The purchase of my first camera was the beginning of an inadvertent money abatement program, but I believe that I am ahead of the game in the tradeoff.
It is amazing to me how even now I ignore what is right out my window in my beautiful Idaho mountain valley because something better is 100 miles down the road where the grass is always greener. The beautiful ubiquity around me shamefully I rarely see as a potential photograph.
I didn’t post my dozen favorites in 2018 because of my cancer fight; it is good to be back and photographing my ass off and making up for lost time. Nothing like getting a little sand kicked in your face for perspective. We have a largely beautiful world and I’m fortunate to still be out there capturing it’s glory.
Luck favors the prepared mind, as does serendipity. Webster's definition -Serendipity -
an apparent aptitude for making fortunate discoveries accidentally. Audacious, is the photographer who chooses to make his living stalking serendipity from one location to another then back again hoping to capture light as it has never been captured before or tougher yet as they may have captured it in the past. But that is what we nature photographers do, and that is what we live for.
Yellowstone's abundant and diverse wildlife are as famous as its geysers. After the reintroduction of the wolf all of the wildlife species that inhabited the park when it was first explored over 100 years ago survive today qualifying Yellowstone as the only intact eco-system in the lower 48 states.
The delisting of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear is imminent and this we should celebrate (‘’’’dancing’’’’). Now that our happy dance is complete, we must insure the grizzlies’recovery is permanent. To insure “continuity of achievement,” the grizzlies need a firewall to protect the success of this achievement from human foible.
About three quarters around my loop I stopped to photograph a six point bull looking for the ladies and while photographing him a black wolf walked into the frame, stopped, posed then moved out of the frame. How fortuitous,
"Locking Horns - Bison Demonstrating Metaphors" I look at this picture and I see a metaphor, a metaphor that is emblematic of my life. I have been locking horns with people ever since my age of reason. Not to say my reasoning is any good but it’s mine.
Galloping across the high desert foothills with manes and tails flying and hooves kicking up dust, there is nothing more iconic in the American West than a wild horse making tracks through wild habitat. The mustang is a part of the picture in the minds eye of many as they picture the west.
Whenever I surprise a mule deer doe or fawn, and alarmingly their heads pop out of the forage like a jack-in-the-box, appearing as though they just got out of the beauty parlor, their oversized, ever alert, ears reaching for the sky, their eyes wide and big as saucers they always demonstrate why “doe-eyed” has become a cliché for beautiful, innocent eyes.
It is inarguable that the first sight of the Grand Tetons from any of its approaches it truly breathe taking. Entering Jackson Hole from Yellowstone you are treated to the northern Tetons where they tower above beautiful Jackson Lake. Coming from the west you are treated to the Idaho view of Grand Tetons that tower above Teton Valley Idaho. From Togwotee Pass you are treat to the full length of the Teton Range as soon as they come into view.
In the mountains of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of northwest Wyoming, there is a special valley resplendent with alpine amenities, wide-open spaces, vast forest wilderness, surrounded by towering peaks and populated with more creatures than you can imagine. This amalgamation of alpine wonder is called Jackson Hole.
Roundabouts have come to the USA and they confuse us, it hasn’t been our way. A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. The modern form was standardized in the United Kingdom. Well me, I’m accustomed to running around in circles. I also got to Italy in a roundabout way.
Awesome looking buildings into the cliffs and Michelangelo or some other renaissance genius suggested to everyone to paint them pink, red, and powder blue, creating a photographer’s dreamscape, part landscape, part cityscape.
A new plan quickly came together; I would leave the base at 5AM for Naples harbor 45 minutes away to catch the first possible ferry for Capri. The guy at the hotel desk hearing my plans offered to rent me a GPS since Naples has 3.5 million people. Considering some of my previous challenges, I said yes. All coffeed up courtesy of an American style hotel with a coffee maker in the room I was out the door,
The Dolomites Mountains or Dolomiti as they are known locally is one of Europe's top destinations in both the summer and winter! They rise up like a cathedral of rock, full of rugged crags and breathtaking pinnacles. My jaunt though this amazing place.
Another leisurely German style breakfast was spoiling me while I enjoyed the view of the Bozen Valley below from high above on a Dolomite peak. I felt as though I were slipping into the leisurely European traveling style, it was time for a double espresso with a café Americano chaser and get back in the groove of my hyperactive American angst. Hmmm, first though, another freshly baked Bavarian roll smothered with locally made jam.
Japan hadn’t been on my bucket list ever since I became too old to cross country ski. When younger I wanted to ski inn to inn through the Japanese Alps as they have connecting trails where you can ski from one village to another. I wish I hadn’t wasted so much of my youth on frivolity, and so little on substantive travel.
My speaking contractor urged me not to drive in Japan; I guess he was worried whether I’d live to make it to my speaking engagement. As a matter of fact “everyone” urged me not to drive
In Europe and Japan, many hotels have bidets (fancy toilets), pronounced bih-DAY. Those I saw in Italy were porcelain and usually had a regular western toilet right next to them. In Europe, given the choice, I opted with familiarity, and left the bidet unexplored. The ones I found in Japan looked as though they had a bit more engineering in them, and there wasn’t a western toilet option.
Everything there is to say about Venice has already been said; well maybe I can dig deep for something to contribute, as all that has been said, hasn’t been said by me.
Life is good; I again had the opportunity to return the Dolomite Alps, a mountain landscape that blew me away on my first visit. My first trip to the Dolomite Mountains in 2014 I had a marvelous time exploring the mountains of South Tyrol and Trento, not time for the Cortina region
As usual, my wife Sharon and I hastily unpacked, and then promptly headed out for the destination of the day; Neuschwanstein Castle, the photo goal of my Bavarian trek. As a photographer I’m horrible about not taking the time, of which I have none, to enjoy the beautiful .........
Researching Zermatt, logistics for a town without cars presented challenges for this auto dependent photographer. A mountain with a reputation of rarely appearing from above its cool blanket of clouds presented other problems. My optimism was being kept in check.
Our Levanto hotel appeared to be the Ritz Carlton of Michelangelo’s time, but clearly only tenuously hanging onto its previous glory. Fine with me as it is a rare day I get to stay in a hotel with marble staircases surrounded with ornate flourish. History is alive in the villages, which are replete with ancient churches, castles, and homes that line narrow streets and squares.
A few minutes after our departure I rounded a corner and my wife exclaimed; “Wow, look at that!” I explained; “Honey, this is why we are here. Pitigiliano looks cool in photos; in person it smacks you across the face. I can imagine what a conquering army felt when they rounded this corner. I bet it wasn’t Wow. More likely a variation of “Oh Crap!”
For many a moon I had been wanting to photograph. The San Juan Mountains during autumn color, but unfortunately autumn color of the incredible landscape of Telluride, Ouray, Silverton and Durango is concurrent with my autumn in the Grand Tetons where fall color is the busiest season for my photo tour business at home.
It is not a wonder that Ansel Adam’s final twenty years was spent in his home overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the north end of Big Sur. Here he found a spectacular embarrassment of riches of photo fodder he so expertly captured for posterity.
First a dimple like a tiny drop fell from a leaf onto the almost still but moving water. The gurgle below reminds me I am in the water. Just above my knees..........
We drove the herd from Texas to the section where Butte Montana is now located. We started with 1,200 head and had the usual sore foot trouble with critters that had to be dropped, had occasional stampedes that caused more or less loss, but with the usual percentage of losses deducted, we still arrived with a herd of 2,400 critters.
Old general stores had things like lamp chimneys; plumbing parts for those who had plumbing with such an array of stuff you would wonder where they kept it all. Of course the buyer couldn't find it, the proprietor would usually say: “I think I have one of those, let me see if I can find it.
Eagerly anticipating a great day of wildlife photography, upon cresting the hill at Golden Gate just past Rustic Falls, to my surprise I saw three tepees pitched east of the road along Glen Creek.
Growing up as a child in America, as all children, I loved the Christmas season,
the Christmas tree, lights, lawn decorations, candy, mistletoe, cookies,
Santa Claus, elves, reindeer and most of all presents, it was a magical time
of year. Then later ............ rest of the story
I love living in a four-season place. Having found the sameness of Californian’s mild climate terribly boring. I love to see them come; I love to see them go. Oh there are some I like better than others but there isn’t one of them I’d trade for the other.
A couple of decades ago I was visiting with my old friend Bernie who knew he was short on time, and he was reminiscing of how he believed he was the luckiest guy to have lived in the heyday of the USA
Wanderlust has always been an integral part of my soul. So during the course of my sojourn following my lust 1975 found me in Alaska chasing my fortune hoping to find a job on the Alaska pipeline. A day late and a dollar short, as usual, I found myself washing dishes in at a truck stop in Glenn Allen Alaska.
The Gallatin Mountain Range and it is a major centerpiece of Hyalite Canyon, Montana State University and Bozeman’s recreational playground. The reservoir was constructed in the late 1940's and enlarged in 1993.
