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Imagine if you will, my surprise when I saw this lake in the middle of the desert for the first time. It seemed so odd to see a lake in the middle of the desert, surrounded by saguaros and cacti but it was so very beautiful and quite captivating. I visited this exact spot last year and actually captured fantastic shot (see “Pleasantly Arizona”). This time however my goal was to capture lake view at sunset. I arrived about an hour before the sunset hour so that I’d have time to find a composition but that proved to be more difficult than I had expected. Gosh, saguaros can sometimes be hard to photograph because they line up with one another, making them look like a massive oversized tree. Oh, and then there’s the “fuzzy bushes” (as I call them) that seem to be everywhere; destroying the scene by blocking the valued components of my composition or even blocking everything! Eventually though, I came across this composition. The foreground elements in this photograph are very important to the overall composition of this photo. The dead tree and two saguaro skeletons lying on the ground lead your eyes from the bottom (entry point) of this photograph to the saguaro trees. From there your eyes are drawn up to the distant mountains, then over to the sun kissed clouds and then finally down the dark ridge on the right, which then leads you back to center. This “line” of view (if you will) is called the “Golden Ratio”, a circular compositional tool used by many photographers and artists. This photograph is a HDR image, meaning I took multiple images of the same scene using different exposure values, and then combined them into a single image. As a result I captured the full range of tonal values (darks and lights) within the scene. Lake pleasant is a dammed lake within the municipal boundaries of Peoria. Not far from Phoenix, It serves as a major recreation hub for boaters, hikers, camping and ATVer’s too. With more than 23,000 acres of water and beautiful, Lake Pleasant Regional Park is one of the most scenic recreation areas in the region. This man made lake (dam) is fed by both the Agua Fria River the Colorado river via an aqueduct. Note: This photograph looks great as a “split”, which can be viewed here on my website under “Sampled - Framed & Hung”.
I’ve visited Albas falls many times over the years, and it never ceases to amaze me. Albas falls is a remote set of falls; one large (and wider) one below this one and a few smaller ones above this one. There’s a loop trail that meanders around the falls and Celista Creek that provide many stellar views. The forest floor is completely covered with green, flourishing moss, fallen trees and mushrooms; all thriving from the moist environment. Within the steep canyon walls the mist from the falls feels so refreshing; especially on those hot summer days. During spring run-off Celista Creek looks more like a river and although it’s quite a spectacle to see it’s not for the faint of heart or for little ones either. The trail is generally wet and slippery so good shoes are required. This is bear country (both Black and Grizzly), and I’ve seen many in this area before so I knew to be on the look out. The bears were just coming out of hibernation… so yah, I did’t want to be their first meal! :-) So, I packed my bear spray and I felt quite safe but the thunderous falls were so loud that I wouldn’t have heard a bear come up from behind me anyways. The vibrational sound penetrated my body and the earth below my feet shook too! To capture this shot, I had to increase my ISO, slow down my shutter speed (I had to use a tripod) and use a neutral density filter (which reduces the amount of light entering the camera), and then continually wipe the mist off of my lens! Wet and cold I hiked back up to my car; excited in knowing that I got some great shots. LOL, I was so embraced by this scene that I totally forgot about the bears! What a great day!
Exploring, discovering what’s around the corner and challenging my boundaries (within reason), are where I find happiness. Traveling in my RV and towing a Jeep to unique destinations hasn’t always easy but capturing shots like this one makes it all worth it! When time flies, I know that I’m in my flow and I’m in my element. Behind my camera is where I find happiness, fulfillment and (importantly), connection with all of you. Helmcken Falls is a 141 m (463 ft) waterfall on the Murtle River, within Wells Gray Provincial Park, in British Columbia, Canada. It’s one of six falls on the Murtle River and the fourth tallest in Canada. Wells Gray Provincial Park has something to offer every outdoor enthusiast. It’s lush alpine meadows are excellent for birding and wildlife. There are many hiking trails for every ability. Camping, boating, canoeing and kayaking on Clearwater Lake is a must! Businesses in the area also offer horseback riding, canoeing, river-rafting, fishing and hiking. Although my visit here was short, I look forward to going back and even getting some winter shots of the area too.
