Backlight
Backlight
The Story Behind This Photograph:
Taken at Minaret Vista in Mammoth Lakes, Sierra Nevada, California on September 3rd, 2016
The Emerald Mirror
The Emerald Mirror
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken at 3rd Lake, North Fork Big Pine Creek, Eastern Sierra, California on July 1st, 2016
On an overnight backpacking trip to Temple Crag I was treated to a fantastically vibrant light show. The crazy pink and purple hues of sunset mingled with the deep turquoise waters of Third Lake to produce nearly a full rainbow of colors.
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Plummet
Plummet
The Story Behind This Photograph:
Taken at Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park on May 17th, 2017
In late May 2017 I spent a few days in Yosemite Valley and everything I’d heard about the waterfalls this year was true. There was water everywhere, the meadows were all flooded, and there were ephemeral falls I’d never seen before. One day I hiked up to vantage point on the east side of Upper Yosemite Falls and noticed that when the wind was absent comets of water would plummet all the way from the top of falls 1400′ to dash on the rocks below. In order to capture this image I knew I wanted a tight frame, so chose my 70-200mm lens. I also knew I’d need a very fast shutter speed to freeze the water in place, so increased my ISO.
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Sierra Waves
Sierra Waves
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken at Upper Cathedral Lake in Yosemite National Park on May 3rd, 2014
This was a tough photo to get. Mostly because I was under-prepared. I trudged the four miles in to this spot sans snowshoes, postholing nearly every step and soaking my boots in the process. I brought just enough clothing to deal with the 10 degree F temps, which didn’t mean I was comfortable, just not frozen.
In the morning, when I had finally drifted off to a shivery sleep, I almost didn’t get out of bed because I quick glance out my tent flap told me it was overcast. It wasn’t until my eyes (and brain) focused a little more that I realized I wasn’t looking at gray skies, but rather a huge Sierra wave cloud that had formed above Cathedral Peak and the rest of the Sierra crest.
I quickly donned my snow gear, grabbed my camera, and crunched down to the frozen shore of Upper Cathedral Lake, where this beautiful wave of blue ice mirrored the cloud above.
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Rock Garden
Rock Garden
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken in the Marie Lakes basin, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Eastern Sierra, California, on July 3rd, 2013
This night’s shoot held a little bit of insanity for me. There were beautiful clouds lighting up in every direction, starting from an hour before sunset. There were small ponds, reflecting pools, waterfalls, and cascades everywhere I looked and choosing one composition from among them was a virtually impossible task. On top of that, there were thousands of mosquitoes out, buzzing with hunger at the dawn of the high country spring. I hadn’t seen any bears or deer out, so it was safe to assume that I was the most mouth-watering, blood-filled mammal around for miles. As the horde descended upon me I lost my mind a little bit and in between shots I was leaping from side to side, spinning in circles, and slapping myself silly in an attempt to avoid their buzzing and biting. After awhile I gave up, focused on the photography, and let the mozzies do their thing. After all, bug bites fade, photos do not.
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Pot O’ Golden Sand
Pot O’ Golden Sand
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken in Death Valley National Park, California, on November 17th, 2012
Yes, it does actually rain from time to time in Death Valley.
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Zebra-skie Point
Zebra-skie Point
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken from Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, on November 17th, 2012
Zabriskie Point showcases some of the most interesting textures and forms in Death Valley, especially when painted with stripes by the rising sun.
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A Leaping Heart
A Leaping Heart
The Story Behind This Photograph:
Taken at Little Lakes Valley, Sierra Nevada, California on July 9th, 2014
“Oh how the heart leaps and beats when you choose a course of action that nourishes the soul.” – Socrates Johnson.
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Burst of Life
Burst of Life
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken at Death Valley National Park, California on March 5th, 2016
Death Valley, despite its name, is actually a place bursting with life. Every spring wildflowers bloom throughout the park, and there is a surprising variety of plants in the different regions. In spring of 2016 that flowering life was demonstrated grandly as the previous fall’s flooding helped set the stage for a profusion of wildflowers.
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Hospitable
Hospitable
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken in Death Valley National Park, California, March 5th, 2016
Just when you go and think a landscape is totally inhospitable and incapable of supporting life, something like this happens to surprise you. Just goes to show, it’s hospitable after all, given the right conditions.
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Apocalypse Wow
Apocalypse Wow
Behind the Scenes of this Photo
Taken at Death Valley National Park , March 5th, 2016
During Death Valley’s 2016 super bloom I was driving somewhat aimlessly around the park looking for patches of flowers. Spying a good clump about 1,000 feet from the road I popped on my flip flops and padded out into the sand to check them out. Needless to say I was stoked to discover a large playa shot through with fractured chunks of mud adjacent to the flowers. After sunset the wind whipped the blue hour clouds into a fury of undulating textures and shapes and it was all I could to keep the drool from pouring out of my mouth onto the camera.
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All the B’s
Behind the scenes of this photo
Taken at Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park , December 4th, 2015
Oh Death Valley, you bizarre bastion of badlands and briny bounty, you bake, you boil, and you bonk me on the head with your big, bold beauty. Badwater Basin, officially the hottest place on Earth.
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