2021 Art Show Photos
A whole bunch of Glacier National Park was closed during my 2020 visit, but the short and beautiful Avalanche Creek hike (it's less than a mile … more of a stroll than a hike) was not. I went here first thing in the morning and got this shot. Most of the hike is on a boardwalk, which has good and bad implications. On the negative side of things, it makes taking long-exposure photographs from a tripod difficult, because people walking on the boardwalk twenty or more feet away can shake the boardwalk and make images blurry. It was a good thing I was there early, because later in the day, the boardwalk would certainly have been too busy for this shot to even have been possible. As it was, I had to wait something like 15 minutes in order to find the 15 or so seconds I needed to get this photo. But as often is the case in photography, my patience ended up paying off, and I was able to get this great photo that really shows just how blue glacial melt can be! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45, 40x60, 48x72, 54x80, 60x90
Glacier National Park is probably best-known for its (disappearing) glaciers, beautiful lakes, mountain vistas, and wildlife. But one other thing Glacier has to offer, and it's something I've never seen anywhere else, is the assortment of multicolored river rocks found along the shores of Lake McDonald, as well as in and along McDonald Creek. When the rocks are dry, they tend to be a grayish brown color, but when they are wet, their beauty truly shines. Purples, blues, and reds appear like magic. While the composition of this shot was easy, it took a bit more work to capture than one might think. I took this photo along the shores of Lake McDonald, and I had to fill up a jug with water from the lake and spill it on the rocks. It was a hot day, though, so I had to keep running back and forth from the lake to the rocks to keep them wet, because they kept drying off before I was able to get the shot I wanted! Eventually it all worked out, though, and I got this awesome shot. I shot at f/22, which produced the many sunstars seen throughout the photo. Nope, it isn't a filter! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
My 2020 visit to Glacier National Park was, because of COVID, limited to the western portion of the Park. I'd hoped to explore some portions of the Park I'd never visited before, but I guess I'll have to save that for another trip. Fortunately, there's no shortage of things to see and do, even when one is limited to accessing only about half of Glacier, and one of the more easily accessible parts of the western side is Lake McDonald and McDonald Creek. There are beautiful rocks that line the shores and bed of Lake McDonald and McDonald Creek, and they are t wonderful subject for nature photography. I took this photo shooting almost directly downward through a few inches of rapidly moving water in McDonald Creek, and love how abstract and strange-looking it turned out. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
Marmots and pikas are among my favorite animals to photograph. I'm sure part of that comes from my having grown up an hour from Rocky Mountain National Park, in northern Colorado, so I have many fond memories of seeing them as a kid. When you encounter them in areas frequented by large numbers of tourists, they tend to be easy to photograph, since they are accustomed to people gawking at them. One of the best places I know of to photograph these animals, which inhabit high mountain tundras, is along Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road – a spectacular two-lane road that takes one over the continental divide and reaches a peak elevation of 12,183 feet. I'd gone up Trail Ridge Road shortly before sunset one evening in the summer of 2020 in order to take some landscape photos, but when I reached the location from which I intended to shoot, I heard a little squeak less than ten feet away. I glanced down and saw this adorable pika. He paid me no heed, but scampered about, collecting grasses and occasionally squeaking at god-knows-what. This photo makes it seem like he was there for the same reason as I was – to enjoy the sunset. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
Perhaps the busiest trails in Colorado's spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park are those around Bear Lake. My favorite of these trails gives one access to a series of higher and higher elevation mountain lakes – first Nymph, then Dream, and finally Emerald Lake. On a summer 2020 camping trip to RMNP, I tried to photograph these lakes at sunset, but the lighting wasn't great, so I set my alarm for 4AM the following day in order to reach Dream Lake (the prettiest of the three, in my opinion) before the sun came up. I took photos from a few angles and with different foregrounds, and most of them were landscape format, as opposed to portrait. Mountain reflection shots tend to work better as landscapes or panoramas than as portraits, but, having found a location that allowed me to keep both the top and reflection of Hallet Peak (left, elevation 12,713) in frame, as well as some trees in the foreground, I got this portrait-format photo that may work better to hang on certain walls. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24, 24x30, 30x40, 40x50, 48x60, 60x75.
I spent less than 24 hours in South Dakota's Badlands National Park during the summer of 2020. This allowed me one sunset and one sunrise for photography. I was extraordinarily lucky to have such perfect conditions at sunrise, when I was photographed the Yellow Mounds area of Badlands. Direct, horizontal sunlight plus clouds above always makes for great landscape lighting. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
In the midst of 2020's Coronavirus lockdown, a brief but powerful blizzard blew through northern Colorado, where I live. I don't typically spend much time in my home state during this time of year, but there was a quarantine in place, so, there I was. I used the opportunity, shortly after the snow stopped falling, to drive out to the farmland north of where I live, and photograph some of the country draped in white. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 72x36, 72x36 Triptych (3 x 24x36).
Middle Caicos Island is home to less than 300 people. Admittedly, at less than 60 square miles, it is tiny – one can drive from one side to the other (on the only road) in less than half an hour. This means that there are plenty of “private” beaches for anyone who visits. I took this photo at Bambarra Beach, which, when I visited, I had to share with a horde of roughly ten other people. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
Talk about isolated! Google Maps doesn't even show a name for the beach at which I took this photo, and I'm not giving up my secrets this easily. I'll say that it's on Middle Caicos Island – drive around and explore there, yourself, and you'll find many beaches like this. I literally did not see a single person for the hour or so I spent here. White sand, blue skies, fluffy clouds, turquoise waters – what else do you need? Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48), 162x54 Triptych (3 x 54x54), 180x60 Triptych (3 x 60x60).
Talk about isolated! Google Maps doesn't even show a name for the beach at which I took this photo, and I'm not giving up my secrets this easily. I'll say that it's on Middle Caicos Island – drive around and explore there, yourself, and you'll find many beaches like this. I literally did not see a single person for the hour or so I spent here. White sand, blue skies, fluffy clouds, turquoise waters – what else do you need? Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
I only spent a few days on the Turks and Caicos islands, and as had been the case on many of the trips I'd gone on preceding this one, the weather wasn't exactly ideal for most of my time there. I was, however, lucky enough to be wandering the beach at Grace Bay on the evening of one nice sunset, and this was the shot I got. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
Bald eagles are one of my favorite wildlife recovery stories. In a world filled with constant news of new animals being put on the endangered list, or going outright extinct, it is nice to see that human policy can have a positive impact and bring a population of animals back from the edge of extinction. I took this photo in Yellowstone National Park. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B):12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
I took this photo in Yellowstone National Park in early 2020, and the thermometer in the car I arrived in read twenty degrees below zero. The coldest place I've ever been … yet. But I was dressed appropriately and felt plenty warm. I guess this big bison did, too. He seemed unfazed by the cold. Bison are fun animals to photograph any time of year, but there's something special about shooting them in the winter with a snowy background. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 10x8, 14x11, 20x16, 24x20, 30x24, 40x30, 50x40, 60x48, 75x60.
I took this photo in Yellowstone National Park in early 2020, and the thermometer in the car I arrived in read twenty degrees below zero. The coldest place I've ever been … yet. But I was dressed appropriately and felt plenty warm. I guess this big bison did, too. He seemed unfazed by the cold. Bison are fun animals to photograph any time of year, but there's something special about shooting them in the winter with a snowy background. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45, 40x60, 48x72.
When I went to Chiang May, in northern Thailand in early 2020, I only did a tiny bit of advance research, and in so doing, found a mountain temple called Doi Inthanon that I knew I wanted to visit. Unfortunately, it was going to be somewhat difficult to reach independently, and especially so if I wanted to be there at sunrise. I'd only packed for warm weather on this trip, and was accordingly unprepared for the 2-hour ride, in the middle of the night, on my rented scooter, to increasingly high elevations in decreasingly bearable (i.e. cold – something I didn't know existed in Thailand) temperatures. I had to stop on multiple occasions to bring feeling back to my frozen hands. But the view I got here makes all that suffering, at least in retrospect, completely worth it. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
Wat Phantao, the temple shown here, was perhaps my biggest photographic surprise when visiting Chiang Mai, Thailand, in early 2020. It isn't a particularly famous site, and I didn't even plan on visiting, but as I was wandering through town, I came across a relatively nondescript temple entry, and came inside to find this. The hanging yellow fabric and white lights make the whole thing feel like a fairy tale. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48, 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48), 135x54 Triptych (3 x 45x54), 150x60 Triptych (3 x 50x60).
The “Marble Caves,” located on General Carrera Lake in Chilean Patagonia, are accessible only by boat, and I believe motorized boat traffic is restricted in some way. At least, I didn't see any power boats cruising around when I kayaked to the Marble Caves. And they remain something of a secret spot – as of mid-2020, the “Marble Caves” don't have a Wikipedia entry! Some of this has to do with how remote and inaccessible they are. But if you ever find yourself near Chile Chico, on the Argentina / Chile border in Patagonia, do yourself a favor and check them out! Truly a sight to behold! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40.
My early 2020 trip to Patagonia was intended to be a photographic journey through some of the most beautiful and monumental scenery on the planet. And there's no doubt that it ticked those boxes. But I brought my gigantic wildlife lens with me as well, and hoped that I might see some animals here or there along the way. I ended up pleasantly surprised with the amount and variety of wildlife images I was able to capture on this trip, and perhaps my favorite wildlife encounter was with this young red fox I saw while on the road to Argentina's spectacular Perito Moreno glacier. He wasn't at all shy, and when I laid down on the (lightly-traveled) road to the glacier in order to shoot at eye-level, he seemed almost as interested in me as I was in him, thus allowing me to get this image of him seemingly staring directly into my eyes. I could have sat and watched him for days! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24, 24x30.
My early 2020 trip to Patagonia was intended to be a photographic journey through some of the most beautiful and monumental scenery on the planet. And there's no doubt that it ticked those boxes. But I brought my gigantic wildlife lens with me as well, and hoped that I might see some animals here or there along the way. I ended up pleasantly surprised with the amount and variety of wildlife images I was able to capture on this trip, and perhaps my favorite wildlife encounter was with this young red fox I saw while on the road to Argentina's spectacular Perito Moreno glacier. He wasn't at all shy, and when I laid down on the (lightly-traveled) road to the glacier in order to shoot at eye-level, he seemed almost as interested in me as I was in him, thus allowing me to get this image of him seemingly staring directly into my eyes. I could have sat and watched him for days! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 10x8, 14x11, 20x16, 24x20, 30x24, 40x30.
I was lucky enough to spend a few days before and after January 1, 2020, in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. It is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places on the planet, and the highlight for any photographer is the eponymous Torres del Paine mountains. A visitor to the park can find endless ways to frame these spectacular peaks, and constantly changing weather, lighting, foregrounds, and seasons means one could spend a lifetime here and not see everything. This was the last image I took of these majestic mountains, and looking at it now, I'm already yearning to the day I'm able to return. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 72x36, 72x36 Triptych (3 x 24x36), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48), 108x54, 108x54 Triptych (3 x 36x54), 120x60, 120x60 Triptych (3 x 40x60).
Who knew there were flamingos in Patagonia?! I sure didn't, so it came as a surprise when I saw these three beautiful birds at Lago Azul in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. I remember thinking, “...this can't be real...” when I hit the shutter and got this shot. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45, 40x60, 48x72, 54x80, 60x90.
I took this photo on January 1, 2020, and remember thinking that if I were to post it online, I'd get bombarded with people saying it must be fake. And I would understand people thinking as much. As if the mountains in the back of the photo weren't enough, there's a field of multicolored lupines in the foreground so thick that it's almost impossible to see the leaves and grass underneath. C'mon?! How can this possibly exist? Well, it does, and it can be found in one of the most amazing places I've ever been – Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54.
Southern Chile's Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. And the crowds aren't terrible there, either. I was the only one here, at Cascado Rio Paine, on the morning of January 1, 2020, when I got this photo at sunrise. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48, 80x54, 90x60.
The beauty of the mountains in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park cannot be overstated. Their elevation, however, comes as a surprise to many. Looking at these peaks, one might assume they stand at 10, 15, or even 20,000 feet in elevation. The highest peak in Torres del Paine, surprisingly, reaches only 9,462 feet, while Cuerno Principal, shown on the left in this photo, stands less than 7,000 feet above sea level. Take a look at some of my other Torres del Paine photos, and see if you can figure out which peak this is! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30, 60x40, 72x48.
