It had been a very long time since I visited Caddo Lake on the Texas/Louisiana border. In fact, my last time there, I was in the Boy Scouts on a multi-day canoe trip. Since then, it has gained massive popularity with photographers seeking fall color on the bayou. I was no different. Camping and kayaking with my cousin for two days was, as always, a great time and fun adventure. I managed to make a quick video and take a few photographs I'm happy with. Had I only not messed up my camera settings to shoot JPEG instead of RAW!
After a few days of fishing with work friends out of Island Park, ID, we found ourselves with some time to kill before our flight home. So, off we went for a quick visit to Yellowstone National Park. We only had time to hit Old Faithful and Midway Geyser Basin. Here are a few photos I made using my iPhone.
Spent a few days working in Billings, Montana in late July/early August. Taking advantage of summer sunset times, after work, I raced down here for some adventure. What a cool, sacred place Petroglyph Canyon is. Much respect for the ancient ones whose art adorns the canyon.
Rock Goblin
The Path of the Ancient Ones
Lake Clark National Park (Alaska) - wow! It did not disappoint. Daughter (Skye), my cousin and his wife spent an amazing day on Crescent Lake in mid-July. The water and wildlife were second to none. This makes "Dad and Daughter Trip" Number Four to see an Alaskan national park. This one will be hard to beat.
Early June 2024. Another great climb up Mount Hood. No summit on this day but still a wonderful time. Rock fall, ice fall, and climbers falling had me go as far as "Devil's Kitchen", altitude 10,154'.
Climbers ascending "the old chute"
Climber (me) happy to be in "the devil's kitchen".
What a night! May 10, 2024 finally delivered the Aurora Borealis to Washington state (USA) and many other states not normally associated with the phenomenon. Earth encountered a geomagnetic storm not seen since 2003. Lucky for us here in the Seattle area, the skies were clear and the moon was just a sliver. While cameras caught the lights quite well, they were seen easily with the naked eye.
Springtime for Pacific Northwest hikers brings limited options for those who want to avoid sloppy, melting snow conditions, which is why Hells Canyon (Oregon/Idaho/Washington) makes a great choice. There was no snow to speak of and the mountains were green. My two-night, fifteen mile solo trek was just what the doctor ordered.
Looking north up Hells Canyon (Idaho side)
Looking south down Hells Canyon at dusk (Idaho side)
A rare sunny weekend in February was forecast for the Washington coast, so a friend and I decided to go camping on Second Beach in Olympic National Park. He made a fire out of wet wood, and I made this video. I enjoyed the fire, and I hope you enjoy the video.
from the north end of Second Beach
Sand Wave
A typical backyard scene in early January in Anchorage, Alaska. Cold temperatures and heavy snowfall apparently bring moose into the city where access to food is easier.
I took what has become an annual national park "boys trip" the week of Thanksgiving. This time wives came, which was a good thing because they're awesome. We visited Channels Islands National Park (a few pics and video below) and Pinnacles National Park (two pics below) - both in California. The hiking, kayaking, and wildlife viewing were great. Island fox, island scrub jay, common dolphins, and humpback whales all showed themselves at CINP. At Pinnacles we caught glimpses of the endangered California condor. I won't soon forget this adventure.
island scrub jay
island fox
California condor I
In late September I took a solo backpacking trip to the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon. It was a beautiful seven hour drive. I chose the Wallowas because I heard they had far less foot traffic than the Cascades. True! On my hike up to Ice Lake, I saw a dog-walker and a couple of day hikers. Nobody was camped at Ice Lake except for me. Maybe they knew something I didn't. The weather was about to change before my very eyes - from sun to clouds to fog and then to snow. While camping in light snow is no problem, hiking any farther up posed serious risks. So I headed back down after one night. It was still a great trip. Check out "Ice Lake" in my Water gallery for an image from this trip.
I've been fortunate enough to have a day job that has me travel to some wonderful places like Alaska. So for the third year in a row, my daughter and I have been able to extend my work trip with some personal time. This year we went to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Wow! What an amazing place... possibly my favorite national park so far. Below are two videos that document a couple of our highlights from that trip. Also below are a few of my favorite still shots taken from the airplane.
Late June 2023, six of us tackled Oregon's highest mountain - Mount Hood. Blessed with great weather, we had 360º of amazing scenery. Below is the vlog from that climb / snowboarding & skiing adventure. The image of Mt. Hood was shot on my Pentax 67 using Rollei Infrared film.
Mid-May in the PNW is a mixed bag of weather. On this night, I knew it could be special - the day after an uncommon thunderstorm and the sky still held lingering high clouds. With sunset close to 9pm - late enough for me to do my after-work routine, but early enough for me not to be in bed - I climbed on my roof with my tripod, camera, and long lens. This is what I got.
"rooftop afterglow" (a sliver of commencement bay and the olympic mountains in the distance)
I wasn't about to let another spring come and go without checking out wildflower season in Central or Eastern Washington. So I picked "Whiskey Dick Mountain" to hike mainly because of reports I read that there were lots of wildflowers and Simpson's hedgehog cactus could be found off the trail. Would I find them and would they be in bloom? I drove the 2 1/4 hours to find out. Oh, by the way, I had no "keepers" from this trip or at least no images that would wind up in my portfolio.... an enjoyable outing nonetheless.
I had to travel to Las Vegas in late March for a work conference. So what did this self-described national park junkie do? I made the 4 1/2 hour drive up to Great Basin National Park. While most of the park was still "closed" (inaccessible by car), there was still plenty to do. Snowshoeing and exploring the Lehman Caves was how I spent my time. Well worth it.
ely, nevada
a snowy desert scene
I love a road trip, so when I decided to make the 301 mile trek from Las Vegas to Great Basin National Park, I didn't mind. I knew there would be plenty to see. Cathedral Gorge was definitely a stop I wanted to make along the way. So glad I did as it was one of the best state parks I've visited! The photographic opportunities were endless - it was a pity I only had about 2 hours there and in harsh midday light.
Took a quick side trip to the Columbia River Gorge while i was working in Portland and was able to walk away with these images of Latourell Falls. Using one of my favorite medium format cameras, I loaded it with Kodak Gold 200 to see how it would look in a landscape setting on a flat light day. The image below on the right is the result of that experiment.
One of my favorite film cameras - Yashica Mat 124G
Lightly post-processed image - Kodak Gold 200 film stock
Obsessed with visiting as many US National Parks that I can before taking a long dirt nap, my wife and i visited Yosemite in early February. Well after the summer and fall crowds and just before the crowds that gather for "firefall", we were able to have some wonderful quiet moments together in an amazing setting. Like other recent trips, this one was not all about the photography. But while I did bring my new digital camera (Nikon Z7 ii), of the few images I snapped, my favorites were made on film with my the Yashica Mat 124G. Those images can be seen in the Yashica section of my film gallery.
In a departure from the family's annual winter trip to a snowy locale, this past year we opted for a trip to a warmer climate. Baja California Sur was a blast. No, I didn't come away with what I would call a "portfolio-grade image", but it was well worth not having to worry about photography and just be present. (I did manage to piece together a few smart phone shots though.)
atop Mt. Solmar
a Cardon cactus (not a Saguaro)
Having never been to North Dakota and wanting to add another national park to my list of visited parks, I headed out from Billings, Montana, where I had finished up with a work trip, and drove the 4.5 hours to Theodore Roosevelt National Park outside of Medora, North Dakota. It was quite cold and windy, but I didn't mind because it kept the crowds down and the animals active. Bison, White-tailed deer, elk, porcupine, and "wild" (feral) horses all made an appearance. To see a portfolio-grade image from this trip check out "Ball of Confusion" in my Contours gallery.
White-tailed Deer
North American Porcupine
Bull Elk
This past November, I met a family member who shares my love of national parks in El Paso, Texas. From there we drove up to White Sands National Park in New Mexico, spent the morning in the dunes, and then drove south through mountainous West Texas to Big Bend National Park on the Texas-Mexico border. Here are the accompanying vlogs and a few images from those extraordinary places. They don't do the parks justice.
Walking on the Alkali Flat Trail | White Sands National Park
Where Ansel Adams Stood (Santa Elena Canyon) | Big Bend National Park
Flew to Billings, Montana for a work trip; took three extra days to drive to Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, Wind Cave National Park and Badlands National Park, both in South Dakota. Made a side trip to see the yet-to-be-finished Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore, both also in South Dakota. Fast but fun.
Recently went on an amazing trip to Kenai Fjords National Park with my daughter. We were in Anchorage during the week for a work trip, but then drove the 2+ hours to Seward for the weekend. Below is a short video from that trip as well as a few images I made from the boat tour we took.
Took a quick trip recently to Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. I didn't know what to expect because one doesn't hear a lot of hype about it. Still, it didn't fail to impress. Below is a look at a few of the hikes I did there. To see an image from that trip check out "Pines of the Painted Dunes" in my Night, Light, and Long Exposure gallery
Here's a six minute video I made of my whirlwind trip to two eastern U.S. national parks: Cuyahoga Valley and New River Gorge. Both exceeded my expectations; I just wish I had more time to spend at them than the two days I did. To see a couple of images from this trip, check out "Blue Hen Falls" and "Up the Creek" in my water gallery.
From a sunset shoot at some interesting lava rock tide pools on the Big Island of Hawai'i. The waves chased me back several times, but I managed to stay dry. The results from that shoot were "Drain of the Pacific" and "Tide Pool Timing" visible in my Water gallery.
Here's a four minute video I made while thru-hiking 22 miles on the Enchantments Trail. Even though I took four cameras: a DLSR, a Yashica Mat 124g, a DJI pocket 2, and a Super 8, I only managed to capture a couple images for my portfolio. See "Crystal Lake" here and "Dragon's gold" here. I guess the lesson would be that sometimes it's preferable to enjoy the moment without a camera weighing you down.
The annual balsamroot bloom happens in the Columbia River gorge sometime between mid-April to early May. I had been planning the shot "Columbia Hills" for over a year (I couldn't do it last year due to the pandemic.) I missed the peak bloom on this one by about a week, which is why I opted for a wider, more "grand vista" shot instead of a close-up foreground composition. It's also why I opted for a beverage like this one instead of water. Timing is important, but it isn't always everything. Cheers!
Some footage I captured in Seattle on my Canon Zoom 518-2 Super 8 film camera...
During the time of world pandemics, cheaper airfares, and smaller crowds, I decided to check out Death Valley National Park. Here are some behind-the-scenes images and a video to give you some extra flavor.
Zabriskie Point at Dawn
Blurry-eyed Masked Man
Racetrack Playa Base Camp
Just Your Average Death Valley Clone Trooper
I heard someone say that the worst thing about photography is photographers. I get it, but that's too pessimistic for me. After all, we're all there, presumably, to enjoy our surroundings and capture a beautiful scene. If we can smile and be friendly, and helpful, if needed, it makes the whole experience a better one. if we get into turf wars, and look down on the gear others have, that spoils the scene and can spoil the memory of the place. I took the two photos below the same night I took the picture at Thor's Well called "Where Gods Quench Their Thirst". We were all being well-behaved and focused on the sunset when I noticed that no one was paying any attention to what was going on behind us at the "Spouting Horn". note to self: don't always follow the crowd!
THor's well's crowd
Spouting horn spouting off
Our "high camp" on Mount Baker at about 7500' elevation here. we would leave at 2:30 am to attempt the summit (10,781'). we didn't make it. got to 9,000' and turned around due to time. Breaking fresh trail and poor visibility got the best of us this time, but we had a few fleeting moments of decent light, which allowed me to capture these images and "Snow Shadows I" and "Snow Shadows II". (photos taken June 12-13, 2020)
"High Camp" on Mount Baker
a couple of cheeky monkeys