is the real Ernst tinaja.

Sunset at Namalu Bay in Maui

Volcanic Sunset

Photographing sunsets is a difficult task. It gets easier if you can catch the last rays of light. This was the case when I captured this “Volcanic Sunset”.

Maroon Bells

Maroon Bells

I had the opportunity to visit the Maroon Bells area during the 2015 Labor Day weekend. One of Colorado’s most photographed scenes did not let me down despite the lack of great skies.

Big Bend NP Sunset

Desert Sunset

Another sunset from my trip earlier this year to Big Bend National Park. I posted another desert sunset last week. This image was taken a few minutes earlier.

Rocky Mountain NP - Stream

Sunlit Stream

I made a trip to Colorado in the summer of 2011 and took a trip to the Rocky Mountain NP. We took the Old Fall River Road that runs along the Fall River and I spotted this sunlit stream with a small waterfall.

Heart Hole at the Nakalele Blowhole

Nakalele Blowhole

I was invited to attend a wedding in Maui during the fall of 2014. The island is one of my favorite places to visit. Its lush vegetation, wonderful vistas and the plethora of activity options makes this a wonderful vacation spot for many people.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park, created over millions of years of geologic shaping, is located southwest of Moab, Utah, not far from the Colorado River. The same river that formed the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon

Majestic View

I made a visit to the Grand Canyon National Park in March of 2013. I have visited the park on numerous occasions and I’m always overwhelmed by it’s grandness. What a beautiful place!

Sunset at Namalu Bay in Maui

Sunset at Kapalua Bay (Maui)

I had the opportunity to travel to Maui in the spring of 2015. What a wonderful island. I spent time hiking the trails near the Pools at Ohe’o and taking sunset pictures near Kapalua Bay.