POTD: Hawksbill Crag

Hawksbill Crag

Location: Upper Buffalo Wilderness
Camera: Phase One P45 Digital Back, Cambo RS Camera, Schneider 72L Lens
Settings: f/11, ISO 100, 5 seconds
When: August 2009

Hawksbill Crag is the most recognized natural feature in the “Natural State”.  This rocky outcrop overlooks the Buffalo River Valley and the views are absolutely stunning.  The three mile, round trip, hike to visit the crag is relatively easy making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Arkansas.  The dropoff of over one hundred feet is deceptively dangerous and has been the site of many fatal accidents. It is all to easy to slip on the loose gravel or get vertigo looking over the edge.

An image from Hawksbill Crag is a must for any Arkansas photographer.  Looking for something different I hiked to the crag well before sunrise and was rewarded with the opposing colors of a magenta sky against the green foliage adding depth to the photograph.  Fog hovering over the river added much needed definition to the dark valley.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print

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POTD: Ice in Lemair Channel

Ice in Lemaire Channel

Location: Antarctica
Camera: Phse One P65+, Cambo RS, Rodenstock 23mm
Settings: f/8, 1/250, ISO 50
When: December 2010

Lemaire Channel in Antarctica is one of the most dramatic coastlines in the world.  I hung over the side of the ship’s hull to get as close to the water as possible.  The current in the rough water had created a channel of ice I used as leading lines to the snow covered shoreline.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: Fire in the Sky

Fire in the Sky

Location: Livingston Island, Antarctica
Camera: Phase One P65+, 35mm, 645DF
Settings: f/11, 1/500, ISO 50
When: December, 2010

Antarctic winds swept across the South Shetland Islands lifting over the mountain peaks creating a dramatic cloud formation that literally disappeared in a matter of minutes.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: Sunrise 2:30 a.m.

Sunrise 2:30 a.m.

Location: Antarctica
Camera: Phase One P65+, 75-150mm, 645DF
Settings: f/11, ISO 400, 1/250 sec, six shot panoramic
When: December 2010

The Antarctic sky had cleared for the first time during our trip, the cruise ship floating near the Lemaire Channel.  You don’t anchor in Antarctica, you turn slowly around a stationary point for the night.  The captain estimated sunrise at 4am so a 3:30 shoot was planned.

That evening the light was surreal and stretched into a four hour sunset.  Every 30 minutes I climbed up to the observation deck to photograph the changing light. One by one the others passengers retired to their cabins.  Eventually, I was the only one awake shooting and loading images into my laptop.  After midnight I decided I might as well stay awake until the sunrise and kept up my 30 minute routine.  At 2:30 the sky burst into incredible color and in a few moments the color was gone.

I traveled to Antarctica a year after a near-fatal accident in the Arkansas wilderness.  I still recall my emotions of being alive, completely alone, on this ghostly quiet ship in the middle of Antarctica – unbelievable!   Outside in my shirt sleeves the temperature just above freezing I reflected on the accident, months of therapy to walk and here I was the sole witness to this incredible scene.  That moment was the beginning of my passion for photographic discovery that continues to this day.

Your darkest moment may contain the seeds of your destiny

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: White Rock Autumn

White Rock Autumn

Location: Ozark National Forest, Arkansas
Camera: Phase One P30+, 35mm
Settings: f/11, ISO 50, 1/250
When: October 2010

White Rock Mountain is a rocky outcrop in the southern edge of the Ozark Mountains.  It is one of the easiest places to enjoy the vistas of the Ozarks with a short walk downhill from the parking area to a lookout pavilion that has a stunning 270 degree view from northwest to southeast.

Called the Ozark Mountains it is actually the Ozark Plateau and like the Colorado Plateau is full of eroding canyons that have stunning waterfalls in the spring.   On the southern edge of the plateau where it falls to the Arkansas River Valley you’ll find great views looking southward.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork.  Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: Enlightened

Enlightened

Location: Antarctic Sounds
Camera: Pase One P65+, Phase One DF Body, 35mm
Settings: f/11, 1/250, ISO 200
When: December, 2010

The sun is a rare sight on stormy days in Antarctica. At the end of this day the sun peaked through the clouds lighting the wintery seascape for a second or two.  It’s hard to believe the iceberg in the center is nearly 200′ tall.

With all icebergs the rule of thumb goes that we are only seeing a small portion of the ice while the remainder is submerged. Try to imagine the size and weight of these massive icebergs as my large expedition ship could not reach halfway up them in height!

The darkened icebergs in the foreground create unique leading lines drawing your attention to the dramatic scene in the center of the frame.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.Description

POTD: Arched Iceberg

Arched Iceberg

Location: Antarctic Sounds
Camera: Phase One P65+, Phase One DF Body, 75-150mm
Settings: f/11, 1/250, ISO 400, 4 shot stitch
When: December 2010

While not an image in my portfolio, I thought you might enjoy viewing this massive iceberg with multiple arches.  You cannot tell from this photograph but this iceberg is over 100 feet tall.

Huge sheets of ice up to 200′ tall break off from the Larsen Ice Shelf  and drift northward in the Weddell Sea.  Some of these icebergs get drawn into the Antarctic Sound and never drift back out.  For years they melt into unreal shapes until finally there is nothing left.  Some melt into arches like this, others will have waterfalls streaming off them into the inky waters.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: Watching

Watching

Location: Kebler Pass, Colorado
Camera: Nikon D3, 14-24mm lens
Settings: f/2.8, 24 seconds, ISO 1600
When: October, 2011

It was cloudy when I parked to spend the night in my jeep near Kebler Pass.  If you’ve ever slept in a jeep you know it’s not the most comfortable place to spend the night.  Nature photographers get used to this and you wake up several times during the night to reposition and stop the aching in your back.  I woke at half past three to clear skies and a full moon shining bright.

After a short drive I noticed these aspen trees on the hillside above the road. Pointing the wide angle lens upward drew the tops of the trees together. Normally I would correct this but it seemed as if the trees where joining together to enjoy the starry sky.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: Ambiance

Ambiance

Location: Ohio Pass, Colorado
Camera: Phase One P45, Schneider 72L, Cambo Technical Camera
Settings: f/16, 2 seconds, ISO 50
When: October, 2011

I love the experience of aspen groves ablaze in autumn yellow and Ohio Pass near Crested Butte, Colorado is one of the best places to photograph them.  The forest follows down the side of the mountain providing a background full of color.

When photographing the texture of the forest I try to include some kind of compositional element.  In this shot the hiding evergreen adds the compositional element to anchor the viewer’s gaze.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.

POTD: Majestic

Majestic

Location: Aspen, Colorado
Camera: Phase One P45, Schneider 72L, Cambo Technical Camera
Settings: f/11, ISO 100, 1/25 sec, 2 vertical shots stitched
When: August, 2011

Another image of the Maroon Bells photographed a bit later in the day.  I waited a few hours to let the light reach the foothills near Maroon Lake.  The lake remained completely calm which is rare.  I photographed this composition several times and this shot with a slight ripple in the water from visiting Canadian Geese added a painterly feel to the mountains reflection.

During Autumn, the banks of this small lake are completely filled with hundreds of photographers hoping for a gorgeous morning.  During the summer you often have it to yourself with fields full of wildflowers in the meadow north of the lake.

All my images are available as limited edition artwork. Click here for more information or to purchase a fine art print.