Horizontal Panoramas
The Superstition Mountains, just east of Phoenix, Arizona, are beautiful and utterly unique. This formation is called the “Praying Hands,” and I took this photo as the sun was setting behind me, over my right shoulder, which illuminated the fingers of this incredible mountain formation in a spectacular orange light. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 50x20 Triptych (3 x 17x20), 60x24, 60x24 Triptych (3 x 20x24), 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48).
Capitol Butte (the largest mountain in this photo) and Coffee Pot Rock (on the far right side of this photo) are two of the largest buttes in the Sedona, Arizona area. The town of Sedona actually lies right at the base of these mountains, and if you look closely at the bottom of this photo, you'll see a couple buildings that mark the beginning of town, which I intentionally cut out in order to highlight the natural beauty of these spectacular mountains. Available in the following sizes (Panorama D): 40x10, 48x12, 64x16, 64x16 Triptych (3 x 21x16), 80x20, 80x20 Triptych (3 x 27x20), 96x24, 96x24 Triptych (3 x 32x24), 120x30 Triptych (3 x 40x30), 144x36 Triptych (3 x 48x36), 168x42 Triptych (3 x 56x42), 192x48 Triptych (3 x 64x48).
Tonto National Forest, east of Phoenix, Arizona, is a great place to explore desert beauty. This panorama of Usery Mountain, and the thousands of saguaro cacti in front of it, is typical of the region. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 48x16 Triptych (3 x 16x16), 60x20, 60x20 Triptych (3 x 20x20), 72x24, 72x24 Triptych (3 x 24x24), 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 126x42 Triptych (3 x 42x42).
Hraunfossar was my last planned photographic stop on my 2017 Iceland trip. Many – perhaps most – of the waterfalls I photographed while in Iceland were beautiful, in part due to their scale. They were frequently tall, and almost always involved huge quantities of water. Hraunfossar was the exact opposite, both short, and short on water, but as beautiful as any of the others. I love this shot because of the Autumn colors on display. It is kind of difficult to determine what, exactly, is happening in this photo, which is another reason I like it (and is the reason I call it Hraunfossar out of Context). Hraunfossar – see the entire picture in my photo “Hraunfossaar” - is a small cascade / waterfall that seems to come from nowhere. It is actually an underground river that comes to the surface just above another river, and it is at this point that it cascades down the rock walls as seen in this photo. Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48)
Hraunfossar was my last planned photographic stop on my 2017 Iceland trip. Many – perhaps most – of the waterfalls I photographed while in Iceland were beautiful, in part due to their scale. They were frequently tall, and almost always involved huge quantities of water. Hraunfossar was the exact opposite, but just as beautiful as any of the others. I also love this shot because of the Autumn colors on display. Without trees, it can be difficult to show fall colors. Hraunfossar provided a new and unique way for me to showcase both the beauty of a small waterfall and the changing of the seasons without having a single tree in the shot. Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48)
Most of the photos I took in Iceland were of particular, and frequently famous, named landmarks. This scene is not of a famous location, but it does a good job of encompassing many of the natural features that make Iceland so wonderful. In a single picture, one can see the black sand of a beach in the lower left, the yellow and green grasses that cover much of the island, some beautiful orange cliffs, as well as mountains in the back and a tiny portion of the enormous Vatnajokull ice field. This was taken on one of my last nights in the country, and it was a nice goodbye view … not to mention it was one of only three evenings with nice weather of the entire trip! Available in the following sizes:20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48)
Granni (meaning 'Neighbor', right) and Haifoss (meaning 'Tall Falls,' center) are, at roughly 375 feet high, two of the tallest waterfalls in Iceland. Seeing the two of them plus the canyon the water from them has carved out over the millenia made me feel smaller than any other attraction in Iceland. Some waterfalls in Iceland are so crowded that it kind of sucks the fun out of a visit. Granni and Haifoss are many miles off the main road, and one must take a 6-mile 4WD road to reach them. This means no crowds! I'm sure one day the road will be paved, and there will have to be guard rails and, probably, a coffee shop. But when I visited it in 2017, it was still relatively untouched, and an absolute joy to visit! Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35)
Although there are beautiful landscapes to be found throughout Iceland, on one of my last days in the country, I was in the Southwest, and not particularly close to any famous photo spots. Fortunately, the night before, I'd stumbled upon Urridafoss, a relatively unknown waterfall / cascade, and decided I'd come here for sunrise. Boy am I glad I did! Available in the following sizes: 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 48x16 Triptych (3 x 16x16), 60x20, 60x20 Triptych (3 x 20x20), 72x24, 72x24 Triptych (3 x 24x24), 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 126x42 Triptych (3 x 42x42), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48)
Skogafoss is another one of Iceland's most visited attractions. It is incredibly easy to reach, being just off the main road that goes around the country, and the walk to the falls from the parking lot is measured in feet, not miles. I was lucky to have good conditions when I was here. I'd seen faint rainbows at several different waterfalls I'd managed to shoot while traveling around the country for the preceding two weeks, but none as pronounced as the one I saw here. Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48)
Icelandic Mossy Rocks at Sunset
Finally, a sunset! Of my roughly three weeks in Iceland, I was treated to only three decent sunsets, and on one of the other two occasions, I wasn't in a good place to photograph it. So, when I saw the sky beginning to light up as I was driving back to the hotel for the night, I immediately began searching for a good place to shoot it from. I was lucky enough to find these moss-covered lava rocks that I'd shot the day before, in the middle of the day. At least I got one beautiful sunset! Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48)
I had no intention of stopping at Svinafellsjokull Glacier when I drove by it, but I saw a lot of cars turning and figured maybe everyone else knew something that I didn't, so I followed the herd, and I'm glad I did. There are many places where it is possible to see a glacier from far away, but not too many where one can access a glacier up close. I used a long-lens to zoom in and get all kinds of detail in the glacier. When I got home and did a bit of research on the location, I learned that it is where part of “Interstellar” was filmed. One can see why, as it does look otherworldly. Available in the following sizes: 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 50x20 Triptych (3 x 17x20), 60x24, 60x24 Triptych (3 x 20x24), 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48
I returned to Jokulsarlon Iceberg Lagoon for a non-existent sunrise the morning after I'd spent an almost non-existent sunset there. I was hoping for bright reds, oranges, pinks, and purples in the clouds above, but everything was fogged in. So, I tried to get some moodier shots, and this panorama is one of them that I liked a lot. Available in the following sizes: 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 50x20 Triptych (3 x 17x20), 60x24, 60x24 Triptych (3 x 20x24), 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 108x43 Triptych (3 x 36x43), 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48)
This is a different composition of another of my photos titled “Is This Earth?”, taken on a different day. This photo looks, to me, like it could just as easily have been taken on Mars as on Earth. It is strange how quickly landscapes change. Half an hour before I took this photo, I was driving through farm land. Half an hour later, I was in grass-filled prairie. Available in the following sizes: 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 50x20 Triptych (3 x 17x20), 60x24, 60x24 Triptych (3 x 20x24), 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48)
Taken several miles west of the village of Egilsstadir, in northeast Iceland, I saw the day's last light slowly disappearing over a hill, and quickly stopped the car with just enough time to get this shot. Less than a minute later, the entire hill was in shadow. Available in the following sizes: 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 48x16 Triptych (3 x 16x16), 60x20, 60x20 Triptych (3 x 20x20), 72x24, 72x24 Triptych (3 x 24x24), 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 126x42 Triptych (3 x 42x42), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48)
Selfoss, the waterfall shown here, is located in northern Iceland. Made up of dozens – perhaps hundreds – of smaller waterfalls, Selfoss falls only roughly 35 feet, but does so over the course of a hundred or more yards. Several hundred yards downstream lies the more accessible Dettifoss – the most powerful waterfall in Europe. I took some photos of this waterfall as well, but in this case, bigger wasn't better – at least in terms of photographic quality. Available in the following sizes: 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 50x20 Triptych (3 x 17x20), 60x24, 60x24 Triptych (3 x 20x24), 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42), 120x48 Triptych (3 x 40x48)
Most of the sites I visited in Iceland were well-marked on maps, roads, and tourist books. Reykjafoss, on the other hand, remains, for now, at least, a bit of a secret. I stayed at a farm the evening that I took this photo, and the owner of the property had told me about a little-known waterfall not far from his property. He gave me directions, and I came here for sunset. What a pleasant surprise it was! Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40)
Bolafjall is a 2,000 foot high, flat-topped mountain in Iceland's West Fjords. I took this photo from the top of Bolafjall, which, fortunately, can be reached by car, at sunrise in late September, 2017. I love the layers of rock that make up the mountain, as well as the mixture of colors present – the black and red soils, the green vegetation, the blue of the ocean and clouds, and the orange of the rising sun. Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48)
Kirkjufell – which translates to 'Church Mountain' – is one of the most photographed spots in Iceland. At 463 meters in height, it isn't tremendously tall, but its shape is quite unique. Kirkjufellfoss -literally 'Church Mountain Falls' – lies near the base of the mountain and, when put in the same frame as the mountain itself, forms one of the most pleasing compositions one could ever hope to find in nature. This shot was a tremendous challenge to capture, as the wind was really whipping as I took it, but I put my tripod low to the ground, blocked as much wind as I was able to, and crossed my fingers. Somehow, it all worked out! Available in the following sizes: 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 48x24 Triptych (3 x 16x24), 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30), 70x35, 70x35 Triptych (3 x 23x35), 80x40, 80x40 Triptych (3 x 27x40), 96x48, 96x48 Triptych (3 x 32x48).
Iceland has a population of roughly 330,000 people, roughly 220,000 of whom live in the region of the capitol city of Reykjavik. The next biggest city has a population of roughly 17,000, and the rest of the 'urban areas' are, obviously, even smaller. I stayed in the village of Stykkisholmer (population 1,195), shown here, for two nights, and it proved to be quite similar to most of the villages around the country, albeit a bit prettier, thanks to the beautiful and nicely-maintained port. Available in the following sizes: 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 48x16 Triptych (3 x 16x16), 60x20, 60x20 Triptych (3 x 20x20), 72x24, 72x24 Triptych (3 x 24x24), 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 126x42 Triptych (3 x 42x42), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48).
Red Mountain Pass, which is part of the “Million Dollar Highway” between Ouray, and Silverton, Colorado, is simply spectacular. A 2-lane highway that lies in a relatively remote area of the state, it switchbacks back and forth before and after the views of Red Mountain, shown here. There used to be a lot of mining done here, and a careful inspection of this photo will allow one to find several abandoned mining structures. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 48x16 Triptych (3 x 16x16), 60x20, 60x20 Triptych (3 x 20x20), 72x24, 72x24 Triptych (3 x 24x24), 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 126x42 Triptych (3 x 42x42), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48).