Boundary Water Canoe Area – Summer 2013

August 11, 2013August 11, 2013

Few quick shots from our family vacation in the Boundary Water Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota. We go up there every year, and while it isn’t typically a photography trip for me, I did manage to sneak away to take a few images this year.

Busy April…New Images On the Way

May 4, 2013May 4, 2013

I had a really busy April, travelling all over the West Coast I saw some amazing locations and got a lot of good scouting in for future trips. The weather was great for backpacking even if it wasn’t as dynamic as I normally like for photos.

Some of the breathtaking locations I visited:
Big Sur, CA – Waterfalls, beaches, and poison oak…2 out of 3 isn’t bad…
Yosemite, CA – Awesome snow while I was there…
Olympic Peninsula, WA – Remote beaches
Crater Lake, OR – First time snow shoeing and snow camping! I’ll be doing a lot more of that in the future!
Columbia River Gorge, OR – More waterfalls

Look for some new images soon!

Trip Reports: Pacific Northwest

May 17, 2012July 9, 2012

Finally have my images up from a week long backpacking trip in the Pacific Northwest. We spent half the week on the Olympic Coast in Northwest Washington and the other half visiting waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Visited some really great locations and had amazing weather!

Ruby Beach, Washington, WA, Pacific Northwest, Starfish — Starfish cling to a rock at low tide on Ruby Beach.

Shi Shi Beach, Olympic Peninsula, Washington, WA, Morning, Sunrise, Beach — A beautiful morning on Shi Shi beach on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

Thor's Well, Oregon, Coast, Pacific Northwest, Ocean

Second Beach, WA, Washington, Beach, Reflection

Second Beach, Beach, Washington, WA — Moonset on Second Beach, WA.

Punchbowl Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, Portland

Ponytail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, OR

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, Waterfall — Backcountry waterfall in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge.

Hikers, Wahclella Falls, Oregon — HIkers enjoying the awe inspiring scenery in the Columbia River Gorge near Portland, OR.

Trip Reports: Death Valley & Lake Tahoe

April 22, 2012June 2, 2012

This spring I had the opportunity to visit Las Vegas for a conference. Figured while I was there I’d hit the area a few days early and do one of my typical photo blitz tours of a couple areas I’d never been to before. So a friend and I met up with one of my other long time friends and fellow photographer, Monte Trumbull, and we logged some windshield time!

Unfortunately the weather and conditions just didn’t cooperate at Death Valley. While I didn’t get any images, I still had a great time and got some good scouting in for future trips.

We left Death Valley heading for Lake Tahoe. Drove out of the desert and into a full on snowstorm for two days. I love being in the mountains when it’s snowing!

Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, California — Early morning light on a beautiful and serene Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe.

First light on the famous Bonsai Rock on Lake Tahoe.

Funny (almost not so funny) trip note: Always make sure you have gas when you’re in the middle of nowhere!

Heading into the mountains from Death Valley towards Lake Tahoe we encountered a full on snowstorm that was making blizzard conditions heading into the mountains. Pass closures forced us to make a detour. We coasted into a town (if you can call it that…) on vapors to the gas station that was on the GPS only to find out it was closed! Another small gas station in the town was out of gas because their fuel truck didn’t show up. The next town was 25 miles away. No way we would make it. Fortunately the owner sold us 5 gallons from his truck to the tune of $8 per gallon. Most expensive 5 gallons I’ve ever purchased, and worth every penny!

Trip Report: Southwest – Spring 2011

February 13, 2012February 13, 2012

A few images from my Spring 2011 trip to the Southwest. A whirlwind trip covering over 2000 miles on the road, 3 states, 3 National Parks, some backcountry camping, and a lot of bald blue skies! Even though the skies were less than ideal I had a great time showing one of my friends around and scouting some new locations for future visits.

Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona — Antelope Canyon is an amazing sight. The narrow slot canyons of sandstone are breathtaking to walk through. If you are there at the right time of day, at the right time of year, and in the right place, you will be treated to a spectacular light show as rays of light pierce down into the canyon. The sandstone glows as if it's on fire for just a few minutes as the sun passes directly overhead.

Wahweap Hoodoos, Utah, Backcountry, Tents — We hiked nine miles into the backcountry to some hoodoos I had scouted on a previous trip. We had some awesome clouds and wind, so I was hopeful I’d get the morning shot that had eluded me on my previous attempt. Unfortunately by morning, all the clouds had blown away and the shot I had been planning escaped my grasp.

Storm, Cheyenne, Nevada — As we were returning to Vegas the dynamic weather I had been looking for all week finally showed up. It continued to taunt me as we left the area to the point where I finally had to get out of the car and take a quick shot!