Lunar Landscape - Badlands National Park, South Dakota

How do you convey the ruggedness and diversity of the landscape of the Badlands to someone who has not been there before? My conclusion is that you can't. I have posted a number of photos that show microcosms of this unique area, but it is hard to give an overall picture of the place. First there is a 100-mile "wall" of rock formations that rises out of nowhere from the plains of South Dakota. Second, the diversity of the rock formations found on the wall are impressive, ranging from jagged peaks to water and wind eroded rock.

As one looks at this landscape from one of the numerous trails and overlooks, you get a great appreciation of how it got it's name by the Lakota People (one of the seven tribes of the Sioux). Remote and rugged, you almost feel that you are looking at a lunar landscape. This photo shows the erosion that has carved the rock over the past half a million years. Water accounts for an inch of erosion each year. I picked a black and white treatment for this photo because I felt that it shows the details that appear in the rock formation.

Glacier Banking - Denali National Park, Alaska

When we went on vacation to Alaska a few years ago, we were fortunate to spend some time in Denali National Park. I was quite excited about our first day there, as we were scheduled to get in a small plane in Talkeetna to fly by the "High One". My wife, Carol, who doesn't like to fly, was muttering "Why did I agree to do this?" Despite a light rain, we boarded the plane. Carol had the prime seat next to the pilot and I was right behind her. That turned out to be a big mistake, as I had to shoot through a propeller out my window. Fortunately, we did a lot of banking over the great mountains of the Alaskan Range and glaciers.  

In this photo, I was able to get both the mountains and a glacier in the composition as well as the plane's wing. It was quite the experience, but if I ever get a chance to do this again, I will make sure to get a window that doesn't have a propeller next to it.

Banff Bound - Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta

I have been way behind going through my photos from my various trips over the past year or so. I hope to get through most of the backlog before I head back out on the road in September. My current focus is reviewing my photos from Banff and Jasper National Parks from last year. 

You can't mention Banff or Jasper without thinking about the Icefields Parkway that connects these two amazing parks.  This 140-mile road has so many things to experience, from pristine mountain lakes to the towering Canadian Rockies and the wildlife, that it is hard to see everything in just one visit. Don't take my word for it though. The parkway was named “One of the 10 Most Beautiful Drives in the World” by Conde Mast magazine and “One of the World’s Great Scenic Highways” by National Geographic.

This photo gives you an idea of what to expect when driving the parkway. My buddy Jeff Clow and I were headed back toward the town of Banff from somewhere north of the Columbia Icefields one late afternoon. I am not sure where exactly we were, as these scenes appear throughout this amazing road.

Sunrise Color - Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington

I have posted a number of shots of the beautiful and amazing farmland that surrounds Steptoe Butte State Park. Most of the shots were taken just after sunrise, which was at 5am. However, our group was out of the hotel by 3:30am to capture the twilight light that started at 4:15am. Now no one really wants to get up this early for anything, but let me tell you, it was worth it. This particular morning, we were blessed with some terrific clouds that lit up the scene in such a beautiful way. The colors were amazing. If you look closely in the foreground, you can still see the contours of the landscape as well as some low hanging fog. You can't get this type of shot after sunrise.

Fisheye Fun - Palouse Falls State Park, Washington

If you follow my photography, you can't help but notice that I have posted a lot of photos from my trip to the Palouse in June. I can't believe that it took me so long to visit this place and that it's magical landscapes have captured my imagination. I plan on revisiting sometime down the road. Not everything about the Palouse is farmland though, as today's photo proves. About an hour and a half west of Colfax is Palouse Falls State Park. We visited it near the end of the trip and we were racing the storms as we drove out there. Upon our arrival, the wind was really blowing quite strongly, and I was a bit disappointed that the water was quite muddy. I guess early June isn't the best time for clear water. I worked my way around the falls and the Palouse River and took quite a number of shots. My attempts at panoramas weren't coming out the way I wanted and then I remembered that I had an 8mm fisheye lens with me. 

The fisheye is a specialty lens that you can have a lot of fun with. I found this spot that was able to get the falls as well as the full length of the river. When I went to edit it, I decided not to try to correct for the fisheye's distortion. After all, I wanted to have fun with this scene so what better than to show you the distortion.

On the Ranch - Colorado River Scenic Byway, Utah

Sorrel River Ranch, Colorado River Scenic Byway, Moab, Utah

If it is summer time, I am usually spending some time planning out my trips for the following year. I try to include some favorite places as well as some new ones to visit. While not every trip has been determined, I know one of them will be to Moab in March with my great buddies, Jeff Clow and Jaki Goode Miller. Moab has long been a favorite of mine, being near two great national parks (Arches and Canyonlands), as well as the fabulous Dead Horse State Park. The lesser known gem is River Road (aka Colorado River Scenic Byway) that follows along the Colorado River. There is a special added attraction for me, as I first visited this area with my son back in 2004 when he graduated college. We spent two weeks hiking and shooting throughout Utah. One of our favorite places was when we stayed at the Sorrel River Ranch pictured here and had a great stay despite the mice scampering across the room. These memories always stay with me whenever Moab comes to mind. 

Spring in Acadia - Acadia National Park, Maine

Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

On our scouting trip in April to Maine for Jeff Clow's Fall Maine Lighthouse Photo Tour, Jeff, Jaki Goode Miller and I spent a few days in Acadia National Park. It was the third week in April, and New England's terrible winter was still on display. In fact, the day we drove into the park, the waves near Thunder Hole were probably 30 feet high and were barely visible through the fog. It was a pretty impressive scene. The next morning, when we headed back out toward Thunder Hole, the scenery was decidedly calmer. Driving along Park Loop Road, we stopped at this lake to catch a few reflection shots of the trees. While they still were a ways from sprouting their leaves, I really liked the starkness of their barks as the early morning sun began to light up the scene. 

Fog No More - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Mount Rainier and Reflection Lake, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

I spent two nights in Mount Rainier National Park before my trip to the Palouse. I really wanted to get a sunrise shot of the mountain in the water of Reflection Lake. When I got to the hotel in the afternoon, everything was fogged in and would be for the rest of the night. I went to bed with high hopes of the fog clearing the next morning. The alarm went off at 4am (twilight was at 4:43am), I looked out the window and could see Rainier. I was so psyched, but it would not last for long. As I headed to Reflection Lake, I slowly realized that the valley was fogged in. Sure enough, you could barely see the majestic mountain. Landscape photographers are used to disappointment and always have a Plan B. Mine was to head back to the hotel and hike the trails.

Undeterred,  I decided to head back around 10am to see if the fog had cleared. Sure enough, it had. As I took in this scene for the first time, I knew that a panorama was in order to capture the width of the lake. It wasn't the soft early light that I wanted, but it still was a beautiful scene.

Palouse Morning - Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington

I am not apologizing anymore for posting so many photos of the Palouse. It's landscape has captured my imagination in so many ways. I have fallen in love with the area and I kick myself for waiting so long to visit it. The landscape is great most of the day, but there is no denying that the sunrises and sunsets when viewing from Steptoe Butte State Park are mesmerizing. It won't be long before I head back there.

Cascade - Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Sunbeam Creek, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Photography purists will insist that you can't get decent shots in mid-afternoon because of the bad light. While that may be true for some subjects, I still believe that if you do a little exploring, you can find some that work out great.  When I was in Mount Rainier National Park this past May, I was up well before the crack of dawn to get some sunrise shots. I hiked the rest of the morning and headed back to Paradise for some lunch. The early afternoon light wasn't great but I went out to explore anyway. Driving east from Paradise, I passed this little sign that said Sunbeam Creek. Just past the sign, I spotted this waterfall out of the corner of my eye. I knew immediately that I was going to shoot a long exposure to get the water cascading over the rocks. I also figured that the end product would probably be a black and white, as the colors were washed out because of the light. I also composed the shot to eliminate the drab sky. 

So, take your camera out with you when the light isn't great. Maybe exploring will not pay off but when you see something that may work, give it a try.

Eastern Point Lighthouse - Gloucester, Massachusetts

It has been a while since I have posted a lighthouse photo, and, since it is the middle of summer, I thought it was a good time to do so. Not all of the great lighthouses of New England are located in Maine. This one sits at the outskirts of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and is a terrific one to visit. The lighthouse was built in 1832 and has gone through a couple of renovations since then. It sits on Cape Ann and was built to protect boats when entering the east side of Gloucester Harbor. If you plan to visit it, be aware that the locals have put a sign up that indicate the the access road is private. It is not, it is a public road, so proceed through the sign. Once there, the best view is to walk out on the extremely long stone walkway and look back toward it.

Mount Battie Tower - Camden Hills State Park, Camden, Maine

The coast of Maine has quite the number of great locations for visitors to check out. When we were doing some scouting for Jeff Clow's upcoming Maine Lighthouse Photo Tour this past April, I took Jeff to Camden Hills State Park to see what he thought of it as a possible tour stop. The park is just north of the town of Camden and you get a great view from the top of Mount Battie of the surrounding area. Mt. Battie is quite small in comparison to other mountains, topping off at only 800 feet, but, since the surrounding area is so flat, you get great views of Camden Harbor as well as the Maine coastline. Also at the top of the mountain is this cool tower that looks like a turret from a castle. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the Camden area.

Olmsted Point - Tioga Road, Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park is my favorite national park in the United States. In the summertime, the tourist flock to it in droves. Try getting a lodge or campground reservation inside the park and you know what I mean (there are few hotels outside the park). Yosemite Valley gets the bulk of the traffic for good reason. When it gets crowded, I like heading out on Tioga Road where the volume of people is significantly less. Not only is the scenery still beautiful, you also get different looks to some of the famous rock formations, like this one of Half Dome. Try it if you want to try something new and avoid the crowds.

The Mighty Colorado - Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is one of nature's wonders that continue to amaze everyone who visits there. The canyon itself is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point, and reaches a depth of a mile. I think what amazes me the most is that this canyon was created by erosion over a 2 billion year period by the Colorado River. Hard to believe that water could have carved this masterpiece, no matter how long it took. I thought of this when I composed a closeup of the river as it slowly moved its way westward to the Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora.

Miniature Car - Endicott, Washington

This is my obligatory post of the week from my Palouse trip. I have previously posted some shots of abandoned barns in all stages of disrepair. This time I am actually posting a shot of the inside of a functioning barn. This barn was unique in two ways. First, it is completely round and is surprising known as the "Round Barn" (very creative). Second, this barn actually had a miniature car sitting inside the doors. A number of us took turns composing different shots. I liked this angle the best, as I wanted to use the angle of the right wall to lead the eye toward the car. The fact that there was a lot of texture in the wood was a bonus.

Going to the Sun - Glacier National Park, Montana

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the main (and only) road that runs west to east through the park. From the western entrance to the eastern entrance, the 50-mile road passes along great vistas and valleys that make up some of the best landscapes in the west. On this morning, our group stopped at Lake McDonald to shoot the sunrise. Leaving the lake and heading east, we stopped along McDonald Creek to get some shots of the mountain tops as the clouds began to disperse. I thought the scene screamed for a panorama and I promptly accommodated it. I took this before several members of the group waded out to the middle of the creek to take some shots looking east. 

Big and Mean - Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

On my cross country trip a couple of years ago, I tried to hit as many national parks as I could, especially those that I had never visited. I also wanted to visit the few states that I had yet to travel through (still have six more to go). My son wanted to stop in North Dakota, and, after a little research, I found that there was a national park there that I had never heard of. So, off we went to kill two birds with one stone.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park was named a national park in 1978 and is located in the badlands area of western North Dakota. This area was made famous by Roosevelt well before he became president, and his love for it sparked the conservationist policies that he espoused during his presidency.

It is a remote park and we didn't see many visitors other than ourselves. We did find a lot of bison, and, when we pulled into a parking lot, we spotted this guy. He was doing a lot of snorting, and I had to get behind our car as protection as I took a few shots of him.

Road to Fisher Towers - Colorado River Scenic Byway, Utah

While Moab is known for its proximity to two fabulous national parks (Arches and Canyonlands), the star of the area may well be the Colorado River Scenic Byway. The road also known as Utah State Road 128 or River Road connects Moab with Grand Junction, Colorado. One of the great stops along River Road is Fisher Towers, about 21 miles from Moab. The Towers are made up of sandstone and are very popular with photographers and rock climbers.

I went out for a drive along River Road in the late evening to catch the golden hour light that I knew the sunset would deliver. I pulled over as soon as I turned off of River Road to use the dirt road as a leading line to the Towers.

Fertile Ground - Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington

Okay, you guessed it. I am closing the week with another shot of the farming landscape of the Palouse. This was taken from the best view of the countryside, namely Steptoe Butte State Park. This view is looking west, just after the morning sun has cleared the top of the butte. I loved the leading line of the creek, taking the eye from the shadows to what I believe is a dirt road that take you to the rolling mounds of farmland.

The Back Barn - East Burke, Vermont

The Inn at Mountain View Farms, East Burke, Vermont

A few years back, I was lucky to be part of a group that was able to visit The Inn at Mountain View Farms in Vermont. We were given access to the whole property, including the interior of all of the barns on the 440 acre property. The Inn is located in northern Vermont, about 2 hours from Montreal (Canada is a mere 45 minutes away) and 3 hours from Boston. The property is located in an area known as the "Northeast Kingdom" and has been called the "One of the most breathtaking hilltop views in Vermont" by Vermont Life Magazine. Hopefully, I will be able to actually stay there for a few days during the Fall season.