‘Curves’
Badlands National Park, SD
The first time I was in the Badlands, I was driving my little red sports car. It was early spring and not many people were visiting the park. I had a great time driving the windy roads and enjoying the beautiful scenery. It was just not quite the same this trip, driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee! At least with my Jeep, I was able to pull off more frequently along the side of the road and create an image or two.
‘Mid-morning Sunlight on the Purple Mounds’
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Pastels proliferate the hills of the Badlands during mid-morning sunlight. The golden and green grasses in the foreground set the stage. The yellows, oranges, reds, and purples of the different sediment layers of the mounds provide the center focus. The purple striped rugged mountains and blue cloud covered sky creates an intriguing background setting.
Millions of years of creation stand directly in front of me. I dream of the wonder of nature and the beauty it brings.
‘Sunset Over Norbeck Pass’
Badlands National Park, SD
When searching for what is right about our world, all I need to do is look up, and a message appears.
‘Traveling Through the Yellow Mounds’
Badlands National Park, SD
The late afternoon sun warmed up the rolling hills near the Yellow Mound Area of the Badlands National Park. The warm sunlight warmed up the grass-covered hills creating a glowing gold scene. This image was created during my first evening in the Park. I came back several times to get different perspectives of this beautiful area.
‘Sunset from Norbeck Pass’
Badlands National Park, SD
My previous post was from my last day in the Badlands. This image was my greeting on my first evening in the Park. It was a great way to start my Badlands adventure. During my seven day excursion, we photographed scenic vistas, intimate vignettes, wildlife, old abandoned buildings, sunsets, sunrises, harsh mid day brightness, color, infrared, and many other perspectives. The workshop was an opportunity to play and experiment, as well as creating serious images.
‘Light Rain Over the Badlands’
Badlands National Park, SD
I just returned from a great workshop with Tony Sweet and Sue Milestone in the Badlands of South Dakota. During our last day, we had some light rain which highlighted the striking colors over the terrain. The slight moisture brought out the normally subdued colors. What a beautiful sight!
Liberty Bell Peak
North Cascades National Park, Washington
This post ends my series on National Parks and Monuments that I have visited over the last several years. I know that I have missed some but that is OK.
This image of Liberty Bell Peak was taken from the top of Washington Pass in the North Cascades Highway. The peak has just received its first dusting of snow for the winter. The deciduous Western Larches provide a colorful yellow to light up the side of the peak.
“Sunset Over the Tetons and Jackson Lake”
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
After a long day of driving and photo scouting around Grand Teton National Park, I was ready for a nice quiet dinner and a good nights rest. Then this gift was given to me. The heavy clouds of the afternoon sky broke open to present this view of the Tetons and sky reflecting off Jackson Lake. I spent a couple of hours just enjoying the beauty in front of me and waiting for the sunset. I wasn’t disappointed, but did miss dinner. It was well worth it!
Joshua Tree Grove
Joshua Tree National Park, California
We saw a majestic big horn sheep wandering around the hills in the park. However, I chose this image as a better representative of the park.
Now here’s the story behind the title of this post. One of my close friends (Mr. G.H. Ferguson) is a wildlife photographer. On this outing, he decided to travel light and carry only a 35mm wide angle lens. About 10 minutes into our hike, out popped a majestic big horn sheep on a ridge right in front of us. He looked down at his 35mm lens, looked up at me, and said aw Xyx?//. The good news was that I had my 200mm telephoto and was able to get a few good shots. Ferg, this image is for you!
Yellowstone Lower Falls
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
There are so many things to see in Yellowstone. How do I choose what would be a good representative image? During this trip, my focus was on wildlife photography. The best light was in the early morning or late afternoon/early evening. These were also the best times for photographing wildlife. Thus, my landscape images took second priority in the middle of the day. It didn’t stop me though, as I did do a little exploring around the park. Yellowstone Falls was one of the highlights.
We were planning on going to Yellowstone again this year and made all the reservations. The Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to the trip. Maybe next year?