I spent a great day last at the annual Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point a couple weeks ago. If you’ve never been, be sure and go next year!

There’s always so much to shoot at the festival! But coming up with a new perspective can sometimes be difficult. So here I have a few standard shots and I tried to come up with something new as well.

Winter has come to a close, but I had a few more random images to post that were taken this year. I wish I had gone out shooting more, but sometimes life just gets busy. I’ll see what I can do next winter, but in the meantime spring is here!!!

Made to appear as a moonlight night, taken near Snowbasin in Huntsville.

Canon 5DII, 17-40mm 4.0L, 1/25 sec, f/16, 2-stop Hard GND

A cold winter evening in Huntsville, Utah, with interesting sagebrush in the foreground and great cloud patterns in the background.

Canon 5DII, 17-40mm 4.0L, 1/18 sec, f/14, 2-stop Hard GND

Pineview Reservoir, probably more than a half hour after the sun had set. Because there was so little light left, it required an exposure time of 60 seconds, which also allowed me to capture some great color that was still left in the clouds.

Canon 5DII, 17-40mm 4.0L, 60 secs, f/11

This winter I made two hikes up the Ogden Overlook Trail. What an amazing view! The first time I was there I didn’t get a great sunset all around, but I did get some great color to the north. However, I wasn’t satisfied with just that. So I made a second trip up a few weeks later, and this time I got amazing light and color to the south. It was perfect! The key to any location is to return to it at least more than once, because chances are you won’t get your “keeper” the first time around anyway! Here are some of the images I came home, all taken from the exact same location within a 50-foot radius.

Incredible sunset light illuminates a recently formed snow drift near Snowbasin, overlooking the greater Ogden area. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 1/10 sec, f/16, ISO 100, Singh-ray LB Polarizer, manual blend of four exposures

Ogden Canyon and the greater Ogden area. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 1/6 sec, f/14, Singh-ray LB Polarizer, 2-stop Hard GND

Sometimes you feel like you’re on top of the world, as was the case for me as I stood all alone on top of this incredible ridgeline near Snowbasin. If you look closely, Ben Lomond Peak and Powder Mountain can be seen in the distant background. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 1/4 sec, f/16, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

Snowdrifts on a ridgeline near Snowbasin. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 1/13 sec, f/16, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

It’s amazing to witness moments like these from such a great vantage point! Taken near Snowbasin. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 0.5 sec, f/16, ISO 100, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

Another view of the greater Ogden area. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 0.8 sec, f/16, ISO 100, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

Epic light illuminates the snow-drifted trees in the foreground, the Mt. Ogden area in the background. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 0.4 sec, f/16, ISO 100, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

Winter sure has come and gone in a hurry this year! For a while there I was being pretty ambitious about getting out and shooting when I could. But then life got busy, the weather wasn’t good, or for whatever reason, the last couple of months have just not been to effective when it comes to photography. But here I share with you the second to last set of winter images from the last couple of months.

Ogden Valley (seen here are parts of Eden, Liberty, and Powder Mountain) from South Skyline Trail Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 1/15 sec, f/16, 2-stop Hard GND, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

A lone skier tops to admire the view. The view of what? That’s one of the reasons I enjoy this image – it leaves everything up to your imagination… Canon 5DII, 70-200mm f/4L, 1/8000 sec, f/10, ISO 400

Father and son stop for a brief moment on Pineview Reservoir, standing in the rain (as was I), to admire the brilliant sunset before hauling away their ice fishing gear. Canon 5DII, 24-105mm f/4L IS, 1.6 sec, f/14, ISO 400, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

A snowshoer hikes up the South Skyline Trail in the snow. Canon 5DII, 70-200mm f/4L, 1/400 sec, f/11, ISO 200

Sometimes a scene just catches your eye……. Canon 5DII, 24-105mm f/4L IS, 1/320 sec, f/10, ISO 200, Singh-ray LB Polarizer

Two nordic skiers (top right) stop briefly to admire the view of Ogden Valley. Canon 5DII, 70-200mm f/4L, 1/1000 sec, f/11, ISO 200

Long exposure of a small waterfall near Powder Mountain. Canon 5DII, 70-200mm f/4L, 1 sec, f/25, ISO 50

Winter photography is not easy. It’s cold. It’s snowy. Sometimes it’s windy. And did I mention that it’s cold? But if you’re determined (and apparently I am…), you’ll get out there and shoot anyway. This winter I’m determined to get some great winter shots, especially some “fire-and-ice” ones, and so far I’m off to an ok start. Below are a few of my most recent images. Obviously not all of them are that great. I’m sharing them anyway. This is part one of what I’m sure will be at least three!

Flaming colors of the sunset reflected in ice on Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Valley. Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 2 sec, f/16, Singh-ray Polarizer

Sunset over Ogden Valley, Utah Canon 5DII, 17-40mm 4.0L, f/18, 0.3 sec, ISO 400, Singh-Ray Polarizer

Sunset reflected in a still Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Valley Canon 5DII, 17-40mm 4.0L, f/16, 0.8 sec, Singh-Ray Polarizer

Remnants of the sunset in Huntsville, Utah Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 1.6 sec, f/16, ISO 50, Singh-ray Polarizer

The last light on the ever-familiar mountains in Ogden Valley, Utah Canon 5DII, 17-40mm f/4L, 0.4 sec, f/16, Singh-ray Polarizer

This year the fall season seemed a bit short, but it was definitely a colorful one! It seems like I traveled all over Northern Utah this year to capture this amazing season. I went a few places I’ve never been before, as well as a few places I’ve been many times. Here are some of my favorites from this year:

Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Powder Mountain, Utah

Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Looking Toward Weber Canyon from Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Willow Lake, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

Looking Toward Cache Valley from Monte Cristo above Ogden Valley, Utah

Sunset near Snowbasin, Huntsville, Utah

This second set of images is from a three-day trip I took in July to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. I was lucky to have perfect timing for the wildflowers all over the Teton and Jackson area, not to mention the great light and stormy weather I encountered. Since this was the first time I went there with the sole intent of capturing the beautiful scenery on camera, I had to get many of the “classic” shots in the area. I don’t mind though, because I’m a firm believer in the notion that even though a location has been shot thousand or even millions of times, it’s still unique to YOU. When you see these places for yourself, it just makes them that much more special to you. So I’m ok with coming home with the classic shots. After two days in the Tetons I spent one full day and one early morning in Yellowstone. The evening and morning light wasn’t anything spectacular, but just spending time in Yellowstone is always a wonder in itself. Here are some of my favorites from the trip:

Barn at Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wildflowers, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Schwabacher’s Landing, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Sunset, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Late Afternoon, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Leigh Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Near Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Happy Holidays!! Given that I haven’t posted anything to this blog for almost a year now, I figured it was about time I give it another whole-hearted try along with the start of the new year. A lot has happened this year and I’ve spent a significant amount of time photographing both locally and outside of my local “comfort zone.” The next few posts will be more like small showcases of images to show the work I’ve been doing. No stories or detailed explanations. This first set of images is from the Kanab area in Southern Utah, taken back in March. It was my first time at The Wave, and what an experience! I will definitely be going back there again in the future. The light wasn’t that great for wide views of the wave, but it was perfect for capturing the details of the wave! It was overcast and made for perfect conditions to capture the first four images below. I also visited Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, but the light just wasn’t that great, so I didn’t really bring back and great keepers. So here are some of my favorites from the trip:

The Wave, Paria Wilderness Area, Coyotte Buttes, Arizona

The Wave Details, Paria Wilderness Area, Coyotte Buttes, Arizona

The Wave Details, Paria Wilderness Area, Coyotte Buttes, Arizona

The Wave, Paria Wilderness Area, Coyotte Buttes, Arizona

Plant Detail, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah

17-40mm f/4L | 1/60 sec | f/16 | ISO 100 | Polarizer

This is the first of a few images from a recent trip to Southern Utah. This shot was actually taken just inside the border of Arizona (the hike begins in Utah and you eventually cross the border into Arizona), in the Coyotte Buttes area. It’s a three-mile hike one way, which would have been much easier if I was actually in shape. But it was well worth it. In order to protect this area they only give permits to 20 people (or dogs) each day, and ten of those have to be reserved months in advance. I was EXTREMELY lucky to get a permit that day for me and my wife because there were 55 other people trying to get one of the ten remaining for that day. They have a lottery every morning. It was a close call – my number was the last to be drawn. This is my favorite shot of the formation often called the Second Wave. It’s a bit south of the first Wave. While we were there I was quite unhappy with the weather for not being more cooperative, but surprisingly it turned out to my advantage for this scene. If there had just been plain blue skies, I don’t think this image would have been near as effective. The dark stormy clouds in the background created the perfect contrast with the light, yellow sandstone in the foreground. And the timing was perfect – the sun only shined through a break in the clouds for about a half hour, creating the shadows on the sandstone. Now for some technical things. I like it when other photographers explain themselves – I think you can learn a lot from their thoughts. Here are mine: This location has been photographed thousands of times, which makes it difficult to come up with a new take on it. So I was very careful to set up the composition to take advantage of the natural leading lines in this scene. All the shapes and patterns in the foreground lead your eye back to the strange formation and dark clouds and then back to the foreground again. Leading lines are an extremely effective way to create an interesting composition. And always be on the lookout for contrast. In this scene it’s all about the contrast created by the late afternoon setting sun and the dark clouds in the background. I think contrasts of light/dark and warm/cool are very effective.