Black and White

Grace Presently

The Canadian Rockies reflected in a small lake. A cold, dreamy morning of fog, cloud and shadows. I was attracted to the many triangles in this scene; several in the mountains, one large one made by the assembly of trees on the right, the multitude of stretched triangles of the reflecting trees. Some mist rising from the lake, frost on the trees, and a fog bank behind the trees made the whole experience a bit mystical.

Mt. Rundle with Morning Clouds

Mt. Rundle, Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies Early morning fog beginning to dissipate, drifting still in the Bow Valley. This is a less recognizable side of Mt. Rundle; the west facing slope is most commonly photographed, usually from the Vermilion Lakes. This scene was beautifully green in the beams of sun, but I enjoyed the way black and white focuses attention on the structure of the mountain slopes.

The Realization of Grandeur

The Canadian Rockies

Soft Morning Moment

Mount Shuksan, North Cascades National Park. This spectacular mountain gets its name from Native American word šéqsən, meaning "high peak." An apt name for a mountain with four faces and five ridges, with towers, glaciers, and a fine location near Mount Baker. This is a monotone infrared photo taken just after sunrise.

Nooksack Tower, Mount Shuksan

North Cascades National Park Infrared black and white photo, taken shortly after sunrise.

Train Station

Rhyolite Ghost Town, Nevada

Radiant Light

The Southern Alps of New Zealand.

The Waterfall, Willis Canyon

Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument

Fog in the Valley

Yosemite Valley

Dark Feeling

The infrared camera created a moody view of this portion of the badlands, just after sunrise.

Moon and Mist

Yosemite Valley I was driving past Cooks Meadow when I noticed the moon hovering just beyond the mist coming off the valley walls. I quickly pulled over and shot using the car as my tripod. Though it looks like nighttime, this was taken in mid morning. It's an infrared shot and turned the blue sky black. The moon disappeared in the mist after about two minutes. .

Lake, Buttes, and Clouds

Infrared view from Alstrom Point, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Death Valley Storm

After a day of sandstorms, we enjoyed watching this rain storm move in the clear the air

Cottonwood Sentinels

Fruita, Utah

Vision on a Higher Plane

The Southern Alps, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

The Nearly Visible

Diamond Lake Track, New Zealand Infrared black and white, taken in late afternoon.

Light Surrounded

Wild clouds above and below my viewpoint frame Mount Rainier in this infrared black and white photo.

Fog, Yosemite Valley

Infrared black and white

Tamanos Mountain, Mount Rainier National Park

We had descended after a disappointing view at Sunrise to find the cloud and fog enfolding the ridges and mountains to the south. Thunder rumbled from a storm off to the southwest.

Eye of the Wilderness

Upper Rae Lakes, from 60 Lakes Basin Trail

Valley Infrared

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View

Implication of Power

Southern Alps, New Zealand

Eternal Sufficiency

Grand Canyon from Yaki Point Infrared view of the canyon just after sunset. The infrared camera gave the scene a softer look and feeling than the full color shots we took here. Our eyes cannot see infrared light; the camera reveals what is invisible to us.

Embracing The Mountain

Mount Jefferson, Oregon, from the Pacific Crest Trail This was taken from the high point of the trail heading south from Breitenbush Lake, just before the trail descends to Jefferson Park. Mount Jefferson is very photogenic, and it was well worth the effort to get there. You can see several of the five glaciers on the mountain from this angle, including Whitewater, Jefferson Park and Mill Creek Glaciers. There are some photos below of the same mountain but from the south side.

The Way to the Mountains

Hooker Valley Track, New Zealand Infrared view from the Hooker River

Discreet Dawn

Crown Range, New Zealand Infrared version of the sunrise

Amphitheater

Omerama Clay Cliffs, South Island, New Zealand These sculpted pinnacles are composed of material brought here from glaciers over a million years ago. There was a lot of contrast in the scene, but the direct sunlight hitting the pinnacles on the left reflected infrared light nicely onto those in shadow on the right. There was plenty of infrared light coming from the foliage in the center, but also from a few trees partly visible above the pinnacles on the right.

Reflection on Clear Water

Valley View in Infrared, Yosemite National Park Another iconic location, Valley View (also known as Gates of the Valley) really shows off all the charms and grandeur of the valley. It’s worth spending some time here, because a bit of contemplation always seems to lead to deeper appreciation for the place. Although the green of the meadow across the Merced River lends itself to beautiful color photos, black and white can bring out the reflections and the perfect design of the valley walls. I used infrared to help darken the sky and bring out the clouds

Disappearing Cloud

Mono Lake, California Mono is a saline soda lake and an important rest stop for migrating birds. In this photo, you can see the famous tufa limestone formations in the lake under the cloud. These formerly submerged towers became visible when the lake level dropped due to evaporation after Owens River water was diverted for use by Los Angeles in the early 20th century. The story of the water wars is a fascinating piece of California history.

Smooth Undulation

Zabriskie Badlands, Death Valley Black and white brings out the folds of the water-carved mudstone rock in the badlands as seen from this iconic location. This rock was formed from sediments in a lake that covered the area nine million years ago. The early morning sun does a good job of accentuating the form of the hills.

Lingering Grace

View Down Lillian River Valley, Olympic National Park I watched the shadows play on the mountains and valleys for two hours before this view revealed itself, just before sunset. This view is toward LIllian Glacier, Windfall Peak and Grand Pass. Infrared photo taken with a converted Canon EOS M.

Matukituki River Valley

Mount Aspiring National Park Black and white infrared

No Temple Made With Hands Can Compare

Mount Jefferson, Oregon, seen from the south (infrared) I love the way black and white infrared can focus attention on the basic shapes without distracting color. The shape of the mountain and clouds made this seem like a good choice for this photograph.

Implication of Peace (Back and White)

Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park

Shadow Play

Sunrise, Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park The rising sun spotlighted Mount Grinnell and the dramatic clouds on this very cold morning. The wind was strong and biting but nature's performance was spectacular. It was an inspiring sight, and I had it all to myself. Infrared black and white photo.

Unlocked Reality

Clouds drifting past Mount Rainier looked like vapor escaping from the Mountain itself. Infrared black and white photo

Message In The Clouds

Zion National Park, Utah This "S" shaped cloud formed as we walked the Pa'rus trail along the Virgin River. The sun was setting, and I used my infrared camera to bring out the form of the cloud, which almost seemed to be coming out of the mountain itself. The cloud only lasted about 20 minutes before dispersing.

Lowering Sun

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan I took this photo 43 years ago, during a camping trip to these dunes. Taken from the top of the dunes about 400 feet above Lake Michigan. The name comes from a Native American legend.

Blossoming Clouds

Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, British Columbia Long Beach is the longest in the park, and a great place to watch the sunset. We were driving by on our way somewhere else when these clouds drew us to the beach.