A view into an aspen forest, with the sun flaring at the top. We’re looking into a reasonably dense, endless stand of aspens in the early morning. The forest floor is rich and lush; it rained recently, and the vegetation looks wonderful because of that. There is a slight opening ahead of us, leading us deeper into the forest, and the trees on the left and right draw us in.. We couldn’t do that, really, because there’s no path, and there is a lot of brush and stuff we would need to wade through. There is an occasional pine tree intruding here and there, and you can see a couple of fallen aspen trees almost lost in the brush. But overall the scene is vibrant, the forest healthy. The aspens are just beginning to turn, too, as this is at the beginning of fall, so there is a mix of green and gold tones in the scene. The main feature, though, is the sun, which is in the upper middle of the frame, rising behind the trees. The photograph features a large sun flare, and it totally dominates the scene. It’s difficult to look away from the flare to take in the rest of the scene. Behind the sun the forest continues, possibly forever. Let’s go explore, shall we?

Aspen Sun
Our national forests are breathtaking treasures for everyone.

#photography #nature #forests #landscape

Thank you very much!

A flock of birds takes to the air in New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. These are, probably, red-winged blackbirds, and there are far too many birds to count. Seriously, they completely obscure the background, which is a tree with dead leaves on it, and the rest is not possible to see because of the birds. They are flying in every direction, but all generally heading up. Did I mention that the only thing you can see, edge to edge, is birds flying? The foreground is a field of dried grasses. That you can see plainly. But beyond that, it’s all just birds in the air.

Bosque Birds

Together we make a difference

#photography #nature #wildlife #newmexico

This is a panoramic view of Monument Valley from Artist’s Point, and personally, I think this is one of the best views of the valley. We can see the tall buttes and spires that make the valley what it is. We are on the valley floor, but not very close to any butte. The buttes are clearly tall, but also not overwhelming because of the distance. Instead, we can see them laid out before us, each impressive in their own right, but more so because we can see so many. It is late afternoon, and the sunlight is scattered throughout the valley. Shadows are forming, laying out long streaks. There are a few lingering scraps of snow here and there, but those are few and far between. 
The sky has heavy but scattered clouds, making a picturesque mix of blue and clouds. Overall, the photograph showcases the scale of Monument Valley without being overwhelming.

Artist’s Monuments

Grand vistas and grand adventures await us.

#photography #landscape #monumentvalley

A steam engine, hauling freight cars, makes its way through a snowy wonderland. The steam engine, #20 from the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, is running southbound near Cascade Creek. The train consists of the engine, the tender, three red boxcars, and two red coach cars, although one coach is almost obscured by trees and the other is mostly obscured by trees. Still, you can see them, if barely. The consist is all varying shades of red, and they certainly stand out in this photograph because almost everything else is white. Speaking of which, it had recently snowed in the San Juan Mountains, and it snowed a lot. Everything is covered in fresh, pristine white snow. The train is fairly small in this photograph and horizontally and just below center vertically. It is running from right to left, and there’s a good amount of steam coming from the engine. The Animas River, showing hints of its turquoise color, is running toward us. It runs parallel to the train, then turns and flows toward and past us. On the far bank are heavily snow-covered pine trees. On the bank are snow-covered rocks. Behind the train are steep rocks, mostly snow-covered, of the canyon wall. So the cheery red train is headed through a winter wonderland of a scene, and does it ever stand out.

Keep plowing through adversity.

#photography #train #durango #silverton #railroad #colorado

This is the Fallen Roof ruin, named because the roof fell down. Literally. This small ruin sits tucked into an alcove in Bears Ears National Monument. It is small and the photograph shows three rounded structures next to each other, each one being eight to ten feet across. Each one has a window, or more accurately, an egress point in the center of it. As it sits, the ruin is wholly unremarkable and looks like the thousands of others just like it across this area. It was likely a storage or granary. What makes this unique is the roof of the alcove, parts of which have fallen. And that, in turn, makes for a spectacular photograph. The roof fell in large, irregular chunks which are now sitting on the alcove floor. Even better, the fallen parts reveal the soot that crept into the nooks and crannies from the fires that were built over the years, leaving a distinct soot pattern. Photographed in even lighting, Fallen Roof is an even yellowish-orange tone, with the soot pattern flailing out in the roof, with the granaries nestled against the wall. Large pieces of the roof lay on the floor, each a good twelve to eighteen inches thick.

Fallen Roof

We will endure.

#photography #bearsears #utah

A red sunset behind heavy clouds over the ocean. The setup, first. This is a panoramic photograph showing nothing except the ocean. I was on the beach when I made it, but you can’t tell that from the photograph. There are some rollers coming toward us and breaking just before the shore. They’re reasonably gentle, maybe a couple of feet high, and are curling over, then breaking. It was a really peaceful evening, and this is one of those times I wish we could hear a photograph. Just imagine the gentle sound of the tide coming in, and you’re there. Next, the sun is setting, so it is low on the horizon. But we can’t see the sun because the clouds were covering it. 
What we can see, however, is the color! It’s red tonight. I mean, red everywhere. Absolutely everywhere! There’s a faint scrap of yellow-orange where the sun is, but the rest of the sky is a deep, deep red. The water is reflecting the deep reds, except the white of the rollers as they break. It’s just… red. So the photograph is red sky, red water. And that makes it a very unusual one. Not everyone likes this much red, and I get that; yet, it is an interesting photograph because of that.

Pacific Sunset
Incredible moments always surround us. Be sure to celebrate when you encounter one.

#photography #ocean #sunset

This panoramic photograph showcases white gypsum dunes and a cloudy sky. The dunes, which everyone incorrectly calls “sand dunes,” are almost pure white. Here, they are ever-so-gently sloping and occupy the lower third of the photograph, and you can see some ripples here and there. They are trackless. To be sure, they are not projecting very much, and this is more of a close-up of the dunes. The sky is behind them is cloudy and complex. The clouds are a mix of white and what looks to be storm clouds, but it won’t rain today. The clouds are going every which direction. Some are white, and some are thick. Generally, it appears they are heading toward us, but the winds that day were all over the place, and so were the clouds. Behind them, the sky is a blueish, tending more to azure or even teal in places. So, the photograph is a wonderful mixture of colors, from white below to blue/teal at the top, with the clouds providing the main point of interest.

Gypsum Skies

Let’s create our own path and leave our own tracks

#photography #newmexico #whitesands

Early morning streams across Washington State’s Palouse area. The Palouse is noted for its idyllic setting, and this photograph totally leans into that. We’re standing on Steptoe Butte, which not only is the tallest place for mies upon miles, but also offers an excellent vantage point. Below and around us, extending for miles upon miles, are farm fields and gently rolling hills. This is the Palouse at is best! The hills are as gentle as can be, but the low, rising sun casts plenty of shadows, scenting and defining each little hill. Most of the fields are deep, verdant green and the crop looks healthy. A few are fallow and bare, adding bits of light brown contrast to the scene. Scattered here and there are the buildings of a few farms. You can see some silos and, of course, a classic red barn. The buildings are small, further accenting the scale of the scene. The sky has some low clouds and pink tones that fade to blue toward the top. In far, far distance we can see a more significant mountain, but it is low and doesn’t have the typical mountain peaks. All told, the scene projects peace and tranquility.

Palouse Fields

Peaceful times are always worth the effort and struggle.

#photography #washington #palouse

Thank you very much! I am pleased with how it came out!

A panoramic deep space image of NGC 700, also known as the North American Nebula. This nebula is comprised of gases and more or less resembles the continent of North America flipped upside down. Bear in mind it has a vague resemblance, not looks exactly like it. The nebula is all sorts of shades of light blue, due to the oxygen gas, which is highlighted in this photograph. It’s flanked by some orangish areas, and beyond that you can see into deeper space. Except, there’s all sorts of dust, which appears as lighter shades of brown and maybe red. This dust is amorphous in nature with large, shapes, or blobs, if you will, everywhere. This is a narrowband image, which means that I created it using filters for specific gases, such as hydrogen and oxygen, then combined it into colors we can see. The technique is the same process that telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope sometimes use. Stars are everywhere in the photograph, especially on the right hand side. There are… a lot of stars. The image’s colors are deep, dramatic, and striking.

Always follow your North Star

#photography #astrophotography #ngc7000

The Snake River flows past the Tetons on a winter day. This panoramic image features the Snake River, which stretches across the entire photograph. On the left side, the river cuts back and then runs toward the back. There’s a swath of unbroken snow on the right side just behind the river. There is a line of frost and snow-covered pine trees throughout the middle of the photograph. They look cold. They are cold. It’s as cold as can be in this photograph. Then there is the Teton Range rising behind the trees. From this vantage point, the mountains don’t look quite as tall and imposing as they do from a closer view, but make no mistake. They’re tall and imposing, all the same. They are, as you might expect, totally snow covered. The sky is partly cloudy with streaks of clouds instead of puffy clouds. Plenty of blue peeks through. The sun is shining, so the entire scene is brightly lit. Overall, the image is bright, yet cold. Still, looking at it, you don’t feel as cold as it was, and the photograph is inviting, capturing a perfect moment in the Tetons.

Teton Afternoon

The cold cuts through us all. Be warm and kind instead.

#photography #landscape #tetons

Snow-covered hoodoos stretch before us during a brilliant sunrise in a panoramic photograph. Let’s discuss the sunrise first, because it sets up the rest of the photograph. It is dawn, and the sun is just breaking the horizon to our left, out of frame. The sky is partially cloudy, and the clouds are streaks. Deep yellows are to our left, transitioning to deep pinks to our right. There isn’t much of the sky, but it provides color and contrast. The yellow and red tones are predominant. The rest of the photograph is filled with hoodoos and snow. It had snowed the night before, so the snow is bright and fresh. The hoodoos, red-orange to begin with, are an even deeper shade this morning because of the sunrise. There appears to be a small valley running right to left into the sunrise, but really, that just separates the hoodoos into two groups. There are some pine trees scattered about here and there, and then heavily clustered at the end of the valley. They are small. That, in turn, provides the scale for the photograph, and we realize the hoodoos are extremely tall and large. Suddenly, the photograph is far vaster than we first thought.

Hoodoo Sunrise

Endure the cold and winter.

#photography #landscape #utah #bryce

The photograph is made at Zabriskie Point in the middle of the night. Overall, it has deep blue tones, and is monochromatic, except for the emission nebula, which we’ll talk about in a moment. The foreground is whorls and swirls of rock, leading from our feet into the distance. The rock is striped, solid and has every pattern you can think of. It rises and falls. There’s a small wash on the left side, and a path oddly highlighted leading from the center into the distance. Sure wish we could be on that path right now. In the distance you can see mountains in the shadow. There’s snow on the very tops, but you just have to know that detail, because you can’t really see it. Hey, it’s night. The sky is the star of the show (get it?). You can make out the constellation Orion easily as it dominates the top of the photograph. There’s tons of other stars around, too. There are emission nebula, normally not visible to the human eye or camera. Barnard’s Loop, which is a really large crescent surrounding a center part is clearly visible, as are many others. These appear as faint red or maybe pink, making a wild contrast with the blue tones.

Zabriskie’s Night

We go ever onward into 2026!

Thank you for following along with me, and here’s to a prosperous 2026. Keep moving forward.

#photography #landscape #deathvalley

Sounds like you've got it down, though!

Love cardboard sandwiches.... they can be any size, LOL!

I agree with the sentiment that the less shipping you do, the better it is.

However, you'll need to be prepared regardless. At art shows, out of town patrons will purchase from you, and sometimes, don't want to carry the piece back. So, you need to ship one way or the other.

A panoramic photograph with a bison trudging through the snow. Let’s start with the background first, because it sets up the rest of the photograph. Essentially, there isn’t any because it is all snow. Maybe, just maybe, if you squint hard enough, you can see a weed or two poking through the snow, but truly, it’s all white snow. There is a single female bison making her way through the snow, going left to right. She’s on the left side of the photograph, and there’s plenty of room for her to keep walking. She is tightly framed, so you can see all the details of her fur. Her right front foot is captured mid-step, and you can see some snow falling off it. Her eyes are looking straight forward as she makes her way into the unbroken snow ahead of her. Furthermore, her fur is perfect, and she is in awesome shape. She’s had a good winter so fur and is healthy and vibrant. The entire image projects the feeling of grit and determination.

Bison Trek

We. Will. Endure.

#photography #yellowstone #wildlife #bison

The full moon rises over still waters. The panoramic photograph showcases the moon, but the moon is small and just left of center. Still, despite the small size, it commands attention. It is golden and slightly above the horizon. This contrasts well with the rest of the photograph, which is all blue, with hints of purple, tones. There are some low, and I do mean low, mountains rising to the right of the moon. How low? Maybe 100 feet high tops. Barely a mountain at all, but hey, they’re mountains. The foreground is nothing but perfectly calm water, with just a ripple or two. The moon and the mountains reflect in the water, making a beautiful counterpoint. It almost looks as if I was on the water when I made this photograph, and in fact, I was! I was on a sailboat, giving me an incredible vantage point. The waters stretch from the bottom of the photograph to the middle, which is where the horizon is. 
The sky is clear blue with just a couple of insignificant clouds on the right side. Overall, the photograph projects serenity, tranquility, and peace.

Let the ocean provide tranquility today.

#photography #landscape #alaska

Well said!

Thank you! It truly is one of my favorite places.

Thank you! So glad this resonates with you. It is a wonderful place, so often overlooked.

Thank you very much!

We’re at Marlboro Point just after the sun breaks the horizon. Our feet are standing at the edge of a cliff, and a valley floor is several hundred feet straight down below us. We’re looking at a butte that comes into the photograph from the middle right and leads the eye to the upper left. It isn’t a a large butte, and quickly comes to a narrow spire. Just before the butte is a smaller one with two spires that come to points. The sun is streaming in from the left, lighting up the left side of the buttes and leaving the right sides in shadows. The buttes jut into a valley, and beyond that, more buttes rise, forming the valley. As far as the eye can see, and we can see very far away, there are more buttes fading into the distance. The Henry Mountains are barely visible on the left side of the photograph. The sky has some sweeping clouds that form a gentle swirl, almost rising from the top of the butte before us. The swirl sweeps from right to left, creating a nice counterpoint in the photograph. There are purple tones in the clouds and just a scrap of blue.

Sunrise: Marlboro.

The sun will rise tomorrow, and we will be OK.

#photography #landscape #southwest

The arch of the Milky Way soars over hoodoos. We’re standing in and among hoodoos, which rise beside and before us. These hoodoos vary from a few feet tall to well over 40 feet. We’re actually standing on top of a hoodoo to give us a little more perspective. There’s a wide open area that leads from left to right, and on the right side it turns and heads deeper into the wilderness. The path is white rock, which many people mistake for snow. That’s easy to do because it’s night. The hoodoos are generally white with a reddish-colored rock, a cap rock, on top. So, the foreground is mostly white with some red-colored right. The highlight is the Milky Way. The Milky Way’s core is at the right, and the arch goes from right to left. There’s some airglow, which provides some yellow and green coloration at the horizon. You can faintly see Barnard’s Loop at the top right, but only if you squint. At the left, the arch heads into white light. This is light pollution from the drilling rigs and is completely impossible to avoid. The best you can do is minimize it, and even that is exceptionally difficult to do.

Bisti Deep

The stars light our way. Onward, we go.

#newmexico #bisti #astrophotography

A waterfall tumbles over a stone ledge and into a stream while being surrounded by fall color. We’re looking straight into the small waterfall, which is about one hundred yards away. There is a reasonable amount of water, not too much and more than a trickle, The stream ends at a mossy-covered stone wall, and the water pours over the stone, making the waterfall. It’s just under twenty feet tall. From there, the water flows toward us in a rocky covered stream. The waterfall is framed by trees in full autumn color. The waterfall is left of center of the opening in the leaves, providing some interesting dynamic tension. The leaves are predominantly yellow, but there are lots of shades of orange and even a few reds in there. Some of the bushes in the front are green, so the entire scene is very colorful.

Secret Fall

The secret is to keep moving and keep finding beauty

#nature #landscape #autumn

A spire juts up from a ridge in a valley floor at night. There’s a lot going on in this seemingly simple photograph. First off is the spire. This is a dark piece of rock that rises 75’ feet or so from the top of a ridge. Its sides are smooth as can be and there are a couple of bands of different color rock around it. The top is thinner than the bottom, but only because it looks like some of the side near the top broke off long ago. There’s a second, much smaller spire to the left of the main spire, but it is only a few feet, maybe 20' or so, high. There is a ridge that the spire sits on, entering from the bottom of the photograph, and with its sides sloping left and right. The ridge ends at the spire. There’s a pathway on top of the ridge where people have walked out to the spire. And believe you me, a lot of people have walked out there. Tons. And walked everywhere, messing up a really pristine landscape. Sigh. But I digress. Beyond the ridge the valley continues off to the left and is surrounded by high walls of rock, or at least, what passes for rock here. It’s more loose and way crumbly something. If I was a geologist, which I am not, I could tell you what it is, but suffice it to say it isn’t all that solid, but at least it can form high walls. Oh, and the photograph was made at night. You can see stars in a deep blue sky, and everything else, except the spire, is a pale and ghostly. This places doesn’t have much color in the day to begin with, and at night, forget it. The spire is dark, so makes a nice, and in fact, the only contrast, with everything else.

Dark Spire.

There is always a path out of the darkness.

#photography #landscape #utah #nature #night

A close up view of aspen trunks in peak fall color. There are about a dozen or so aspens that dominate the frame of this photograph. Behind them are the golden leaves of other aspens, so the photograph is trunks in the foreground and leaves behind. You can see the forest floor which has some forms and other growth you typically find. What make this special, though, are the trunks themselves. They are all curved, bending to the right. The curve starts near the bottom, bends to the right, then the trunk straightens back out and go up and out of frame. The overall effect is that the aspens are dancing. There are other aspen trunks in the far background—these are all straight.

Dancing Aspens

Dance, and spread joy

#photography #aspens #joy

That's a really well-done photograph! Love the moodiness of it

Thank you very, very much!

Those are awesome!

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