Ethereal atmospherics
Trees Rising from the Clouds, Tunnel View
At Tunnel View, during an evening with clearing storm light, I kept getting funny looks from other photographers when I was photographing with my telephoto pointed off to the side or even behind me, but I loved watching the clouds swirl around the trees in the far distance, and was drawn to the warm tones of the clearing sky above the cool, blue tones of clearing fog.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaCloudsLandscapeNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaSkyTelephotoTreesUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkclearing storm
From Trees and Woodland
Ghostly Autumn Trees, Yosemite NP #2
Before sunrise on a cold, clear autumn morning, fog rolled in and out of the Valley’s many meadows, providing an ethereal quality to these beautiful fall trees captured with my telephoto.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaTelephotoTreesUSAYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkautumnfallmistsnow
From Trees and Woodland
Ghostly Autumn Trees, Yosemite NP #4
Before sunrise on a cold, clear autumn morning, fog rolled in and out of the Valley’s many meadows, providing an ethereal quality to these beautiful fall trees captured with my telephoto.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaTelephotoTreesUSAYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkautumnfallmistsnow
From Trees and Woodland
Ghostly Autumn Trees, Yosemite NP #3
Before sunrise on a cold, clear autumn morning, fog rolled in and out of the Valley’s many meadows, providing an ethereal quality to these beautiful fall trees captured with my telephoto.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaTelephotoTreesUSAYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkautumnfallmistsnow
From Trees and Woodland
Foggy Trees, Glacier NP
Coniferous trees shrouded by rapidly shifting fog in the high elevations of Glacier National Park.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comFogGlacier National ParkLandscapeMontanaNational ParkNatureTelephotoTreesUSAmistsummer
From Trees and Woodland
Damnation Creek Trail Mystical Forest
During an evening hike on Damnation Creek Trail, the very last frame of the day as the wind kicked up, the fog rolled in, and darkness began to settle in the redwood forest.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaDel Norte CountyFogForestLandscapeNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaRedwood National ParkRedwoodsRhododendronTelephotoTreesUSAWoodlandspring
From Trees and Woodland
Half Dome and El Cap Smoky Sunset, Aerial View
Half Dome in the foreground and El Capitan in the background as seen from aboard a tiny Cessna 206 with the doors off in chilly sub-freezing temperatures. Nearby prescribed Forest Service burns outside the park boundary resulted in smoke haze settling into Yosemite Valley that lent an unexpected soft diffuseness over the landscape catching the last rays of the setting sun.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comAerialCaliforniaLandscapeNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaSkySunsetUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Park
Cascade Foothills Sunbeams
I arrived to photograph sunset over Crater Lake but found heavy cloud cover and very flat light over the direction of the water. But right across the road, mother nature was putting on quite the light show with sunrays filtering through the clouds and casting beams on the layers of hills that make up the Cascade Range. I hate to admit it, but this truly was a “parking lot” shot!
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCloudsCrater LakeCrater Lake National ParkCrepuscular raysGod RaysLandscapeNational ParkNatureOregonSkySouthern OregonSunsetTelephotoTreesUSAsummer
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.comAerialCaliforniaEl CapitanFirefallGod RaysHorsetail FallsLandscapeMountainNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaSkySunsetUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parksnow
Wizard Island Misty Morning, Crater Lake NP
I’ve often heard stories from visitors to Crater Lake National Park that they arrive and the lake is completely socked in with dense fog with no view whatsoever of the water or of iconic Wizard Island. It certainly was foggy when my husband and I set out this particular morning for sunrise, and the more popular overlooks were completely socked in with zero visibility. We found a small pullout at a lower elevation and just waited it out for the misty atmosphere to be burned off by the rising sun, for which we were rewarded with a beautiful warm/cool color combination.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCloudsCrater LakeCrater Lake National ParkFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureOregonSouthern OregonSunSunriseTreesUSAWaterlakemistsummer
Lassen Peak Sunrise Mist
June experienced unusually cold and wet weather in Lassen Volcanic National Park which resulted in beautiful clearing mist conditions on the surface of Manzanita Lake as the sun rose and illuminated Lassen Peak’s snowy summit.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaFogLandscapeLassen PeakLassen Volcanic National ParkManzanita LakeMountainNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaSkySunriseTreesUSAWatermistsnowspring
Wild Goose Overlook Monochrome
Late afternoon sunbeams breaking through the clouds at the iconic view of Wild Goose Overlook above Saint Mary Lake in Glacier NP processed in monochrome to accentuate the play of light, water and rock.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comBlack and WhiteCloudsGlacier National ParkLandscapeMonochromeMontanaMountainNational ParkNatureSkySun RaysSunsetUSAWaterlakesummer
Porto Moniz Monochrome, Madeira, Portugal
Located on the north shore of the Portuguese island of Madeira, I found the towering sea stacks of Ribeira da Janela as picturesque as the iconic stacks found in Vik off the coast of Iceland. Pointy and vertical when viewed up close from the beach, their silhouette is far more fin-shaped on their west face as seen here. Starting out clear and sunny at sunrise, this turned out to be one of those magical mornings with ever changing light as the clouds slowly built up, each curve in the road revealing new compositions of the island’s rugged coastline. Fortunately, this was one of the few pull-outs to view Madeira’s towering cliffs, accentuated by illuminated sea spray, sparkling reflections and dramatic crepuscular rays, and I was thrilled to capture this scene that was so high contrast, it almost didn’t require a monochrome edit, almost completely devoid of color.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comBeachBlack and WhiteCloudsCoastCrepuscular raysEuropeGod RaysLandscapeMonochromeNatureOceanPortugalSeaSea StacksSkyWaterWavesautumnfall
Framed View, Fanal Forest
Madeira’s Fanal forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for it’s ancient laurel forest, some of the trees as old as 500 years. Once covering southern Europe, these trees can now only be found on the island of Madeira, the Canary Islands and parts of southern Portugal. Fanal is well known for an almost constant presence of fog, which we were lucky to experience here on our first visit to create a further sense of mystery to these trees. By the following day however, all was bright and sunny.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comEuropeFogForestLandscapeNaturePortugalTreesWoodlandautumnfall
From Trees and Woodland
Crater Lake Burning Fog
Misty atmosphere being burned off by the rising sun overlooking Crater Lake and Wizard Island on a foggy summer morning.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCloudsCrater LakeCrater Lake National ParkFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureOregonSouthern OregonSunSunriseTreesUSAWaterWide Anglelakemistsummer
Cade’s Cove Misty Woodland Layers
My first full day in the Great Smoky Mountains NP called for misty, atmospheric conditions with fog at the mountain tops- what better day to take advantage of this weather than to explore the verdant valley of Cade’s Cove, with layers upon layers of woodland perfect for the telephoto. For hundreds of years, the Cherokee hunted in this wildlife-rich area before the first Europeans settled here, and the valley had a very spiritual and historic feel.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comAppalachiaFogForestGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkLandscapeNational ForestNational ParkNatureTelephotoTennesseeTreesUSAWoodlandautumnfallmist
From Autumnal
El Capitan Meadow Winter Fog
On a wet winter afternoon in Yosemite, thick swirling fog and mist could be found throughout the park along water tributaries and tree lines, and provided an ethereal quality to the trees at the base of Cathedral Rocks.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaCathedral RocksEl Capitan MeadowFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaSierra NevadaTreesUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkmistsnow
From Trees and Woodland
Ahwahnee Meadow Winter Fog & Snowfall
On a wet winter afternoon in Yosemite, thick swirling fog and mist could be found throughout the park along water tributaries and tree lines, and provided an ethereal quality to the trees found within Ahwahnee Meadow.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaSierra NevadaTreesUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkmistsnow
From Trees and Woodland
Thickening Fog, Cascade Creek
On a wet winter day in Yosemite, thick swirling fog throughout the park along water tributaries and tree lines would intermittently build up along this scene of Cascade Creek in the golden sunlight of the afternoon.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaCascade CreekFogLandscapeNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaTreesUSAWaterWaterfallWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkmist
From Trees and Woodland
Sun Breaking Through Fog, Glacier NP
One of my favorite types of light to capture with my camera is the ethereal quality found at the very edges of clearing fog. I was drawn to the sunlight illuminated on the needles of these coniferous trees as the sun was breaking through the morning mist rising on Wilbur Creek in Glacier NP.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comFogGlacier National ParkLandscapeMontanaNational ParkNatureTreesUSAmistsummer
From Trees and Woodland
Half Dome in Afternoon Light, Aerial View
One of the most recognizable rock features in the park, Half Dome's appearance as a perfect round shape cut in half is an illusion seen from the Valley floor. From the air, it's an elongated angular wedge, and I couldn't resist clicking the shutter from this angle of one of it's smooth sides bathed in late afternoon sunlight and smoke particulate in the atmosphere catching the setting sun's last rays of the day.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comAerialCaliforniaGod RaysHalf DomeLandscapeMountainNational ParkNatureReeditSierra NevadaSkySunsetUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parksnow
The Valley of the Dead Trees, Pico Ruivo, Madeira
On the highest peak on Madeira Island, my husband and I headed out for a strenuous hike up Pico Ruivo at dark with our headlamps to capture panoramic views of the sunrise over the mountains and gorges. The upper elevations of this steep climb brought us literally above the clouds where there are many weathered, dead trees affected by a past wildfire that had interesting shapes and contortions. For the briefest of moments, the sun crested just above the cloud layer below us, bathing the landscape in an exquisite glow.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCloudsEuropeLandscapeNaturePortugalSkySunSunriseTreesautumnfall
Winter Tree Textures, El Capitan Drive
The bridge spanning the Merced River on El Capitan Drive provides a beautiful view of Mother Nature’s reflections at the base of Cathedral Rocks. A light dusting of snow and a touch of fog caused by a holiday season atmospheric river event accentuated the delicate textures of the tree branches.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comCaliforniaFogLandscapeMerced RiverNational ParkNatureNorthern CaliforniaReflectionsRiverSierra NevadaTreesUSAWaterWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkmistsnow
From Trees and Woodland
Electrical Storm over the Caribbean
The first day of our Mexican Riviera vacation, insomnia caused my husband and I to walk to the beach to watch sunrise to find this billowing thundercloud on the horizon. I had only brought a minimal kit of one lens and a gorilla-pod, so I found a flat location on the rocks and set up my camera using this old pier as a foreground element, continuously taking long exposures in the hopes of capturing some lightning. I missed many dramatic lightning bolts between takes and when fumbling with my settings, but managed to get one small bolt as the electrical storm began to die down and as the rising sun cast subtle crepuscular rays in the sky.
http://www.optimalfocusphotography.comBeachCaribbeanCloudsCoastCrepuscular raysGod RaysLandscapeLightningLong ExposureMexicoNatureOceanPierQuintana RooReflectionReflectionsSeaWater
Bridalveil Falls and Cathedral Rocks Spotlit, Tunnel View
When the weather forecast looked promising for some snow flurries and clearing storm light, I convinced my husband to do a quick one night trip to the Valley, where we even scored a coveted camping spot right in the park. It’s been a mostly dry winter in California, with the exception of an atmospheric river event in December that dumped all our winter snow at once. My schedule didn’t allow me to get out and photograph that, though, and as the dry months dragged on, I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity for any photography of wintery scenes. Even though the snow on the Valley floor was mostly gone when we arrived, Tunnel View put on quite a show of swirling clouds that occasionally allowed the setting sun to peek through and spotlight the Valley’s iconic peaks.
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comBridal Veil FallsBridalveil FallsCaliforniaCathedral RocksCloudsEl CapitanLandscapeNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaSkyTunnel ViewUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parkclearing storm
Smoky Atmosphere, Half Dome
Witnessing Yosemite Valley from aboard a tiny Cessna 206 with the doors off was an opportunity too good to pass up, and allowed us to see the park’s familiar granite icons from a whole new perspective, including all sides of “Half Dome” which doesn’t resemble a dome from the air at all! Dense haze in the Valley from prescribed Forest Service burns lent an unexpected soft diffuseness over the landscape. A shoutout to Yosemite Flights in Groveland for an amazing experience not soon forgotten!!
https://www.optimalfocusphotography.comAerialCaliforniaGod RaysHalf DomeLandscapeMountainNational ParkNatureSierra NevadaSkySunsetUSAWinterYosemiteYosemite NPYosemite National Parksnow