Framing Fall in Mono County

Mono County, California, transforms into a photographer's haven as autumn takes hold. The county's diverse landscapes, ranging from rugged mountains to serene valleys, offer a spectrum of colors during this season. The aspen groves dotting the landscape turn vibrant shades of gold and orange, creating a striking contrast against the evergreen pines.

Photographing autumn in Mono County is a study in simplicity. Whether framing the iconic Conway Summit or the winding roads through the Eastern Sierra, the fall palette provides a natural allure that requires minimal embellishment. The play of light and shadow during this season adds depth to photographs, capturing the essence of Mono County's autumn without the need for elaborate descriptions. It stands in stark contrast to the eerie beauty of the tufas and the sulphurous environment surrounding them on the borders of Mono Lake, just a few miles away…

Leaf Peeping Among the Sequoias

Visiting Sequoia National Park during the autumn season - or fall, as we call it here -, I was greeted by a breathtaking display of vibrant foliage. At this time of year, the landscape transforms into a painter’s palette, with hues of red, orange, and yellow splashed across the bushes and trees. The contrast between the evergreen giants and the vivid autumn leaves created a picturesque scene that felt straight out of a postcard. Although it is not a popular destination in the autumn, the coloured foliage we did find made for some really lovely images.

A Journey Through Meadows

Join me on a peaceful walk through two lovely meadows in Sequoia National Park: Crescent Meadow and Log Meadow. These enchanting landscapes offer a serene escape amidst the towering sequoia trees.

Crescent Meadow, also known as "Meadow of the Little Baldy," was named by early visitors who noticed its crescent moon shape. This picturesque meadow has a rich history, as it served as a campsite for the Kaweah Colony, a short-lived utopian community in the late 1800s. Today, Crescent Meadow remains a popular destination for visitors to enjoy leisurely walks and spot some local wildlife.

Log Meadow, on the other hand, gets its name from the fallen sequoia logs scattered across the meadow. These logs are remnants of past natural processes, such as wildfires and the life cycle of the giant sequoias. They serve as a testament to the dynamic nature of the park and provide unique photographic opportunities.

End of Day at Moro Rock

Another visit to Moro Rock at Sequoia National Park this weekend, this time in the late afternoon as the haze and the falling sun transformed the skies into a beautiful mixture of oranges and yellows. There was a beautiful lateral light there as well which left half of the valley in light and the other half in shadow. Here, I made full use of my whole photography kit - from wide lenses to capture the expansive valley below, to a telephoto lens aimed at the few trees hugging the mountain ridges. The most incredible thing is that this wasn’t even quite sunset: we still made it down the valley and caught sunset at a different location afterwards.

Animals in the Woods

Of course, there is even more to the National Parks than just incredible landscapes - there are also its many inhabitants. On my visit to Sequoia National Park, I photographed quite a few animals we saw along the way: chipmunks, squirrels, mule deer, and even a white-headed woodpecker. The early morning light also makes for great wildlife photography, casting a soft glow on the subjects. See if you can tell which photos were taken earlier in the day and which were taken under harsher afternoon light.

Art in the Forest

Now, now, this is a special one! Join me and step into the world of captivating contrasts as we explore the majestic Sequoia National Park through my lens. In these photographs, I sought to highlight the striking contrast between light and dark, big and small, and the many textures of the forest. The towering sequoia trees, with their lofty branches and intricate textures, serve as the perfect subjects for this exploration. I truly believe some of these images belong on a canvas on the wall - so please sit back, relax, and enjoy this walk through the woods. I think these really are stunning images.

The Legendary General Sherman

The General Sherman Tree Trail in Sequoia National Park is an easy loop walk through the towering sequoias, culminating in an awe-inspiring encounter with the world's largest living tree, the General Sherman. Standing at over 275 feet (84 meters) tall, with a diameter of more than 36 feet (11 meters) at its base, this ancient giant is a true marvel of nature. General Sherman is believed to be around 2,200 years old, making it one of the oldest living organisms on the planet, standing as a testament to the endurance and resilience of the sequoia species. For a bit of scale, the very last image in this blog post features my (tall!) husband completely dwarfed by this extraordinary giant.

In the Presence of Giants

This weekend I am switching gears to the second national park I am featuring in my blog: the incredible Sequoia National Park. These giants are some of the largest living organisms on Earth, and are extremely long lived, with some estimated to be over 3,000 years old. Their bark is thick, spongy, and fire-resistant, which helps protect them from wildfires that are common in the area. They also have other unique adaptations, such as shallow roots that spread wide to anchor themselves in the soil.

I had the privilege of witnessing the park's majestic beauty at the crack of dawn and it was a sight to behold! The rising sun cast a golden glow over the towering sequoia trees and cast an incredible glow deep into the forest. This national park surprised me in that I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, and I think it’s thoroughly underrated! I hope to be able to prove that over my next series of blog posts that will feature this incredible trees.

A Morning at Arch Rock

One of our first stops on our visit to Joshua Tree National Park was Arch Rock. This natural arch is made of granite and stands tall among the Mojave Desert's boulder-strewn landscape. Its unique texture - which to me resembles a goose’s neck and head - make it a popular destination for visitors to the park. During my visit, I was lucky enough to witness the sunrise sunrise at Arch Rock, where the first rays of sunlight illuminated the rock's surface, casting a warm glow over the surrounding desert. I hope you enjoy the photos I am sharing today!

A Collection of Cacti

Joshua Tree National Park is home to a variety of cacti species, each with its distinct characteristics and beauty. The Mojave Desert, which covers much of the park, provides an ideal environment for these hardy plants to thrive.

Perhaps the best known amongst them are the various species of cholla. Cholla cacti, also known as the "jumping cacti”, have a unique method of reproduction, where they detach and roll around in the wind to spread their seeds. The cholla cactus may look harmless, but their spines can easily cling to clothing and skin, earning them their "jumping" nickname. Cholla are just one of several species featured here - which also includes prickypear and barrel cacti varieties.

A Walk Through the Mojave Desert

During my visit to Joshua Tree National Park in California and I was blown away by the unique landscapes of the Mojave Desert. The rugged terrain and unique flora and fauna are spectacular even in the harsh midday light. I especially enjoyed photographing the iconic Joshua trees up close. These tall, spiky trees are only found in this part of the world and are a true symbol of the desert. Their twisted branches and rough bark make for stunning photos against the blue sky. The stark beauty of the desert landscape is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. I hope these photos will inspire you to visit this stunning national park and experience its beauty for yourself!

Stars, Geology, and Joshua Trees

Last year I had the fantastic opportunity to visit a number of National Parks throughout the US, and this year I will be sharing images from all my visits here on my blog! We have loved them all so far and hope to one day make it to all 63 of them. I’ll be sharing images of the parks we have visited in order, so let’s start in sunny California, where it all began…

Joshua Tree National Park is known for its unique rock formations, minimal light pollution,and unique desert environment. At night, it also provides a stunning canvas for astrophotography. We were lucky enough to get almost completely clear skies, so I was able to capture some incredible images of the Milky Way arching - and spinning! - over Heart Rock, Arch Rock, and the park’s emblematic joshua trees.

Florida's Silver Springs

The final state park we visited on our travels through Florida was the Silver Springs State Park, which is by far the largest of the three. This is a popular manatee rest stop in the winter months, but what brought us here in the summer was the chance of spotting its resident monkeys. The park is home to non-native rhesus macaques which were introduced in the 1930s with the goal of boosting the springs as a unique tourist attraction. The original plan was to limit them to one small island in the park, but the park owner at the time didn’t know they are very competent swimmers. Now, they have multiplied to far greater numbers and are spread throughout the whole park. We didn’t get to see the macaques in the end - they must have been hiding that day -, but hopefully the native wildlife I did photograph will make up for it!

Turquoise Spring Waters

Continuing along our travels through Florida, we paid a short visit to Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park. This state park is home to several springs, including Peacock, Ginnie, and Little River Springs, which flow into the Suwannee River. It is a popular spot for underwater cave diving, with over 14,000 feet of cave passages open to visitors. Although we stayed entirely above the water during our visit, we did have the rare opportunity of taking photos from the skies for an even more unusual view of this location: the skies! The drone flight did not disappoint, showing just how stunning the clear turquoise waters of the spring are from all angles.

The Perfect Place for a Swim

Madison Blue Spring State Park is a hidden gem located in the north of Florida. The park is home to a beautiful blue spring that flows into the Withlacoochee River. In the summer months, it is the perfect place to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters of the spring, where it is easy to spot schools of fish swimming around the underwater cave system. In the winter, the spring also attracts manatees, due to its much warmer temperatures than surrounding rivers. Here are some of the photos I took at the park during our early morning visit to the summer.

Views from the Observation Tower

Time for my last “swampy” blog post in a little while! The Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area in Valdosta is a 7,000 acre area which serves as a refuge for local wildlife. It includes both wetlands (swamp) habitats and forest habitats, which you can view from designated boardwalks and hiking trails. We made a short stop here to climb up the observation tower for an aerial view of the surrounding land. Here are some of my favourite images from high above the bald cypress trees.

A Morning with the Cypress Trees

I have shared quite a few images of this place throughout my last few blog posts. For those of you who are just itching to see something other than Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge: I promise this is the last one, and there will be a new location featured next week! But if you are enjoying seeing this stunning swamp through my lens, in all sorts of different lights, then you may enjoy this final post. Following a spectacular golden sunrise over the lake, we watched the sun climb a little higher in the horizon and peep through the cypress trees. I hope that these images of clear blue skies and early morning light will brighten up your day!

The Swamp Awakens

It was an early start to get to Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge in time for sunrise. I loved this place so much the night before that we just had to come back for more. I certainly did not expect it to get even better than it was in the previous visit - and for several reptilian visitors to adorn the landscape. This was one of those incredible golden mornings that you don’t see very often. Sometimes nature puts on a real show.

Night Falls over Banks Lake

In my previous blog post, I hinted that I would be sharing quite a few more images from Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. This week’s blog post continues on to a peaceful evening at the lake, featuring a little bit of astrophotography. The last two photos are star trail images: compilations of tens or hundreds of images of the night sky, merged together to show the movement of the stars over time. With a clear and unpolluted sky, you can really see how the milky way shifts around across the frames. In this particular place, the brightest stars are also reflected in the still waters, creating mirrored star trails on the surface of the lake.

A Hidden Treasure in South Georgia

We arrived in Valdosta, a small city in south Georgia, with absolutely no expectations of what we would find there. On a spare evening, we opened up Google Maps and searched for “things to see” in the area. Apparently there was a somewhat interesting swamp visible from a boardwalk, so we packed up our camera gear and went to see the sunset. Little did we know what we were about to encounter!

The Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is truly a hidden gem and was an absolute surprise. We loved it so much that we just kept coming back for more! So be prepared for a few more blog posts featuring this amazing place.