TRIP REPORTS: WESTERN US AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Canyonlands National Park - I traveled to Canyonlands National Park to capture a shot that I had been visualizing for quite a while: a very high resolution panorama of Mesa Arch in its entirety. The resulting image is 162 megapixels at 36” x 80”.

Death Valley National Park - After departing from Canyonlands National Park, I headed further west to Death Valley National Park to photograph sand dunes. One of the most fascinating things about Death Valley’s sand dunes is the variety of light during sunrise and sunset. I captured several photos that show this diversity. I was able to avoid the extreme heat and crowds (and therefore footprints on the dunes) by hiking deep into the dunes while it was still dark.

Sequoia National Park - After two days of shooting in the heat of Death Valley, I arrived in Sequoia National Park as a snowstorm was brewing. I woke up early the next morning and began hiking through the snow and thick fog. This unexpected weather created a magical landscape that added to the already beautiful redwood forest.

Yosemite National Park - From Sequoia National Park, I headed North to Yosemite National Park to climb Half Dome with my brother. We began our ascent of Half Dome via the John Muir Trail and reached the summit by way of the near vertical Cables Route. From our camp, we traveled a total of 19 miles and ascended over 4,800 vertical feet in less than ten hours. Although we started hiking at 3:30 am, we missed sunrise by several hours. Despite my lack of success with a camera, this climb was the highlight of my trip. I spent the next few days photographing El Capitan and Half Dome from the Merced River.

West Coast: California and Oregon - The final week of my latest excursion was spent photographing the Pacific Coast in California and Oregon. The first three days provided clear skies and a fantastic combination of clouds and direct light.