© 2020 Romi Boon All Rights Reserved
In south-central British Columbia lies Upper Seymour River Provincial Park; north of the off grid community of Seymour Arm. The only way to get to this photographed location is on an ATV, on a decommissioned logging road. Here you will find TRUE solitude, a pristine waterway and nature is abound. We live in such a beautiful part of the World. That said, on this particular trip we observed an incredibly thunderous grizzly bear sauntering across the sand bar! Needless to say, we promptly left because we knew that if the grizzly decided to give chase we wouldn’t be able to turn our ATV around quick enough (on the narrow overgrown road we were on). Interestingly, notice the dark trees in the background; as the sun was setting they were in the shade of the mountain to which they are rooted while the valley floor was illuminated by the sun. What I love about this photo are the vibrant colours and varied densities. I too love the mix of both horizontal and vertical lines ...and of course, I love how it makes me feel. :-) This photo will always remind me that enormous bear but more importantly it reminds me of how much I value the tranquility and solitude that nature provides.
Death Valley (California) is known for extremes; it is North America's driest and hottest spot with fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F. It too has the lowest elevation on the continent (282 feet below sea level) and yet is only 76 miles from the highest point in the country, Mt. Whitney (at 14,505 feet) and two hours west of Las Vegas. I intentionally composed this photo to make you ( the viewer) question, "What is that?”. It's a barren mountainside, as seen from Zabriskie Point. From here the point offers a stunning and impressive panoramic views of the badlands; it’s various metals have oxidized the clay creating eye-popping reds, yellows, greens, blues, and purples. What a sight to see! There's a 2.5 mile loop trail that leads you through gullies and gulches, however because of our time restrictions, we weren’t able to explore it. We’ll have to go back!
I visited beautiful Bryce Canyon (in the southern state of Utah) on a brisk and stellar February day. It was truly an amazing day to say the least, and having never been there before I was in utter “Awe”! I was not only lucky to arrive on a sunny day but after a fresh snow fall too! Everywhere I looked the colours seemed saturated, especially in contrast with the shadow cast snow and the high altitude, deep blue sky (the rim is 8000 - 9000 ft. above sea level) . Albeit very cold (-5C, 23F) and very windy, we hiked to the valley floor below, were it was surprisingly warmer, I even peeled off our jacket! On the climb back up I happened upon this view and knew it would make an amazing abstract. With the "rule of thirds" in mind, I captured this shot as you see it. There were trees above the snow line however I chose not to include them in the shot. Notice the the colours! The snow in the distance is purple-blue in color (drawing from the blue sky). The brilliance of the orange and yellow sandstone was the result of reflective lighting from where I stood (I was standing on a vertical ledge and the sunlight bounced back off the wall of the ledge below me). Did you notice that the sun highlights the lip of the yellow sandstone? It's exactly what I looked for when I shot outdoor portraiture. I thoroughly enjoy abstract photography; I hope this photo leaves you wondering, “What is it and where is it?”.
