keyword pages:  <  1  2  3  4  >  
< 22 of 33 >
"Mesa Arch Sunrise" March 2012, Canyonlands National Park, Utah Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon TS-E 17mm lens Mesa Arch is one of those iconic shots that every landscape photographer wants to add to his portfolio. With the proliferation of the internet comes hordes of photographers eager to place their tripod legs in the holes of those who went before them. Because of this, Mesa Arch is not an easy place to shoot. The problem with shooting this arch is that it is physically very small. It only looks large in photographs due to the use of wide angle lenses. This means that there is only room for 2 or 3 photographers to get the proper angle. Unfortunately, it is common to have anywhere from 20 to 50 people at the arch witnessing the sunrise. I have been trying for a couple of years to get this shot. I've been unsuccessful for various reasons including the arrival of tour buses, cloud cover on the horizon blocking the sunrise, or simply arriving too late to stake out my spot at the arch. This day I was determined to get the shot. I left my motel in Moab at 5:25 and arrived at the trailhead at 6:10 in complete darkness. Sunrise was not until 7:22. The good news is that I was the first one in the parking lot, so I planned on staying warm in my Xterra until the last possible moment. The temperature was in the 20's and I had no intention of starting the 10-minute hike to the arch until I had to. I hadn't been in the parking lot for 2 minutes when I heard the sound of another car approaching. The sun would not be rising for another 1 hour and ten minutes, and already other people were arriving. So it is at Mesa Arch. I quickly put on my backpack, left the comfort of my Xterra and began the hike to the arch with the aid of my headlamp. Just then the other car pulled into the parking lot. The sun rose right on schedule (funny how that works) and finally I got the shot that had eluded me. I was so caught up in the photographic process that I had not noticed that about 20 people were there to share this awesome sunrise with me. This was in March (off-season). I can only imagine what the crowds must be like in the summer time. Regardless, I finally got the shot, and it was worth the wait.
"Mono Lake and Paoha Island at Dawn" July 2009, Mono Lake, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 70-200 lens The dawn colors in this image are typical of this most photogenic of lakes. There is a reason why photographers from around the world are drawn to Mono Lake. You just have to be willing to get up early, especially in the summer months. I shot this at 5:32 am, about 20 minutes before sunrise. In the middle of the image Paoha Island can be seen coming in from the left.
"Dead Horse Point Sunrise" March 2012, Dead Horse Point, Utah Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens Dead Horse Point is located about 25 miles from Moab near the entrance to Utah's breathtaking Canyonlands National Park. This is where the famous scene from Thelma and Louise was filmed when the car is driven over the cliff at the end of the movie. The river is the Colorado, and it snakes its way to the Grand Canyon about 150 miles to the south. I've been to the much more famous Grand Canyon several times. Other than throngs of tourists, it has nothing on this place. Nothing.
"Green Street Panorama" August 2009, Bodie Ghost Town, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens This pre-dawn image of Bodie is looking east up Green Street towards Nevada. The Nevada border is only about 5 miles away. I shot this image a couple of hours before the park opens, just before sunrise. From spring through fall, The Friends of Bodie provide an opportunity for photographers to visit the park 2 hours before it opens and 2 hours after it closes. Known simply as "Photographer's Day", it is usually held the third saturday of the month. I took this shot on one such day, not having to worry about the throngs of visitors that typically visit Bodie. Be forwarned, however, Bodie lies at an elevation of 8300 feet. It can be VERY cold in the early morning hours, especially in the spring and fall. Even this mid-August morning had temps in the 30's.
"Bodie Panorama at Dawn" August 2009, Bodie Ghost Town, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens I shot this image a few minutes before sunrise. From spring through fall, The Friends of Bodie provide an opportunity for photographers to visit the park 2 hours before it opens and 2 hours after it closes. Known simply as "Photographer's Day", it is usually held the third saturday of the month. I took this shot on one such day, not having to worry about the throngs of visitors that typically visit Bodie. Be forwarned, however, Bodie lies at an elevation of 8300 feet. It can be VERY cold in the early morning hours, even in the middle of summer.
"Pastel Sunrise, Mono Lake" October 2010, Mono Lake, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens The delicate pastel colors in the dawn sky over Mono Lake appeared to me as though they had been painted by the hand of God Himself. The morning was unseasonably warm and utterly calm. No matter how much I may hate getting out of bed at 4:00am, I never regret it once I'm on location witnessing the first splashes of color in the eastern sky.
"The Ghosts of Mono Lake" October 2010, Mono Lake, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens This pre-dawn shot captures Mono Lake's mysterious nocturnal residents as they enjoy their last few minutes of freedom before sunrise. Before the harmful rays of daylight appear they will descend into the protective depths of the lake, only to re-emerge under the cover of the following night.
"Dawn High Above Mono Lake" October 2010, Mono Lake, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens I couldn't help but be amused by the ritual of early morning madness which was repeated on a daily basis at Mono Lake. Like clockwork, about 10 to 20 cars loaded with workshop photographers would converge on the tiny south tufa area about 45 minutes before sunrise. Each photographer would then hurry down the trail towards the tufa, hoping to stake out a better vantage point than the next guy. The south tufa area is quite small when compared with the massive dimensions of Mono Lake as a whole. It must have been virtually impossible for the workshop participants to get a decent shot without another photographer appearing in the image. I loathe workshops. I understand that they provide a service for their clients, but so does my dentist and I still don't like going to him. Sadly, I have learned over the years that my greatest enemy as a landscape photographer is not the wind, rain or freezing temperatures. Instead it is inconsiderate fellow photographers. Fortunately, there is an easy remedy for this problem. I simply go where they don't, or when they don't. This particular shot of Mono Lake was taken from a vantage point high in the mountains accessible only by a nasty 4WD road. I was on an exposed cliff subject to bitterly cold and capricious winds, but I had this magnificent vista all to myself. I was still amazed though when I would see an occasional flash go off thousands of feet below me from those poor souls scouring the south tufa.
"Mono Lake Sunrise" October 2004, Mono Lake, California Toyo 45AII, 360mm Nikkor-T lens, Kodak E100VS 4x5 film Mono Lake is well known for its spectacular sunrises and tufa formations. This serene October morning did not disappoint, providing exquisite colors both in the sky and on the surface of the lake. Shot with a 4x5 camera and cropped to a 2:1 panorama.
"Green Street Panorama"

August 2009, Bodie Ghost Town, California
Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens

This pre-dawn image of Bodie is looking east up Green Street towards Nevada. The Nevada border is only about 5 miles away.

I shot this image a couple of hours before the park opens, just before sunrise. From spring through fall, The Friends of Bodie provide an opportunity for photographers to visit the park 2 hours before it opens and 2 hours after it closes. Known simply as "Photographer's Day", it is usually held the third saturday of the month. I took this shot on one such day, not having to worry about the throngs of visitors that typically visit Bodie. Be forwarned, however, Bodie lies at an elevation of 8300 feet. It can be VERY cold in the early morning hours, especially in the spring and fall. Even this mid-August morning had temps in the 30's.
"Green Street Panorama" August 2009, Bodie Ghost Town, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens This pre-dawn image of Bodie is looking east up Green Street towards Nevada. The Nevada border is only about 5 miles away. I shot this image a couple of hours before the park opens, just before sunrise. From spring through fall, The Friends of Bodie provide an opportunity for photographers to visit the park 2 hours before it opens and 2 hours after it closes. Known simply as "Photographer's Day", it is usually held the third saturday of the month. I took this shot on one such day, not having to worry about the throngs of visitors that typically visit Bodie. Be forwarned, however, Bodie lies at an elevation of 8300 feet. It can be VERY cold in the early morning hours, especially in the spring and fall. Even this mid-August morning had temps in the 30's." href="javascript:openLB(1731057801,'',XLarge,'',1024,341);">"Green Street Panorama" August 2009, Bodie Ghost Town, California Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens This pre-dawn image of Bodie is looking east up Green Street towards Nevada. The Nevada border is only about 5 miles away. I shot this image a couple of hours before the park opens, just before sunrise. From spring through fall, The Friends of Bodie provide an opportunity for photographers to visit the park 2 hours before it opens and 2 hours after it closes. Known simply as "Photographer's Day", it is usually held the third saturday of the month. I took this shot on one such day, not having to worry about the throngs of visitors that typically visit Bodie. Be forwarned, however, Bodie lies at an elevation of 8300 feet. It can be VERY cold in the early morning hours, especially in the spring and fall. Even this mid-August morning had temps in the 30's.
"Green Street Panorama"

August 2009, Bodie Ghost Town, California
Canon EOS 5D MK2, Canon 24-70 lens

This pre-dawn image of Bodie is looking east up Green Street towards Nevada. The Nevada border is only about 5 miles away.

I shot this image a couple of hours before the park opens, just before sunrise. From spring through fall, The Friends of Bodie provide an opportunity for photographers to visit the park 2 hours before it opens and 2 hours after it closes. Known simply as "Photographer's Day", it is usually held the third saturday of the month. I took this shot on one such day, not having to worry about the throngs of visitors that typically visit Bodie. Be forwarned, however, Bodie lies at an elevation of 8300 feet. It can be VERY cold in the early morning hours, especially in the spring and fall. Even this mid-August morning had temps in the 30's.
See photo in original gallery.
keyword pages:  <  1  2  3  4  >  
< 22 of 33 >