Boom went the mountain. This was followed by a shockwave, and showers of hot lava that spewed from the tip of the volcano and rolled down along the perfectly conical slope of Fuego. And this happened every 20 min like clockwork.
The New Year festivities are often marked by bright lights and crackling sounds. As we approach the next one, I am often reminded of my previous New Year in Guatemala where I also witnessed natures fireworks on a grand scale from atop the summit of Volcan Acatenango. This particular scene is of an eruption that I captured during full moon.
Volcan Acatenango
Guatemala
Layers
From high in the mountains of the Sierra Madre range which runs along the spine of Guatemala, one can spy the innumerable peaks and sub-ranges that branch off. Smoke and dust from the agricultural and industrial activity form a hazy blue layer, leading to an appearance very similar to the Smoky Mountains in the US. Perhaps what I found most fascinating was the sharp line above the horizon with a dark sky and a lighter foreground, formed by the smog catching the morning light.
Volcan Acatenango
Guatemala
Winter Layers
Mount Tahoma in Washington State is one of the tallest peaks in the lower 48 states of the US. With such a high prominence, this perennially snow-capped volcano dwarfs everything around it. Only when climbing upon it does one get to appreciate the layers of mountain ranges that stretch in every direction. Especially in the winter, when all these ranges get a white sheen of snow.
This was from one such winter trip to the National Park. A snowshoe up a popular slope of Mount Rainier yielded this stellar view of the multiple layers of ranges dominated by the snow-covered summit of Mount St Helens in the distant background.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thanks for following my posts so far.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Winter Blues
Even though this image looks like an late season adventure, this was actually taken early in the season last year. In Nov and Dec 2023, early winter storms dumped plenty of snow in the Cascades, but there was never a sustained subzero temperature to freeze the water. I was fortunate to visit during one of the gaps in the winter storms and capture the icy blue hues of a Cascade winter.
Find this image and more in my 2025 calendar available at this link.
Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Ode to Nature
While I did not get the opportunity to shoot the larches in fall, I did have the opportunity to travel to Iceland and capture its breathtaking natural scenery. Driving around its vast windswept plains with nothing to provide a sense of scale, it becomes easy to misjudge the size of mountains or the distance to a particular place. In addition, the lack of a focal point in the composition becomes a serious hindrance to capture a captivating image.
Thankfully, Iceland has plenty of churches dotted around the island, with many situated outside of the villages and communities they serve. Like this one in the Snaefellsnes peninsula in western Iceland. See this large in my 2025 calendar, available for purchase at this link.
Olafsvik
Iceland
Framed by Gold
The showstealer for fall in the PNW northwest is undoubtedly the golden larches. That is probably why I try to squeeze one trip every calendar year. This year was the only exception. Between travel, work, and recovery from a knee surgery, backpacking to the higher slopes of the Cascades during the one weekend of peak color was just out of the question.
Thankfully I had plenty of archival content from prior years that I could utilize for my 2025 calendar, which I feel would be incomplete without a landscape featuring larches. This specific photo caught my eye due to the elegant framing provided by the backlit larches, which, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to capture fall foliage. See this large in my 2025 calendar, available for purchase at this link.
Okanogan National Forest
WA USA
Sunrise mists
Yellowstone was one of the few National Parks I got to visit this year. Having been bedridden for the first half while recovering from a surgery, this trip proved to be a welcome respite to explore the outdoors. This National Park's geothermal features set amidst a dramatic backdrop of vast lakes, snow-capped peaks and bountiful wildlife make it a treat for photographers and nature explorers.
And during this trip, I felt grateful to also take my parents to this unique destination. They thoroughly enjoyed all that the park had to offer, and were even game to accompany me to capture memorable sunrises like this.
See this in large in my 2025 calendar, available for purchase at this link
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
2025 Calendar
My 2025 landscape photography calendar is now available. This calendar features a unique set of photographs that cover important astronomical events in 2024, from the eclipse in April, to the bright auroral displays in May and October. Landscapes covered include the winter wonderlands in the Pacific Northwest, to remote landscapes of Iceland, volcanic eruptions in Central America and even a postcard scene of the Emerald City.
And remember, this calendar is for a good cause - all proceeds will get donated to Sierra Club Foundation. We are gifted to have such amazing public lands, and having visited 59 National Parks and many more wilderness areas, I have come to realize the vital importance of our public lands system in protecting and preserving nature, culture, wildlife, and landscapes for the future. The Sierra Club Foundation helps secure protections for public lands and waters, promote healthy ecosystems and communities, and fight for clean air and water, and build a diverse, inclusive environmental movement that reflects and represents today’s American public, and prioritizes important connections between environmental health and social justice.
You can purchase the calendar at this link for $18.99
Thanks in advance
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Snowdrifts
Looking back at this scene brings sharp memories of the freezing conditions I endured to catch sunrise atop this windswept knoll. I still remember fiddling with my camera with cold numb hands, shivering despite wearing multiple layers, feeling nauseated from the lack of sleep the prior night, and most importantly, of being disappointed after the predicted sunrise did not pan out.
Sometimes these are part and parcel of the experience of the photographer. Even after putting the best effort into getting everything right, it is impossible to predict factors that lie beyond the photographer's control. I have faced many such disappointments, but persevere and shoot despite that.
And on this day, I was glad I continued shooting even after the sunrise didn't pan out, because I allowed me to enjoy the peaceful winter solitude for just a little bit longer.
Mount Tahoma State Forest
WA USA
Last of the Fall
Its the time of the year that I start working on the photography calendar. I have had plenty of adventures this year yielding many keepers, despite the fact that I was bedridden for about half the year. That said, I had to revisit the archives to get a bit of variety.
That opened up the choices quite a bit more, and I had to make many difficult decisions to keep some and discard others. This was one of those that I had to discard from the 2025 calendar. I still like the image for what it captures: a slice of the fall in the mountains in the North Cascades. Clumps of short blueberry add vibrant reds and oranges to the subalpine meadows in this fragile landscape dominated by glaciated mountain peaks. It lasts but for a very short time, but it leaves an impression like no other.
North Cascades National Park
WA USA