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Morning Fire

Tuba City, Arizona I have been interested in photography for many years, but I starting taking the craft more seriously as my 2014 New Years resolution. This photo was the first one I captured after I re-committed myself to photography. I was walking home from work one chilly morning when I noticed the sun just starting to peak up behind this particularly interesting tree. There were just enough clouds in the sky to convince me that this was going to be a very special sunrise, so I ran home and grabbed my camera. I snapped a single, mildly under-exposed image to capture all the color detail in the clouds then finished editing the image in Lightroom. I intentionally pushed the colors to a surreal place; mainly as a representation of the intense wonder and excitement I felt after snapping this image. Morning fire is the photo that re-ignited my passion for photography. This image will always be special and meaningful to me, which is why I have chosen it as as my business brand and logo. Here’s to sticking with resolutions! Image Code: A001

Inferior to Stars

Court of the Patriarchs Zion National Park, Utah It can be very difficult to create black and white shots that are truly compelling. Without the use of color, the photographer must find an exceptionally strong composition to make the image really stand out. The funny thing is, some images have such a strong compositional structure that color can actually stand in the way of the image, thus it works better as a black and white. I captured this particular image in Zion Canyon at close to midnight. Since I did not have a chance to properly scout a good location before sunset, I had to work very hard to find the right shot in almost total darkness. After a great deal of time, I finally found an amazing composition that I could really get excited about. I love how that lone tree almost drapes the mountain, and the softness I added in post-processing adds an almost ethereal mood to the image. Image Code: A005

Fight Like a Woman!

Cameron, Arizona As I write these stories, I am realizing that many of my favorite images have happened spontaneously and by luck! I was driving home one evening when the sunset became progressively more and more spectacular. By the time it started started producing exceptionally strong colors, I started frantically searching for the perfect foreground. Luckily for me, I noticed this beautiful mural right off the side of the road. I took three images handheld and blended the results together in Photomatix Pro to create this final image. I felt so fortunate to find the perfect foreground to compliment this sunset. Image Code: A004

Sacred Sites not for Sale!

Highway 89 Outside of Tuba City, Arizona Shooting the Milky Way requires a great deal of skill and patience. In order to get the best shot, you have to be in the best position at the right time of the month, at the perfect time of the year. In my case, when I took this image, I had absolutely no knowledge of shooting the Milky Way – it was sheer luck that allowed me to capture this scene. I was driving home from a photo trip in Yosemite and was in the final hours of a long, 13-hour drive. I was at the point of absolute exhaustion and could barely stay awake. I didn’t think I would make it home, so I got out and started shooting some night photography to wake myself up. I found this perfect foreground and began snapping long exposure shots, but I wasn’t getting great results. I was attempting to use my headlamp to “light paint” the mural on the right, but it wasn't creating a particularly nice image. The real magic happened completely by chance. Since this shed was on the side of the road, I thought that a passing car was going to ruin one of my shots. However, to my surprise, the headlights hit the shed at the perfect timing, creating just the right moody lighting that really brings this photo to life! Image Code: A003

Tonto's Flame

The Salt River Tonto National Forest, Arizona This is one of my all time favorite shots! I captured it while camping on the Salt River in Tonto national forest (northeast of Phoenix, Arizona). As I lay in my tent, I noticed the clouds start to “catch fire” with brilliant color. I sprang up and was lucky enough to find an interesting foreground right in front of me. I snapped two photos, one under-exposed to capture the detail in the sky and another overly bright to properly expose the foreground. I then blended the images together to create a photgraph with rich colors and a full dynamic range. I really appreciate the depth of color in this photo. I love the brilliant purples in the clouds and how they reflect so elegantly against the water. This photo reminds me of how important it is as a photographer to simply get out into nature as often as possible. You never know when conditions will be perfect for capturing that remarkably special, once in a lifetime photo. Image Code: A002

Nizhoni Tsin

Navajo National Monument Tsegi, Arizona With the right composition, black and white photos can spring alive with dynamism and creative spark! This aging, lonely juniper tree was the perfect foreground element and framing device of the beautiful canyons leading into Navajo National Monument. That in combination with the ominous moving clouds create the perfect mood that really adds personality to this photo Image Code: A009

Virgin Canyon

The Virgin River/Zion Canyon Zion National Park, Utah Zion has always been one of my favorite places, but the true magic of the park really shines during the most unlikely season – winter. That’s because there is only one road that takes you into the heart of the canyon, and it opens to the public at the tail end of fall. (From the spring till late fall, all visitors must take a complimentary shuttle bus into the canyon) When the road opens, photographers are free to explore the park on their own terms and chase the light through the canyon for the absolute best landscape images. On this particular winter excursion, I noticed this very interesting tree leaning over the road. I knew that bringing a wide-angle lens right up to the tree would allow a stunning composition of the beautiful Virgin River and the mouth of Zion Canyon. To me, the result was an engaging composition that helps to draw the viewer into the frame and experience just a taste of this marvelous canyons splendor. Image Code: A006

Sentinel Painting

Sentinel Bridge Yosemite National Park, California I love this photo because it almost reminds me more of a painting than a traditional photo. To me, the composition of the image is what really gives it life. Sentinel Bridge is a lovely location to shoot in an even more stunning national park. Some say that there are too many tourists in Yosemite National Park (and with over 4 million visitors every year, it can often feel crowded!) However, there are still places in the park where you can go and feel alone in the wilderness. Sentinel Bridge, and its surrounding fields, is one of those very special places. And here is a fun fact: if you hold this photo upside down it appears to have been shot at night! Image Code: A008

Golden Coast

La Jolla Cove San Diego, California San Diego is a beautiful and vibrant city with miles of beautiful coastline. The most beautiful coastline is, undoubtedly, along the affluent suburb of La Jolla. Almost every time I’ve been to there, the clouds have covered the perfect portion of the sky to produce some of the most mind-blowing sunsets I have ever seen. On this particular night, my wide angle 16-35mm F4 was the perfect lens to help expand the moss covered foreground to compliment this perfect sunset. I appreciate the building as it still ties the viewer into the understanding that stunning natural beauty can easily exist along side the city. Image Code: A011

Grasp the Moonlight

Capturing the moon is very difficult and, to be frank, I have never been a pro at it. During scouting, I noticed this very interesting tree and immediately knew it would make an absolutely perfect foreground element. I only needed something to help spice up the image a little more. So I came back to the location at night and was happy to realize there was a full moon. However, I could not capture the moon together with the tree and I really wanted this to be a single shot image (meaning I didn’t want to shoot separate exposures of the tree and moon then blend them in Photoshop). The best thing to do was to actually hide the moon behind the tree, and after a few attempts in adjusting my tripod, I finally found the perfect composition. Now the moon seemed to highlight the tree in a delicate, ethereal glow, which is so much more impactful than what I had originally envisioned for the photo. A long shutter speed was necessary for both drawing in enough light to expose the photo, but also because I noticed soft, almost transparent clouds moving across the sky. For clouds like these, a long exposure will transform them into long, silky streaks across the sky. This is one of my favorite effects to create in my images! The final touch was to shine my headlamp (which emits cool lighting) very quickly along the tree, then spend the remaining exposure time filling up the foreground with light. This “light painting” not only helps to brighten up the image but it also keeps the hard, front facing light source of the moon from effecting the rest of the image Image Code: A047

Pacific Fire

La Jolla Cove San Diego, California There is nothing quite like a beautiful sunset. As a photographer you must be prepared, experienced and knowledgeable of the proper techniques of photography. Otherwise, you won’t be able to capture the full impact of the sunset. This was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever experienced, and it was also one of the most successful I 've ever shot! I captured at least four “keeper” shots from this one sunset. Capturing this sunset required multiple shots, each being exposed for the sky, the foreground and the mid ground. By doing so, I was able to keep a full dynamic range between the bright colors in the sky and the darker foreground tones. Image Code: A012

Majestic Sea

Scripps Park La Jolla, San Diego, California If you have noticed, many of my favorite images have come the beaches of La Jolla in Beautiful San Diego. It is a simply stunning coastline and the number of amazing sunsets I've seen there is staggering. This image was captured by slightly slowing down the shutter speed and capturing the image at just the right time when the waves broke against the shore. The idea was to capture the waves as they drifted back into the sea, leaving behind blue, silky streaks. I took five shots and blended them together to create two separate HDR images, one that was focused on keeping the beach sharp and another with a sharp sky. The final images where then blended together in Photoshop with the use of layer masks. Image Code: A015

Nizhoni Teva

Bartlett Reservoir Carefree, Arizona I adore living in the southwest! I am a Michigan native, so I can’t complain about the almost non-existent winters here; but the true joy of the southwest is the scenery. The forested mountains, rivers, canyons and mesas of this beautiful land are simply enchanting to me and we have more beautiful sunsets than duds. However, the truly special things about the southwest are the cacti. There’s something so unique and special about them and, with an amazing sunset as a backdrop, they make amazing foregrounds! This shot was captured with a five-shot exposure bracket. The resulting images where then merged together as an HDR, but I kept the tones flat to preserve the natural colors in the image. The final result is brilliantly colorful but true to how I experienced the sunset in person. Image Code: A048

Schwabachers Landing Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Coast of Glory (Portrait)

La Jolla Cove San Diego, California During one of the best photographic sunsets of my life, I kept capturing shot after shot that was memorably exciting. By waiting until right after the sun had set beyond the horizon, the sky changed color to a deep purple hue, making for a beautiful image. In order to blur the motion of the water, I choose a slightly longer shutter speed than what my light meter was calling for. This helped to give the water some texture without totally blurring out the cresting waves in the background or the foam of the seawater in the foreground. Image Code: A043

Coast of Glory

La Jolla Cove San Diego, California During one of the best photographic sunsets of my life, I kept capturing shot after shot that was memorably exciting. By waiting until right after the sun had set beyond the horizon, the sky changed color to a deep purple hue, making for a beautiful image. In order to blur the motion of the water, I choose a slightly longer shutter speed than what my light meter was calling for. This helped to give the water some texture without totally blurring out the cresting waves in the background or the foam of the seawater in the foreground. Image Code: A014

Berg Kuh

The Obersalzberg Berchtesgaden, Bavaria The peacefulness and tranquility of this photo represents a return to peace in a beautiful area with a very dark history. Behind these friendly bovine, rests the infamous Obersalzberg. If you are not familiar with it, you may be interested to know that this mountain was one of the main headquarters for the Third Reich during World War 2. After his brief stint in German prison, a young Adolf Hitler spent the summer in a cabin on the these mountains and decided it would be a fitting place to establish his evil empire. During the Nazis’ reign, generational German families were forced from their homes on the mountain to make way for a sprawling Nazi complex, complete with an elaborate system of underground bunkers and tunnels. After World War 2, this beautiful place remained in allied hands until it was formally handed back over to the Bavarian government in the mid 1990’s. It is now a peaceful place whose majestic peaks and fascinating but cautionary history draw many tourists every year. The people are friendly and hospitable and the landscape is genuinely breathtaking. If you ever come to this very beautiful place, be sure to take a tour of the Obersalzberg and don’t forget to enjoy some famous Bavarian strudel! Image Code: A010

Sea of Clouds

La Jolla Coast San Diego, California Long exposure photography is technique of holding the camera lens open for an unusually long period of time. The average shutter click can be anywhere from 1/250 to 1/8000 of a second! This is what allows a photographer to freeze a subject and “capture a moment in time” At times, you may want to capture a more unique image; this is when using a long shutter speed and blurring motion can really come in handy! This method of photography can be incredibly fun to play with – especially with flowing water! By waiting for the moment juuust before a large wave crashed against the rocks and holding the shutter open until it drifted back into the sea, I was able to create a unique and ethereal image. When I have shown this picture to friends and family, they are actually confused as to where I took it! Some are not sure if this was captured by the ocean, or if I snapped a picture of a sunset from outside a plane window! This is the style of photography that inspires me the most! When you can create surreal images that were still based on natural objects! It is the magic and art of photography that help the doors of creativity fly open! Image Code: A046

Bathed in Light

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona The Grand Canyon has truly earned its title of a natural wonder of our world. But seeing the Grand Canyon from the rim is one thing; to actually experience the canyon in all it’s glory one must actually hike down into it. This is the only way to truly appreciate the scale and diverse beauty of this miracle of nature. I, however, am not keen of schlepping expensive and very heavy camera equipment into the canyon, so I have to make my images count while on the rim. This image doesn’t feature a particularly beautiful sunset since there were no clouds to reflect and enhance the light. So I had to be more creative with my composition. After scouting the location, I found a lone tree on the edge of the canyon and knew I had found the perfect foreground. Nine bracketed exposures caught the entire shift in light throughout the entire frame. These shots helped expose the back of the canyon but also captured the golden light bathing the foreground. Notice how the light drapes softly across the canyon and helps draw the viewer into a sense of the depth of the canyon. In addition to this, placing the sun behind the tree was an effective way to highlight the sunset without overwhelming the frame with excessive light. Image Code: A024

Heaven is a Place!

San Juan National Forest Outside of Telluride, Colorado San Juan national forest is a truly beautiful (and often overlooked) scenic area. This land was once home to the Ute people, but is now occupied by skiers and friendly mountain folk. The landscape is stunning and often difficult to capture, as it’s hard for photos to do it real justice. But, sometimes when the lighting is just right, one may be so fortunate to capture a photo that represents at least a fraction of this lands exquisite beauty. This image was captured as a nine image set of bracketed exposures, then carefully blended together to bring out all the dynamic range that existed in the scenes natural state Image Code: A007

Bavarian Noir

Wallgau, Bavaria Germany is a genuinely amazing place to visit, and Bavaria is the icing on the cake! The people are friendly, the food is outstanding, and the scenic beauty is breathtaking. I am a sucker for mountains, so I’ve always wanted to spend time touring the Alps. I captured this shot last fall on a two-week road trip I took alone through the European Alps. I simply rented a car and wandered around the mountains, stopping at cafes to eat and spending the night at any bed and breakfast I could find. The mountains absolutely domineer the landscape and offer countless photo opportunities for anyone willing to venture out into them. Image Code: A037

Her Majesty's Valley

Valley View Yosemite National Park, California When visiting Yosemite National Park, it is easy to become overwhelmed by its beauty. Being surrounded by so much scenic artistry can leave a photographer feeling lost as to where the photo shoot should start! If you should ever feel the same way, go to “Valley View”. It is, arguably, the best shooting location in Yosemite. As the name suggests, it’s an area that offers a full view of Yosemite Valley, complete with the iconic rock faces that the park is known for. It is no wonder that this spot was one of the great Ansel Adams favorite shooting locations. There’s literally hundreds of waiting compositional possibilities for the photographer with a keen eye! For me, a simple log, grass shoots and the river placed just right in the frame was just what the image needed to compliment the magnificent background scene. Image Code: A026

Enchanted Sky

Highway 89 North of Flagstaff, Arizona Shooting the night sky can be a very fun photographic experience. You can get very creative in the way you capture your images, and the results can amaze you. When a photographer catches their first great nighttime shot, it’s a very exciting experience. I was driving home late one night and noticed there was no moon, which meant there’d be a good amount of stars in the sky. When attemptin astrophotography, it’s important to have a lens with an aperture of at least f2.8 to f4. That way you can soak up enough light to expose the image but avoid an overly long shutter speed. When photographing stars, long shutter speeds can distort the stars into oval shapes rather than pinpoint dots. That is because a long shutter speed will began to photograph the orbit of the earth and, thus, the movement of the stars. In this photo, my shutter speed was long enough to streak out the clouds across the night sky but not long enough to affect the stars too much. The result is an elegant and simple photo… and I just love the purple hue in those clouds! Image Code: A045

Mornings Glory

Lady Mountain Zion National Park, Utah Zion in the winter is the prime time to shoot the canyon – the visitors are few, the road is open to the public and the sunsets are stunning. The only problem is that it takes great dedication to get the shots because it can be down right FREEZING! I felt very fortunate to catch this shot. Limited cloud cover for the morning did mean that the sunrise was rather dull but, then again, there was nothing blocking the sun. This allowed Lady Mountain to become absolutely saturated in warm morning sunlight! With the complimenting tree framing the mountain, all the elements worked together nicely to make a pleasing image! Image Code: A019

Capitán in the Light

Valley View Yosemite National Park, California El Capitán stands looming in the background, with the first rays of the setting sun shining against its face. The Yosemite creek flows gently through the valley; it is hard to imagine this tiny vein of water carving out this valley. The rule of thirds is an important tool in photographic composition, and it came in handy with this photo. The idea is to split your frame into imaginary thirds, then compose with the main subjects at the intersecting lines. It helps to create a more pleasing image. In this case, the logs help to draw the eye up into the image where it ends at the plateau of El Cap, drenched in sunlight Image Code: A030

Peace Returns...

Obersalzburg Berchtesgaden, Bavaria If you were to picture Bavaria in your mind, you would probably be close to what Berchtesgaden is actually like in real life. Towering mountains, cows grazing along grassy hillsides and winding mountain roads are all part of the beautiful reality of Bavaria. My time here was spent drifting along hairpin turns and leisurely snapping photos of all the amazing sites I saw. There were so many stunning vistas around every corner that I hardly had to plan a single shot; each one happened spontaneously as I stumbled upon more and more beautiful scenery. This single shot required almost no post processing and that is understandable: some scenes are too perfect in their own right to make any change whatsoever. Image Code: A090

Glory of the Heavens

Sylvenstein Dam Vorderriss, Bavaria On of my favorite things to do is explore new places, especially when I am doing so in a foreign country! There is nothing quite like the thrill of driving through an unfamiliar land, driving up any random road that looks interesting and being surprised by what you find. With todays technology, it has never been more easy to do this! Exploring with an iPhone and Google maps may seem like “cheating”, but it can be very rewarding if you use them to push yourself farther than you'd go with just a simple map. When I was in Bavaria last fall, I was simply driving along any road that looked interesting, but when I started hitting closed roads due to construction, I needed to whip out my trusty map app to guide me back on track. I started following any road on the map that looked interesting and found a very rural looking path along a lake. So I figured “why not”. It turned out to be a path along Sylvenstein dam, an incredibly beautiful area that I would have never found on my own. Yet, despite the beautiful scenery, the truly special moment came when the sun started peaking through the clouds, creating these beautiful sunrays. I quickly got out of my car and sprinted across the dam to get into position and catch the fleeting light rays before they were gone forever. You can only imagine the sigh of relief I produced when I realized that I'd successfully captured the glorious scene before me! Image Code: A036

Fall Reflections

Stoney Creek Metropolitan Park Shelby, Michigan As a Michigan native, I have always been enamored by fall colors – it is truly one of the perks to living in the Midwest. This simple photo is an example of how the photography gear is not what makes the photograph; it is the composition that trumps almost everything else. This photo was taken with a very inexpensive camera and lens (a Nikon D3000 with the kit lens, which can be purchased together for under 300$). It doesn’t matter though, because I will always look at this photo as being one of the best I’ve captured. This is simply due to the compositional elements that help make it a unique and impactful image. I captured this image when I was first learning photography, and I will never forget the sense of excitement I felt when this composition caught my eye and I was able to capture it effectively. Image Code: A013

A Ride into the Clouds

Grindelwald, Switzerland Switzerland is a marvelous and enchanting country. However, the first time I visited, a layer of thick clouds blanketed the entire nation! It was so bad I couldn’t even see a single, beautiful peak. In fact, during my travels I befriended an Israeli tourist and we questioned amongst ourselves “aren’t there supposed to be mountains here?” Luckily, on my second trip to Switzerland the weather was perfect and I was able to to really enjoy the scenery. After over a week on the road I decided to rest in Grindelwald for a few days. This town is almost like the Swiss version of Telluride, a sleepy village nestled between towering peaks. During my time in town, I didn’t have any major shoots planned; I was merely relaxing and enjoying the alpine views surrounding me. I snapped this photo while leisurely riding one of those famous Swiss cable cars up to a mountains peak. Luckily for me, I brought my camera along and when the cable cars window framed the mountain so perfectly I was able to capture this shot! However, my luck with the weather quickly changed. After I snapped this image, I noticed the cable car was carrying me up into a pea-soup thick wall of clouds! By the time we entered into the clouds, I could barely see ten feet in front of my face. Hey, at least this time I actually got to see and photograph those beautiful peaks! Image Code: A038

Guð skapaði þetta

Skógafoss, Southern Iceland Second place info I love Iceland, and I have always been interested in visiting this nation since most of my favorite musical bands are Icelandic. It is an incredibly safe country to visit; you can just rent a car and explore the countryside with total confidence. The people are friendly and the landscape is simply stunning. The common story is that Iceland was given its name to trick the Vikings into avoiding it in favor of Greenland, hoping that the name was representative of the scenery. In actuality the Norwegian explorer Floki named Iceland simply because of an unusually harsh winter he endured upon first discovering the Island. The story goes that at one point, Floki climbed a mountain and looked out over the land only to see it completely covered with ice. When spring arrived, he returned to Norway and as people asked him about the new land he simply said something along the lines of “oh, it’s nothing but an ice land… don’t bother going there”. In time, the Vikings ended up migrating there anyways and the name stuck. In truth, Floki merely had a terrible first impression of Iceland because, in actuality, it really is a beautifully lush country– full of rolling green hills and glorious mountains. I spent a week traveling across the nation, and there were very few places that could even come close to being considered less than scenically dramatic and beautiful. Plus, with not many more that 300,000 people living there (most living in and around Reykjavik), traveling the country roads truly gives you a sensation of peaceful solitude in nature. This should truly be on the bucket list of everyone interested in international travel! Image Code: A049

Molton Barn Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Calm Fjords

Høyanger, Norway The time I spent in Norway was profoundly special. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the Scandinavian nations. In Norway the beautiful landscape are only matched by the overwhelming kindness of the Norwegian people. I spent over a week alone and traveling the nation in a rental car, driving along tranquil fjords, climbing up switchbacks through the mountains and exploring the quaint towns and villages dotted across the countryside. This photo closely represents my memories of Norway: peaceful, beautiful and calm. Image Code: A050

Pour Light Through the Mountains!

Valley View Yosemite National Park, California From this prime shooting location in the stunning Yosemite Valley, it is incredibly easy to find countless compositional possibilities. The trick is to get to your location at least one hour before sunset to allow enough time in finding the best shot. Select your composition, then wait for the sun to set just enough until it projects its light strongly onto the mountains. Be sure to have a strong foreground element, and consider using a longer shutter speed to give the water a glassy surface! Image Code: A027

Flowers Grave

Førde, Norway I will never forget my time in Norway. It was before I started taking my photography as seriously as I do now, so I only captured a few “keepers” while there. I had flown into the country alone, rented a car and began touring the countryside (this is how I prefer to travel). After a couple days on the road, the skies filled up with thick clouds and it poured rain for well over a day. When I set forth on the ferry north of Bergen, I was feeling pretty bummed over the weather. To my delight, as soon as the ferry landed on the other end of one of Norway’s many fjords, the clouds broke and the sun brilliantly shined through! In life, there are precious memories that you will never forget. I will never forget that evening I drove along Norway’s fjords listening to ambient music and soaking up the beautiful scenery. As a photographer, we tend prefer two times of the day to shoot – either one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset. We call it “The Golden Hour” because it is when the sun is at just the right position to cast the best light on the land. The great thing about southern Norway is that, due to the longitude of the nation, the sun never fully sets and stays at the golden hour position for hours and hours! Image Code: A049

Glow of Mondsee

Mondsee, Austria I have recently learned that I LOVE to travel spontaneously and without plans. In the past, I have been a thorough trip planner, almost to an excessive point. Last fall, I planned a road trip through the European Alps down to almost the second! It seemed like a good idea because; hey… planning is good, right? The problem came when I realized that I hadn’t planned for what I would do if I didn’t like what I’d planned! Case in point, I’d planned a day to drive up to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. I had heard that it was a beautiful, rustic old village (one of the oldest in Europe) so I figured I’d give it a shot. The landscape was pretty, but when I rolled into town from the southwest corner, I accidently drove through a very creepy looking gypsy camp. I’ve had problems with Romanian Gypsies in the past, so it automatically left a bad taste in my mouth. When I got into the city center, the whole town gave off a weird vibe and I just wasn’t “feeling it”. So I decided to turn back into Austria, where I’d come. Now, I had abandoned my plans (including my lodging for the night in a Czech hostel) so I had no idea where I would stay that night. I was throwing caution to the wind. So, I just started burning down the highway, jamming my way towards Salzburg. On the way, I was struck by a beautiful sunset and pulled over. By the time I climbed to higher ground for a better view, I missed the best part of the sunset, but I noticed the sun setting above a beautiful little town along the lake, at the base of a mountain. I decided to explore this town and discovered a nice little bed and breakfast for an affordable cost. I felt so proud of myself in being able to accomplish this alone. After I settled into my room, I decided to go out and explore the lake for some interesting shots. I found this dock and began snapping off long exposure shots until I grabbed the image I wanted. So, for me, this image represents that experience of adapting to ones surroundings and being rewarded for it Image Code: A096

Flow of the Red Rocks

Red Rock Crossing Sedona, Arizona Red Rock crossing is probably the most beautiful spots in one of the most beautiful places on Earth: Sedona, Arizona. My wonderful girlfriend grew up walking distance from this majestic place, and I can't even imagine what it would be like to call this majestic area your back yard through childhood! As a photographer, this beautiful location offers countless possibilities for amazing compositions, making it one of the most photogenic landscapes in the nation (and maybe even the world?) No exaggeration! Every time I go back to this location, I find more and more interesting ways to compose and frame the landscape. This photo was taken on my first trip to Red Rock Crossing. By using a neutral density filter (a piece of dark glass that sits in front of the lens and blocks out light) I was able to slow the shutter speed to six seconds – enough time to blur the rivers motion. Image Code: A020

Coast of Glory

Scripps Park La Jolla, San Diego There is nothing quite like a beautiful sunset. As a photographer you must be prepared, experienced and knowledgeable of the proper techniques of photography. Otherwise, you won’t be able to capture the full impact of the sunset. This was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever experienced, and it was also one of the most successful I 've ever shot! I captured at least four “keeper” shots from this one sunset. Capturing this sunset required multiple shots, each being exposed for the sky, the foreground and the mid ground. By doing so, I was able to keep a full dynamic range between the bright colors in the sky and the darker foreground tones. Image Code: A041

Ch’il Bíláhtah Nizhóní

Crested Butte, Colorado The title (pronounced: chill-bi-li-tah-ni-zho-nee) of this photo is in Navajo and roughly translates to “Beautiful Flower”. These delicate flowers along the mountainside in beautiful Crested Butte, Colorado are the perfect foreground for this dramatic sky. The mountain flowers of Colorado come for but a season, but add even more beauty to an already amazing landscape! To capture this shot, I had to ensure two things: 1. That my shutter speed was fast enough to freeze the flowers flowing in the breeze 2. To make sure that I exposed the image to the highest degree in the foreground without over exposing the sky. The resulting image was then completed in Lightroom by pulling back the highlights and increasing the shadow exposure. Image Code: A031

Silky Flow

Red Rock Crossing Sedona, Arizona When photographing Red Rock Crossing, it is very helpful to bring a pair of waders… or at least a change of clothes in case you get wet. That’s because there are so many fascinating compositions available, but the best ones can be found by exploring in the river on foot. In this shot I set my tripod between these two rocks and used a neutral density filter to allow a long shutter speed, blurring the waters motion. By waiting for the perfect moment when the setting sun washed Cathedral Rock in light, I had captured an image that became a real keeper. Image Code: A021

Behold! A Watchman!

The Watchman Mountain Zion National Park, Utah The final light of day shown on the great watchman mountain, highlighting its dramatic power over the landscape! The Watchman is a fitting name for this mountain. It stands prominently at the gate of the parks main entrance – like a protecting force, welcoming in all visitors. The powerful Virgin River flows through Zion canyon and past the foot of the watchman, and acts as a strong foreground for the image. This is a prime spot for photography and it is directly off the road near the parks entrance. Don't miss this amazing shooting location! Image Code: A091

Purple Mountains Majesty

Sunshine Mountain San Juan National Forest, Colorado I took this photo right on the cusp of spring. At the time, there was still a considerable amount of snow in the forests, especially on Sunshine Mountain in the background. The resulting photo out of the camera was rather dull, underexposed and lifeless. As a photographer, I messed up by shooting the image too dark. However, the scene itself was quite stunning, so I knew there was still a great photo hidden within the file. This is where the magic of post processing comes in, or as photographers call it: the digital darkroom. Sometimes a photo exudes beauty right from the camera and these are often the most exciting images to capture. However, in most cases, snapping the shutter is simply the first step of the photographic process. Post processing is often where the most creativity is poured into the final image. I spent a great deal of time working on this photo in Photoshop and Lightroom, drawing out the color in the clouds, correcting white balance and adjusting the exposure. The end result was dramatically different than what I had initially captured! This is one of the things that I love so much about digital photography. Most times the image can stand on its own without post-processing. But sometimes the photographer has to know when to peel away the uninteresting layers of the digital file to uncover a beautiful photo underneath! Image Code: A025

Sempervirens

Add place of photo here Second place info Sequoia trees are special life forms. They live for millennia, can grow as wide as a small house and they’re majestically beautiful beyond words. For me, I have a deeply personal connection with these trees because I used to live in one of their cousins, the coastal Redwoods. In my younger days, I was an environmental activist, and part of our protest was to keep the very last of the Redwoods from being logged out of existence. Part of that protest required us to live hundreds of feet up in the trees at all times. The logic was that a logger could not cut these extremely precious trees down without cutting us down with them. The tactic was highly effective. So, you can understand why I would have a deeply spiritual and personal connection with Redwoods and Sequoias. I can tell you what it is like to sit in the canopy of a tree like this, and I can tell you what it is like to actually call a tree "friend". Because of this, I am still working to capture the perfect photo of these beautiful giants. This photo represents being one step closer in that journey. I got up before dawn and entered into the Mariposa Grove in Southern Yosemite National park well before dawn. I was searching for the perfect composition, but wasn't having much luck. Suddenly, I walked past a sunbeam that shot into my eyes and realized I’d stumbled upon the perfect first light location! I set up my tripod as fast as I could, positioned my camera, set my ISO as low as it could go, stopped down my lens f22 and snapped a single shot. When I saw the resulting photo I literally shouted out in joy! (This got me a couple of funny looks from people around me). I had captured the scene perfectly exposed in one shot; it was a good feeling! (Note: To capture the sunburst, there are two things you have to keep in mind. First, the sunburst will be the most pronounced when the sun is is either peaking past something. It could be a thick cloud, the horizon or as in this case, a tree. This helps to project the light and accentuate the sunburst effect. Secondly, stop down your lens to f16, f18 or f22. Imagine squinting your eyes towards a street lamp and seeing a burst pattern in the light, this essentially works the same way when a camera lens is set to a low aperture. It creates a smaller hole for the camera to see through, similar to squinting) Image Code: A028

Temple of the Sun

Red Rock Crossing Sedona, Arizona Patient photographers will be rewarded with incredible shots at Red Rock Crossing. After finding the perfect composition (in an area with almost countless possibilities) it is all a matter of waiting for the right lighting. In this case, the suns illumination of Cathedral Rock was the perfect time to snap the shutter and capture this beautiful image. Image Code: A022

Mondsee Mood

Mondsee, Austria I have recently learned that I LOVE to travel spontaneously, without plans. In the past, I have been a thorough trip planner, almost to an excessive point. Last fall, I planned a road trip through the European Alps down to almost the second! It seemed like a good idea because; hey… planning is good, right? The problem came when I realized that I hadn’t planned for what I would do if I didn’t end up liking what I’d planned! Case in point, I’d planned a day to drive up to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. I had heard that it was a beautiful, rustic old village (one of the oldest in Europe) so I figured I’d give it a shot. The landscape was pretty, but when I rolled into town from the southwest corner, I accidently drove through a very creepy looking gypsy camp. I’ve had problems with Romanian Gypsies in the past, so it automatically left a bad taste in my mouth. When I got into the city center, the whole town gave off a weird vibe and I just wasn’t “feeling it”. So I decided to turn back into Austria, where I’d come. Now, I had abandoned my plans (including my lodging for the night in a Czech hostel) so I had no idea where I would stay that night. I was throwing caution to the wind. So, I just started burning down the highway, jamming my way towards Salzburg. On the way, I was struck by a beautiful sunset and pulled over. By the time I climbed to higher ground for a better view, I missed the best part of the sunset, but I noticed the sun setting above a beautiful little town along the lake, at the base of a mountain. I decided to explore this town and discovered a nice little bed and breakfast for an affordable cost. I felt so proud of myself in being able to accomplish such a thing alone. After I settled into my room, I decided to go out and explore the lake for some interesting shots. I found this dock and began snapping off long exposure shots until I grabbed the image I wanted. So, for me, this image represents that experience of adapting to ones surroundings and being rewarded for it Image Code: A095

Depth of the Mountains

Gunnison National Forest Outside of Crested Butte, Colorado Flower season in the Colorado Rockies is a prime season for photography, not to be missed. However, shooting flowered landscapes can be challenging on a full frame camera. The only way to capture a sharp image with a close foreground and distant background is through a process known as “Focus Stacking”. The technique involves taking multiple images, focused at different points in the scene then blending them together in Photoshop. By blending together only the sharpest areas of each image, you can create a photo of tack sharp focus from foreground to background. Image Code: A032

The Trees Clap Their Hands in Joy!

Mariposa Grove Yosemite National Park, California “You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!” Photographing the Sequoias can be challenging. You have to wait for just the right amount of light, and you have to be in an area of the forest where the sun can shine through the trees. In this shot, the flowers help to establish a nice foreground, highlighting the majestic trees as they soaked up the morning light. The only thing lacking is a person standing next to the trees so the viewer can have an idea of just how massive these giants really are! Image Code: A029

Usher in the Winter

San Juan National Forest North of Ouray, Colorado San Juan National forest is a place that’s sometimes beyond words. The road that leads through the heart of the San Juan Mountains offers little room for sight seeing. This formidable road named "The Million Dollar Highway" (Highway 550) climbs to an elevation above 12,000 feet, and it does so clinging to the edge of the mountains! In spots along the switchbacks, there’s little more than 6-inches of shoulder between your car and a long plummet down the mountain! Despite this, it’s a drive that is not to be missed. In the time I spent living around the four corners area of Arizona and Colorado, the San Juan Mountains were my playground. I explored these mountains every chance I got, and I thought I had seen it all. One day, I was sitting in my car at a pullout along the road when a woman loudly knocked on my window. It scared the daylights out of me, but she nonetheless asked if I had seen the waterfall that was right outside my car. I had no idea such a waterfall existed even though I’d been up this road countless times. When I investigated, sure enough there was a beautiful waterfall hidden between the mountains! I couldn't believe I had never noticed it before! I knew a wide angel lens with a long exposure was the most ideal way to capture the falls, mountains and changing aspen trees all in the same frame. Even the overcast clouds couldn't ruin this shot! They actually helped add to the chilly feeling of fall and the landscape ushering in the wintertime! Image Code: A040

Fore Fathers Flowers

Creasted Butte, Colorado If you’ve never been to Crested Butte, you really must set some time out of your schedule to go there! It’s a small town nestled in the mountains and there is no shortage of shooting locations that can yield some really amazing shots! I visited Crested Butte on the Forth of July last year, and decided to get into a good location for the fireworks early. While I waited for the sun to set, I noticed some beautiful wildflowers off the side of the road (after all, Creasted butte is the wild flower capital of Colorado). With my foreground discovered, I still wanted to keep the town in the shot to highlight the natural beauty that surrounds it. In order to get the homes and mountains sharp along with the flower, I needed to take multiple focused images, and then blend them in Photoshop. This yielded an image that is sharp from foreground to background. Image Code: A093