Slickrock and Shadow

Euakafa Beach is just one of many stunning deserted beaches. This articles is about Tonga Landscape photography in Vava'u.  I recently returned from a 10 day trip in these beautiful islands.  Because there is no information on photography in the island group of Vava'u, Tonga, I want to share what I have learned.  In this article I will focus on many of the incredible beaches.  They are clean, empty, private, gorgeous and unspoiled.  These are reached by boat.  Many of the islands in Vava'u group are uninhabited and the only way to really get around is on the water. I will give my best beaches a ranking from number one and on down just for fun and for interest! #1:  Best beach in Vava'u Tonga:  Ngau and its' neighboring isle of Taunga . This stunning beach is actually a stretch of sand reaching from one island to another.  At low tide one can walk without getting feet wet.  When the tide is a bit higher, wading from one b...

Artist Point, Yellowstone National Park looking up at Lower Yellowstone Falls In contrast to my previous post where I was all alone, at the incredible Artist Point in Yellowstone Park I had to wait for 30 minutes before I could find a place to park my car.  Then I walked out and was able to get away from civilization a bit to enjoy the spectacular view from artist point.  I've been here at sunrise when I had it entirely to myself.  I have also, in the middle of the day, such as on this occasion, and share the view that with many others.  Yellowstone National Park is a melting pot of all nationalities coming to enjoy the recent nature.  Under any circumstance, it is worth the visit.  I came with my family on this occasion but still enjoyed the photography.  If coming alone and primarily for landscaping purposes, I would suggest rising early or staying out late.  You will not be disappointed at this location. Artist point, looking downstream...

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:                  ...

The Old Ladder:  Only for the Brave The Kanarra Creek ladder Is a man-made structure that makes this wonderful canyon more accessible to visitors.  The ladder by itself is also very photogenic.  Or, shall I say it used to be photogenic?  Having gone up Kanarra Creek over several years time, I noticed the change.  The top picture is of the old ladder.  It is entirely made of wood.  Some of the rungs were small, loose and slippery.  You may notice that the steps stop well before the top of the log.  The old ladder required a very large last step to get to the top and this portion of the log was very wet and slippery.  You can see that in the picture!  I slipped and nearly fell on this once myself. Two or 3 years ago this ladder was enhanced by removing all of the wooden steps and replacing that with a metal ladder that is directly attached to the log.  The metal steps have teeth and texture so that they are not slippery a...

Kanarra Creek Waterfall in the Springtime:  lots of water and green trees. One of the first, if not THE first, decision a photographer must make is how to hold the camera. Horizontal or vertical?  Landscape or portrait?  Up and down or side to side?  With the old cameras, the default was landscape.  With the advent of cell-phone photography, portrait orientation has become much more popular. In my case, I don't want the easiest or most convenient shot when I have all day to compose a shot.  I want the most aesthetic shot, the one that shows off how amazing my surroundings are.  Sometimes the choice is obvious.  Sometimes it is not.  With Kanarra Creek's 3rd waterfall, the portrait shows more of the lovely red cliffs above.  With landscape orientation, the path of water is shown better as it leaves the pool at the waterfall base.  Both are good so in this case I took 2 shots. A compromise is a square photo.  For some re...

Barren Winter:  yellow stubble for grass and a hidden sun A winter visit to Montana afforded me an opportunity to shoot my little remote cabin in subzero temperatures.  Wind and rain made things cold indeed.  The large cloud did not however spoil the sunset because some golden yellow rays came down between the cloud and the mountains.  Grass was short, dead, awaiting summer temperatures to revive.  

Exit:  The only word on the floor and on the slanted column Herzog and De Meuron Building is an unassuming parking structure in South Beach Miami.  Over several years it has attracted photographers and models because of the fascinating columns, background city and modern design.  Located right on Lincoln Avenue, it's an easy walk from Taschen bookstore into the parking building.  Each floor is unique.  Here are a 3 of my takes. Modern Stairs 3, 4, 5