This past February we flew down to Arizona for our annual visit. We usually try to get out and do a little sightseeing/hiking, and this trip we decided to drive up to the Salt River north of Mesa.
Salt River Adventure
Arizona 2016
We made our annual trip to visit my parents in February. Aside from playing tennis every day, I did manage to get out to Sonoran Desert National Monument once again to enjoy some golden-hour shooting. Here are a few images from that evening.
Stillaguamish River Sunset
It was the first day of my August trip to Washington State. I was staying with my long-time childhood friend, Jeff, who was generously showing me some of his favorite Washington scenery. What I saw on that first day alone has me wanting to go back.
Garden of the Gods Juniper Tree
Driving home from my Colorado Workshop in October, I planned on staying the night in Colorado Springs. As I entered the city in late afternoon, I was closely watching the road signs for hotels to investigate. Instead, I noticed a sign for the "Garden of the Gods" city park. Sounds like a good detour!
West Beckwith Mountain
One of the many beautiful locations we shot on my Colorado Workshop back in October was this view of West Beckwith Mountain in the Gunnison National Forest. The mountain rises to 12,041 feet above sea level and as you can see, this past October it was surrounded by an amazing display of color.
Mount Rainier Over Reflection Lake
In August I went to Washington (another gift from my fantastic wife!) for a Photo Tour of Mount Rainier National Park. One of the highlights of the tour was a sunrise shoot of the mountain reflected in the appropriately-named Reflection Lake.
Autumn Aspens in Colorado
A few weeks ago I attended a photography workshop in Colorado and it was an amazing display of brilliant yellow aspens. The instructors were Ian Plant and George Stocking, two of my favorite nature photographers. Here are a few images from a beautiful aspen forest we visited one morning.
Ocotillo with Crescent Moon
In addition to the Grand Canyon visit, our recent trip to Arizona also included an evening at the Peralta Trail area. By the time we arrived at the trailhead, the sun was already behind Superstition Mountain, rendering the whole area in shade. We headed back down the long gravel road which yielded a few good opportunities for flowering cacti and silhouettes.
Lipan Point, Grand Canyon
How can you make a unique image from a place that everyone has seen depicted in photographs hundreds of times? I think that it's an example of one of the supreme challenges of photography: Making the best of the situation and scene in front of you, at that moment in time, all while trying to imbue your own artistic imprint.
Sunday Morning Blue and Gray
Marly and I recently spent a Sunday morning at Blue and Gray Park just east of Lee's Summit, Missouri. The recent snowstorms had left a sticky layer of snow that was still partially adhering to the sides of the trees. Here are a few shots from that morning.