Land

Rhythmic Composition in Red

This national forest of over 2 million acres has been the home of Native Americans for 15,000 years. It encompasses the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains, seven wilderness areas, and the headwaters for major rivers in Utah.

Visions

Early morning clouds swirl in and out of the White River Valley, Mount Rainier National Park

Ridgelines Emerging

Mount Rainier National Park The silence of the morning; Song without words; Rhythm of the earth Attuned to my soul

Patterns in Snow and Ice

Southern Alps, New Zealand

Geometric Expression

Main Divide, Southern Alps, New Zealand Almost all New Zealand's highest peaks cluster along a 40 kilometer stretch of the Main Divide separating the Canterbury Plains from the Westland.

The Mountain Abides

Southern Alps, New Zealand

Seemingly Contented

On the shores of Lake Pukaki, approaching Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Beginnings and Emdings

"And the sun and the moon sometimes argue over who will tuck me in at night. If you think I am having more fund than anyone on this planet, you are absolutely correct." --Hafez, 14th century Sufi poet and outspoken critic of hypocrisy

Like A River Does

Hooker River, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand A small portion of a rainbow lights up a dark corner near the mountain while the Hooker River draws patterns around the rocks in the foreground. Near the confluence with the Tasman River, there is plenty of glacial flour in the water to create this beautiful emerald color. There was dramatic lighting in the opposite direction from this photo. After working in that direction for awhile, I turned around and saw the sunbeams lighting the mountain side and headed in that direction. The rainbow was visible and there was some thought it might grow. But I wasn't after a rainbow shot. I wanted this photo to be about the two converging lines formed by the illuminated mountain and the rocks in the water.

Earthen Dream

Early morning light shines down on this dry creek bed in Badlands National Park.

Lost In Colors and Forms

Sunrise, White Pocket, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Story Told in Stone, Sun and Sound

White Pocket, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument This hard-to-reach area is full of patterns, sounds, shadows, and ancient history. You can enter the area along a path originally carved by dinosaurs. The sandstone formations are the remnants of an ancient sand sea that stretched from modern day southern California to Wyoming.

The Storm Leaves In Peace

Aoraki appeared briefly after a day of rain and gale force winds. The storm departed with a glorious sunset, and at one point, the entire Hooker Valley was suffused with a golden glow. This pano is composed of 25 vertical shots. .

The Unplanned Effect

Ahwahnee Bridge and the Merced River, Yosemite Valley This beautiful three-arch stone bridge was built across the Merced River in 1928. We discovered it by accident one October evening on our fifth visit to Yosemite, when the fall colors were reflected in the river. It’s easy to find, but somehow had eluded us. An unplanned delight.

Moonlight on Aoraki

The moon lit up the entire Hooker Valley, even though it was only two thirds full.

Gold In The Valley

Aoraki and the Hooker Valley suffused with a golden glow. Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

The Calm Neutrality of Nature

Mount Shuksan from Picture Lake in the Mount Baker Wilderness This is a popular spot for a photo, but I am amazed at how many people don't wait for the best light. Every sundown I've been here, most other folks have long disappeared.

Almost Like A Song

Saint Mary Lake with Fall Colors, from Two Dog Flats, Glacier National Park A day of brilliant fall color, with the reflective patterns of the lake mimicking the curves of the shoreline. Red Eagle Mountain looks on from beyond the far shore.

Rich In Beautiful Light

Clearing Snowstorm, Leidig Meadow, Yosemite Valley, November, 2012 Located just west of Yosemite Lodge At The Falls, the meadow is named for Isabella and George Leidig who owned a hotel here in the late 1800s. I was fortunate to be in the valley during an early November snowstorm while the fall colors were still on the trees. I had been walking and taking pictures in the falling snow for four hours when I found myself alone in the meadow. The snow finally stopped falling, the clouds began to break up, and the sun started to raise some mist in the valley. The cliffs at the base of Eagle Peak provide a dark background for the snowy foreground.

Leidig Meadow Revisited

Leidig Meadow, Yosemite Valley Whenever I visit the valley, I like to return to these trees and the cliffs in the background. It's not on the tourist map, but I find it highly evocative, and enjoy capturing the place in differing light and weather.

Tree Form

Leidig Meadow, Yosemite Valley

Cloud of Witness

Prussik Peak from Gnome Tarn, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Enchantment Lakes

Shadow Play

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Park Taken from a high ridgeline, this photo shows Star Dune being spotlighted by the morning sun. The mountains of the Amargosa Range in the background have only just started to pick up the sunlight, leaving the dunes surrounded by the shadows. These are one of five areas of dunes in the park.

Lone Larch

Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Enchantment Lakes Basin, Washington The Enchantment Lakes are a jewel of the Cascades, and this waterfall falls from one lake into Snow Creek. I love the way the larch seems to be watching over the scene.

Noiseless

Yosemite Falls I was hoping for snow but found gorgeous mists swirling around the valley. A hint of the sunset crept through and lightly lit the cliff. With few people around, it was a quiet and peaceful scene.

In Nature's Keeping

Peters Pool, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

Song Without Words

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park The mists opened as if the curtains were for the start of a grand performance.

Slowly Drawing to an End

Cooks Meadow, Yosemite Valley

The Fog Reveals

Merced River Canyon, California

The Veil Lifts

Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park Swirling mists in the valley on this December day began rising and shredding at mid-day, giving glimpses of iconic spots in the park.

Implication of Peace

Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park A gathering snowstorm in Yosemite Valley.

The Presentation

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park As a snowstorm gathers in the valley, the cloud and fog opens to reveal the upper falls.

The Night Delivers The Day

The Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley National Park, Pre-dawn Salt water in this area of the valley floor is drawn upwards, growing into the salt pinnacles in the foreground of this photo. The pinnacles erode into fantastic (and sharp) formations. For this predawn photo, I painted the foreground with my flashlight.

The Truth In What There Is

Mount Rainier from Upper Tipsoo Lake This view was taken at sunrise above this small lake near Chinook Pass. The wildflowers (including magenta paintbrush, lupine, pasqueflower seedheads, subalpine dasies) were out in full force, far ahead of their normal time. They perfumed the air as I walked to this vantage point. You can see a large patch of lupines toward the bottom of the photo. The serene lighting lasted about an hour and a half. The lake's name means "grassy lake."

Grace Of The Day

Mount Baker, Cascade Range, Washington This is an early morning view from Kuhlsan Ridge. It's a glorious location; you can turn around from this point and see a similarly spectacular view of Mount Shuksan. I waited until the sun lit the foreground, but still kept the line of trees in shadow.

In The Heart of the Mountains

Upper Rae Lake, from 60 Lakes Basin Trail

Enlivened By The Clouds

The Anza-Borrego Desert Park is a good place for wildflowers, but their blooming is unpredictable. I felt fortunate to find this field of desert sunflowers made more dramatic by the approaching storm. With over 600,000 acres, the park is fun to explore; many wildflowers are a ways off the road. .

Geometry

The Palouse from Steptoe Butte, Washington This former prairie in southeastern Washington state is covered with silt dunes and cultivated mainly for wheat and lentil crops. Only about 1% of the original prairie remains. In the spring, the rolling hills of wheat produce intense greens, interspersed with sections of amber stubble. Steptoe Butte rises 3,600 feet above this unique landscape, offering unlimited photographic compositions. Or just quiet appreciation.

Fertility

The Palouse, Washington An iconic but irresistible view from Steptoe Butte, the grain elevator and silos of Whitman County Growers seem to sit comfortably among the wheat fields in early spring.

Painter's Palette

The Palouse, Washington Looking in another direction from Steptoe Butte, the early morning sun enhances the green of the spring wheat, the amber of the empty fields, and the bluish light in the shadows.

Soul Of The Landscape

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View Tunnel View is one of the iconic locations in Yosemite, and it always makes me think of Ansel Adams. His famous "Clearing Storm" photograph was taken from this spot in 1938. It’s worth returning here because the clouds, colors, and light are always changing. I was in the valley in June 2011 when the waterfalls were flowing at one of their highest rates in 100 years. Although Half Dome never came out of the clouds, El Capitan looms to the left and Bridalveil Falls lit up in the shaft of sunlight as if on cue.

Far From The Common Ways Of Life

Little Lakes Valley, John Muir Wilderness Located above 10,000 feet, the glacier-carved lakes in this valley are fed by snow melt, and form beautiful reflecting pools for the high Eastern Sierra peaks of Bear Creek Spire, Mt. Dade, Mt. Abbot and Mt. Mills. The area gets busy with hikers in the summer, but I had the valley all to myself on this chilly October morning. We had scouted out the area the day before, and it was worth getting up at 3:30am to catch the light. I appreciated the cold stillness of the dawn

Fall Glory

McGee Creek Canyon, Eastern Sierra The aspen in this canyon, just southwest of Crowley Lake in California, sport beautiful fall color in October. I took this photo on our second visit, just below the trailhead to Steelhead and McGee Lakes. The creek itself is a beautiful, clear mountain stream worth paying attention to. Mounts Aggie and Baldwin are in the background. See photos of McGee Creek in the "Water" portfolio.

Deep Calm

Yosemite Valley I love misty mornings in Yosemite Valley, and always get out before sunrise so I can search for scenes like this one near Swinging Bridge. This photo was taken in early October when there was some fall color in the trees but especially interesting color in the meadow grasses.

Awaiting The Day

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California This is California's largest state park, located in the southeast corner of the state. Named for the explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and for the bighorn sheep, it has mountains, badlands, and wildflowers. I took this sunrise photo from a small group of sand dunes a ways off the Thimble Trail. The desert sand verbena was flowering along the sides of the dune; this one, though, was alone on the top.