Spot lit Pine Tree

This pine tree was spotted in Bryce Canyon as we were hiking down into the canyon. I hadn't paid much attention to the photo until now while I was working on another shot I had taken, and, along with this shot I never liked it much. ON1 2020 has opened up a bunch on creative new doors for me.

Dark Lit Hoodoo

I shot this hoodoo in Bryce Canyon in 2014 and never really liked the photo. I started playing with it in ON1 2020 and started liking the results.

The Hog Back

This is the view as one drives from Torrey to Escalante in southern Utah. It is called The Hog Back and runs along a ridge line between two valleys that are several hundred feet deep and the ridge is barely wider than the road. You just have to visit the area and try it to understand it. Enjoy

Glorious Sunset

Sunset over the Great Salt Lake in Utah makes a pretty scene enjoyed by this family of four. If I am not mistaken the mother and wife was standing behind me as I shot this picture. The gnats and brine flies had just hatched two days earlier and I had to purchase a net head gear to keep them off, even then they would get under it and get into my eyebrows (the only place I have hair on my head) and bite me.

Old Steel Wheel

An antique wagon wheel leaning against a wooden fence at the Garr Ranch on Antelope Island is the subject of this photo. I processed it to give it an old world look.

Antique Equipment

The first photo is part of an old combine and the second is part of a sheep shearing mechanism in a barn on the Garr Ranch located on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. Lots of interesting things there to photograph.

Water Tower

While in Nebraska to enjoy a wonderful family reunion with all of my siblings and their spouses and a few grand and great grandchildren we visited the Harold Warp Pioneer Village in Minden, NE. This water tower was standing in their recreated village near a train station. What a wonderful place of preserved history, a great treasure in the middle of Nebraska.

Peaceful Sun Burst

This beautiful scene was captured on one of my sisters property near Gibbon, NE. They have an 11 acre pond on their property and have developed it into a wild life sanctuary. It is a place to envy.

The Sand Pits

I really like black and white, high key photography. These three shots were taken on a trip to Holdrege, NE during a family reunion there. Our dad used to take us to the Sand Pits just north of Holdrege along I-80. While he fished and relaxed, we kept mom on edge by playing too close to the waters edge. What a wonderful time of life.

Capitol Reef Barn

There is a small gift shop located just beyond the visitors center that is in Capitol Reef National Park about 6 miles east of Torrey, UT. This barn is part of the complex there. I love the setting of the red rock wall behind it and the corral at its back.

Sun Burst at Capitol Reef

As we were leaving the Great Wall slot canyon in Capitol Reef National Park this scene was laid before our eyes (and my camera lens). I really enjoy shooting directly into the sun and capturing these wonderful sun bursts. While processing the photo I also noticed the "praying hands" in the center of the photo just below "Nellies Peak" (my name for it).

Deep in the Slot Canyon

This photo was taken deep within the Great Wash. It was so dark it took a bunch of work in post production to get it to look like it did to my eye while I was there. I was standing under a huge overhanging rock wall, back in the shadows. The Great Wash is basically a slot canyon varying to depths of about 300'.

Red Rock Arch

About half way into the Great Wash I noticed an odd looking formation above me on the red rock wall. It looked to be a raised column, maybe even free standing. As we proceeded along the dry river bed I was watching this formation, the shadow it cast continued to reveal it's true configuration. As we passed it we could finally see that it is actually an arch. I really love to photograph arches and always seek them out. I had asked the ranger at the visitor center in Torrey, Utah if there were any arches in the Great Wash, he replied that there were none, what a surprise.

Striped Wall

As we were entering the Great Wash these black streaks, caused by water running down the walls, greeted us and made for an interesting photo.

Unknown Tool

This tool was hanging along with many others. It made a nice photo even if I don't know what it is.

Centrifugal Brake

This wonderful, old wagon wheel has on one of its spokes this device that appears to be a centrifugal brake. Could it be? Did they have such things then?

Tools of Yesteryear

These tools, along with many others, adorn the walls of the blacksmith shop located at the John Jarvie Museum near Dutch John, UT and Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

Barrel of Fun

As I approached the steps into the Jarvie Store a barrel, the steps, and the wall behind made for a pleasing photo.

Barbed Wire Hoop

A coil of old barbed wire atop a weathered fence post becomes the subject of this photo. The rustic, weathered wood and rusted barbwire add to the antique look.

Streets of Chichen Itza

As we were entering Chichen Itza I could have imagined that I was walking down one of the dusty streets entering the market area of the city. It was almost surreal to me as I formed those visions in my mind. That, of course, is the temple that you can see through the trees.

Chichen Itza Mansion

I took this photo from the plaza that the various structures of a beautiful mansion at Chichen Itza. It is undergoing restoration but has been badly damaged several years ago when someone took dynamite to an area of it trying to get inside. I am so glad the government stopped him.

Little Temple

This is a little temple located near the main temple at Chichen Itza, Mexico. I really like the way this photo turned out that makes it look as old as it actually is.

Alter at Little Temple

This structure faces the "Little Temple" in Chichen Itza. I wanted to give you the feeling that it is a very old building, because it is, and because I really like the way it looks.

Dreamy Look

I have been playing with "high key" editing for some of my photos. This one of the Salt Lake City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a good example of the style I like. Slightly overexposed, black and white with just a hint of color brought back in.

Pelicans Feeding

After lots of adjustments I came to this High Key look which I really like for this setting. The white pelicans against a grey water really didn't have much contrast so I just played on that and gave it a "blown out" black and white look.

Balanced Duck

Finally figured out how to take bird photos. This was shot with a 500mm lens and the camera set to FX mode, that allows the lens to act like a 750mm lens. I also shot it with a 1/4000 sec shutter and aperture at f/8 giving the photo nice background bokeh with crisp subject and great colors.

Pelican Clan

These Pelicans were just drifting back and forth through the opening in the ice. They seemed to be just relaxing but all of a sudden they would all start dipping their beaks into the water and appeared to be feeding on something. Once in a while a gull or another smaller bird would take off with a small silver fish in their beaks and a whole flock of gulls would be squawking and trying to take it away from the one who caught it.

Soft Landing

The ducks seem unconcerned as this beautiful Bald Eagle joins the group, but the gulls and other waterfowl don't take any chances, they just get outta town.

Easy Landing

These Herons look so graceful as they come in for a landing. They just seem to float in and extend their legs for a soft touch down.

Sea Gull in Flight

This is 4 captures of the same sea gull as it was taking off. I composed it from 4 different photos, somehow I managed to catch it with its wings in the upward position each time and then blended them into one photo.

Winter Dreamland

These next few pictures were all taken along this river, the Big Cottonwood Creek just east of Salt Lake City, UT on a cold winters day. The golden hue in this photo is a reflection from the mountain on the other side of the valley. It is composed of a golden color of granite and reflects light onto the stream.

Black Water

This scene was so amazingly beautiful, again it is just a small area but the closeup view and long shutter speed make it doubly so. And just one day in the 40's and this is all gone.

Looks Really Cold

As I look at this shot it just looks cold, in fact it was only 22d F. The ambient temperature has to stay below mid 20's and dip into the teens to get the water to freeze into these beautiful formations and remain through the day times. I heard once that you must be uncomfortable to get really good pictures, that was really true here.

Figurines in Ice

It almost looks like little figurines in ice are watching over this waterfall. They were probably about 4" tall. I used a 4 sec shutter speed to capture this scene.

Ice Cave

I thought, as I looked at this scene that I was peering into an ice cave with a fast flowing floor (say that three times really fast). Although it looks like it is black and white it is actually in full color.

Amazing Lace

I titled this "Amazing Lace", no doubt you can see why. It is one of my favorites. I have even had this one printed on aluminum to hang in my home.