The Dreary Badlands

The Dreary Badlands

SDAK09D-55_pan

July 4, 2009

A stark contrast from yesterday's cheerful, sunny panorama, today we see the storm-clouded side of the Badlands, which I think really highlights their name.  This storm rolled through, as this panorama was taken just a day after my arrival in the Badlands (when yesterday's image was composed).  But this expanse, with the scraggly green dotted here and there, but dominated by the unending brown, desolate-looking landscape.  In a way it reminds me of my shot at the travertine terraces of Yellowstone, which also exudes this lonely aura.  All the same, I like the moodiness, so enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/60 @ f/16  ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Badlands Panoramic

Badlands Panoramic

SDAK09D-9_pan

July 3, 2009

Sticking with the Dakota images still, since this one provides such a beautiful landscape and a very sharp depiction of what the Badlands look like.  The colored rock, worn away from eons of action by rivers and inland seas, now lays bare to the view of all, the strata of ages open to the sky.  The whole area is incredible, because it doesn't strike you as canyon country, this small area is surrounded by vast prairie that run right up to the park before falling away.  Driving up to it, you wouldn't know that there were these formations, the land seems so flat (and the Badlands are not mountains, despite what it looks like here... instead you drive/hike down into the canyon, then look back up to where the average height of the land is).  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  24 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/4  ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Beach over the Water

Beach over the Water

SLBE10D-35_pan

June 9, 2010

My apologies for missing Friday; a pretty nasty sinus infection got the better of me, and I was sidelined all day.  But today I am back, mostly, and wanted to keep up with the posting that should have gone out Friday.  This is from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, an interesting and very beautiful place to roam around.  You walk out to the end of the sand, looking out over a body of water so large you'd swear it was an ocean.  It was brisk and crisp, even in June, and you could see the summer clouds popcorning across the sky.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  32 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/16  ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

A Rhododendron Jungle

A Rhododendron Jungle
NCAR11D-121

May 29, 2011

Hiking through Nantahala National Forest, you go through some pretty incredible and diverse landscapes.  This was Memorial Day Weekend last year, and I was in the middle of a 3-day trek around the headwaters of the Nantahala River.  As I leveled out on the trail, I spent part of the afternoon hiking through these dense rhododendron thickets.  The tangle of trunks, and the lush canopy overhead, was amazing, and it dampened the sounds from the nearby river so that everything was hushed.  I saw less than 10 people along the trail that day, as it was far from day-hiking trails and pretty much only backpackers or AT through-hikers were present.  I like how the panoramic merge helped convey the jumble of the rhododendron thicket, adding to the chaos of the trail.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/4   ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

To Plan Worldwide Wanderings

To Plan Worldwide Wanderings
WASH10D-26_pan

August 10, 2010

Taking a break from the nature photography today, to highlight one of my favorite stores ever.  No, this is not REI (though good guess to those who know me, REI is up amid the top of the list).  This is Metsker Maps of Seattle.  This store, which is among a dwindling population of map stores, has such a diversity and abundance of travel-oriented products that you can't help but be impressed.  Travel guides?  Yup.  Map pins?  You betcha.  Topo maps for the Pacific NW?  Why not.  Flags, globes, rare and antique maps, journals, essays... you name it, this place has it.  While this post might seem like a Yelp-ish endorsement, I love the photo, for it shows off the jumbled, dense allocation of things in the store.  The panorama, i discovered this morning, is slightly mis-aligned, and will fix that soon.  But until then, dream of further wanderings, and enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/13 @ f/3.5   ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Serene Cave

Serene Cave

THAI10D-32

November 23, 2010

On the outskirts of Khao Yai National Park, in Thailand, there is a certain cave under a monastery.  This cave was a refuge for Buddhist priests for centuries, as they would go down into the depths to be removed from the influences of daily life, to sit and meditate in the dark and reflect upon the teachings of the Buddha.  We were able to visit this cave and wander through the caverns for a short while.  The final room was this, where a 8-10' tall statue of the Buddha sat in lotus position, with an opening to the outside world above and to the side.  I like how this image has a luminous quality to it (the only lighting used was that which came from the open sinkhole) and how the Buddha, with his patina'd background, seems to be singularly lit by the light from above.  Enjoy. 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 10 mm

Exposure: 12 sec   f/16 ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Elephant Trails

Elephant Trails

THAI10D-86_pan

November 24, 2010

Back to Thailand today, though six years after my first travel there.  This was hiking through the beautiful Khao Yai National Park, when the jungle that had surrounded us for the first several hours suddenly opened up into this tall, nearly waist-high grass.  And stretching out in front was a low trail frequently used by elephants as they made their way to some of the small watering holes.  The bright blue skies and golden sunshine shone on the grasses.  Unfortunately, no elephants were in sight, probably hanging out in the coolness (relative coolness anyway) of the jungle and waiting for dusk.  But one deer-like animal did jump out of the grass as we hiked through, startling all of us.  Enjoy.
 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 10-20 mm f/4-5.6

Focal length: 20 mm

Exposure: 1/1250   f/5.6 ISO 100

Post-processing: Scanned using a Nikon Coolscan 5000, slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Destinations: Mount Roraima

Destinations: Mount Roraima

Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela
5.1433, -60.7625

(Note: this is a new part to this blog... I've been wanting to try and incorporate more of the 'wandering' into A Wandering Lens, talk about places I've been, as well as places I want to go.  This is the first installment of the latter, with images that are not my own since I haven't been there yet.  I hope you enjoy it.)

There are certain places that are simply otherworldly, beyond what you imagine a landscape to be, and Mt. Roraima fits that classification.  It is located in the tepuis, a plateau of blocky landscape in the southeastern portion of Venezuela, and marks the triple point between the countries Guyana, Brazil, and Venezuela.  It is part of the region known as the Gran Sabana, and the tepuis are almost permanently shrouded in mist and clouds, where rainfall is common on a daily basis. And unlike a conventional mountain chain, the tepuis are isolated table mountains that have been thrust up and then resisted the weathering over millions of years, forming these islands jutting into the sky.



This is an area that defies explanation.  First witnessed by Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 16th century, this area wasn't really explored until the 19th century, when explorers made the first hiking ascent of the mountain to the strange top.  The sheer promontory makes climbing exceedingly difficult, and the appearance of the mountain, sticking like a block out of the lush jungle, was reportedly the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World.  And, more recently, the team from Pixar used Mt. Roraima for ideas of Carl Fredricksen's destination in the movie Up.
 
While Mr. Roraima is the most famous of the tepuis, and the highest (2,772 m), there are certainly others worthy of visiting.  The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls (or Salto Angel) falls from Auyan-tepui (2,460m) a 435 square mile heart shaped table mountain first discovered in 1937 by the pilot Jimmie Angel.


This sort of area is so strange, it is no wonder it has inspired books and movies since its exploration by Europeans.  It looks like something created for a video game almost, I could see it as a landscape from Myst back in the day.  While it is fairly barren on top, with little vegetation, the high sheer cliffs provide a base for beautiful, lacy waterfalls that dangle over the side.  The only way to hike it is a long mountain path that was first climbed by Everard Im Thurn, an English Botanist,with Harry Perkins in 1884.  The eponymous route is now the only way to hike to the summit.  Climbing is even more difficult, as the cliffs of Roraima are inverted and very sheer (not to mention the permits and authorizations that go into climbing in a National Park in South America).

Roraima has a haunting quality that just begs to be experienced first-hand.  It doesn't hurt that it is in the middle of the South American jungle either!  But Mt. Roraima is firmly on my list of destinations to see one day, and I wanted to share it with you all.  Enjoy. 

The Royal Observatory

The Royal Observatory

GUAT07D-340_pan

July 8, 2007

While venturing through the sights of Guatemala, my main objective for going there was to see the Mayan ruins.  And they didn't disappoint.  My one hiccup was that they were very touristy.  Now, this is to be expected, as the ruins at places like Tikal are restored and in fantastic shape, and they should be appreciated by all so they can be maintained.  However, there is that part of me, as in most adventurers, who enjoys moving off the beaten track, seeing things out of the way.  And that was what brought us to Yaxha. 
 
This smaller site, located right on the river, is in various stages of decay and repair.  The 90-minute jeep ride through the jungle to reach the site gave you an idea of how isolated, how off the beaten track it was.  And the site did not disappoint.  Ruins fading into the jungle, crumbled by centuries of disuse and steady rain and humidity.  The royal astronomical observatory, which I climbed to take this photo, was in good shape, as were a few other pyramids.  Best of all, these places were without any other visitors; besides us two and our guide, only two archaeologists were at the site, giving it a lonesome, first-discovery feel.  It was fantastic.  I hope you like the panorama I stitched together of the royal palace sitting near the river, with clouds stretching far to the horizon.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Sony DSC-55

Lens: n/a

Focal length: 6.3mm

Exposure: 1/500 f/7.1 ISO 200

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Sunrise Over the Ruins

Sunrise Over the Ruins

GUAT07D-234_pan

July 7, 2007

A beautiful and famous landscape, sunrise over the Mayan city of Tikal.  This scene was not only found in Star Wars IV: A New Hope (the home of the secret rebel base), but is the site of one of the greatest cities of the Mayan empire.  I chose this image because it is a good reflection of a new year, full of optimism (so far), and also because the nay-sayers have the Mayans predicting 2012 as the end of the world.  Highly doubtful, I think it is misinterpreted, but oh well.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Sony DSC-55

Lens: n/a

Focal length: 6.3 mm

Exposure: 1/13 f/2.8 ISO 200

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Winter's Shadows

Winter's Shadows

NCAR10D-30

January 31, 2010

An apology for missing yesterday's postings, and we continue on with the theme of winter this week.  This stark panorama was taken in Raleigh, along my favorite Lake Johnson, after an unusual snowfall my first winter here.  I like the low angle of the winter sun and how it plays against the white snow, making deeper bluish streaks from the naked trees.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-4.5

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/40 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Stitched in PS4, with contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

The End of the Day

The End of the Day

THOR09D-83

July 11, 2009

The closing of a long day over the badlands of North Dakota.  After hiking, sightseeing, and train chasing, this day concluded with puffy white clouds over the dun hillsides, the sun lengthening the shadows.  I was pleasantly surprised at how the badlands looked, and the Dakotas in general impressed me.  While a lot of it is rolling hills and farmland, as I expected, these badlands, with their Bryce Canyon-esque tiers and canyons, were a joy to explore.  I hope to get back there some day, and who knows what else I will uncover.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/100 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Roosevelt's Badlands

Roosevelt's Badlands

THOR09D-62_pano

July 11, 2009

The badlands are really a generic term, merely reserved for the scraps of land in the Dakotas that didn't fit the ideals of settlers heading west.  They did not have the gentle undulations of the prairie, they were not the beautiful forests of the east (or those soon to be encountered in the Rockies).  Instead they were blasted rock, worn canyons of burnt hues that were as gashes in the land.  While these areas look like mountains while hiking through them, they are actually just barely above the level of the surrounding grasslands.  From a far you cannot tell you're approaching them, they jump upon you quickly.  But they are distinct, like nothing I've seen yet.  The badlands of North Dakota, found in Roosevelt National Park, look old.  You see their rounded forms, partially covered in short grass and vegetation, and they just appear to be weathered, beaten down from years of conflict with the rivers and rain and snow.  But they are magnificent, and they helped inspire and craft one of our greatest conservationists.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  35 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Assembled from 6 images into a panoramic in PS4, cropped down with slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Fall in the East

Fall in the East

NCAR11D-245_pan

October 23, 2011

We don't get fall like this in the West.  There are large swaths of evergreen forests, that withstand the change of seasons, stalwart, imperious, until winter comes to blanket it in snow.  They hold their verdant green, and we slip from summer to spring easily, quietly.  But in the East, there is no such subtlety.   The cold snaps and slanting sunlight jolts the trees to change, and they do in sweeping motions, trading their summer productivity for capes of gold, orange, crimson, maroon.  The trees, sometimes rail thin and nicely spaced, erupt in a cacophony of celebration for the changing of the seasons, and practically beg you to see them.  This image, captured while hiking in the Uwharrie National Forest, is a panoramic image stitched together, for there was too much for any one lens to take in.  The colors run the whole gamut, and spark a wondrous portrait of autumn in action.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/8 ISO 400

Post-processing: Assembled from 10 images in PS 4, minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Byers Lake

Byers Lake

ALAK11D-21_pan

July 19, 2011

Near the dominating panorama of Denali, the taiga runs out through the hills, blanketing the landscape in a verdant dark green, lush from the rains and snows, but still foreboding, impenetrable, ancient.  At the shore of Byer's lake, you have the chance to take out a kayak and explore some of this landscape yourself, paddle out into the cold glacial water and bask in the rare warmth of the summer.  Photographically, I wish I had make a couple more images that could have followed through on the rest of the boats; this panorama is a little incomplete feeling, but I still like the diagonal line of the kayaks against the water and the horizon.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/500 @ f/6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Illiamna in the Sunset

Illiamna in the Sunset

ALAK09D-196

August 31, 2009

The Seldovia area has numerous volcanic islands in the bay, and when the light is just right, you're able to capture them as the sun sets in the west.  This scene was shot through the bay as the clouds parted briefly to allow the horizontal band through to highlight Illiamna from behind.  With the silhouettes of the coniferous trees of the bay anchoring the left side, I like this composition and how it shows off the volcano as a mysterious, forbidding entity.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/500 @ f/6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Fall From Atop the Chimney

Fall From Atop the Chimney

GRSM11D-26_pan

October 8, 2011

The Chimney Tops Trail is a pretty tough slog up the side of the mountain; in the 2-mile journey, you rise close to 2,000 feet, most of which is in the last mile.  So you reach the top, having panted your way across the trail, and you scramble up the final couple hundred yards of craggy slate.  But your rewards are immense.  Perhaps not the tallest peak of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but it has commanding views of the surrounding peaks.  And when fall is in full-swing, it is quite a sight.  This image shows off the patches of color erupting through the forest, and the crags of Chimney Tops below.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 50 f/1.4

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16 ISO 400

Post-processing: Panorama compiled from 8 images, cropped own to final size in PS4.  Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Flowers of Remembrance

Flowers of Remembrance

NOLA09D-118

April 21, 2009

A quite different panoramic composition today, found while wandering through the surreal and altogether serene graveyards of New Orleans.  These amazing vaults, built above ground to protect against floods and hurricanes, have withstood, in some cases, over a century of being in the hot, muggy south.  Lichen creeping up their facades, old stone tablets describing the inhabitants, and always flowers in front.  While a lot of folks in the south enjoy fake flowers on graves, these were actually real roses, left beside this solitary marker.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 50 f/1.4

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: 1/400 @ f/4.5, ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Ruminahui Through the Clouds

Ruminahui Through the Clouds

ECUA08D-513

January 27, 2008

While most people travel to Cotopaxi National Park, in Ecuador, to visit the refuge or climb up the eponymous mountain, there are plenty of other reasons to visit this high altitude park. The páramo, or alpine valleys above the tree line, offer a wide diversity of plant life, and from far away it looks like the whole place is covered in a soft velvet. Ruminahui, a dormant volcano found at the edge of the park, is not as visited as the park's namesake, but it is a beautiful climb to the peak, with views over the paramo and the alpine fields. It rises about 4700m above sea level, and is about a 5-6 hour hike from the edge of Laguna de Limpiopuguna.

The mountain's name comes from the early colonial days. Ruminahui was a Quichua native, who lead numerous uprisings against the foreign invaders of his country. He was immensely popular with the people, but not so with the Spanish conquistadors (as can be imagined). Eventually he was captured, as all good folk heroes are, and executed. But this mountain was named in his honor, to remember his struggle for his people against the colonists.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  85 mm

Exposure: 1/50 @ f/16, ISO 200

Post-processing: Minor contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Fall in the Midwest

Fall in the Midwest

INDN09D-30

October 25, 2009

This week, fall has started to make its presence felt.  The nights have turned a bit crisp, meaning that the blankets will soon come out of the closet, and the fans and air conditioning will be retired for the season.  Fall, however, hasn't made itself seen yet; the colors that everyone eagerly waits for have not turned yet, the woods around my house are still in full summer mode.  However, with the change in the weather, it cannot be long off, and soon the hills and forests will burst in color.  I missed last year's major changes; when the fall colors reached the central-eastern portion of North Carolina, I was away on business, and it seems to have lasted just a brief time.  When I returned the leaves had mostly shed, and winter was marching firmly into town. 


So, today's image comes from the fall before, when I and some other intrepid photographers took to the wilds of Indiana's Turkey Run State Park.  We were lucky to arrive in the full bloom of fall, and the subtle shifts in hues from red to orange, with some evergreen peeking around, contrasted nicely with the overcast day and rock formations along the river.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/11, ISO 200

Post-processing: Cropping, saturation, curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4