Nature Landscape and Travel Photography/Photo Tours & Workshops | Alan Majchrowicz Photography

Seizing the moment

2012-01-26T08:49:00.001-08:00

Mount Shuksan

Before heading back up to the Mount Baker/Mount Shuksan area today I wanted to share an image from the portfolio of my recent trip. Yes, this is Shuksan again. It's hard to get enough photos of it since there are so many great perspectives of it in both winter and summer.

This photo was made in early afternoon while scouting for compositions for the morning and evening light. On the way up I noticed these graceful patterns of sastrugi and knew that they'd make a great compositional element. I definitely wanted to utilize them for evening light when the snows glow with warm light. As I was visualizing the possibilities the sun started breaking through the clouds and throwing a soft light on the scene, the sign to go to work. The light lasted for around fifteen minutes allowing me to make around a dozen pleasing images. I was very glad I didn't pass up this chance since the evening light I hoped for did not appear during my stay.

The lesson here is if you see an opportunity to make a photo don't pass it up thinking you'll come back to it later, you may not have the chance. On my trip back there today I'm sure the wind and snow will have sculpted an entirely new scene for me. Check out the rest of the photos from tis trip here.

Bringing New Life To Old Photos

2012-01-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

Zion Canyon Narrows

One thing I've come to enjoy about Google+ and other Social Media sites is how they've gotten me to think more about making and remaking images. There are so many wonderful photographers out there with wildly diverse styles that they inspire me to take my photos to a higher level. This weekend I spent considerable time going back to a group of Zion photos I made in the first year of using a digital camera. There were many favorites there that seemed like they could use some improvement now that my digital skills have matured somewhat. Upon opening the DNG files I saw all kinds of errors that could easily be corrected, so I went to work, throwing out all my previous settings and starting from scratch. The resulting final Tiffs had a fresh more realistic look and it was like coming home from location with a new batch of images.

One of the mistakes I made back then, and one common to most photographers, was ignoring the histogram both in the camera and in Camera Raw and Photoshop. Without knowing it I allowed the dark and light areas to go off the scale from poor exposure, and excessive post-processing contrast and over-saturation. Fortunately for me I always shoot Raw and then convert to DNG files when processing back home in the office. The DNG files are then archived and backed up separately from working and final Tiffs. This way I can always go back and view the original file as it came directly from the camera, then make some basic adjustments such as white balance, exposure, and saturation before working on a final Tiff file. When working on the final file it is then usually just a matter of tweaking levels and curves and adding some basic burning and dodging.

Now I'm definitely far from being an expert on post-processing techniques, but like just about everything in life it's a long learning process that is constantly changing as technology advances. What matters is to learn from mistakes and don't dismiss images based on your current knowledge and style. It could be months or years down the road when you come across an old file and suddenly see it in a new light.

Zion Canyon Narrows

Winter photography Workshops At Mount Baker

2012-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

There's still time to sign up for my Winter Photography Workshops. Join us in the beautiful Heather Meadows Recreation Area adjacent to the Mount Baker Ski Area for a full day of learning how to creatively photograph safely and comfortably in a winter environment. In recent years the Heather Meadows area has become a magnet for all types of winter enthusiasts, and many of the photography industry's leading adventure shooters can be seen here photographing skiers and snowboarders for magazine and gear catalogs.

Dates: January 14, January 28, February 11

For details and registration click here.

Orkney Islands Image Northlink Ferries

2012-01-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Starting out the new year with a little shameless self-promotion here. One of my images made several years ago on Orkney Mainland was chosen for the cover of the 2012 Northlink Ferries Brochure. This is really exciting for me as I had dreamed of visiting the rugged windswept Islands of Northern Scotland for many years, and I was definitely not disappointed. The photo was made on the beach at Brough Head at the north end of the island, a location which has yielded another best selling image for me via my friends at Wild Apple Publishing.

Another reason to be excited about the brochure is that I will be returning to the Orkney Islands this May to host a seven day Photo Tour. Participants will be happy to know that Northlink Ferries will be their means of transport to the Orkneys!

Standing Stones of Steness 12604

Best Images of 2011 / Looking forward to 2012

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

The holiday festivities are over, the decorations put away, and the Christmas tree is on the curb waiting to be recycled. Yes, it's a brand new year full of possibilities and expectations, another chance to get charged up and start fresh. Thanks to all my clients and social media followers out there who helped make 2011 one of the best!

2012 is already set to be one of the best years yet. Most importantly I'm offering several great Photo Workshops and Tours scheduled for 2012. Two tours in Scotland and one in Iceland promises participants excellent opportunities to sharpen their location techniques and fill their portfolios with great new images. Also having acquired a new Epson 7890 in December I'm now able to offer my fine art clients larger size prints at attractive prices.

First, though, I'd like to share with you the Top Ten Images from 2011. It was a great year that was packed with successful photo trips to some new locations as well as some tried and true classics I've visited many times over the years. Take a look and enjoy!

Limestone Lakes, British Columbia 46245

Mount Shuksan North Cascades, Washington 46627

Latorell Falls, Oregon 46749

Painted Hills, Oregon 44743

Imnaha Canyon, Oregon 44958

Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta 46365

Canoes on Moraine Lake, Banff, Alberta 45923

Imnaha Canyon, Oregon 45031

Abraham Lake, Alberta 43649

Bow Valley, Banff National Park, Alberta 43869

Creative Post -Processing of Images

2011-12-26T16:32:00.000-08:00

Buckskin Gulch 37316r

For most landscape and nature photographers post-processing of images generally entails correcting color, contrast, and density into a pleasing but mostly realistic representation of the subject. For much of my work this is true but every now and then I become dissatisfied with this traditional look and try to take some images to another level.

Crack Canyon 41606r

For the past couple of months I've been revisiting a group of images from my archives which I selected for processing in my self-titled Redux style. This time of year between autumn and winter location shooting is spent catching up on business and stirring up the creative juices. Nothing beats sitting by the fire on a stormy November or December day than reworking images in a new creative direction. Last year I was playing around with some post-processing techniques that were used by several commercial location photographers, at the time I wasn't sure what I was doing but I liked the look. This year while beginning the selection process my daughter gave me her copy of the soundtrack to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a video game set in a fantasy world of dragons reminiscent of a Tolkien novel. Upon listening to the beautiful ethereal music I was immediately inspired to dive into my folder of images and begin working. This post contains a few of the resulting images, in the next week or two I should have enough ready to put into a gallery.

Imnaha Canyon 44921r

So if you're like many creative types that get bogged down in a creative routine don't be afraid to experiment with your images. Check out artists and photographers working in other fields for inspiration and techniques that you are intrigued with. When you're ready to start, look through your files for a few images that have that hidden quality waiting to be set free and play around with them. You'll probably not hit on the exact look you want right away so save all your work in a separate folder and revisit it from time to time. Just as important, if you hit on a look excites you save those images in another folder, what looks great in the heat of creativity may look dull and uninspiring down the road. True creativity is an ongoing journey that evolves in you over time

Imnaha Canyon 45023r

End of Year Print Sale

2011-12-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

We've just launched our Annual End of Year Fine Art Print Sale. From now until January 10, 2012 you can save 30% off any size signed print from any of our thousands of images in our archives! Browse through our g alleries select the images you like then add them to the cart and at checkout enter the coupon code: colter06. Your final total will reflect the discount.

Prints are signed on the image and do not include matting or framing. This offer is valid until January 10, 2012 and is good only for retail fine art prints, the discount does not apply to commercial licensing personal use downloads or posters.

Don't forget the Coupon Code: colter06

alanmajchrowicz.photoshelter.com/

Winter Photography Tips and Tricks/ Part Two

2011-12-03T06:53:00.001-08:00

Trophy Mountains British Columbia

Making great photographs in winter is all about planning and timing, especially if you're photographing landscapes. As I outlined in my previous post winter photography presents some unique challenges to the photographer, but if you can get past them a whole new world rich with rewards will be open to you. Few experiences can match getting out of your tent at dawn after a storm has cleared to photograph a trackless pristine winter scene in perfect light.

Light:

In winter the sun of course is in a lower latitude and for the photographer that means more opportunities for golden light and side lighting, and since the days are shorter there's a lot less down time and waiting around in the cold for the light. The golden hour lasts longer in the morning and starts earlier in the afternoon. Even in late morning and early afternoon the angle of the sun can present good photographic opportunities. As a bonus you don't need to get up as early in the morning, but if you're camping out you're in for nearly fourteen hours of reading and sleeping in the tent. On the flip side of this you'll have less time to get in position and some locations may require an overnight trip because of the shorter days. Many backcountry skiers don't start their season until March or April to take advantage of longer days but be aware the light then will be different and you'll be faced with possibly more challenging weather.

Tatoosh Range, Mount Rainier National Park

Weather:

Ideally you'll want to get on location as a storm cycle concludes, leaving the landscape covered in fresh snow, with the remnant clouds bathed in glowing morning or evening (more like late afternoon in winter) light. To do this your first challenge is to become an amateur meteorologist, although most photographers already have a good grasp of weather patterns. In winter you should track weather patterns and trends for your desired destination for several weeks in advance, and daily a week before your trip, especially if you are new to the location. Observe storm patterns and satellite images on weather sites, watch the direction they come in where and how long they usually stall and the temperature fluctuations before during and after a storm. Also look at the bigger picture and find out the seasonal patterns of weather. Let's take a look at why this is important.

Table Mountain North Cascades

Here in the Pacific Northwest the storms come in and dump huge quantities of heavy wet snow in the mountains and temperatures can change the snow to rain in an instant. This is especially true in November and December, the stormiest months of the year. However January and February have cooler more consistent temperatures with more calm periods between storms, making it a better time to visit locations such as Mount Rainier or Mount Baker. In March the storms ramp up again with more variable temps.

Snow Encased Trees Manning Provincial Park B.C.

If however you are planning a photography trip to the Rocky Mountain states or the Canadian Rockies you'll encounter a completely different scenario. The big difference is temperature, this far inland it's is much colder and dryer. That means that the snowfall amounts will be a lot less, even in major storms, and even more importantly the snow will be dryer and less likely to accumulate on trees. So your window of opportunity to photograph that fresh snowfall much smaller. I've been in the Canadian Rockies after a storm only to see the dry snow being blown off the trees and exposed slopes by the wind in minutes. While in the North Cascades the snow encased trees can last for days after a storm.

Abraham Lake, Alberta

In the Rockies the cold dry conditions are a great benefit for photographing other winter subjects, such as ice. The consistently colder temperatures freezes waterfalls lakes and rivers, something that is quite rare in the coastal ranges. As shown in the photo of Abraham Lake in Alberta the cold windy conditions create a whole new range of subject matter. So make sure you educate yourself to the various conditions in different areas, it'll help get you there at the right time and decide where to go for different subject matter, not to mention when it's time to high tail it out to the safety of a motel.

Safety:

Another challenge of winter photography is getting to your subject safely. Obviously that well groomed summer trail to your favorite mountain vista will be under several feet of snow in the winter, leaving it up to you to find the route. Even in good weather that route will look much different. I've been up to Artist Point by Mount Baker dozens of times in winter and summer and it always amazes me how unfamiliar the route looks in winter. Check in with park rangers for special winter routes and advice or go online to local winter recreation forums for advice. For example, getting around the Paradise area at Mount Rainier has different winter routes specified due to safety considerations, this and more in depth info is available at the visitors center.

Mount Rainier

Here is where I'll get into trouble with many readers. I firmly believe that you must educate yourself in map reading and route finding skills and not rely on GPS cell phones and other electronic gadgets. In winter especially you must develop a new set of skills and common sense to get around safely. It is unbelievably easy for things to go wrong in winter, simply dropping a device in the snow directly in front of you in a white out can mean disaster. On an assignment for Backpacker Magazine years ago a member of our group dropped his watch in the snow and never found it, and years later I once spent a half hour trying to locate a detached ski in deep snow two feet from where I fell! So go ahead and use your GPS but please also use your head and develop the skills to get you out on your own!

This brings me to the most important safety consideration while photographing in the mountains in winter, avalanches. Never ever travel alone in any area that is is susceptible to avalanches! If you are caught in even a small slide your chances for getting out alive are very slim. Visit your local outdoor recreation store to get books on avalanche awareness and safe winter travel, most likely they will also offer avalanche safety courses or direct you to someone who does. A good short course will educate you sufficiently and you'll have fun and probably meet some future travel partners.

Backcountry Skier on Table Mountain

Here's a link to perhaps the best course you'll find, Wells Gray Adventures. I took this affordable course with a friend and it was a blast, not only was it educational but we got to spend two nights in a backcountry hut in the Trophy Mountains of B.C.. I came back with lots of great photos and a thorough knowledge of avalanche safety.

Want to learn more about winter photography? Join me in the field at Heather Meadows Recreation Area adjacent to the Mount Baker Ski Area for my one day Winter Photography Workshops. Three dates are available, January 14, 28 and February 11 2012.

Helpful links:

National Weather Service

Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center

Canadian Avalanche Centre

Powder Drop

Snow Fix

Winter Photography Tips and Tricks/ Part One

2011-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ski Tracks, Mount Shuksan

Here we are at the beginning of November, fall photography is wrapping up for most of us and dreams and plans for next years photography trips are taking shape on the calendar. But what about the next four or five months? There's plenty of photography opportunities and subjects during the winter months too, and I'm not talking about heading down to the Southwest for desert photography. I'm talking about the cold snowy areas of National and State and Provincial Parks, nearly deserted in the winter months. Winter photography is definitely more more difficult and challenging than working in warm summer weather, but with a little preparation and the proper gear it can be safe comfortable and extremely rewarding.

In this post I'm going to outline some tips on gear, safety, and getting around in winter. The key here is to not skimp on quality, get the best you can afford.

Ski Tracks, Mount Baker

Clothing:

The rule in outdoor safety is, Cotton Kills. When it's wet it has no insulation properties, leaving you vulnerable to hypothermia, and besides that it's not very warm in winter. Leave cotton at home except for towels for drying off.
Merino Wool is you best bet these days for long underwear and shirts, it's warm comfortable and doesn't smell as much as synthetics after a few days of wear.
Waterproof shell jacket and pants. Look for features such as built in gaiters, suspenders, articulated knees, hood, and deep pockets with zippers.
Down jacket or parka, absolutely nothing beats down for insulation, keep it dry and it'll be your best friend. I wear my down jacket only when standing around camp or when waiting for light, it's too warm for heavy exertion and you risk getting it wet from perspiration.
Insulated high top boots, like Sorels, make sure they're not to tight.
Two pairs of gloves or mittens. I have insulated ski gloves with leather palms and finger and a thinner set of synthetic gloves for better dexterity when working.
Hat, sunglasses and or ski goggles. Goggles are great during winder conditions, they provide better visibility and help keep your face warm.

Telemark Skier, Manning Provincial Park, B.C.

Getting around:

Unless you plan on photographing from your vehicle or on well packed trails, you'll need an efficient way to get around in deep snow. How you do that will depend on your goals and location. If you're photographing in the mountains you're most likely going to encounter deep snow of varying consistency. Here in the Pacific Northwest the snow can be heavy wet and over 10' deep, in the Rockies it tends to be very dry and powdery. Regardless of which it's no fun trudging through deep snow in just boots.
Snowshoes are you best and cheapest method of getting around in a great variety of conditions. They don't require special boot, are relatively inexpensive, and are easy to learn. However don't assume that you'll be floating on the top of the snow, unless you're on a packed trail you'll definitely be sinking to some degree and working up a sweat.
Cross country skis are an option only if you're on a groomed trail or have lots of experience. They're generally too narrow for deep untracked snow and they don't turn very well.
backcountry, Alpine Touring (Randonee), Split-Board Snowboard, and Telemark skis are in my experience the best and most fun ways to access subjects in deep mountain snow. You'll get around much faster, to a greater variety of subjects than snowshoes and with much better flotation, plus you'll have a blast sliding back to your vehicle. The big downside to these options are they can be expensive to get into and have a much higher learning curve than the others.

Kulshan Ridge Washington

Camera Cases and Packs:

Your camera gear of course must be cared for to a greater degree in winter. A good backpack style case is a must, and a camera in a chest harness will keep you from unloading your main pack in the snow whenever you come across a subject. If you're going out for more than a few minutes close to your vehicle you'll probably want to invest in a backcountry ski pack. Most camera backpacks don't have enough room for extra clothes, water, snacks, and other essential items necessary for winter travel. I suggest finding a quality pack of at least 2000-3000 cubic inches of storage. Ski packs have the advantage of being designed for winter backcountry travel with essential safety equipment, are generally more waterproof, and are easier to access zippers and fasteners with gloved hands. Keeping some extra Ziplock bags and a drying cloth in the pack is a good idea.

Backcountry Warning Sign, Mount Baker Ski Area

Safety:

if you've already invested in good winter clothing items listed above then you've taken the first and most important step towards safety.
Never ever leave home without a set of chains or other traction devices for you vehicle.
Jumper cables and or a portable jump starter are also a must. Imagine charging up camera laptop and cell phone batteries while waiting for the snow to stop then finding out your car battery is dead, not a good feeling.
A backcountry style snow shovel is also a must. They're strong lightweight and can be used for everything from digging out your car to making a bench or shelter in the snow to extracting an avalanche victim, it's main purpose.
Avalanche transceivers and probes are essential if you're planning on snowshoeing skiing or boarding to subject matter in questionable terrain. However these items are of absolutely no use if you are not trained in using them or if you're traveling alone. Always travel with companions and make sure everyone is trained in avalanche rescue and awareness!
Any time you head out in the winter it's a good idea to pack extra food and water in your vehicle along with extra dry clothes a warm sleeping bag and a reliable camping stove.

Clearing Storm Over Kulshan Ridge

The next installment will discuss planning an outing, weather, and other tips. If you've become interested in learning more about winter photography I will be hosting one day workshops and tours in the backcountry adjacent to the Mount Baker Ski area this winter. Check our website for more details and dates.

Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake/Irresponsible Photographers

2011-10-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake

Last weekend I finally was able to leave the office for a couple days of much needed photography. It's been since early September when I was out last and withdrawals were setting in. Since time was limited I headed up the Mount Baker Highway with fellow photographer Michael Russell to see how the fall color was progressing. The fall color in Pacific Northwest is a far cry from New England's spectacular show but if you know where to go and what to look for you can make some pretty nice images.

Probably the best and most well known location is the famous view of Mount Shuksan seen reflected in the still waters of Picture Lake. This is one of the most photographed spots in North America and excellent images can be made here throughout the year. Last weekend's visit was especially nice since there was a new coating of snow on Shuksan, the vegetation around the lake however was still a bit green to the extended season. The weather was overcast all day but just at sunset it started breaking up and letting some beautiful warm light shine on the snowy slopes. Along with Michael and I there were a few other photographers working the scene, and I'm sure everyone went home with good results.

Don't let this be you!

Now for the lecture part of this post. The next morning I returned to photograph the frost covered vegetation along the lake, knowing that morning is not the best time for the classic mountain/lake scene. To my dismay but not to my surprise there were nearly a dozen photographers spread out among the meadows setting up for the best view. Unfortunately none of them took heed of the signs posted to warn off walking on the fragile meadows. I approached a few of them and politely (I hope) informed them they need to stay on the paved path or boardwalk. At first they ignored me but as I was insistent they reluctantly moved, one to the paved area the other to another part of the meadow where her friends were.

Now I know of course this is not a new story, it unfortunately happens everywhere on a daily basis. I also know how intense the temptation is to step off the path to get a better photo, I don't think any photographer is immune to it. But as I was discussing the day before with Michael Russell most people just don't realize the accumulated damage caused by many feet and tripods on fragile alpine plants and they usually are willing to move when informed. Then there is the group that just doesn't care and won't change their ways unless they are fined on the spot. Through experience and being a bit of a pessimist I think this last group is getting bigger.

So like many before me I'm asking all that read this post to think twice and tread lightly when photographing in fragile areas, you are responsible for making sure that future visitors won't be greeted by dust or mud where there once was lush flower filled meadows.

2012 Photography Workshop and Tour Schedule

2011-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

We're very excited to announce the 2012 Workshop and Photography Tour schedule. These workshops and tours are designed for beginners to pros wishing to learn new ways of seeing, exploring techniques used on location, and for photographers looking for exciting new subjects to photograph. Our goal is to help you learn from a veteran professional landscape photographer in a relaxed, informal and enjoyable environment without getting bogged down in the technical side of photography.

Spring in the Columbia River Gorge Oregon Workshop

Date: May 4-7, 2012

Join us during the height of spring in the Columbia River Gorge, one of the scenic jewels of the Northwest. We'll be photographing the best of the Gorge, fantastic waterfalls, historic roadways, lush green forests, and meadows thick with wildflowers. Along the way you'll learn new techniques to improve your photography and bring home portfolio class images.

For full details and registration click here to download

Orkney Islands Photography Tour

Date: 7 days May 19-25, 2912

Photograph alongside and learn from a seasoned professional landscape photographer in the dramatic Orkney Islands. Here we will work among 5000 year old Neolithic ruins, enigmatic stone circles, windswept seascapes, colonies of seabirds, and quaint fishing villages and towns.

For full details and registration click here to download

Isle of Skye Photography Tour

Date: 7 days June 2-9, 2012

Photograph alongside and learn from a seasoned professional landscape photographer on Scotlands magical Isle of Skye. Among the many subjects Skye has to offer are the Highlands of the Cuillin Range and Trotternish Peninsula, rugged beaches and seacliffs, the picturesque seaside town of Portree, and the nearby Eilean Donan Castle.

For full details and registration click here to download

Fall in the Columbia River Gorge Oregon Workshop

Date: Oct 19-22, 2012

Join us in the Columbia River Gorge, one of the scenic jewels of the Northwest, during the peak of fall color. We'll be photographing the best the Gorge has to offer in this colorful season, fantastic waterfalls and streams bordered with big leaf maples, historic roadways and bridges and scenic vistas. Along the way you'll learn new techniques to improve your photography and bring home portfolio class images.

For full details and registration click here to download

Photographing Fall Color in Glacier National Park

2011-09-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Lake McDonald

For most people Glacier National Park in Montana is a fabulous destination for hiking photography and family vacations during the high summer season, but as summer ends and the crowds disappear the park gets ready to put on another show. Autumn here is a season that is not to be missed, the colors are just as good as many other popular destinations like the Colorado Rockies and the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, and as a bonus there are two separate displays of color a couple weeks apart. The first comes in late September or early October and the second display arrives in mid to late October.

Going to the Sun Road

The first color show is the aspens turning gold in the lower elevations and the plants of the meadows changing at higher elevations. Some of the most spectacular displays of golden aspens is found along the Eastern slopes of the park and extend into the prairies. From Many Glacier all the way up to and including Waterton National Park in Alberta the are countless groves of aspens. The two best spots are between Many Glacier and St. Mary and then North along the Chief Mountain Highway North of Babb. Be forewarned though, all these locations are subject to very high winds and the leaves are often stripped from the trees before they can even turn color. A couple of years ago I arrived in early October at what I thought would be peak color and the trees were still in summer green. A few days later snow storms settled in to blanket the entire park in an early winter never giving the trees to put on a show. It's always best to contact the visitors center for current conditions before heading out.

Aspens in motion

Western Larch (Larix occidentalis)

The second show of color comes on the western half of the park from the stands of Western Larch (Larix occidentalis), not to be confused with the Alpine or Lyall's Larch (Larix lyallii) which are found at higher elevations.These are conifers that shed their needles every fall after they turn a brilliant golden color. Photographing Larches is a bit easier than the aspens as their change is more predictable and the color lasts longer too. In Glacier Park the best places to find dense stands of these trees is along the southern border of the park along Highway 2 west of Marias Pass. Other good locations are along the North Fork of the Flathead river on the western border of the park and also the Camas Road. At the same time the Larches are at their peak the Cottonwoods are also turning color. One of the best places for these deciduous trees is along the shores of Lake McDonald and the western part of Going to the Sun Road. Beautiful photos can also be made during this time along McDonald creek where the leaves sprinkle the colorfully eroded rocks along the waters edge.

Western Larch (Larix occidentalis)

North Fork cabin

Another bonus to visiting this time of year is that the Going to the Sun road may be closed at the higher elevations due to snowfall allowing you to leisurely walk along it and photograph scenes that were not possible during the summer in traffic. Of course if the road is closed because of snow that also means the mountains will make for some great photos standing out against that fall color. If all this isn't enough to keep you busy don't forget this is also prime time to photograph Elk during the annual rut. They make a great evening serenade while your reviewing your days work in an empty campground.

Mystery Photo

2011-09-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

This photo was made during my recent trip to the Canadian Rockies. How many of you know why this car is wrapped in chicken wire? If you've ever hiked here or in the Selkirks and Purcell ranges of British Columbia you'll probably know. For those of you who don't know I'll update this post in a few days with the answer.

New images from Canadian Rockies and Glacier Park Montana

2011-09-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta

I'm happy to announce that I've just uploaded to our stock website a selection of new images from my recent five week trip to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park Montana. Locations included in the gallery are:

Jasper National Park Alberta / Skyline Trail, Icefields Parkway
Mount Robson Provincial Park British Columbia / Berg Lake Trail
Banff National Park Alberta / Icefields Parkway, Moraine Lake
Kootenay National Park British Columbia / Floe Lake Rockwall Trail
Height-of-the-Rockies provincial Park British Columbia / Limestone Lakes
Waterton Lakes National Park Alberta / Prairies
Glacier National Park Montana / Logan Pass

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New Images - Images by Alan Majchrowicz

Kooteney and Glacier National Parks

2011-09-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

Floe Lake Kooteney National Park

This morning I finished the first edit from my recent trip to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park and thought it would be a good time to step back for a bit and post a few highlights before starting another edit with a finer knife. So far I'm more pleased with the overall results than I expected since the first few weeks of the trip were plagued by poor weather and light. In particular Montana's Glacier National Park yielded quite a few gems despite cutting that part of the trip short and only really focusing on Logan Pass.

Logan Pass Glacier National Park

Garden Wall Glacier National Park

Rocky Mountains Photo Tour Concluded

2011-08-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Limestone Lakes

I just got back from my month long trip and have lots to catch up on so for now I'll post this update that I wrote while still in Canada over a week ago. I should be able to follow with a more detailed summary tomorrow.

August 19: This trip update comes from Glacier National Park Montana where I just arrived to spend the next two weeks or so on the final leg of my Northern Rockies photo tour. I’ll be starting in the Swiftcurrent area and working my way down the East slopes before heading over Going To The Sun Road.

My last photo location in the Canadian Rockies was a four day backcountry trip to the specatular and remote Limestone Lakes in Height-Of-The-Rockies Wilderness of British Columbia. Getting there they say is half the fun so I’ll leave it up to the reader to conclude if a 50 mile gravel access road followed by an 8 mile hike on a primitive trail followed by 4 miles of difficult alpine route finding over razor sharp karst formations with a grand total of over 4500’ of elevation gain is fun. Well it was for me, at least after I set up camp. One of the benefits of this location besides the incredibly beautiful and rugged scenery was the fact that I saw not a single other soul for four days, in fact the trail registry showed not more than two dozen people have hiked this route this year! This is in my definition the wilderness in the purest sense. After hiking crowded regulation filled national park trails for the past several weeks Limestone Lakes was heaven sent.

Limestone Lakes

Canadian Rockies Trip Update

2011-08-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Floe Lake Kootenay National Park

Todays trip update comes from Radium Hot Springs inside Kootenay National Park British Columbia. During the past week or so I’ve been gradually heading south through the Icefields Parkway in Jasper and then Banff National Parks. Along this route I’ve stopped at several spots for classic Canadian Rockies photographs, most notably the Columbia Icefields, Mount Edith Cavell, Peyto Lake, and one of the all time classics, Moraine Lake. During this time the weather remained somewhat unsettled, offering some great opportunities for evening and morning light, with some fast paced hiking to get in as many photo ops as possible during these brief moments.

Moraine Lake Banff National Park

The highlight of the past three days comes from Floe Lake along the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park. A somewhat strenuous backpack in is rewarded by a choice camp alongside a turquoise colored lake at the base of the sheer cliffs of the Rockwall. Morning here is one of the most impressive sights in the Rockies as the sunlit cliffs reflect beautifully in the still waters of the lake.

Tomorrow I’ll start my final backpack in the Canadian Rockies before heading south into Glacier National Park in Montana. The destination of this trip is seldom visited Limestone Lakes in the Height of the Rockies Provincial Park, a spot I’ve been wanting to photograph for many years. Some of the highlights of this location include alpine lakes, glaciers, unusual karst features, and a break from the crowds I’ve experienced in the previous backcountry excursions. Next update will come from Glacier Park, if I can find wifi access.

Mount Edith Cavell Jasper National Park

Peyto Lake Banff National Park

Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson B.C.

2011-08-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Robson Glacier

Here’s a quick update on my trip while catching up on business again in Jasper. Yesterday evening I returned from the Berg Lake trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park British Columbia. This six day trip was cut short by a day due, again, to poor weather. Although the forecast called for mostly sunny days there were only about two with some scattered sun breaks during the remaining three. Through various sources online and on trail it’s been made known that the Canadian Rockies have been stuck in a very wet and cold weather pattern, and the abundance of mosquitoes can attest to that.

Hiker on suspension bridge, Berg Lake Trail

The Berg Lake Trail itself is always an interesting hike. It is perhaps the most heavily traveled route in the Rockies and a real eye opener into different hiking and camping styles represented by people from around the world. I’ll try and write a separate post on that when I get back. While mostly satisfied with the images I returned with, the classic photos of Mt. Robson with its summit clear of clouds eluded me once again. Starting tomorrow I’ll be giving my feet a much needed rest by heading South on the Icefields Parkway, working several selected areas that require only short walks or day hikes.

Robson Glacier

Mount Robson from Mumm Basin

Skyline Trail Jasper National Park Alberta

2011-08-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Skyline Trail Jasper Park Alberta

Taking a break in Jasper today doing laundry and catching up on bushiness after five days hiking the Skyline trail in Jasper National Park Alberta. The Skyline is the most popular trail in the park, and for good reason. The 44km trail is mostly above treeline and affords fabulous views of the surrounding ranges, that is if you can see them. My five day trip encountered plenty of cloud cover constant showers and gale force winds. Fortunately while camped in the most scenic alpine valley on the route I was treated to one day of good weather and light, although it was still incredibly windy. The above photo was made while relaxing in the evening near Tekarra camp.

Tomorrow or the next day depending on weather and backcountry permit availability I while start on the Berg Lake trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park. I’ll be spending five or six days there photographing the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies and the surrounding area.

Northern Rockies and Plains Photo Tour

2011-07-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jasper National Park Alberta #3054

This Sunday I will be leaving on a five week photo tour of the Northern Rockies and Plains of British Columbia Alberta and Montana. Besides photographing the spectacular landscapes and nature of this region I will also be focusing on the tourism industry of the National Parks along with agriculture and and energy industries.

One of the exciting elements for me about this trip is that I will be backpacking in many of the locations. For the past few years I've been utilizing short day hikes and scenic pull-outs to get many of my images and I'm looking forward to some multi-day backpacks to get back to my roots in photography. I'm especially excited about Glacier National Park in Montana where it's been nearly 32 years since I've visited and hiked that park in summer on my very first backpacking trip.

The following are some of the locations I plan on visiting:

Mount Robson Provincial Park British Columbia
Jasper National Park Alberta
Banff National Park Alberta
Kootenay National Park British Columbia
Waterton National Park Alberta
Glacier National Park Montana
High Plains are along the Rocky Mountains Front Range.

Missouri Breaks Montana #4559

Light show in the Painted Hills of Oregon/ a lesson in patience

2011-07-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Painted Hills 6:30 p.m.

Last month during my Photo Tour of Oregon I made a point of stopping for a few days in the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This very small remote area has been a popular attraction to photographers for many years due to it's colorful layers and abstract patterns in the sediments making up the hills. Unlike similar features in the Southwest which are lit up almost daily with fabulous light a photographer visiting the Painted Hills can be in for a long wait to get the right light.

Painted Hills 6:35 p.m.

On this trip I was very fortunate even though forecasts called for rain and showers all week long. Coming from Bend Oregon the sky was not very promising with heavy clouds most of the way. However upon arriving at the Hills conditions improved and I was treated to a sky filled with puffy clouds and very clean air, a brief interlude between storms. As usual I spent the day re-scouting the best locations and settled in for the wait until evening. The same cloud pattern continued into evening photographing became a joy. Then the sky started packing in and a look to the horizon showed that the sun would soon be disappearing behind a heavy cloud bank, just as the light was about to get dramatic. There were only a couple other photographers there and they decided the show was over and indeed it did look that way. I was bummed too but waited anyway. Within ten minutes the sun found a hole in the clouds and the light show really started an despite threatening to end any second it continued until well aster the sun went down, long after everyone else gave up.

Painted Hills 7:50 p.m.

So the lesson here is it' not over 'til it's over. If you set aside precious time and money to photograph at your special location you had better be patient and be prepared for when the light surprises you. It's a sinking feeling to be driving away or be back in camp and look up to see you that missed a great light show by not waiting a few more minutes. The next several days as promised brought constant overcast with rain and snow showers.

Painted Hills 8:05 p.m.

Painted Hills 8:10 p.m.

Painted Hills 8:20 p.m.

Chasing the light in Imnaha Canyon Oregon

2011-06-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

Imnaha Canyon 44958

Last month while photographing the Wallowa Valley in Northwest Oregon I had the opportunity to check out a new area to me, the Imnaha River Canyon within the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. It was a perfect time to visit since the canyon was still a vibrant green and wildflowers were in full bloom. A bonus was that since the higher elevation Wallowa Valley was experiencing some late spring snowfall I would find warmer temps lower down in the canyon.

Near the end of the long unpaved access road I was rewarded by some incredible views down into a sheer gorge carved by the river. As a bonus I found a great place to camp right by the best photo ops. While scouting out the best compositions in advance of good light I was struck by the similarity to the Icelandic landscape. The layered volcanic cliffs and slopes and the vibrant greens of the Imanha could stand in for a double to Iceland. The only thing missing was glaciers and icecaps crowning the distant mountain tops.

Imnaha Canyon Lupines 45005

As with most times I'm out photographing patience was the key to success here. I arrived at the best spot just in time for the evening light to be cut off by clouds. The next morning offered some nice brief light followed by steady rain for the remainder of the day. It looked hopeless until around evening when the weather showed signs of improvement. Within a half an hour it became obvious that the scene was being set for some great post-storm light. I quickly got all my gear ready and was kept on my toes chasing compositions until well after sunset when the afterglow kicked in. It's a special feeling to finish the day confident that your patience paid off and that you've witnessed some of the best nature has to offer.

Imnaha Canyon Afterglow 45031

New Oregon Photos On The Website

2011-06-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Redwoods Coast Sunset California

A portfolio of images from our Oregon Spring photo Tour is now up on the website click here to view them. In a day or two we will also have an expanded gallery online at our archive site on Photoshelter. While the majority of images are from Oregon there are also some from the Redwoods and Redwoods Coast and a couple from Washington's Palouse. Don't forget to share this post and hit the like button, thanks!

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

2011-06-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Oregon Dunes

Yesterday I finished editing processing and archiving all the new images from my spring photo tour in Oregon. My first stop on the tour was Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. I had never visited this spot before and was fortunate enough to arrive there in time to set up camp and scout out some good photo ops before the evening light show started. I was kept on my toes arranging compositions as the light turned out to be much better than I anticipated. It was one of those sought after evenings where long after the sun was down good photos could still be made. A great start to the tour with more to come in the days ahead.

Oregon Dunes 44175

Oregon Dunes 44150

Oregon Dunes 44146

Oregon Dunes

2011-06-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Oregon Dunes at sunset

So I've been back in the office from my spring trip to Oregon since Sunday morning. I nearly have all the images edited finished keywording and will begin captioning tomorrow, so it's about time I started showing some of the pics from this especially productive trip. The image above was made on my first evening out. After driving all day in cloudy drizzly conditions I decided to make camp at the Oregon Dunes without much hope in getting many photos that evening. As I climbed up to the top of a dune I was thrilled to see clearing skies on the horizon, at the perfect position to yield beautiful soft evening light. Let the show begin!

Spring Oregon Photography Trip

2011-05-16T06:54:00.001-07:00

Crescent Beach Oregon

After some considerable weather delays I'm off this morning to start my spring photo tour of the Southern Oregon Coast Northeastern Oregon and the Palouse region of Washington. As always I'll try and post new images and updates on this blog and my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Stay tuned!

Samish Bay Washington

2011-05-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Clayton Beach

The weather up here in the PNW has been unusually cold and wet for this time of year, so I had to postpone my Oregon coast trip until La Nina took a break. The other day however offered an hour or two of broken clouds in the morning so I took the opportunity to head down to one of my favorite coves on Samish Bay. In Larrabee State Park the Chuckanut Mountains come right down to the water and being composed of sandstone the rock is eroded into some fantastic shapes. Since the light wasn't exactly spectacular it seemed like a good idea to have some fun and process the images in a less traditional manner.

Clayton Beach

Whatcom Falls

2011-05-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Whatcom Falls

Yesterday I took advantage of the post-rain overcast up here in Bellingham to stop by Whatcom Falls and see how the spring foliage was coming along. This year has been especially cool and rainy so there are many trees that are just starting to leaf out. However at the falls the greens were nice and vibrant and made for some fun photography.

Shameless Self-Promotion

2011-05-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

In the May issue of Seattle magazine one of my images of Glacier Peak in the North Cascades. Print version above and web below.

Making Better Photographs/ Visiting The Past

2011-04-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Isle of Arran Scotland

For the past two weeks I was at my parents house in Cicero Il, an old Chicago suburb just outside the city limits famous among other things as one of the haunts of Al Capone. My parents no longer live here and my older brother and I have been cleaning out their residence of over 50 years. It’s been a formidable task, painstakingly going through belongings and documents some of which haven’t seen the light of day in decades. On this last day here most of the work has been done and I had some leisure time to go through a box containing some of my photography stuff I left at their house 25 years ago. It contains my collection of old American Photography magazines, from my first issue of December 1978 with a portrait of Jimmy Carter by Annie Leibovitz on the cover to around 1988.

Going through these past issues has been fun stimulating and enlightening. One of my first tasks was to search for an issue that contained one of my favorite images, a very haunting portrait of Joseph Goebbels by Alfred Eisenstaedt. This image has stuck with me over the years as one of the definitive portraits of pure evil. Most of the other issues also contain many photographic gems from both famous and obscure photographers that today seem to be relegated to to the dust shelves of ancient history. It was also interesting to see some laughable outdated styles such as the first digital efforts in the late 80’s.

Above all it has been creatively stimulating to see photographic images and styles from the past. It’s given me a chance to reconnect with the passion that kept me going in the early years of my career. It’s easy for photographers to be caught up in the fast passed environment of the here and now, so it’s creatively important to take a break to recharge your creative juices. Most photographers are aware of this and will visit galleries lectures or sign up for a workshop from time to time. But as this brief brush with my past shows there are many ways to regain inspiration.

So check out old periodicals in gathering dust in your house or buy that box of old National Geographics or Communication Arts magazines at your neighbors garage sale. Spend some time rediscovering images and styles from the past, you’ll find you may come away with a richer understanding of the medium and perhaps a new direction and energy for for your own work.

Making Better Photographs/ Know Your Subject

2011-04-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Proxy Falls Oregon

Lately I've been following discussions on various blogs and Twitter and there was one topic that gave me the urge to share my thoughts. It was about how to give your photos impact and talked briefly about composition. Another important ingredient that doesn't get talked about too much is that of getting to know your subject intimately. Revisiting a place until the knowledge it has to offer becomes a part of you.

Most portrait photographers will know what I mean. They do their best work only after they've spent some time with and gotten to know their subject and what makes it tick. A friend of mine Scott Baxter is working on finishing a major project called 100 Years 100 Ranches. He has spent years living and working among Arizona ranchers while working on this project and one look at his portrait photos shows it. You can see the accumulated years of toil and pride in their faces. Someone like me who may have a passing interest in this subject could never come away with the kind of quality images Scott has. This idea isn't limited to just nature landscape or portrait photography, it spans every niche in photography and of course applies to all artistic mediums including painting writing music sculpture and so on.

Many years ago while attending my first photography class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago I was disappointed by the lack of instruction in the technical aspects of photography, both in camera and in the darkroom. It was drilled into us that it was more important to just be observant whether out in the world or in museums galleries and books. As time wore on I began to see the wisdom in this, technical know how took a back seat to real life interaction with the subject.

I think that many aspiring photographers fail to create compelling images because they are chained to the technical side, or they may be more interested in emulating what they see online or in magazines, or in trying to photograph as many national parks or iconic locations as possible in one season. They think that all they need to do is show up in a location compose the scene and wait for the light. They may come back with a good image but odds are they won't. All the best gear computers and software in the world is no substitute for a passion and joy for the subject matter.

You'll come home with better images when you know the land so well that you can predict what kind of light makes the scene come alive why it does and why it's just as beautiful in poor light and bad weather, when you take a deep breath and your head swims with the all the scents of the earth and plants. When you feel more alive just by touching the rocks and trees drinking the water and feeling the wind rain and snow about you, that's when the magic shows in your images.

Manning Provincial Park Ski Tour Photos on Facebook

2011-04-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Winter sunset over the North Cascades

Now that my new website has been launched and business in general has been caught up I've been able to return to working on the photos from my recent backcountry ski tour in Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia. All the images have been editing processed cataloged and archived, so I thought it would be a good time to post a small selection on my Facebook business page.

All the photos were made during a four day ski tour near the Brothers Mountains of Manning Provincial Park. It's a moderate trip with good views of the Pasayten Wilderness in the USA and the Northern limits of the North Cascades in B.C. No extreme skiing here just gentle slopes and no avalanche danger. This was our fourth trip to this location and once again we enjoyed deep dry snow with the entire place all to ourselves, first tracks on every run.

Our New Website is Now Live!

2011-03-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

www.alanmajchrowicz.com

We are very happy to announce that our long awaited newly designed main website is now live and ready for business! It sports a simpler cleaner more contemporary look with easier navigation and purchasing of prints and has been designed to act as a showcase for some of our newest and best images.The website has also been designed to complement and seamlessly integrate our Stock Site Blog and Social Media sites.

My previous site was designed and maintained by me using Dreamweaver and I was never completely happy with it, I always knew there were aspects of it that didn't work the way I wanted and it was a pain to keep it up to date with image and code. DIY web design and software has come a long way but for me it's still a major chore and not my forte. This time I decided to go with Livebooks for the design and hosting. While it was still a lot of work to get it ready for launching it was easier than doing it on my own and I'm confident that it's up to date with all the latest technology.

Please take a few minutes to look it over and tell us what you think. Your input is important to help us serve our clients better! Also, please help us to promote our business by sharing this post with your friends and colleagues via your favorite social media outlet. Thank you!

Palouse Falls Washington Redux

2011-03-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Palouse Falls

I've been pretty busy lately with image submissions editing new work and getting ready to launch my new website. As of this morning there seems to be some time open to begin working on a few new images in my self-titled Redux style. This image of Palouse Falls in Washington looked like a prime subject to play around with. I still haven't gotten down a set workflow or style yet but it's fun to experiment.

Manning Provincial Park Ski Tour

2011-03-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Skiing in Manning Park B.C.

I just got back yesterday from a four day backcountry ski tour in Manning Provincial Park British Columbia. The weather was much more tolerable than the Canadian Rockies last month, good news since my friend Tim and I were tent camping in the alpine the whole time. While this trip was mainly a fun and leisure one I did manage to come back with some photos I'm quite happy with. The image here is of Tim making his way up through some seriously snow encased trees on the Brothers Mountain. Hopefully I'll have more images posted here and on my website in a few days.

Speaking of websites, my newly designed main website should be up and running by the end of the week. The old site has stagnated for some time now and I've been working on some options to get a new one up with a cleaner more contemporary look.

New Photos from the Canadian Rockies

2011-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

Mount Stephen, Yoho National Park B.C.

I'm happy to announce that all the new images from my recent winter tour to the Canadian Rockies have been uploaded and are live and ready for viewing and licensing! Represented in this new group are images from Banff National Park Alberta, Jasper National Park Alberta, Mount Robson Provincial Park B.C., Wells Gray Provincial Park B.C., and Abraham lake Alberta.

To view them click here to go to our stock website. The featured gallery contains a selection of 100 of the best images, the rest of 388 images are divided between the Alberta and British Columbia galleries. All of the images on this site - nearly 9000 photos - are ready for commercial licensing low-res personal use downloads and fine art prints and posters.

Please help us to promote our business by clicking the like button and sharing this post with your friends and colleagues via your favorite social media outlet. Thank you!

Banff National Park In Winter

2011-03-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bow River Valley in winter Banff National Park

This morning I finished editing and cataloging all the new images from my recent Canadian Rockies winter photo tour. After I clean up some loose ends and attend to other photo business I will begin uploading them to my website and then send out announcement promos via all the usual social network outlets, hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday.

In the meantime here is one last preview teaser from the group. This image was made on the last morning along the Bow Valley Parkway near Lake Louise. It had been snowing for several days and I knew beforehand that this would be a great location to be when the weather cleared. I wasn't disappointed, starting at daybreak the light just kept on going, and with the nice clouds and snow blowing off the summits I was able to keep photographing well after the magic light ended.

Stay tuned to see the entire portfolio soon, and don't forget to hit the Like button and forward this post to your favorite social networking site!

Bandon Beach Oregon

2011-03-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

Bandon Beach Oregon

This morning I just finished captioning applying keywords and cataloging all the new images from the Canadian Rockies photo tour. So before I begin the next lengthy task of post-processing them all it seemed like a good opportunity to take a short break and work on something different.

The above image of the sea stacks at Bandon Beach Oregon is the latest in an effort to look back into my catalog and select images that can be reworked with more of a fine art look. This is an ongoing project and ultimately I'd like to have a large second catalog of images representing an alternative approach to my photography. I would love to hear your feedback so as to help develop this new style. So please feel free to comment or click the Like button below.

Abraham Lake, Alberta Canada

2011-03-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Abraham Lake, Alberta

Now that the first edit of the new images from Canada is complete I've started on keywording them all. This is always a dull tedious affair so I thought it a good time to take a break and post another preview image from the trip. Although you can't see it in the photo the wind was so blowing so hard and steady I had to brace the tripod with my feet to keep it from sliding across the ice. It was also very difficult to focus and compose images due to my eyes constantly watering from the wind in them!

Canadian Rockies Photo Tour

2011-03-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Abraham Lake, Alberta

I got back from my Canadian Rockies winter photo tour last Thursday and boy is it nice to sleep in a warm bed again! Temperatures averaged around 0ºF and there were several mornings where I woke to to -25º. I ended up photographing in Wells Gray Provincial Park British Columbia, Mount Robson Provincial Park, Jasper National Park, Banff National Park Alberta, Abraham Lake Alberta and a brief bit in Yoho National Park British Columbia. Unfortunately I wasn't able to visit any backcountry huts and the skiing in the alpine backcountry was challenging due to the hard wind blown crust.

My first edit of images shows a very promising group of work, in the coming days I'll be distilling this group down further before uploading the final portfolio to my website. In the meantime the above image is a preview of what's to come. This photo was made at Abraham Lake in Alberta on a very cols and windy morning.

Winter Photo Tour in the Canadian Rockies

2011-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Mount Assiniboine

Tomorrow I will be leaving for an extended winter photo tour in the Canadian Rockies. It's been a few years since I visited this area in winter and I'm hoping to beef up my archives with lots of new images from classic locations and some spots I have yet to see. If all goes well (in winter things go awry very easily) I'll be visiting four national parks and several provincial parks, with a few visits to some backcountry huts maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

As always I'll try to upload some new images to this blog and Facebook but due to limited WiFi signals and weather it may be difficult. The following is a list of the places I hope to cover.

Wells Gray Provincial Park British Columbia

Mount Robson Provincial Park British Columbia

Jasper National Park Alberta

Abraham Lake Alberta

Banff National Park Alberta

Kananaskis Country Alberta

Yoho National Park Alberta

Glacier National Park British Columbia

Revisiting Scotland

2011-02-10T08:43:00.001-08:00

While I've been waiting for a good window of weather to start my Canadian Rockies winter photo tour I started going through my archives in search of images that may be reworked into a new style. So far there are around 50 candidate images including this one of sheep grazing by the Standing Stones of Steness, a Neolithic Stone Circle in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.

Mount Baker Ski Area

2011-02-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of images I've been playing around with. These are from a new group which was made at the Mount Baker Ski Area in early December of last year. There were several in the group I liked but traditional post-processing didn't seem to make them pop. So they've been sitting on the back burner until today when I tried something slightly different, mainly desaturation and enhanced vignetting. Let me know what you think.

Mesa Arch in Readers Digest

2011-01-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

I just received a copy from Readers Digest of my image of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park appearing in the February 2011 issue. This image along with another sale of Delicate Arch proves to me it that it's worth going elbow to elbow with a crowd of photographers vying for the same image. Not my favorite way to photograph nature but it was worth it.

Canadian Rockies In Winter

2011-01-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

Mount Assiniboine

This week I've been going through my winter gear in anticipation of heading up to the Canadian Rockies for a few weeks of winter photography. While I haven't set a specific date for this trip I am watching weather patterns for the best possible window of opportunity. At this time I'm planning on traveling through Wells Gray Provincial Park B.C. before heading up to Mount Robson and Jasper National Park in the Northern parts of the Rockies. Then I'll travel south along the Icefields Parkway into Banff and possibly Kananaskis Country. Much of this itinerary depends of course on the weather and light and is subject to revision.

All this activity had me going through some images from a trip to Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park back in '03. The above image was made near the Naiset Huts close to Lake Magog on a very cold February morning. I had taken a helicopter to the ski lodge (when exchange rates were much better!) and stayed in one of the rustic huts for a few days, the temperature during the cold clear nights was around -15ºf, in the hut. Planning for a safe and comfortable trip like this is vital as equipment even in new condition such as a stove or car battery can break or fail in subzero temps.

New Year's Cleaning

2011-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

If you've been following my Facebook page lately you noticed that I've been advertising some diverse items for sale on eBay. After putting away all the holiday decorations for another year we decided it's about time to clear up some space in our closets bookshelves and display cases, and maybe make some extra cash for new items. So far there have been fine art photo books, vintage porcelain, jewelry, carvings, and even some highly collectable GI Joe action figure from the sixties. Here's a link to what we're selling now.

Ágætis Byrjun

2011-01-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hoping for A Good Beginning in 2011.

Nature and Landscape Posters

2010-12-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

During the break between the holidays I started working on adding some new posters to my website. These small format (16x24) posters have proven to be very successful and I'm excited to add more to the gallery. In the next several days I'll post a few more samples. Click here to see the current selection

2011 Holiday Fine Art print Sale

2010-11-30T10:49:00.000-08:00

We've just launched our Annual Holiday Fine Art Print Sale. From December 1, 2010 until January 1, 2011 you can save 20% off any size signed print from any of our thousands of images in our archives! Browse through our g alleries select the images you like then add them to the cart and at checkout enter the coupon code: snow. Your final total will reflect the discount.

Order early to have your prints delivered in time the Holidays. Prints are signed on the image and do not include matting or framing. This offer is valid until January 1, 2011 and is good only for retail fine art prints, the discount does not apply to commercial licensing personal use downloads or posters.

Don't forget the Coupon Code: Snow

alanmajchrowicz.photoshelter.com/

2011 Desktop Calendar is now available

2010-11-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

We're happy to announce that the all new 2011 Desktop Calendar is now ready and available for purchase. For 2011 you have a choice of color and black and white calendars. Both calendars feature images made during the past year, from British Columbia to the deserts and canyons of the Southwest.

These calendars are perfect for offices and other small areas and make great gifts for friends and clients. Call us about customizing them with your name and or logo and pricing for quantities. For more info and to order click here.

New Wild Apple Poster of Washington Coast

2010-11-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

Wild Apple Graphics of Woodstock Vermont has just released a new poster featuring a collage of my images from the Washington coast. They've made a wonderful print depicting wave action by splicing together several black and white images made in the same location several years ago in Olympic National Park. To purchase a copy you can contact me Wild Apple or your favorite online poster or art store. Just in time for the Holidays!

Fall color is nearly over, skiing just around the corner

2010-11-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Mount Shuksan from Picture Lake

Yesterday I made a quick trip up to Heather Meadows in the North Cascades to check on the color and snow level. As expected there was just a little color left in the meadows and several inches of slushy snow on the ground. At lower elevations Maple trees were just past peak color and were shedding their leaves but alpine slopes were already covered in snow. More storms are expected for the next several days starting with rain above 5000' and then changing to snow. I think I might take my skis in to be waxed and tuned up tomorrow!

From last winter, ski tracks with Mount Shuksan in the distance

Fall color in Central Oregon

2010-10-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ponderosa Pines and Vine Maples

Being home for several days after photographing in Oregon I'm elbow deep in editing all the new files. The photo above was made on the first day near the Metolious River in Central Oregon along a forest road intersection. I've always been drawn to the beautiful stands of old growth Ponderosa Pines in this area. The forest is very open here and the orange color of the bark along with the yellows of the vine maples made a nice composition.

As I write this the first storms of the season to hit the Cascades are rolling through. A great day to stay inside by the fire and contemplate the upcoming ski season!

Oregon Photography

2010-10-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

South Falls

Just a quick post to let everyone know I just returned from fall photography in Oregon, ahead of the first winter storms of the season. I'll be editing and posting new material as it becomes available. In the meantime here's an image of South Falls from Silver Falls State Park .

Border Peaks of the North Cascades

2010-10-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Canadian and American Border Peaks

Yesterday I needed to make a quick trip up to the alpine in the North Cascades to check on the progress of fall color. It seemed like the perfect day to check out the Winchester Mountain Lookout, the only trail in the vicinity I haven't yet hiked. While it was a classic beautiful autumn day the lighting was not the best for photographing the colorful meadow slopes. Fortunately the views were endless and with a bit of off trail scrambling into a steep snow filled gully I managed to come back with a few photos I'm happy with. The above image is looking North to the Canadian and American Border Peaks, the Coast Mountains of British Columbia can be seen on the horizon.

Finding fall color in the Northwest/ Number Two, The Larch

2010-09-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Western Larch (Larix occidentalis)

After reading the last post which focused on the Lyall's Larch you wanted to go out and photograph them but can't get to them in the next week or two, don't despair. The other type of larch I previously mentioned won't be changing color until around the middle of October, and depending on the weather it may even peak as late as the last week of October. This would be the Western Larch (Larix occidentalis).

The Western Larch shares a limited range like the Lyall's Larch and is found throughout Northeastern Washington Idaho and Northwestern Montana. It can also be found throughout Southeastern British Columbia. However unlike the Lyall's Larch it inhabits a lower elevation, about 500' to 5000' as it's upper limit, and is a valuable timber industry species. The Western Larch is not stunted by harsh weather like its alpine cousin so it grows very tall and straight in dense groves on mountain sides.

One of my Favorite locations for photographing Western Larch is along Highway 2 on the Southern border of Glacier National Park in Montana. From the park entrance in West Glacier to Marias Pass on the Continental Divide are nearly continuous stands of Larch. Along this stretch of road you can get close in the forests or compose dramatic telephoto shots across the valley. While in the area make sure to check out the North Fork Road along the Flathead River. Many of the forests in this area have been seriously scarred by recent fires but a careful eye can make use of this by contrasting the grey against the golds. The National Park campsite at Lake McDonald makes a perfect base and is the only one still open this time of year. Don't bother driving to the East side of the park looking for colorful Aspens, the leaves will have turned and blown off weeks ago. Although you may get an early edge on winter photography.

If you still want more just keep traveling west along U.S. 2, there's plenty to photography all the way to the Kettle Mountains of Northeastern Washington and then to Loup Loup Pass on the edge of the North Cascades.

Finding fall color in the Northwest/Number One, The Larch

2010-09-24T09:21:00.001-07:00

Western Larch (Larix occidentalis)

Just about everybody knows that the best fall color can be found in New England, or for that matter just about anywhere east of the Mississippi. The Rockies have spectacular displays of aspens, and even the Southwest can put on a good show. But here in the Pacific Northwest most of the color is found on Big Leaf and Vine Maples, but usually not in dense eye-popping displays. The main deciduous tree in Western Washington is the Alder which puts on a depressingly grayish brown color in October, a good compliment to the incessant rain but not very photogenic.

What many not familiar with the Northwest know about are the magical displays of yellows golds and orange put on by two kinds of trees and where to find them. I'm referring to the Lyall's or Alpine Larch and the Western Larch, two coniferous trees that turn golden and shed their needles every fall. Both are found in very specific areas and with the right lighting they can put just about any Vermont forest to shame. But you'll have to do your homework and legwork to find the best displays.

Alpine or Lyall's Larch (Larix lyallii)

The Lyall's Larch is only found in alpine areas, generally above 5500', in a narrow band from the eastern slopes of the North Cascades to the Purcell and Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. They can also be found in the Canadian Rockies with Lake Louise roughly being their northern limits. Generally, though not a rule, they're found in greater numbers on northeastern slopes. Aside from a few spots in the Canadian Rockies you'll have to do some hiking to get to them. Some of the best spots like the Enchantments in Washington State demand a strenuous multi-day trek gaining over 5000' feet of elevation along the way. Hiking and photographing during the peak larch season on a calm sunny day is an experience you won't soon forget. The sky at this altitude can be an intense blue contrasting against the vibrant gold of the trees. Tolkien fans will easily associate this experience with Lord Of The Rings chapter on Lothlorien.

Purcell Mountains B.C.

Aside from finding and hiking to the desired location you'll have to keep a close eye on the timing and weather. The Lyall's Larch generally start turning color in the last week of September, peaking the first week of October and then gone by middle of the month. The peak of the season can last anywhere from two days to a week, depending on the weather. The needles of this tree are very soft and delicate and once they start turning color they can easily fall off in a wind rain or snowstorm, the later of course being a common occurrence at that altitude.

Purcell Mountains B.C.

The best photo opportunities for Lyall's Larch in my opinion are in groves scattered among rocky slopes and colorful alpine lakes. Probably the best scenario would be to stay in a prime location for several days near some lakes with clear sunny weather followed by cloudy weather and then a light dusting of snow. This happened to me last year when visiting the Purcell Mountains of B.C., after six days I came away with a wide variety of alpine landscape images. I was a bit nervous on the last day since it was snowing heavily overnight and I wasn't sure if my vehicle at the trailhead 2500' below and around 35 miles from the nearest town would be snowed in ! It turned out to be a close call, several more inches could have prevented my escape.

To see more images of both species of larches click here to view images from my online archives.

Canadian Rockies B.C.

Next installment, photographing the Western Larch.

Anticipating Fall Color

2010-09-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Purcell Mountains, British Columbia Canada

Excitement is building as the peak of fall color gets nearer every day. This year I'm planning a trip to the Oregon Cascades and the Columbia River Gorge. A location a bit closer to home and long overdue. Since this will be my first real outing since last spring I'm just about to bust with anticipation! Above is a photo from last years visit to British Columbia, this was a real sweet location, beautiful rugged remote and with lots of solitude.

Last vestiges of summer

2010-09-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Purple Monkey Flowers

These two photos were made last week as the fall rains started settling in on the Pacific Northwest. I was surprised to still see such vibrant color in the alpine. This summer seemed to fly by at the speed of light. One day in May I was completing my Southwest photo edit and planning a full season of travel and nature photography, and the next thing I know September is drawing to a close.

As some of you may know the last three and a half months have kept me at home occupied with family medical emergencies. It's easy to feel that I lost nearly four months of photographing in a business that is very difficult to survive in during the best of times. However when I reflect on the fact that I've been given such a great opportunity to be with and help my mother, and that my family has been brought closer together than they've been in a long time, I truly feel blessed. So in retrospect this actually has been a very rewarding summer.

Alpine Lady Ferns

Black and White Gallery Collection

2010-09-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Alpine Lady, Fern North Cascades

We've recently reorganised and updated our online Black and White Galleries. There are many new images, mostly from the Southwest but also a few images made just days ago in the North Cascades. Take a look and tell us what you think, your input is always welcome. As always all images are ready for stock licensing and available as fine art prints.

Also we are tentatively planning a fall photography trip to Oregon. It's been some time since I've worked in Oregon despite the close proximity to my home and this will be my first trip there specifically for fall color. After a particularly difficult summer I'm very enthusiastic about getting back on the road and producing lots of new images!

Alpine Lady, Fern North Cascades

Black and White Images

2010-08-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

La Sal Mountains and Delicate Arch

Now that we're moved into our new home and things are slowly settling down I've started work on reviewing images from the past 12 months for possible black and white conversions. The bulk of these will be from the Southwest since that's where I spent most of the past year photographing. This region presents a new challenge for me because so many images contain vibrant shades of red orange and ochre. While they look great in color many fall flat when converted to black and white, therefore I've been exploring different conversion techniques to create the proper tones in a grayscale. One of the first scenes that rendered a pleasing result is the above image of famous Delicate Arch in Arches National Park Utah. After sharing a choice spot for several hours with many other photographers I switched to a medium telephoto lens to get this partial view of the arch with the La Sal Mountains and clouds rising in the background.

We Have a New Home Address

2010-08-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

We recently moved to a new home in Bellingham WA. Please update our contact information. Also note that only our physical address has changed, email web and telephone remain the same.

1510 Glencove Lane Bellingham WA 98229

http://alanmajchrowicz.photoshelter.com/

Taking Some Time off

2010-07-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that there hasn't been a new post here for quite some time. The reason is that since completing my edit of the Spring trip to the Southwest there have been some personal events that have required putting my business on a temporary hold. Most importantly my elderly parents are moving in with us here in Bellingham so they can receive better care for their medical conditions. Because of this we needed to find a new house more suitable to their special requirements, therefore in a few weeks we'll be moving into our new home, still here in Bellingham. If all goes well I should be able to resume business full time and get back on the road/trail in August.

During this time we still can fill your orders for stock image licensing posters and prints. Thanks for your patience.

Spring in the Pacific Northwest

2010-05-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Stone bridge over Whatcom Creek

The above image was made at Bellingham's Whatcom Falls City Park, a five minute walk from where I live. Spring is my favorite season here in the Pacific Northwest, the abundant rain brings forth every shade of green imaginable and the accompanying scents of everything alive and growing is truly wonderful. For the next couple of months I'll be staying near home building on my files of the North Cascades and coastal scenes.

Best of the Southwest

2010-05-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

Canyonlands National Park

All our new Southwest images are now edited and uploaded to our online archives. In all we added over 3700 new images to our catalog, of those nearly 1500 of the best have been uploaded and are now live. Distilled even further you can view 256 of them in the Best of the Southwest Gallery.

Of course all these new images are ready for stock licensing fine art printing and low cost personal use downloads.

New Gallery of Grand Canyon

2010-05-13T08:12:00.001-07:00

Grand Canyon National Park

We've begun the process of uploading the new Southwest images to our online archives. The first new gallery is from Grand Canyon National Park. We're also in the process of reorganizing some of the galleries to make it easier for you to find popular images. Take a few minutes to check them out!

Finished Editing Southwest Images

2010-05-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

An unlucky resident of the desert

Today I finally finished editing and cataloging all the new images from this Spring's Southwest trip. In all I've added around 3500 new images from approximately 25 locations throughout Southern California Arizona and Utah to my archive. Now comes the next phase, selecting and reworking the best images and then uploading them to my online archives. Probably another couple weeks of work!

Ghostly Sandstone Shapes

2010-05-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

This photo was made at the bottom of a white sandstone cliff in the Wahweap Hoodoos Utah. The surreal erosion patterns reminded me a bit of H.R. Giger. It seemed like ghostly hoodoos were growing from the walls.

Spill Baby Spill!

2010-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Another accident waiting to happen

It seems you just can't get away from it. I'm talking about the arrogance and idiocy of the human race. When on my Southwest trip I saw many examples of this, from invasive species destroying ecosystems to massive cleanups of uranium waste from the Cold War era. Now that I'm home the big news is the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster, following close on the heels of the news of the government deciding to open up coastal waters to oil exploration. Talk about irony!

Years ago this kind of stuff made me so angry I could scream, both from the stupidity of people and the lack of power to do anything meaningful about it. Being older hasn't really tempered these feelings but I have come to a somewhat comforting conclusion. Long after the human race has poisoned and bombed itself into oblivion, most likely much sooner than later, the Earth and the Universe will simply go on. In the blink of an eye in geological time the mess of mankind will be erased making room for a new creation of nature. Personally I find that comforting.

New Southwest Images Now Online

2010-04-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

After about a week back home rehydrating in the Bellingham rains we've just uploaded the first group of images from our recent Southwest trip to our online archives. This group contains work from Anza-Borrego Desert State CA, Joshua Tree National Park CA, Kofa Mountains Wildlife Refuge AZ, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument AZ.

The next group of images to work on will be Grand Canyon National Park and the Page Arizona area. Hopefully by this time next week those will be ready for viewing.

Click here to see all the new images.

Eyjafjallajokull Eruption

2010-04-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Seljalandfoss Iceland

Upon returning from my Southwest trip I was greeted by the news of the recent eruption in Iceland of Eyjafjallajokull. Since photographing there in 2005 I've fallen in love with the country and always try to keep up on Icelandic events. I found it a little odd that the media focused almost exclusively on all the flights delayed in Europe because of the ash cloud. I didn't see much coverage of Iceland itself or the volcano. So if you are interested here's a link to a short article from Iceland Review. I also found some great photos at Boston.com's The Big Picture. The above photo was made on my 2005 trip in a valley directly below Eyjafjallajokull during one of those glorious long lasting sunsets in northern latitudes.

Farewell to the Southwest

2010-04-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Buckhorn Wash Pictographs

I'm writing this post on the way home after 7 weeks photographing in the Southwest. Tomorrow I begin the long process of catching up with family and business, then comes a lengthy editing of the images from this trip.

San Rafael Swell from Little Grand Canyon of Utah

Delicate Arch

2010-04-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Delicate Arch

Third try is a charm.

Still in Moab

2010-04-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Colorado River from Dead Horse Point

I decided to spend one more day in Moab to try and get some good images of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. I've been here since Friday and have been dogged by either poor light or massive crowds on Spring Break. I know Delicate Arch is a bit of a clichéd image but it's still a classic that to date is absent from my image catalog. Yesterday it was about 80º with strong winds and lots of blowing dust so I decided to hunt down some native American pictographs northeast of the Moab area.

Mesa Arch a Southwest Classic

2010-04-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mesa Arch

Just about every National Park has at least one classic image that defines it, and sometimes goes further and defines the entire region. In Canyonlands National Park sunrise at Mesa Arch is one of those images. This small arch frames the LaSal Mountains and nearby sandstone towers and if you are there at dawn the sunlight reflects off the rocks and gives the underside of the arch a bright red glow. This is truly one of those magical moments and it's definitely something worth seeing. That is if you don't mind the elbow to elbow crowds of photographers vying for the best position to get an award winning photo...

Natural Bridges National Monument

2010-04-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Sipapu Bridge

If you are touring the Southwest visiting the the various parks and monuments don't miss Natural Bridges National Monument. It's a fairly small park containing the three largest natural bridges in the world and some great canyon scenery you can easily walk through. The loop road through the park is only nine miles long and there are viewpoints of all three bridges from the road. However the views of the bridges from the road are somewhat distant and from above, so to really get the full impact of the size of these geologic wonders you must hike down into the canyon and walk around and underneath them. Believe me it's definitely worth it.

Another plus about Natural Bridges is if you've just come from Arches or Canyonlands National Parks you'll be surprised to find you may have it all to yourself since many travelers pass it by on the way to Monument Valley or Grand Canyon.

Anasazi Ruins

2010-04-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Road Canyon Ruin

On last fall's Southwest trip I became interested in photographing Anasazi Ruins after having passed many of them by without knowing it. This time I made sure I did a bit of advance research and scheduled in plenty of time to visit some of the better sites. The photos here are all from Cedar Mesa, specifically the Grand Gulch Primitive Area. They all required day hikes into some very scenic and wild canyons along with a bit of route finding, this was very enjoyable compared with the paved overlooks and crowds in major National Parks.

Mule Canyon Ruin

Perfect Kiva Bullet Canyon

Antelope Canyon

2010-04-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Lower Antelope Canyon

You can't visit the Southwest without a visit to spectacular Antelope Canyon. Well actually I did several times since I was scared off by the crowds. This time I made sure to pay it a visit and it was definitely worth it. The lower canyon featured here is longer and has less visitors providing for a more relaxed atmosphere for photography.

Wrapping up in Moab and Arches National Park

2010-04-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Sandstone and Branch

I'm just about near the end of the extended Spring photo trip. I have a few locations in Moab and Arches National Park to visit before starting home next week, but first here are some posts of what's been going on. The last several weeks have been packed with day after day of photographing lots of new locations. Since I have not had the time or wifi to update this blog during this time some of the previous posts have been posted by Coleen. For starts here are some photos from near Page Arizona. The top image is from the difficult to access South Coyote Buttes. Most people visit the Wave in North Coyote Buttes but the south unit is bigger and has many more fantastic sandstone features. The image below is from Buckskin Gulch slot canyon, this canyon has been labeled among the top ten backpacks in the world. Fortunately this time the canyon was mostly dry and obstacle free so I was able to hike and photograph quite far down. By the way that's me in the photo.

Hiking in Buckskin Gulch

Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

2010-03-30T10:26:00.001-07:00

Colorful Sandstone at The Dive

Perhaps my favorite location in the Southwest, and I'm certainly not alone in this opinion, is the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. On this visit I checked out a couple of spots I haven't been to yet. The photos in this post are from a high sandstone amphitheater known as The Dive. This spectacular location has all a photographer can dream of, including a view of the North Coyote Buttes (The Wave) area from above.

Colorful Sandstone at The Dive

Another Cool Hoodoo

2010-03-30T10:08:00.001-07:00

Ghostly Hoodoo

I liked this hoodoo because it reminds me either of a ghostly apparition or a sculpture yet to be unveiled.

Vermillion Cliffs and Grand Staircase

2010-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Wahweap Hoodoo

For the past week or so I've been visiting numerous locations in the Page Arizona region. A photographer could spend a lifetime here photographing all the spectacular nooks and crannies. First off was an area I needed to revisit from last falls trip, a small area of hoodoos in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The weather has been spectacular, warm temps during the day and cool at night with occasional high clouds to provide drama to the sky.

White Rocks Hoodoos

Desert View of Grand Canyon

2010-03-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon Sunset

These two images were made on my last day at Grand Canyon National Park from the Desert View entrance. I particularly like the above image as it shows the overlapping shapes of the canyon. The image below includes a rare view of the Colorado River as it enters the canyon from the Northeast.

Grand Canyon from Desert View

More photos from Grand Canyon National Park

2010-03-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Colorado River from Hopi Point

Here are a couple more images from Grand Canyon National Park. The top photo is of the Colorado River seen from Hopi Point and the bottom photo is from Yaki Point. Both were made during the last hour before sunset. During the rest of the day the light is generally too flat and colorless to really capture the depth and contours of the canyon. What is most surprising to most visitors is the amount of haze present in the air. While it may appear to be a clear day the great distances across the canyon reveals pollution carried in from Mexico and Los Angeles at different parts of the year.

Grand Canyon from Yaki Point

Grand Canyon National Park

2010-03-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

The past five days I've been photographing in Grand Canyon National Park. I was surprised to find lots of snow on the ground throughout the main visitors area and campsites, nighttime temps were a bit chilly in the mid to upper twenties. Since it was still early in the season I was only able to access views from the South Rim as the North Rim was closed with several feet of snow still on the ground there. The view of course were fabulous and impressive despite persistent atmospheric haze, which also made photography more challenging than I expected. The two images in this post are from Mather and Yavapai Points, arguably the most popular and recognizable views in the park.

Parting shots from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

2010-03-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here are my final images from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. My next post hopefully will feature some great images from Grand Canyon National Park. See you soon!

More from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

2010-03-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Organ Pipe Cactus (Stenocereus thurberi)

Here are a couple more images from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument taken on the Ajo Mountain Road at sunset. Both images prominently feature the Organ Pipe Cactus namesake of the Monument.

Organ Pipe Cactus (Stenocereus thurberi)

Mexican Poppies at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

2010-03-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Field of Mexican Poppies and Saguaros

On my last day at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument I came across this beautiful field of Mexican Poppies along the Ajo Mountain Road. It's one of the few good displays of wildflowers I've seen so far and as a bonus there were many good angles and subjects for composition.

Field of Mexican Poppies and Saguaros

Sedona Arizona Circus

2010-03-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

Camping out in the Kofa Mountains of Arizona

Yesterday I posted that I was en route to Sedona Arizona to spend a few days photographing Red Rocks Country. Well upon arriving there I was greeted by road construction bumper to bumper traffic crowds of tourists and gross over development. It's been about ten years since my first visit there, at that time it appeared the town was bent on growth at any cost but the surrounding area was still worth stopping to explore. This time I can honestly say unless you enjoy an overcrowded tourist town and all its trappings don't bother coming. The Red Rocks Country is still magnificent but everywhere you go there are visitor fees and luxury homes and resorts encroaching on the landscape. While this may appeal to some it's definitely not my slice of pie.

So I'm here in Flagstaff instead stocking up on supplies getting ready for a stay in Grand Canyon National Park and surrounding areas. One interesting point is that when in Sedona is was about 80º, 15 miles up Oak Creek Canyon near Flagstaff there was a two feet snowpack! What a difference from the Sonoran Desert of Organ Pipe.

On the Road to Sedona Arizona

2010-03-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Kofa Mountains Sunset

Today is a travel day as I head from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to Sedona's Red Rock Country. The past week I've been photographing in the Kofa Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe. Both locations have provided a wealth of Sonoran Desert photo opportunities. Organ Pipe in particular had a few areas that were thick with Mexican Poppies where I finally was able to photographs the wildflower displays I came down here for. My travel companion and assistant Colter is having a bit of a rough time, since he stepped on a few Cholla Cactus spines he's understandably reluctant to venture far from the truck! For the next several days I should be able post more image updates so check back soon.

Teddy Bear Cholla, Kofa Mountains Arizona

On the road again

2010-03-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Today I'm en route to Arizona so I'll post a parting shot from Joshua Tree National Park where I enjoyed several days of successful photography. See you in a few days with some new images and updates.

Joshua Trees

2010-03-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)

Continuing photography in Joshua Tree national Park I photographed these trees yesterday evening near the Hidden Valley area. Tomorrow I will be leaving the park and heading to Southwest Arizona stopping first in the Kofa Mountains area before continuing to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)

Jumbo Rocks Joshua Tree National Park

2010-03-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Jumbo Rocks

Last night was another good opportunity to wander through the Jumbo Rocks area of Joshua Tree National Park. I'm still processing all the photos but here is one of my favorites so far.

Art or Just Graffiti?

2010-03-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Joshua Tree National Park
One of my pet peeves when visiting National Parks wilderness areas or any other place of natural beauty is the growing amount of stone sculptures. You can also call it art or cairn building but to me it is just an eyesore and another form of graffiti and defacement. Often I have come upon a beautiful scene only to be ruined by the building of dozens of cairns in all sizes. It seems that if one is created it invites everyone to put in their own effort. The above image shows only one of a half dozen stone arrangements. This one supposedly can be classified as a form of art but the others nearby were of the common John loves Susan variety.

After hiking in wilderness areas for several decades I have found that there is a true and proper place for cairns. That is on featureless terrain where it could be lifesaving to find such a marker to show the way in poor weather. For me anything but this is an insult to the environment.

Joshua Tree National Park

2010-03-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia )

Yesterday I arrived for my first visit to Joshua Tree National Park California. It's a bit of a change from Anza-Borrego in that Joshua Tree is partly in the Mojave desert and is several thousand feet higher. This morning I woke up to a cold clear sky but within minutes was engulfed in a snow storm which cleared in a half hour. What wild weather! The geology is also more interesting here in that there are massive amounts of large granite boulders to aid in composing photos. I'm definitely looking forward to working here for several more days.

Granite boulders

Moving on to Joshua Tree National Park

2010-03-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

Beavertail cactus flower

After a week in Anza-Borrega Desert State Park it's time to move on. I had some nice overcast conditions on Sunday for macro photos and a very nice display of evening light over the dry lake bed, probably the best day so far for lighting.

There has been a moderate display of wildflowers here, however it's not what I had come to expect and I'm getting restless to move on to new subject matter. Forecasts are still calling for a good flower season throughout the Southwest so my next stop will be Joshua Tree National Park before heading to my main locations in Arizona. As usual I'll try to post images and updates when possible.

Evening light over dry lake

Anza-Borrego Wildflowers

2010-03-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

Beavertail Cactus

I've been down here in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park California for several days now and am thoroughly enjoying the sun and fresh citrus fruit. On the photography side things are moving slowly. Apparently despite the right amount of rain the wildflower season is still a few weeks behind schedule. Just before uploading this post I read on fellow photographer Ron Niebrugge's blog where he elaborates on the issue of an invasive species that is hurting the display of native flowers. Driving through the prime flower areas I can see how bad the situaton is.

On the bright side I have been able to sleuth out some nice areas for photos.

Fishhook Cactus

Traveling to British Columbia

2010-01-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Summit of First Brother, Manning Park

Going to the Olympics in B.C.? Be prepared for Canadian Border patrol agents with an attitude! Last week when crossing into B.C. on my way to Manning Provincial Park I was pulled over for a routine check for the first time in over ten years (I go up there around two to four times a year). The agent inside grilled me like she just graduated from the Gestapo Academy, needing details of my finances, names of friends I was meeting, how long I knew them and where I met them, etc. Now I suppose most of the questions may have been relevant seeing that one person loaded with ski and camping gear for a 5 day stay poses a national security risk to Canada. What I took offense at was her attitude, she was rude arrogant condescending and convinced I was up to no good.

To make it worse another agent, who seemed friendly and pleasant at the time, while inspecting my vehicle may have purposely slashed open my Thermarest sleeping pad. I can't prove this, or hardly even believe it, but the pad was in fine shape before I crossed the border. When I got to my destination the pad was deflated and sported a two inch slash in the side. It was a very clean cut as if from a knife or razor, there was nothing I owned near the pad that could have even punctured it let along make such a clean cut. Not a good way to begin a trip. I'm glad that my next trip will not involve any border crossings!

Manning Provincial Park Ski Trip

2010-01-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Krummholz on the First Brother Summit

On Sunday I returned from my winter photo and ski trip to British Columbia, unfortunately with a cold. Since I'm still feeling under the weather this post will be short. I ended up doing a five day backcountry ski trip to the Brothers in Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia. The weather was fairly mild for January, no lower than 10ºF and I had the ridge and surrounding mountains completely to myself for all five days. The best photos from the trip came from the wild shapes of ice encrusted trees (Krummholz) high up on the summits. More to come...

Columbia Mountains British Columbia

2010-01-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Cariboo Mountains British Columbia

A few last minute business obligations and stormy winter weather has made me postpone my planned winter photography trip to British Columbia. I'm still hoping to get out in the next few days though. In the meantime here is an image made several years ago in Wells Grey Park of British Columbia during an avalanche awareness course.