Forests of the Pacific Northwest

There is something magical here...

Pheasant Feathers

Sometimes the same image can be so different just by a monochrome edit.  With this particular photograph, I really like both for different reasons. Which one is your favorite??

Forest Magic

No, we don't need more sleep. 
It's our souls that are tired,
not our bodies.
We need nature. We need magic.
We need adventure.
We need freedom.
We need truth.
We need stillness.
We don't need more sleep,
we need to wake up and live.
~Brooke Hampton

Winds of Change

Fate whispers to the warrior, 
"You cannot withstand the storm."
The warrior whispers back, 
"I am the storm."
Robert Sullivan
~
Self Portrait

Ancient Redwoods

Walking through this forest of ancient giants was quite a spiritual experience for me.  I found myself, at times, with tears welling in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I felt that I needed to whisper in their presence, and I couldn't help but wonder what amazing stories they could tell.
~
"I made the woods and the waterfalls my place of worship because I connected with something out there that I was never able to at church."
Brooke Hampton

Driftwood of a Giant

The root structure of a giant Redwood, worn by the sand and sea.  In nature, even death can be beautiful.

Nature isn't just a place for me to visit. It feels like home, the place where I belong...

Bison

This big guy was enjoying his waterhole.  As I was photographing, he stopped and looked at me, as if to say "what are you looking at"? 

Waiting for Spring

As I walked through a clearing in the pines, I found these two little snow covered trees. They looked to me like two friends, all cuddled up, waiting for spring.
 This time of the year is always hard for me.  I am tired of winter. I can't wait for spring to arrive! I can feel it in the air. So close, yet here in northern Utah, could still be many weeks away. It is a time that would be easy to just sit at home and wait out. I learned that for me, it is important to still get out and enjoy the season for exactly what it is. Don't waste time waiting for a better day. We had a spring storm drop some new snow in the mountains this week, so I decided to go up snowshoeing. What a beautiful and peaceful day it was. The fresh air, the cool breeze, the trees with a new blanket of white, what beauty I would have missed out on if I would have stayed home! There is something magical about making the first tracks in the untouched snow. Part of me felt bad for disturbing such perfection.

Steller's Jay Feather

#2 in my feather series.

Northern Flicker Feather

I have wanted to do a fine art feather series for awhile now.  One of those ideas that I keep putting off for other things. Not any more.  Number one, done! I found this beautiful little Northern Flicker feather in Utahs high Uinta mountains. I love the contrast of the dark orange center.

Zion National Park

I love going here in the off season. There are very few visitors during the winter months.  Its a great time to enjoy one of Utah's most beautiful and majestic National Parks. 

Winter Solitude

Winter solitude ~ in a world of one colour the sound of the wind.

~Matsuo Basho

Camouflage

Camouflage is the most interesting of all the arts.
~Kris Saknussemm~

River in Autumn #2

River in Autumn

Jewel

And sometimes I try something new...

Utah Slot Canyon

One of my favorite things to do is to explore where there are no trails. Where the only footprints that I see are my own, or the occasional boot prints of someone else who loves the wild and less touched places, just as I do. I love setting out on my adventure having no idea the treasure that I will find. Sometimes I find something beautiful to photograph. Other times I just enjoy the sun on my face and the cool breeze in my hair. On this particular day, I descended down a rugged and steep hillside into a deep wash.  I followed the dry wash for a long time before reaching the end, discovering a beautiful slot canyon, cutting through the red sandstone. I spent the next several hours photographing this beautiful hidden canyon. The amazing colors and textures curved gracefully around every bend of the canyon walls.

Texture and details in infrared

I have always been fascinated by textures and the tiny details in nature, like miniature landscapes within the larger ones. This photograph was made with a converted infrared Nikon D300. It was taken of the underneath side of an uprooted pine, its roots still clinging to some of the stones that they had formed around. 

Utah Wildflowers

What a beautiful year for wildflowers!  They seemed to hang on a little bit longer this year?  The Indian Paintbrush has always been one of my favorite. They were the most brilliant red this year, and red happens to be my favorite color    ;)