Favorite Photo, April 30

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park
Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, Utah. April 30, 2011.

After four days in California doing the family history thing (see the prior articles in this series), I had a change in plans. The next leg of my family history trip had to be postponed to a later date, which meant I had two extra days to do whatever I wanted. I decided to take the two extra days and go back to southern Utah.

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Favorite Photo, April 25

Bryce Canyon at Sunrise
Bryce Canyon at Sunrise, Utah. April 25, 2011.

It got up bright and early and looked outside. It snowed overnight. I was thrilled. Following some excellent advice from a photographer who has spent a lot of time at Bryce Canyon, I went to Sunset Point, not Sunrise Point. This is one of my favorite photos for this date and one of my all time favorite photos.

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Favorite Photo, April 22

Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park. Texas.
Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park, Texas. April 22, 1993.

Big Bend National Park is one of my favorite places on the planet. That was a big surprise to me since I prefer mountains, pine scented air, trout streams and high mountain lakes. Deserts are not my thing. But I fell in love with Big Bend on my first visit.

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Total Immersion Nature Photography Weekend in Beautiful Northern Michigan

Michigan Photography Workshop

Are you ready to take your nature and wildlife photography to the next level? Are you ready to learn the professional secrets that make the difference between good images and great images? Are you ready for a high intensity, action packed, total immersion photography weekend? Come to Park of the Pines on beautiful Lake Charlevoix June 7-10, 2019.

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Favorite Photo, April 8

Electrical Tower in the Rain, Fremont California. April 8, 2016.

If you have been following this series, it will not surprise you to known that I was again out at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. But this was a rainy day. There were no wading birds to be seen. It was a gloomy day

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Favorite Photo, March 29

California Golden Poppies, Fremont California. March 29, 2017.

The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite places on the planet. Usually I am there to photograph wading birds. But this particular year I was there when the poppies were in bloom. My brother-in-law (who is also an avid photographer) and I had a great time. This is my favorite image for March 29.

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The National Park Series: Where to Go and When

National Parks Collage. Click for a larger version.

America’s National Parks are natural, environmental, and photographic treasures. They are high on the list of preferred destinations for professional and amateur photographers alike. To help you show up at right places at the best times to create beautiful images, I put together this ongoing series of articles.

Posted January 22, 2017. Updated and re-posted April 2, 2019.

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The Best National Parks to Photograph in Spring

 Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park. Texas.

Ocotillo. Big Bend National Park, Texas.

If I could go on a fabulous spring photography trip to the national parks of my choice, with no time limit and all expenses paid, which ones would I pick? Here are my choices, grouped by state from west to east. This list includes the favorites I have been to and want to go back to again, plus the ones I haven’t seen and most want to photograph.

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Favorite Photo, February 26

Moraine Park in Late Evening Light. Colorado. February 26, 2008.

It was a beautiful evening in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sirius, Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades star cluster were shining brightly in the night sky. The sun set at 5:50 pm and I clicked the shutter at 6:43 pm. The beautiful blue sky was due to the long, 30 second exposure.

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