In the summer of 2015, I had embarked on one of my most challenging backpacks in the Eastern Sierras, on a 55-mi route that wound through the Evolution and Dusy basins. Granite escarpments ringed by towering alpine peaks surround a broad basin filled with glistening lakes. Set in a remote region of the John Muir Wilderness, these places are a haven for landscape photography.
I tried to capture in this panorama what it really is like to be immersed in such a rugged landscape. But nothing can replicate the feeling of really being lost in the granite.
Kings Canyon National Park
CA USA
Summer storms
The dry barrenness of the Eastern Sierras, in the rain-shadow of a range reaching upwards of 14000ft, seems to harbor no interesting weather phenomena except balmy sunny skies or grey snowy conditions. But occasionally, rainclouds creep up and over the towering peaks and descend down onto the rolling plains below. And when that happens, an afternoon thunderstorm forms over the vast open landscape.
I was fortunate to catch the tail end of one as it was dissipating, but still managed to have enough mass to catch the evening light.
Inyo National Forest
CA USA
Gentle Giants
These gentle giants have been growing silently on the rugged slopes of the Sierra Nevadas for thousands of years, and have, in their lifetimes, probably survived hundreds of fires.
And yet, over the last few decades, they have faced far more pressures from the drying climate and human activity. While these giants evolved to survive the smaller fires, they now burn with fiercer intensity, and the lower precipitation reduces their ability to withstand them.
Will these giants survive the next big fire? With Creek fire approaching dangerously close to the Mariposa grove, it is hard to say.
Yosemite National Park
CA USA
Fly Away
Out in the woods, I often look at the sky seeking out patterns in the tree cover. Sometimes, they are to frame the night sky, while others are to seek shapes and patterns where they do not exist, just as one would read the clouds. During one such hike in the forests of California, I came across a dense grove of conifers whose crowns covered the sky except for a bird-shaped gap providing an open view of the sky.
It felt like a sign of redemption and freedom, fleeing from the past and flying towards the future, and it certainly was appropriate for what I was seeking for during those trying times.
John Muir Trail
CA USA
Dreamstate
It was a sunrise that wasn't.
A few years ago, I found myself camping in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, giving me the opportunity to get some unique photographs of this National Park. And I really looked forward to shooting a sunrise with beams of light catching the rising vapors of a nearby river, attempting to recreate a composition I had previously done.
This time around, that sunrise wasn't to be - a thick layer of fog had all but enveloped the meadow, dropping visibility and light. And it wasn't until an hour after did it thin enough to let the light through. As I was wandering around struggling to get compositions, I came across this poignant scene of a lonely tree standing steadfast in a vast meadow still moist from the morning mist.
Which version do you prefer - the Color or Black and White?
Yellowstone National Park
WY USA
Travel Memories
It seems so strange of travel as a past-time that allowed us immerse in the community of the world, open our minds and enrich our souls. But the lack thereof is the new norm now.
A few years ago, I got the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Luxembourg. Having established that there wasn't anything worthwhile to do in this city, I decided to wander around the old town. I came across a small grassy lawn while exploring the historic ruins of the Casemates du Bock, an area of Luxembourg that had been inhabited for over a millennia. The warm afternoon sun shining on a daisy-filled meadow provided the perfect ambiance for a relaxing siesta.
Luxembourg City
The Field Marker
From the top, the the fields of wheat and legumes formed a tapestry of various shades of tan stretching endlessly onto the rolling plains of eastern Washington. Welcome to one the country's largest bread bowls.
The rich fertile fields of the Palouse cover vast swaths of south-eastern Washington, western Idaho and north-eastern Oregon, and is particularly well known for its wheat and lentils. Late spring, a few weeks after the sowing of crop, creates a profusion of green that attracts photographers by the dozens. In contrast, by late summer and fall, the fields are ready to harvest, and taken on various shades of golden brown, depending on how mature the crop is.
While the verdant greenery is a delight to photograph, the dull shades of tan are a challenge to photograph, even in the golden light of the early morning. Here, I chose to highlight a near straight line that formed an undulating, yet unwavering line stretching to the horizon.
Palouse
WA USA
Staring at the Stars
After a long day of hiking, I wanted nothing more than to cook up a hot meal and settle down for a night of well-deserved rest. I was going to do that until I saw the night sky above. It took a while for my eyes to adjust, but eventually the night sky became bright with stars, and the faint line of the Milky Way traced a line across the sky. Faint satellites moved against the collage of stars that frequently played hosts to the scintillating flashes of meteors.
At that moment, I felt blessed to be living in a region where I could head out to experience the darkness of the night sky as it truly was.
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
WA USA
The Sawtooths
I envisioned a dusty old lake, a few drying trees swaying in the wind, and a bare rocky terrain rising up from the basin getting backed in the hot Idaho sun. What I didn't expect was a placid gem of a lake nestled amidst granite monoliths towering over the alpine terrain. As I watched the jagged peaks of the Sawtooths catch the first light of the day, and captured in the mirror-like reflections on the still lake, I felt transported from the grounded imagination I had had to a scene far more memorable than what I had expected.
I felt a joy freezing a slice of time and preserving for eternity a moment that has probably been repeated for aeons.
Sawtooth Wilderness
ID USA
The Canyon Walk
The graceful red sandstone slot canyons of Antelope Canyon has always had a special draw, and a few years ago, I satiated my yearnings with a photography tour of these photogenic canyons. Photography the mid-day sun beams light up the canyon in a golden red glow is an experience like no other. So it saddened me to hear that photography tours have been stopped here. From a financial perspective, these photography tours paled in sales compared to the bread and butter tours that they run in the canyon, due to the smaller group size as well as interruption to the regular tours.
Antelope Canyon
AZ USA