Mount Shuksan from Picture Lake, North Cascades National Park, Washington

In the perennial search for sure-fire ways to create compelling landscape photography it’s easy to overlook one of the simplest elements in the equation. Sometimes you just have to wait.

You’ve done your location research, you are proficient in the features and functions of your equipment, and you’ve selected a lens and composition that accurately expresses your vision. Now all you need is the light. When it’s a sunrise or sunset you’re after, it’s easy to calculate the time you need to arrive at your location and programs like The Photographers Ephemeris (www.photoephemeris.com) are an excellent resource. But weather is the great unknown that even meteorologists can’t predict with 100 percent accuracy.

The image above was made at one of the most popular and well-known locations in the US, and when I arrived I was surrounded by the anticipated number of photographers. But the mountain had been covered in clouds most of the morning and showed little promise of making an appearance. It was a long wait, and everyone else decided it was more time than they were willing to invest.

This was the only image I made that day as the weather rapidly deteriorated, but when the clouds parted for that brief moment my patience and preparation was rewarded. It doesn’t always work out this way, but as the saying goes - ”you’ll always miss 100 percent of the shots you never take”.

(click image for larger view & details)

Rime ice on pine tree, San Bernardino National Forest, California

Dawn light on Mount Whitney from the Alabama Hills, Sequoia National Park, California

Crescent moon and dawn light over the Big Sur coast, California

Fall color and fresh snow at Lake Sabrina, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Sunset at Soberanes Point, Garrapata State Park, Big Sur, California

Barrel cactus in bloom, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

 Backcountry skier in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Peninsular Bighorn Sheep, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Rime ice on pine cones and branches, San Bernardino National Forest, California

Barrel Cactus in bloom, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Spring in the desert is a land of contrasts. Normally barren fields and rocky hillsides, washed clean from winter rains, take on a new dimension as wildflowers begin to dot the landscape and succulents explode in a kaleidoscope of color. Here a spiny barrel cactus displays its delicate flowers on Yaqui Pass in Anza-Borrego State Park.  Though the vibrant show attracts wildlife and photographers alike, the sharp needle-like spines are a constant reminder to look but don’t touch.

California Poppy detail, Antelope Valley, California

Ever feel like you’re in a photographic rut? Like the images just aren’t flowing through the lens and onto the sensor as easily as they should? New and stunning scenery will always help inspire the creative juices, but what if travel isn’t in the cards right now? Sounds like the perfect time to try out a new perspective and a great tool for this is the Lensbaby.

There’s no question that this is the oddest thing you’ll ever attach to the front of your camera, and using it is definitely a throw-back to the dark ages of photography with its completely manual focus and exposure. What started out as a toy-like novelty with a plastic lens and bellows has evolved into a series of high-quality tools each with a slightly different slant (pun intended). Basically its a limited use selective focus lens that mimics the look of a Holga camera with the added ability to move the sweet spot of focus to any desired part of the frame and vary the depth of the out of focus areas. Mounts are available for all major DSLR models and a macro kit is also available.

This is a fun lens to use and creatively its application is unlimited. So the next time you find yourself in creative funk, give this little gem a try and see the world in a whole new light.

Giant Sequoia in winter, Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park, California

Winter dawn on Carson Peak, June Lake, California 

California Poppy detail, Antelope Valley, California 

Wildflower abstract, Tehachapi Mountains, Angeles National Forest, California 

The Old North Church and gas street lamp on the Freedom Trail, Boston, Massachusetts 

Professional cyclists at the Amgen Tour of California, Santa Monica Mountains, California 

Salt pan under Telescope Peak at dawn, Death Valley National Park. California

Eroded hills below Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park. California 

Spanish fountain at the Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara, California

Sea nettles at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California

Low tide and sunset over Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California

Here’s another image from our recent Southern California wildflower trip made near Gorman in the Angeles National Forest. It was fun to experiment with slow shutter motion blurs (a good creative outlet when the wind is blowing!) and the variety of colors made for some very impressionistic images.

It was banner year for the Antelope Valley poppies.  The El Nino winter followed by warm weather created ideal conditions for the California state flower. Waiting for the constant winds to subside is always the real challenge in capturing these delicate beauties.

Happy Earth Day!

It was 40 years ago that the green movement was conceived and since then it has become a driving force in today’s world economy and politics. We’ve come a long way from those early days when even the idea of recycling was a novelty to 2010 where fluorescent light bulbs are in vogue and whole countries like Iceland are run almost entirely on clean energy. One of the driving forces in my photography is to show the natural world at its best and to remind us all why we want to preserve it.

So get out and enjoy the day - take a walk or ride a bike, and breathe a little easier knowing we’re heading in the right direction.

At first glance the desert can seem like a barren desolate place, void of life and beauty. But upon closer inspection it often reveals itself as a delicate world of endless variety and complexity, especially in the spring after a good winter like the one we’re having now.

This image of a natural garden in Plum Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was taken with a Nikkor 180mm lens to isolate the scene and emphasize the colors of the cholla and wildflowers. The late afternoon backlight completed the picture by accentuating the detail of the cactus needles and setting them apart from the other elements as if to say, “look, but don’t touch”.

Exploring the balance between these contrasting worlds of beauty and danger is what makes the desert so fascinating. Visually it’s not as accessable as an alpine meadow or tropical rain forest, but for those willing to take a closer look the rewards are often just as great.