Landscapes of the Western U.S.

My favorite landscapes of the western United States, including the Shasta-Cascade, the mountains and foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, and California's Central Valley.

Aerial View of Firefall Phenomenon, 2022

11 / 68

Aerial View of Firefall Phenomenon, 2022

I didn’t have any intentions of photographing Yosemite’s famed firefall phenomenon again this year; atmospheric river events in December blissfully dumped snow on the Sierra in December, but weather was completely bone dry in January and February, and one of the key ingredients of a good firefall is ample water flow. But when we got the opportunity to witness Yosemite Valley from the air aboard a tiny Cessna 206 with the doors off, it was too good to pass up, even if it wasn’t an epic firefall year! Dense haze in the Valley from prescribed Forest Service burns lent an unexpected soft diffuseness over the landscape, but witnessing Yosemite’s familiar granite icons from a whole new perspective was an experience not soon forgotten!!
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.com

Aerial California El Capitan Firefall God Rays Horsetail Falls Landscape Mountain National Park Nature Sierra Nevada Sky Sunset USA Winter Yosemite Yosemite NP Yosemite National Park snow