Japanese Garden
Yakima Area Arboretum, Washington
The midday contrasts of the foliage tend to blend together. Deep shadows and bright sunlit leaves tend to obscure detail. Some say that the light is bad and it is not a good time to photograph. But I am here enjoying what is in front of me. How can I make the best of it? Infrared comes to the rescue!
“Purple & Pink”
Heatherwood Rock Garden
Our Heatherwood garden continues to change through the summer. Color is everywhere. Most of the perennials are relatively small since they were just planted this spring. Small vignettes are the best way to represent what is happening in the garden at this time.
Mary and I usually walk through the garden at least once a day and are always amazed at the beauty that is presented to us.
“Thistle Impression”
Heatherwood Meadow, Summer
It’s time to come back home and add a couple more images from our Heatherwood garden. I used to think thistles were just weeds, but we decided to plant a couple of different varieties in our meadow. This one is planted between white daisies and yellow yarrow. It provides a nice contrast in the meadow. With the hot temperatures (>100 degrees) these thistles have quickly bloomed then lost their color. To accentuate the artistic flair of the thistles, I added a little Georgia O’Keeffe impressionism to it.
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?
Hoh Rain Forest
Olympic National Park, Washington
I haven’t had much luck finding rain in our Washington and Hawai’in rainforests. My last five trips have been in bright sunny weather in the middle of dry spells. Even though the weather has been beautiful during my visits, I have missed the solemness of the dark, rain-covered forests and vegetation. I will keep trying.
“End of the Loop”
Zion National Park, Utah
I only had two hours to see Zion! I took a quick drive around the northwest loop in the park. This was the scene at the turn around. What can I say but I really need to come back and spend several days at one of the largest and most beautiful National Parks in the Country.
“The Reef”
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Capitol Reef National Park encompasses the Waterpocket Fold. This fold runs about 100 miles north and south. It was formed 50 -70 million years ago along a fault during a mountain building period in the Western states. Movement along the fault created these monoclines rising as much as 7000 feet. More recent activity 15- 20 million years ago of the Colorado Plateau uplift and resulting erosion exposed the surface of the monoclines. As much as 10,000 feet of strata representing 270 million years of geological history has been exposed in some areas.