Boulder Brook I
Rocky Mountain National Park is full of rushing waters and lush green undergrowth this time of year. And I love wandering along the cascades in search of intimate compositions of the streams, wildflowers and other foliage. I arrived just after sunrise and a partly cloudy sky produced mostly diffused light for several hours. The Boulder Brook Trail was empty and quiet at this time in the morning and I enjoyed a leisurely climb up the fairly steep and strenuous trail. Some of the wildflowers are starting to decorate the stream’s edge and the forest floor. But many species …

Sunrise light spills into the Bryce Canyon amphitheater – seen from the aptly named Inspiration Point.

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Bryce Canyon Predawn from Inspiration Point.
After spending several days in Zion National Park, I headed up to Bryce Canyon National Park for a quick visit. It was a treat to have such wonderful cloud-filled skies for both sunrise and sunset. I’ll be posting more images from this trip in the next week.

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The Temple of Sinawava in Zion National Park – toned B&W…

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Towers of the Virgin Pre-dawn, Zion National Park. Just before sunrise, light glows on the West Temple, the Sundial, Temple of the Virgin and the Altar of Sacrifice.
This is a popular sunrise location for photographers, just behind the Zion Museum near the west entrance of the park. I shot here on two consecutive mornings and there were at least 15 other photographers on both days. But I’m very glad I came back for a second morning because the clouds made for a gorgeous sky.

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After spending most of the day hiking and photographing the iconic locations of Left Fork Canyon, including Archangel Fall and the Subway, I was eager for a bit of solitude. I found this nice little spot just a short, prickly bush-wack from the road.  I enjoyed the cool, rustling breeze and the slow progression of the light fading into night all by my lonesome… Ahhhh, so nice. Its ironic that after all the fantastic locations I visited on this one day in Zion National Park, this little known view, from an even lesser known viewpoint, might just be the one …

This is my favorite image from my recent trip to Left Fork and the Subway in Zion National Park.

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The Subway is a must see/shoot for any landscape and nature photographer. Located away from the main part of the park in Left Fork Canyon, the entire hike is rugged and beautiful with numerous waterfalls and great fall foliage. In fact, I spent more than 4 hours stopping and photographing various scenes in Left Fork Canyon before even reaching the Subway. The Subway formation itself and the surrounding pools of turquoise colored water are a like candy for the eye. Its pure magic how the afternoon light illuminates the tunnel walls contrasting with the red rock, cool water and colors …

The Narrows in Zion National Park is certainly one of the most unique hikes in the National Park system and arguably one of the most scenic. The Virgin River carves an incredibly steep and beautiful canyon, and the bouncing, reflecting light is sublime. I spent over 7 hours hiking and photographing in ankle to knee deep water with my good friend Erik Stensland. We had a fantastic time exploring all the way up to Big Springs and back. Here’s some images from the day…

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Mystery Canyon Falls streams down a canyon face to the Virgin River in The Narrows of Zion National Park.
At first glance, this image looked pretty normal, but something about its simplicity struck me. Then, as looked harder, the image became a little more difficult to pin down. The leaves almost appear to be floating upwards. They’re not, of course; they’re clinging to the canyon wall. But that illusion draws my eye towards the top of the image where the water takes hold and drags me back down to the calm, glassy surface of the river. The subtle, diagonal cut in …