There are many places in this world that are failed by any form of description. Amazing rock formations, patterns and colors make this area a top bucket list location for landscape photographers.
I have made it White Pocket a few times now and each time, the other worldly rock formations take your breath away. There are many places in this world that are failed by any form of description and, no doubt this is one of them. Futhermore, the surreal scenery takes on another dimension under the Milky Way. This is a composite with the foreground captured during the blue hour.
This one is from the coast of Maine at the Pemaquid Lighthouse. While there, I decided to venture down the rocks and see if the amazing rock formations there would lend themselves to something interesting. The crashing waves along the rock crevices created some decent opportunities. The wave action was mesmerizing but I had to be careful not to get too close to the action.
No one really knows how these stones move and leave these interesting trails behind them in this dry and arid but beautiful landscape of Death Valley. It was amazing to have this vast expanse to ourselves as we marveled the beauty of the space in front of us.
As I was working through my Eastern Sierras folder from 2013, I found this Bristlecone Pine Milky Way image that got neglected for some reason. My guess is that the bigger giants there had received all the attention and so this one never got processed. Anyhow, I believe this tree deserves to be presented and has every right to be in my portfolio of images.
It took a few attempts to get everything lined up for this one. This is a beautiful area to enjoy nature.
Surreal scenery, coyotes songs in the night and a beautiful Milky Way in the Arizona high desert made it a special night. Getting here is a challenge but definitely worth the effort.
You might call these God's own sand castles. Naturally occurring near springs on the floor of an inland salt water sea three times the strength of the ocean, these extraordinarily intricate sand and mineral formations are truly awe-inspiring to behold.
There was a single seagull sitting on top the sea stack enjoying the sunset. The view must have been mesmerizing enough that it stood still for the entire 20 second long exposure.
We had the opportunity to make an unscheduled two week stop in West Virginia due to my truck breaking down and needing extensive repairs. It was a great opportunity to explore some of the beautiful waterfalls in the area. At Sandstone Falls, I had the place to myself after the few fisherman left for the evening. This is one of my favorites from the area.
Another incredible experience to photograph the Milky Way at White Pocket. The drive to White Pocket itself is a great adventure and requires a high clearance 4X4 vehicle and experienced driver. As a rookie Jeep owner, I did not bother to air down the tires and sure enough got stuck in the soft sand. Lucky for me, a group came by and helped me out of the situation. Needless to say, my driving chops had vastly improved by the time I completed the trip.
Another amazing ancient Bristlecone Pine tree in the Eastern Sierra Mountains. The exquisite and gnarled structure of the tree weathered over a few thousand years makes you wonder what amazing events it has experienced during its lifetime.
The Mono Lake tufas are picturesque limestone towers with knobby spires that look gorgeous against the waters of the lake. The tufas are actually formed under water but as the ancient lake has dried up they are now visible.
I found this location hard to photograph partly because I was slithering over wet slippery rocks with a heavy camera backpack. Also being new to an ultrawide angle lens in 2013, it was hard to find a good composition in the quickly dwindling light.
I was starting to get overwhelmed with the number of images on my hard drives and not having worked on them in an organized fashion. After a great amount of procrastination, I have come with a plan to start from the beginning, and the starting point is 2013 (emoji). Here is an image from a trip I took on Hwy 1, Central Coast, California. This was one of the rare days during the trip with a beautiful sunset gracing us at the end of the day. Interestingly, we are spending a couple of months in the Pismo Beach area so there will be a great opportunity to further explore the wonderfully rugged Hwy 1 coastline.
Some more moments of magic in the swamplands of Atchafalaya Basin in LA.
Tatahatso Point overlooks Point Hansbrough and the Colorado River in north-central Arizona. This huge meander is bigger than the ultra popular Horseshoe Bend a few miles north. That said, it isn’t nearly as easy to get to. Getting to shoot the Milky Way over Tatahatso Point was an incredible experience.
These ancient Bristlecone Pines are in a remote area of the White Mountains in the Eastern Sierras. I have to admit that I struggled with the sudden change in elevation encountered after driving up from the floor of the valley, and found myself panting for breath after every few steps. The strong winds that evening also made it feel more daunting but in the end it was worth the effort to spend time with these ancient trees.
There was a tree called Georges' Tree besides the Owens River that was a favorite for photographers for a long time. That tree unfortunately no longer exists and has been swept away by the meandering river. Back in 2013, while exploring other opportunities in this area I found this nearby tree that I call Georges' Sister. Although not besides the river, the white wildflowers besides the tree beautifully complemented the scene.
Driving up on Hwy-1 back in 2013, the marine layer had been thick all day and this was my third attempt to visit McWay Falls for a sunset and Milky Way shot. As I snuggled down in the car seat trying to get comfortable and catch some zees prior to the late night shoot, things did not look too promising as there were still thick clouds preventing the stars from peeking down. The alarm went off and I reluctantly peaked out almost hoping that the clouds were still there so I could continue my slumber. But by golly, the stars were shining brightly and it was time get out and get busy. It turned out to be a memorable night and I can't wait to get back there again.
Getting back to some of the MWs I took last year. Here is another one from somewhere in West Virginia.
We spent a couple of weeks in Louisiana exploring some of the swamplands there and I have to say it was an extremely rewarding experience. The mosquitos would greet me each morning in the hundreds as I would prepare the kayak for launch. However, once on the water they mercifully left me alone to enjoy the beauty of the cypress swamps.