Slickrock and Shadow

Wolf Creek extends up to snowy mountain tops of the Madison National Forest Landscape photographers go to many of the same places.  In Montana I had the opportunity to explore the Madison National Forest in the area of Wolf Creek.  This is known for bears, elk and being far off the beaten path.  Hiking up to peak, both the wind and the views were spectacular.  This is a photograph taken looking into Wolf Creek.  The mountaintops were covered with clouds and snow.  Summer in Montana can be a spectacular fleeting moment. Gordon's hike rating: Hike Difficulty:                   ★★★★ Strenuous Trail Condition:                   ★★★ Moderate Trail Hazards:                      ★★★ Moderate:  rocks, rare Grizzly sightings Trailhead:                  ...

Skyfall, the place Skyfall is a catchy name for a James Bond movie.  The actual location Skyfall is near Glencoe, Scotland.  When exploring around I couldn't resist the urge to see this place, to say I'd been to Skyfall myself. What's there?  Air, mountains, valleys, green growth, big skies. What's not there?  People, James Bond's home, civilization. This panorama is at the end of the road (it's a dead end) looking back over the terrain from Kings House to Skyfall.  Deer jump across the roads, clouds pass surprisingly quickly across the sky and times doesn't seem to matter.  I'd recommend a visit.

Glencoe, Scotland at dawn My first morning and my first shot in Scotland is posted here.  I woke up early, so early at about 3:30 am so that I could actually see the sun rise at about 4 AM.  June in Scotland's highlands means really long days and short nights.  Catching sunrise feels like severe sleep deprivation here! Driving along the road through Glencoe Valley I searched for a good location.  This massive mountain and its' quaint cottage made me stop and shoot.  I wandered along the stream looking for the right height and location to capture this mountain reflection in the calm stream.  The cottage stands far enough away that it cannot be reflected.   Everything felt cool and quiet.  That's what I think of when I see this photo.  

Arches Windows Section Panoramic Sunset Having only one sunset in Arches National Park, I thought long and hard about which location to choose.  This was near the end of my trip to Moab and I felt weary.  I'd previously debated between the Windows section, delicate arch, and the marching men.  Perhaps choosing the easy way out, I decided to shoot a panorama of the Windows section.  However I did not simply take one picture and call it quits.  Instead, it shows the location far away from the Windows and set up my 300mm f/2.8 lens on a heavy tripod.  Shooting quickly but deliberately level at sunset, I captured more than 20 images from the left to right.  The golden hour was truly beautiful. At home, I stitched these together to create my most successful and beautiful panorama.  The power of a panorama comes out when these are viewed very large.  I encourage you to visit my website where you can see this in original size.  It's huge...

Passo Pordoi Lift to the Mountaintop The Sella Ronda is the term used for going around the Sella Mountain group.  This particular group of mountains is surrounded by several skiing towns.  Some people travel by bicycle, automobile and hiking.  I was with my family and we traveled by car.  Some of the great highlights include 3 high mountain passes.  These are Pordoi Pass, Sella Pass and Gardena Pass.  The first pass is Pordoi.  This pass has a list that goes to the top.  It opens earlier in the summer than most other lifts.  We took the ride.  I would highly recommend doing so.  In just a few minutes you ascend thousands of meters into the clouds.  While we were on top, beautiful sunshine hit us in the face.  20 minutes later it was snowing.  Unforgettable.   Sella Pass Sella Pass has 3 ragged peaks shooting into the sky.  As you drive from pass to pass, your neck might start to hurt becaus...

Colfosco, Alta Badia This entry will be brief but to the point. If you are ever in the tiny town of Covara, you should get up in the morning and see that beautiful light on the mountains and churches. From the town up to the top of the pass, the scenery cannot be beat. It is a time you will not forget. Gardena Pass Peaks Lower in the Valley of Alta Badia Dolomites and Dome Mountain Hut

San Giovanni Church (also known at St. John's Church) After looking at several photographs of the dolomites, it became apparent that several picturesque churches would you be found in the valleys and on the peaks. This particular church got my attention and I wanted to find out where it was.  After a little bit of research I discovered it is in the Val di Funes.  This is a short trip from Bolzano.  That is not to say it is a straight path.  Following GPS instructions I was led on several winding roads, sharp turns, small streets that seem to be designed more for cows than automobiles.  The farther I traveled the more beautiful scenery became. Me and my family had this lovely valley to ourselves.  A few cows joined us.  As you can see in the photograph, there had been a storm.  In fact it was raining when we arrived.  The rain was very light and I took several photographs, not knowing what the scenery might be later.  After we hi...

Typical forest view along the Zanes Trail Val di Funes is a gorgeous location in northern Italy.  If you do a Google search you will know what I mean.  This is part of the Puez Odle National Park.  I was expecting a lot of tourists, hikers and other visitors when I came here.  To my surprise, it was completely deserted.  I seem to have the entire valley and mountains to myself.  To be fair, it had been raining/snowing recently and there was a little bit of a drizzle continuing. The Zanes Trail is advertised as a wheelchair accessible trail in the dolomites.  There are no stairs.  Some of the trail is packed with loose gravel, making it difficult for a wheeled vehicle to go through but possible.  Along the trail there are different signs indicating interesting facts about the wildlife and forest.   Old Cabin at the beginning of Zanes Trail Coming to the Valley from Bolzano would be difficult without some GPS instructions...

Normally a photographer must account for the sun's position when composing a photograph.A basic rule or guideline says to keep the sun from directly shining into or across the lens. That is why lens hoods were invented in the first place:  they keep the sunlight from hitting the lens. Another rule, the most famous one, is the rule of thirds.  That states that the main subject of the photograph should be about one-third  and from the top and one-third in from the side of the photograph. I normally try to follow these rules but not on this occasion. On this afternoon  the position of the valley and the summer sun were such that I had to shoot with the sun in the upper corner of the lens to capture the golden moment.  The light is literally captured in spots of gold coming across the photograph in a diagonal from the upper left to the lower right.  Is that a flaw?  Some would say "yes" but breaking the rules works for me here because the light just el...