Where have I been ?!?!

its been a while but I've been super busy and I'm currently in Colorado wrapping up a visit with friends and checking out a few photo ops. Here are some quick edits from this trip (whatcha think of the photo borders ? I'm trying something new):


The clouds above Long's Peak (above photo) finally opened up as I thought my hike up Ute's trail was a complete wash. The winds were around 20-30mph and the air temp was a toasty 43F. A Singh Ray Vari-ND and a 3 stop grad ND allowed me to capture a 'growing' effect from the slow moving clouds.



The first time I ever laid eyes on a capture from Dream Lake I told myself that was one of the must see spots for my personal 'list' (I think I'm too young for a bucket list, but maybe its on that one too). This was from early July, but I hear that its a great snowshoe hike in for an icy lake with the alpenglow on Hallet's Peak.


I was fortunate to get to Alberta Falls after hitting Dream Lake earlier in the morning with the light not glaring down. I worked my way down the embankment along the rushing river to get a better perspective. A mix of hand-holding a 3 stop grad ND, trying to block water spray, keeping a sure footing and actually snapping a usable photo was damn near impossible, but I was a very happy shutterbug when I downloaded this one.





So I flopped on the Bluebird Lake hike - we arrived much later than expected and the winds were absolutely unbearable for photography. On the way back out, I was able to capture some cuddly yellow-bellied marmot playtime on the boulders near the trail.

The Roan Highlands

A preliminary edit of the predawn light along Engine Gap in the Roan Highlands. This was my first visit to this area, but I can definitely say I'll be back. The middle of June boasts the best time to visit the area when the rhododendron are blooming on the balds. For those up for the adventure, I'm told wintertime holds its own treasures here...

Rushing Water

lush moss encompasses a large river rock as water flows quickly through a series of cascades on the Oconaluftee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I was first unsure how I liked this image, but its definitely going on the wall in the apartment. I'm looking forward to my return to this river during the fall of the year, I can imagine the effects of fallen leaves in the water under long exposures.

Fluid Serenity

An intimate perspective of one of the two cascades at Soco Falls near Cherokee, NC. I really love this shot, and another reason why I love carrying my 70-200L lens. The area all around this set of falls was slick and washed out, which made it tough to maneuver around for a different perspective. Although Scott Hotaling was able to work his way to a very unique perspective to showcase both tiers of the falls, I was happy with this capture.

Islands in the Sky II

as the light shifts with the rising sun, an orange hue is cast over the mountains and the rising fog. Such a classic scene from the park, but I never get tired of seeing it.

Bridgeview - Oconaluftee River

Water flows downstream on the Oconaluftee River in GSMNP after a light rain. This is a well known bridge location in the Smokemont region of the park, and I believe this is a similar capture from one of Nye Simmons' photos. He's a phenomenal nature photographer who has done extensive work up and down the Appalachian Mountains.

Springtime on the Oconaluftee

Water flows smoothly after a light spring rain on the Oconaluftee River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I could have honestly spent days on this river, the greens were so lush and overcast conditions were playing into our favor. This is such a lush, pristine waterway untouched by the never ending progress of the world today.