Sentinel Bridge View - Yosemite National Park, California

How do you visit one of the original national parks and get an image that no one else has gotten? The short answer is you don't. This magical place was made famous by the famed naturalist, John Muir, and brilliantly documented by photographer Ansel Adams. Since then, photographers have flocked to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in eastern California to walk in their footsteps. I'll be the first to freely admit that there may be some small section of the park that hasn't been photographed, but who knows for sure?

Enthusiast photographers, like myself, go there for the beauty and ruggedness of the landscapes, and, at the same time, to walk in the footsteps of these pioneers. One of my favorite formations in the park is Half Dome. It is a uniquely shaped formation ,where it looks like half of the dome has fallen away, leaving a sheer flat side. Geologists believe that 80% of the dome still remains.

This angle of Half Dome is from Sentinel Bridge during sunset with the Merced River flowing by. It is fascinating watching the shadows slowly crawl up the formation until the tip is the only thing that is lit.

Swim in Style - Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California

One of my favorite drives in the United States is the magnificent Pacific Coast Highway in California. I've done that drive, or at least part of the drive, at least a dozen times. One of my must see stops on the road is the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Built in between 1919 and 1947 by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the "castle" contains 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and the world's largest private zoo.

The castle materials and most of the interiors were built / furnished with materials, artifacts, and art from Europe. The indoor pool in this image was made to look like a Roman bath, and it's walls and ceilings are made of 1" square mosaic tiles. There are eight marble statues that are positioned around the pool. It is a pretty amazing pool to view and photograph.

Banff Gondola - Banff Townsite, Alberta

The town of Banff and the national park of the same name have their roots with the railroad. In the 1880’s, the Canadian Pacific Railroad built their transcontinental railroad through the Bow Valley. Three railroad workers discovered the hot springs on the side of Sulphur Mountain. Canadian Pacific, in an effort to attract more riders on the railroad, built the Banff Springs Hotel ,which put Banff on the map. Today Banff is a must-visit location, attracting visitors from around the world. There are so many spots that it is difficult to see it all in one trip unless you take a ride on the Banff Gondola. The gondola, built in 1959, is an 8-minute ride in a four-person car that rises almost 2,300 feet to the summit (7,486 feet) of Sulphur Mountain. From there you can see the town of Banff along with much of the surrounding area. I have been to Banff many times but my visit to the gondola last year was my very first time. I am now kicking myself for not doing it sooner. We had some great clouds and weather that made the trip and time on the observation decks so worth it.

Building a Nest - Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

This photo of an African Masked Weaver was taken on the first day of my first safari in 2016. This small bird, measuring 4 - 6 inches, is common throughout southern Africa. This weaver is a breeding male that can be identified as such due to its black face, throat and beak, red eye and bright yellow head and body. The males are responsible for building the nests as this one is doing. The nest takes about 10 - 14 hours to build and is only used once. A typical weaver builds about 25 nests over a five-month long breeding season. Once each nest is completed, the male will defend his small territory around his nests, attracting female attention to his nests. If accepted by the female, he will add a short entrance tunnel, while the female lines the interior with soft grass heads and feathers and, before you know it, eggs are laid. Then onto building the next nest for a different female.

Tutshi River - Fraser, British Columbia

This photo is from the archives taken about 10 years ago on an Alaskan cruise. One of our stops was in Skagway, Alaska. For those who haven't been on a cruise before, the cruise line offers several excursions that you can sign up for while spending the day in each port. When I read the descriptions of the excursions for Skagway, there was no question which one I was taking. Why? Let's see. Board a narrow gauge train and ride 20 miles to the White Pass Summit over a railroad that was built as part of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. After spending some time there, head through British Columbia and into the Yukon Territory to visit the Yukon Suspension Bridge. That's why.

The suspension bridge is a  200-foot long pedestrian bridge that traverses over the Tutshi River Canyon. Standing on the bridge, directly over the middle of the Tutshi River, gives photographers a great leading line to some beautiful mountains looking in either direction. I don't know the name of the mountain in this photo but it is sure beautiful.

Yei Bi Chei - Monument Valley, Navajo Nation

One of my favorite locations in the US is the wonderful and spiritual Monument Valley, located in the Navajo Nation on the border of southern Utah and northern Arizona. The first time I visited the valley in 2005, I felt I was transported to a very beautiful but alien place. I remember remarking to my son that we had landed on Mars. After spending time there then and more recently, I realize that the true benefits of the valley beyond the landscape was to be exposed to and learn a little about Navajo culture and traditions. The Navajo name for the valley is Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii meaning "Valley of the Rocks". The structures in this image "Yei Bi Chei" in the middle and "Totem Pole" on the left both hold deep spiritual meaning for the Navajo. “Yei Bi Chei” means Navajo spiritual gods and is viewed as a formation of dancers emerging from a Hogan. A dance called the Yei Bi Chei dance originated in the valley and is performed for healing purposes in a very sacred nine-day ritual called the Night Way Ceremony.

Swimming - Grasonville, Maryland

As I have begun to get fully acclimated to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, I have discovered that the area, including Delaware, is the winter destination of many migrating birds. There are many large wildlife refuges in the area where they can be spotted, but you can often find them in small parks. One cloudy afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I visited a small pond (Ewing Pond) near my house. There were so many birds there that it was hard to get a shot of a couple together. I headed to one end and found a male and female Mallard couple just getting some “alone” time from the big flock. They were just enjoying a casual swim.

Backcountry - Alaska

About 10 years ago, we traveled to Alaska for a visit to Denali National Park before an Alaskan cruise. After spending several days there, we boarded an Alaskan Rail train. The train would take us to Whittier, where we would board our cruise ship. This 8-hour train ride is something everyone should have on their bucket list. The scenery is spectacular and when the weather is right (as it was on this day), Denali can be seen in all of its grandeur. Our train car had a glass dome for viewing the gorgeous Alaskan countryside. I quickly determined that shooting through the dome was not going to work due to the reflections, so I quickly headed for the open-air observation decks to shoot images from the speeding train. This image was taken from the caboose of the train somewhere along our trip. The lone home in the middle of the backcountry gave me a taste of life in Alaska.

Coming at You - Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa

My weekly “Texture Tuesday” continues with this photo of an elephant walking through the brush toward our safari vehicle. This photo was from my first trip to South Africa in 2016. We flew into Johannesburg early for a couple of day trips before our safari. Our first excursion took us on a day trip to Pilanesberg National Park and Game Reserve. This was taken in the late morning with the temperature approaching scorching. It was one of my first encounters with the magnificence of the animals of South Africa. It has become a favorite location and I hope to get back there a year from now.

Mount Katahdin - Millinocket, Maine

This is a photo from the Abol Bridge on the Golden Road in the North Woods of Maine. The North Woods is a region of heavily forested land that is nearly twice the size of Massachusetts at 12 million acres. Millinocket is a small town on the edge of the North Woods and is where serious hikers who have hiked north on the grueling 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail come to end their hike. The actual terminus of the hike, Mount Katahdin, is pictured here. This view shows the Penobscot River with Mount Katahdin in the background. The mountain was named by the Penobscot Indians and means “The Greatest Mountain”.

Mount Jimmy Simpson - Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta

The Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. The three-hour drive (only if you don't stop) from the town of Banff to Jasper traverses through the Canadian Rockies. It is famous for its scenic mountains and lakes. About an hour and fifteen minutes north of the town of Banff lies Bow Lake. The northern shore of Bow Lake is the location of a great old lodge, the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge (the small red roof can be seen in this photo). The lodge looks quite small (it isn’t) with Mount Jimmy Simpson as its backdrop. If you are lucky enough, the surface of the lake will be calm giving you a great reflection. This image is just a very small slice of what you will find along the Icefields Parkway.

Resting - De Wildt Cheetah Center, Madibeng, South Africa

A few years ago, our group took a side trip from Johannesburg to the De Wildt Cheetah & Wildlife Trust before our safari started. The facility is a captive cheetah breeding center that was started by Ann van Dyk in 1971 on her parents chicken farm. Other animals are also bred there, including wild dogs, brown hyenas, suni, duiker, cape vultures and riverine rabbits. On the tour through the center, we were able to photograph the cheetahs that live there.

Cheetahs and leopards are often confused. Cheetahs have black oval spots, while leopards have more complex spotting that are shaped more like roses both square and round in shape. Cheetahs also have black lines that run from the corner of their eyes down the sides of their nose to their mouth while leopards do not. Leopards are also noticeably bulkier looking than cheetahs. Cheetahs can run up to 75mph over short distances allowing them to catch their prey, while leopards use more surprise attacks. Regardless, both are extremely majestic and are amazing to observe and photograph.

Still Recovering - Glacier National Park, Montana

A trip to Glacier National Park means a drive on the challenging Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road is the only way to get from the west side of the park to the east side, and it takes a good 2-3 hours to do so. The road has terrific scenes, but the challenge is that there are very few pullouts along it, and the ones that are there have room for only a couple of cars. This means fighting with other tourists for prime spots, difficult during the day. The road is only open two months of the year due to heavy snows. This shot from the Heavens Peak area is an indication of the beauty along the road. It shows the valley and a whole lot of trees that appear to be recovering from fire damage.

Common Fiscal Shrike - Marievale Bird Sanctuary, South Africa

Following on my textured photo that I posted last week, I am declaring today, “Texture Tuesday” with this photo of a Common Fiscal Shrike. I took this photo this past December on my first day in South Africa. Our tour leader extraordinaire, Jeff Clow hosted a shoot at the Marievale Bird Sanctuary. After shooting awhile, we stopped for lunch and I was able to spot and capture this Common Fiscal Shrike sitting on a post. The background wasn’t great so I decided to add a texture.

Colorful Morning - Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Arguably the signature lighthouse of Maine, the Portland Head Light is actually located outside of Portland on Cape Elizabeth. The light was initially commissioned by George Washington in 1787. The light stands 80 feet above the land and 101 feet above the water. Edward Rowe Snow wrote about the light: “Portland Head and its light seem to symbolize the state of Maine—rocky coast, breaking waves, sparkling water and clear, pure salt air.” The lighthouse is surrounded by a huge park and when I visited it the day before to scout, it was swarming with people. I was sure that I would not be alone the next morning when I went to shoot the light at sunrise. Much to my surprise, there was only other person at the lighthouse. As a result, I had the run of the park and shot the light from all angles. This composition is the classic perspective of the light. The sunrise was beautiful and it was very serene except for the fog horn which blasts every 15 seconds 24 by 7. If you look past the lighthouse, you will see a smaller lighthouse in the distance which is known as the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse.

Beach Beauty - Gold Beach, Oregon

The Oregon Coast, particularly the central and southern portions, have outstanding beaches and rugged landscapes. After multiple trips there, I think that this particular stretch of beach, just south of Gold Beach, is one of my top two locations on the whole Oregon Coast. The first glimpse of this area, called Myers Creek, is when you drive down Route 101 through the trees and the mountains. The first thought that enters your mind as you round the corner and see the landscape is "Wow". For that reason, I always anticipate my next visit.

This photo of Black Rock was taken one morning looking north. It is not a sunrise location as the cliffs to my right block the the sun at that time. When the sun does clear the cliffs, the golden morning sun turns Black Rock into Gold Rock as it begins to shine brightly.

Evening Stroll Textured - Welgevonden Game Reserve, South Africa

I think many of us photographers during the pandemic are looking through our archives for hidden gems or trying some editing techniques to play with to give a different look for our photos. In a recent Zoom photo club meeting, one of the members mentioned using textures in photos. I have played with textures in the past but haven’t done one in a long time. Textures are great for photos that have a great subject but the background is not ideal. I started to look for some photos that textures would make the photo better. I came across this photo of a lioness that was walking down the road toward our vehicle. The problem was the road was a deep shade of orange that I just didn’t like. Finding a texture that fits the color scheme is harder than it sounds but I finally found this one that I really like. I plan to do some more texturing in the near future.

Monarch - Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge, Maryland

Now that I have been in Maryland since April, I have been spending a lot of time getting the new house ready and, coupled with COVID restrictions, haven’t spent a lot of time looking for photo subjects. The landscape is very different here as it is made up of a lot of farmland. Being close to to the Chesapeake Bay will give me a lot of new subjects to photograph. I have found that there are a lot of wildlife refuges in the area. The first one I visited was Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge, which is known for its butterflies. I knew that there wouldn’t be many butterflies there the time of year I visited but I wanted to do some research on the refuge. There were only two butterflies there that I could find, and after chasing them (they are always moving), I finally got a few shots of this butterfly. In all of my years of photographing, I had never shot a butterfly before (hard to believe) but I am sure I wiil be getting more in the future.

Harvest Patterns - Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington

Steptoe Butte State Park is the Palouse's must visit location to stop and shoot photos. Standing about 3,600 feet above some of the most fertile farmland you can find, it gives a 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape. It is best seen and shot at sunrise or sunset (or both) when the sun is low, allowing for the undulating landscape to be best captured with golden light and deep shadows that add dimensionality to the photo. Once the sun gets higher, the shadows lighten and the contrast is reduced. Most photos you will probably see from Steptoe Butte are taken in late spring showing a landscape with growing crops. At that time, the landscape possesses all shades of growth. The photo above shows the landscape after the crops have been grown and harvested. The landscape is lit up with all shades of orange with patterns left by the harvesting equipment.

Iconic Pemaquid Redux - Bristol, Maine

This is one of my favorite photos that I have taken and it currently hangs on my wall. I took it in 2011 by shooting a 5 shot bracket and processed it as a HDR. I entered my first photo contest ever last month and decided to use this photo as one of my entries. I have heard how tough judges could be and I decided to re-edit the photo using a single photo from the shoot. When I compared the two, I was surprised that they weren’t that different. This above re-edited photo had some truer color and I picked it to enter in the show. I ended up with a Honorable Mention from the judge.