Horizontal Panoramas (No Cityscapes)
Considering how many times I've been to Washington DC and the surrounding suburbs, it's fairly surprising that it took me until 2021 to make it to Great Falls Park, in Fairfax County, northern Virginia. A National Park Service site (but not technically a National Park), Great Falls Park is only 800 acres along the banks of the Potomac River, and aside from how easy to reach and beautiful it is, it also has some interesting history, as do so many things in this part of the country. Look it up! 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).
Considering how many times I've been to Washington DC and the surrounding suburbs, it's fairly surprising that it took me until 2021 to make it to Great Falls Park, in Fairfax County, northern Virginia. A National Park Service site (but not technically a National Park), Great Falls Park is only 800 acres along the banks of the Potomac River, and aside from how easy to reach and beautiful it is, it also has some interesting history, as do so many things in this part of the country. Look it up! 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).
I'd never heard of Piney Lake, even though I grew up in Colorado, until I appeared at an art show in Avon, and had several people recommend I go there to take some photos. So I did just that. Having now seen and photographed it myself, I can fully understand the recommendations! What a great semi-secret spot! 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).
A mere 3.5 miles from the Canadian Border along Minnesota 61, which runs along Lake Superior's beautiful North Shore, lies Wayswaugoing Bay Overlook, a small pull off that one could easily drive by without giving it a second thought. But when I visited, I was trying to take things slow, and enjoy all the sights I could. Fortunately, I found myself at this viewpoint shortly before sunset, on a day with some of the best clouds I could have hoped for, the stop proved to be a good one. It's a beautiful area, in general, and one of the most accessible places I know of that leaves one feeling a sense of solitude that is increasingly difficult to find in the modern world. 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).
I've shot a decent number of photos in Wisconsin, but prior to 2021, they were all in either Door County, or Milwaukee. I decided to branch out and see a bit more of what this state has to offer in the summer of 2021. In my research, I came across some photos of Willow Falls, in far west Wisconsin, and figured it was worth a visit. Suffice to say, I was extraordinarily happy with my choice, as these waterfalls are quite beautiful. I took this photo with the sun setting behind me, which made taking a long-exposure easy, and the orange sky to the west added a bit of saturation to the orange rocks that surround the falls. 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).
I had some art shows in the Midwest in the summer of 2021, and decided to use some of my free time to see what kind of nature there was to enjoy. I did some research of beautiful parks in the area, and decided I'd give the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area, in Shawnee National Forest a visit. The Recreation Area itself is very small – there's a campground and a few miles of hiking trails that mostly weave around through the hilly terrain, and afford one views of the unusual “smokestacks” that rise up from some of the hillsides. Considering the fact that I only had one night here, I got very lucky with the sunset. 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).
I was traveling through the Midwest in the summer of 2021, and decided to do some exploring. A little bit of research led me to Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, about an hour southwest of Indianapolis. It's a small park, but there are a number of nice hiking trails, and two (perhaps more) beautiful waterfalls, Upper and Lower Cataract Falls. Lower Cataract Falls, shown here, is accessible via a 2 minute walk from a parking lot, and when I visited, there was hardly a soul around. It was a peaceful experience, and I found Lower Cataract Falls to be particularly beautiful. 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).
I love Shenandoah National Park. Whenever I find myself in the area, I try to get there for a day or two. I was attending some art shows in the greater DC area in the spring of 2021, and when the show ended, I headed to Shenandoah for a few days of hiking and photography. One of the lowest-energy ways to enjoy the park is to simply drive along the Skyline Drive, which runs for 105 miles along the length of Shenandoah, and has 75 overlooks. I'm sure this road can be unbearably busy in the wrong seasons, but on this visit, I felt like I had the park to myself, and was all alone on one of the overlooks (don't ask which one!) when I got this panoramic sunset photo. 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).
I did a lot of camping in 2020, since there were no art shows, and being outside and away from people seemed a good way to spend time when being around other people was not really an option. In late September, I was near Ridgway, in southwest Colorado, with the goal of shooting the changing leaves. Many of the aspen groves in the area had quite a bit of yellow mixed in on the day I took this photo, but the forests here, along the Cimarron Ridge, were still probably a week away from reaching peak color. However, a lot of the underbrush was already at its peak, coming through in shades of orange and red. I didn't want to miss this opportunity, and the clouds when I took this photo were absolutely perfect. 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).
Mount Sopris, which reaches a peak elevation of less than 13,000 feet in Colorado, a state which prides itself on its many 14,000 foot peaks, is nonetheless the most prominent mountain in the Carbondale (and to a lesser extent, Glenwood Springs and Aspen) area. It's a beautiful mountain, and is easy to spot from several directions. I knew I wanted to photograph this peak at sunrise, and scouted some potential locations the day before, and ended up settling on the shoulder of Price Creek Road, a little-used dirt road just north of the mountain. The early morning horizontal sunlight saturated the normally gray / brown peak in wonderful shades of orange, which contrasted beautifully with the blue sky above, and the green of the forest below. 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).
Forest Service Road 520, located between Creede and Lake City, Colorado, is an isolated drive through a beautiful valley. There are several lakes and reservoirs along the drive, and although I'm not a fisherman myself, when I saw this peaceful valley with a meandering stream running through it, I couldn't help but think of a fly fisherman's dream location. 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).
I'd never driven across Cottonwood Pass, which connects Buena Vista to Almot, Colorado, until the summer of 2020. I went over the pass during the day, and thought it might look nice at sunrise, so I came back before sunrise the following day, and tried a few different compositions of the area. This one is my favorite of the lot. 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).
I'd never visited the chalk cliffs outside of Buena Vista, Colorado, until a cross-Colorado camping trip I went on in the summer of 2020. When viewed in the middle of the day, these cliffs are nearly white, but I took this photo at sunrise, and the horizontal light gave the landscape a saturated orange hue. 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).
Colorado's “Million Dollar Highway,” which stretches from Ouray to Silverton, is one of the prettiest drives on the planet. Red Mountain Pass, which reaches a peak elevation of 11,018 feet, is the highest elevation along this route, and it is from this pass that one has the best view of Red Mountain, shown here. The way the red rocks contrast with the green trees and blue sky makes this one of the most picturesque locations in Colorado. 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).
Colorado isn't exactly famous for its waterfalls, but there are quite a few good ones scattered throughout the state. I'd heard of and seen photos of Rifle Falls for years before I made it to Rifle Falls State Park in the summer of 2020, and finally got this image. I can't think of any other waterfalls that are made up of three distinct streams. Quite a sight. 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).
I've been meaning to shoot some images from the Beartooth Highway, on the Wyoming / Montana border, for years. A spontaneous trip to Glacier National Park during the summer of 2020 proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I camped half an hour or so from where I took this photo on my way to Glacier, but missed sunrise at this particular location, so I camped much closer on my return journey. The Beartooth Highway is definitely one of my favorite drives in the US, and with scenes like this doing a fair job of presenting much of what the area looks like, it is easy to understand why. 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).
Sunrise from the Beartooth Highway
I've been meaning to shoot some images from the Beartooth Highway, on the Wyoming / Montana border, for years. A spontaneous trip to Glacier National Park during the summer of 2020 proved the perfect opportunity to do so. I camped half an hour or so from where I took this photo on my way to Glacier, but missed sunrise at this particular location, so I camped much closer on my return journey and made it here with time to spare. The Beartooth Highway is definitely one of my favorite drives in the US, and with scenes like this doing a fair job of presenting much of what the area looks like, it is easy to understand why. 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).
At the end of my Glacier National Park visit in the summer of 2020, I took a new route back towards Colorado, and somewhere south of Browning, Montana, I came across a bison farm. And while there, I came across something I'd never seen before – an albino bison! What a unique find! Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20, 48x24, 60x30, 60x30 Triptych (3 x 20x30).
Going to the Sun Road is a – if not the – highlight of Glacier National Park. There are many pullouts along the 2-lane road that afford incredible views of the surrounding area, such as this one of Paradise Valley. I took this photo shortly after sunrise, with the sun coming behind me, and just beginning to paint the tops of the mountains a super-saturated shade of orange. 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).
Most of my photography steers away from the abstract, but during a 2020 trip to Glacier National Park, when I was hiking along the shores of McDonald Creek, something caught my eye. I'm still not quite sure what it was, but when I looked at this isolated portion of the creek, I was able to envision it as something more like a painting than a photograph. I used what is called a neutral-density filter (basically sunglasses for a camera) to allow myself to take a long-exposure photo and turn the movement of the rapids into something that looks like a painting. 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).
McDonald Creek, in Glacier National Park, ultimately feeds into Lake McDonald, on the western side of Glacier. Along its route, it is by turns smooth and calm, and then fast and turbulent as it comes down over various features. McDonald Falls and Sacred Dancing Cascade (shown here) are the two most easily accessible, and therefore famous, of McDonald Creek's features. Most photographs of Sacred Dancing Cascade tend to zoom in on the cascade itself, which is understandable because it's beautiful on its own. However, for this photo, I wanted to showcase some other aspects of the cascade, namely the blue- and magenta-hued rocks that lie below the cascade. Coupled with the turquoise water, it really makes a lovely composition. 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).
During the summer of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I went up to Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming, only a few hours from my home in Northern Colorado. Snowy Range Road travels to the west from Laramie, and passes through this National Forest that, in addition to being great for fishing and camping, also has a small area with dozens of easily-accessible alpine lakes. Lake Marie, shown here, and photographed at sunrise, is one of the most accessible – it was a 5 minute walk from the parking lot for me to access this location. This photo, like the location and the camping trip itself, was and is a great escape from the stresses of everyday life in 2020. 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).
Trail Ridge Road, in northern Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, is a beautiful, 2-lane paved road that crosses the Continental Divide, and reaches a peak elevation of 12,183 feet – a ways above treeline. The views from Trail Ridge Road extend in every direction, and allow one to take in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. I took this photo in the summer of 2020, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a beautiful orange hue on all the mountain tops in the area. Just a bit left of center in this photo lies Longs Peak, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, at an elevation of 14,259 feet. 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).
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 trip to RMNP, I'd gone up this trail to photograph these lakes at sunset, but nearly cloudless skies caused me to give up on any sunset photos. On my walk back to the parking lot, I noticed a vista of the highest mountain in the Park – Longs Peak (14,258 feet) – and with the horizontal light of a nearly set sun, I couldn't resist snapping a few shots. This panorama turned out especially well. 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).
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 had spectacular lighting at sunrise, but such lighting only lasts for a brief time. I took this photo maybe an hour after sunrise, but the quality (if not the direction) of the light looks as though I took it midday. I think this photo does a great job of encapsulating the beauty of America's 38th National Park. 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).
