The Firefall that almost wasn't.⁠⁠⁠
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Firefall is the amazing phenomenon that only takes place over a brief window of time during February in Yosemite National Park where the sun hits Horsetail Falls at the perfect angle in order to light up the water and cause the waterfall to look as though fire were pouring off the side of El Capitan. So many things have to occur near perfectly in order to see this event:⁠⁠⁠
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1) You have to have clear western skies with no clouds to block out the sun right at sunset.⁠⁠⁠
⁠2) The winter had to provide enough snow in order to supply the seasonal Horsetail Falls⁠⁠⁠
⁠3) The winter snowfall has to begin to melt enough in order for the waterfall to flow with water.⁠⁠⁠
⁠4) The winds high on El Capitan have to be calm enough so as to not blow the small waterfall away and keep it from having a straight streak of water.⁠⁠⁠
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After getting to the locations hours in advance to investigate which angle I wanted, I set up and began the waiting game as I watched all of the elements to see if I would have luck. There were some initial concerns as we watched, but in the final 20-30 minutes before sunset, things began to look promising!⁠⁠⁠
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While myself and hundreds of others waited for just the right moment when the sun would meet the water in its most intense colors, we all were hopeful that this was going to be our lucky evening. However, 8 minutes before the moment of sunset a cloud rolled in front of the sun, removing every drop of color from the waterfall.⁠⁠⁠
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It was devastating. Minutes go by with no sign of the cloud shifting, though they felt like hours of defeated hope. Many photographers and observers start packing up to leave as we all sat in our collective disappointment. I held out the tiniest hope while also preparing to be disappointed.⁠⁠⁠
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In literally the final moments of possible light before the sky grew dark, the cloud left as quickly as it came and suddenly the waterfall began to glow and shine in a glorious display.⁠⁠⁠
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Despite the cloud showing no signs of shifting, it was worth it to hold out hope. Hope that light could still shine and give us the show of a lifetime.

I had the privilege of spending my 2022 Thanksgiving in one of my favorite places in the world - Yosemite National Park. Despite sleeping in a tent in literally sub-freezing temperatures, it was just as magical as every other time I've been.⁠

Despite having been two times previously, the thing that I had never been able to capture were clouds in any of the scenes. It was as though the clouds were intentionally eluding me, like a marble on a slick, unlevel floor - constantly fleeing my arrival to the park.⁠

This trip seems to be much of the same - that is, until the last night when cotton candy clouds showed up during a dramatic sunset behind Half Dome - my favorite of all the spectacles within Yosemite.⁠

Patience and perseverance finally paid off, and it did so in abundance!⁠

Thor's Well has seemed to have always been my "Eleanor." For those that are unfamiliar with Gone in 60 Seconds movie, "Eleanor" was the elusive car that ALWAYS got away and ALWAYS seemed just out of reach.⁠
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That has always been Thor's Well in Oregon. It's been on my bucket list for almost as long as I have owned a camera. I have been near the area so many times, but have been unable to work out being able to shoot this natural phenomenon.⁠
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This location is unique in that you need so many components to line up in order to be able to photograph it. The tide has to be high enough with just enough waves to crash through the front of the well and come back out the top. Also, as with all photos, this perfect timing needs to line up with the lighting and sky needed to combine with the spectacle taking place in front of you.⁠
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This has never aligned for me at a time that I was able to visit...that is until this last week. I finally was able to visit Thor's Well and witness this remarkable blend of nature on the Oregon Coast.⁠
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And, although it goes without saying, Thor's Well did not disappoint. It was well worth the wait.⁠

Limited to only 10 prints!

16”x24” - Printed on Fine Art Acrylic

I have visited and photographed the breathtaking North Cascades mountains many times (click here to view), but night/star photography has always been an elusive leprechaun luring me into possible magic ... while never following through. However, when I had the chance to visit again, lady luck was on my side....

After multiple thwarted attempts to get a landscape photograph on a recent trip due to poor lighting, I found out that the Milky Way would be rising just off the peak of Liberty Bell.

The light trails made by car headlights at the base of the mountain allow you to follow them to the glorious view of the Milky Way’s nebula as it comes over the crest of the mountain tops.

This experience reminds me of the fact that, although we make many plans, we are ultimately not in control - and that fact is something that brings more beauty into our lives than that which we initially planned.

Peter Iredale is a shipwreck outside of Astoria, OR that has stood, planted in the sand for over a century.⁠
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Peter Iredale is a juxtaposition in and of itself.⁠
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In it, we are reminded of the past...our past...shipwrecks and all. The past is not always glamorous. Our pasts often contain the rusting, buried remnants of our own shipwrecks and brokenness.⁠
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And on the other side of the proverbial coin, there is beauty in our haunted pasts. Not the kind of beauty that avoids the rusted shipwreck - but the unique beauty that includes it. The kind of beauty that is enhanced by the brokenness that it includes.⁠
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This is the kind of beauty that reminds us that the brokenness of the shipwreck doesn't get to have the final say.⁠

In Antelope Canyon, you can’t help but feel closed in and surrounded by walls everywhere, especially within the narrowest chambers of the slot canyon.

There are times in life when it seems the walls are closing in.

In front of you, there appears to be no way forward.

However, there is still enough of a crack for light to break through - giving you the hope to take another step forward. And with each step, you can see that the light leads you forward.

May this print be a constant reminder of light and hope, even when the walls feel like they are closing in on you most.

Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle of Seattle has become one of the most iconic landmarks in our entire country. Its architecture feels both futuristic and timeless, and sets a gorgeous focal point on nights when the sunset shows off like this.

In Antelope Canyon, the sands slip down the rock formation as a beautiful reminder of the steady flow of time. The sands of time flow right before our eyes, shaping us more than we realize, in ways that we do not realize, until we step back and see all that we are thankful for.

This photo isn't possible to capture anymore.⁠

When the Alaskan Way Viaduct was still standing, there was a precise spot on the onramp from downtown Seattle where the Great Wheel perfectly framed Mount Rainer in all of her glory.⁠

But, alas, the viaduct is no more.

We can look at this and be upset that what once was is no longer. Or we can look at this and simply be thankful for what was.⁠

May this print be a reminder to choose the latter.

Deep within the heart of Antelope Canyon, the temperature feels distant from the warm Arizona sun above. However, just like the deep moments of life, light manages to break into these moments to reveal its glory to us.

Seattle’s waterfront is home to many landmarks like Pier 66 and the Great Wheel. It’s view also provides a unique angle from which to see Seattle’s iconic cityscape. Combined with the blue from the night’s twilight, the lights of the city pop off this photo with amazing detail!

Antelope Canyon is truly majestic. On this land that is sacred to the local Navaho people, we literally see beauty formed from destruction. Flash flooding rushes through the canyon shapes each and every incredible curve of the rocks, allowing colors to develop as light hits each angle of the rock walls.

The view from Kerry Park is what most call the “postcard view of Seattle.” From images like this, you can clearly see why. From the same point, you can take in the cityscape, Mt. Rainier, and the colorful clouds of sunset. It is truly one of the places one must stop when visiting Seattle!

In the summers of Arizona, light beams come crashing down into Antelope Canyon in a stunning fashion. The combination of the light beaming down mixing with the sand and dust in the air create phantom-like figures in the air.

Horseshoe Bend is an amazing horseshoe shaped meander of the Colorado River as it runs through northern Arizona. The sun sets just behind this majestic bend, presenting beautiful colors through the sky.

It is hard to deny how magical a sunset at Alki Beach is. Alki Beach is a beautiful place to escape while remaining right in the heart of such an incredible city!

Horseshoe Bend is an amazing horseshoe shaped meander of the Colorado River as it runs through northern Arizona. Even in black & white, the sunset in this magical place still shines through.

Risking life, limb and camera gear was absolutely worth getting this image! You can have it beautifully hung on your wall without taking such risks. 

At the right moment, the fog broke just enough to expose this gorgeous scene of the moments so that the sun lit them up perfectly. Only seconds after this image did the mountains lose their light and slip back behind the curtain of fog. Timing really is everything!  

The Grand Canyon is an American Icon. It is such a quintessential landscape, that is only magnified as the sunset illuminates the clouds above this canyon of the southwest.