Photo Of The Day – Very Seattle

Title: Very Seattle Location: Elliot Bay, Seattle, Washington, USA, North America Description: The Washington State Ferry Tacoma sails past the Space Needle on its way to dock in Seattle. ——————- Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Falling To The Sea

Title: Falling To The Sea Location: Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, USA, North America Description: Catching falling ice ain’t easy. ——————- Camera Canon 10D Lens 50mm ISO 400 Focal Length Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Nothing But Hoodoos

Title: Nothing But Hoodoos Location: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA, North America Description: I love hoodoos ——————- Camera Canon 10D Lens 50mm ISO 100 Focal Length 50mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Dark and Light Dunes

Title: Dark and Light Dunes Location: Algodones Dunes, California, USA, North America Description: The Magical Hour was magical indeed on this day. ———————- Camera Canon 7D Lens Canon 28-300mm L Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – She’s A Big One

Title: She’s A Big One Location: Everett, Washington, USA, North America Description: The Dreamlifter was created by Boeing specifically to carry parts (often wings and other big things) from around Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Inside Out Of The Ferry

Title: Inside Out Of The Ferry Location: Between Mukilteo and Clinton, Washington, USA, North America Description: For the tech minded out there, I recently switched to a new Canon 7D Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Close Whale Encounter

Title: Close Whale Encounter Location: Off the coast of Noyes Island, Alaska, USA, North America Description: Last week I had the joy of teaching a Summer Solstice Workshop (and shooting Continue Reading →

2015 Calendars Are Ready!

I’m happy to announce this year I am releasing not one, not two, but seven different 2015 wall calendars! And because of price drops, all calendars are just $15 (+S&H). Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Icy Strait Symmetry

Title: Icy Strait Symmetry Location: Icy Strait, Inside Passage, Alaska, USA, North America Description: Taken while on assignment with UnCruise Adventures, a humpback whale heads under our ship so close Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Morning on the Columbia River

Title: Morning on the Columbia River Location: Columbia River between Washington & Oregon, USA, North America Description: A beautiful morning on the lower section of the Columbia River, just before it Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Sunrise On Canyonlands National Park From Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

  Title: Sunrise On Canyonlands National Park From Dead Horse State Park, Utah Location: Dead Horse State Park, Utah, USA, North America Description: Looking down on the Colorado River and Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Mobula Rays In Formation

Title: Mobula Rays In Formation Location: Gulf Of California, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America (24°35’50” N 110°24’12” W) Description: Swimming with mobula rays in the Gulf Of California is Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – California Sea Lions Resting At Isla Los Islotes Before Dawn

Title: California Sea Lions Resting At Isla Los Islotes Before Dawn Location:  Gulf Of California, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America (24°35’53” N 110°23’60” W) Description: California sea lions sit Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Breaching Humpback Whale At Sunset

Title: Breaching Humpback Whale At Sunset Location: Gulf Of Mexico, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America (23°7’1″ N 109°25’15” W) Description: The golden light from a setting sun captures the spray Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Four Hay Rolls

Title: Four Hay Rolls Location: South Dakota, USA, North America Description: Somewhere in South Dakota, on the way to the Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore, is a field like Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – South Dakota Cloud Burst

Title: South Dakota Cloud Burst Location: South Dakota, USA, North America Description: Living the Pacific Northwest most of my life, this was one of my first experiences with the visual Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Half Moon Over Half Dome

Title: Half Moon Over Half Dome Location: Yosemite National Park, California, USA, North America (37°44’49” N  119°36’10” W) Description: On a cloudless day in April the a half moon hangs Continue Reading →

Riviera Maya Caves And Cenotes Worth Returning To

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The place was called Indiana Joe’s and yes, they used the same font at the Indiana Jones franchise, so I knew there was a good chance of cheesiness involved. Joe’s was made up around two central, natural features, a pretty cool cave system and a cenote, which is a naturally occurring underground pool.

My daughter and I were visiting Indiana Joe’s along the Riviera Maya coast of Mexico on a press trip and dang it was hot. Melting-my-brain hot. Or at least, frying-my-patience-for-a-heat-weary-kid hot. We were luxuriated with an air conditioned van, a driver and a local guide, so it seems odd to complain, but we’re from the Pacific Northwest and this kind of heat saps our strength.

Once outside of the van at Joe’s the temperature could be felt and we were eager for the caves, knowing they would be naturally air conditioned. Later we would find the cenote to be frigid, but in a good way. I have no pictures of the cenote and that is a shame, because it is a cool swim-around cave.

The funny thing about tourist attractions in this part of Mexico is they often have to make stuff up to gain tourists and Indiana Joe’s is no different. We not only visited the cave and cenote, but also the ‘zoo’ they have there. We passed on the ziplines, opting to do those another day at another place. It’s a little cheesy, but understandable since most tourists in this area want to sit on the beach and maybe see some Mayan ruins at Tulum. Maybe.

The cave system was a leisurely 50 minute walk as I remember it and quite fascinating. In places they have to chisel new paths, but 80% of the cave is natural formations and passages. It’s not a ‘true’ caving experience as there are lights-a-plenty, but it is pretty cool to look at all the same. Kids will love it and if they don’t, just mention, “Where do you think the dragons sleep?” and you will have them hooked. It’s that kind of awesome.

I love places like this, honestly. The fact that thousands of people have been through the caves and they have been blasted in places to make passage does not take away from the awe and childish wonder in me. I love the formations and marveling at what time and water can do.

Take a look for yourself at the images above. (If you can’t see the images, click here to see the post online)

Oh wait! Obligatory, but useful, links to our hosts: Indiana Joe’s & Riviera Maya.

This is one place I would visit again on my own. It was cool (and refreshing!) and I love caves. If anyone else wants me to take pictures of their caves, drop me a line.

Peter-West-Carey-20100910-145337-1537

An Easy Path To Great Landscape Photos – Visit A National Park

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Time after time when I view my own photos and gravitate to what I enjoy the most, 70% of those images are shot in a national park some place on this planet (with UNESCO World Heritage Sites coming in a near the top as well). It’s no coincidence that they are also one of the places I like most to visit.

If you are starting out in landscape photography and struggling to find subject matter, consider finding a nearby national park. And this goes for those of you outside the USA as well. In Australia they are all over the place while other countries might have a scarcity, but they are almost always worth the travel.

Sure, ‘everyone’ has been there before you, but if you are looking for experience and almost surefire shooting material, what better place to practice. After all, for all of us, every shot is practice for the future. Every shot hopefully teaches us something or helps us appreciate light and nature in some way. National parks will help you soak up that experience while helping you improve you skills.

How To View The Slideshow

To view the full screen slideshow, simply look to the lower left hand corner for a big X. When you click that, these words will hide away and you can see the full background slideshow of National Parks. Click the spot where the X was again to make the words come back. Hovering your mouse over an image will temporarily stop the slideshow.

If you are viewing this post in email or an RSS reader, click here to be taken to the actual post to see all the images.

Mount Rainier And Reflection Lakes At Sunrise, Mt. Rainier Natio

 

Photo Of The Day – Mount Rainier At Sunset Above The Clouds

   Title: Mount Rainier At Sunset Above The Clouds Location: Washington, USA, North America Description: Catching this view of Mount Rainier looming above a sea of clouds was mostly luck Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Intimacy With An Arch

   Title: Intimacy With An Arch Location: Arches National Park, Utah, USA, North America (38°44’38” N  109°29’59” W) Description: One of the most iconic arches in Utah, that of Delicate Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Bubblenet Feeding Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

 Title: Bubblenet Feeding Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Location: Chatham Strait, Alaska, USA, North America (57°48’52” N  134°56’43” W) Description: Along the inside waters of Southeast Alaska each summer there congregates large numbers Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Alaska Rainforest Floor

 Title: Alaska Rainforest Floor Location: Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA, North America (58°27’26” N  135°51’54” W) Description: Walking the shores of Glacier Bay National Park and getting Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Panorama: Before Sunrise In Seattle, Washington, USA

Title: Panorama: Before Sunrise In Seattle Location: Kerry Park, Seattle, Washington, USA, North America (47°37’46” N  122°21’38” W) Description: Summer mornings are near perfection in Seattle. We don’t get warmth Continue Reading →

Photo Of The Day – Cloud Shadows Over Badlands National Park

Title: Cloud Shadows Over Badlands National Park Location: Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA, North America (43°44’42” N 102°29’25” W) Description: We didn’t spend much time in Badlands National Park, Continue Reading →

My Favorite And Odd Photos From 2013

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I am presenting these images from 2013 in the hopes that you find something you like. That being said, there are some images here only I might like, and I’m good with that. I started taking more “odd” photos in 2013, experimenting with blue and playing with colored tonic water poured over fruit and vegetables. While I love the mountains and travel, there are a lot of subject matter that interest me that will never get the “oooohhh” and “ahhhhh”s that those picture garner. But that’s what photography is for me, endless exploration and experimentation to present a view of what is in front of me.

Some of these images made the cut because they are stand-alone pretty. Some made the cut because they hold memories for me and my family (and I know my wife will be reading this post so I want to help jog her memory of the happy times we have shared). And then some….well, I’ll group these images by style to make it easier. Let’s start with the pretty stuff and then move into family memories (there were too many to show them all) and then the odd stuff you might not know me for.

This post will be gathered in a compilation my friend Jim Goldstein puts together of various photographers’ “Best of 2013” lists. If you would like to join in, check out this link. I’m wondering if this list will be included as Jim suggests (rightly so) narrowing your list to five or ten images. I have 32 in this list. I don’t follow direction well.

How To Use This Slideshow For Best Effect

If you are reading this in a RSS viewer or on email, I suggest you click on over to a web browser (Here’s a link to make it easier for you). It works on your phone (probably), tablet or computer and the bigger the screen the better the images.

Now do you see that in the upper right corner above this text? Once you click that, you’ll have a full browser view of the images. You can then use the control arrows at the bottom of the image or your mouse’s scroll wheel. Or just flick them aside on your tablet like you would other pictures.

Image Descriptions

1. Cho Oyu and Photographers, Nepal

2. Sunset from 39,000′, somewhere over California, USA

3. Machermo Range And Dudh Pokhari, Gokyo, Nepal

4. Himalayas and stars through a windows, Machermo, Nepal

5. Yak and Kangtega, Nepal

6. Mt. Rainier and Reflection Lakes, Washington, USA

7. Mt. Baker at sunset, Washington, USA

8. Mt. Hood and Trillium Lake, Oregon, USA

9. Photographer and the Moon, near Mt. Baker, Washington, USA

10. Sun through the trees, Mt. Baker, Washington, USA

11. Moonrise over the Cascade Mountains from Whidbey Island, Washington, USA

12. Sunset on the Washington Coast, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA

13. Temple Of The Mad Man, Bhutan

14. Monks at ceremony, Jakar, Bhutan

15. Blossoms and field, Jakar, Bhutan

16. My daughter and her friend exploring trees, North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA

17. SMORES!!!! Sequoia National Park, California, USA

18. Looking up, Sequoia National Park, California, USA

19. My wife and daughter at a Papohaku Beach, Molokai, Hawaii, USA

20. My daughter flying a kite, Molokai, Hawaii, USA

21. Sunrise over Maui aboard the UnCruise Adventures Safari Explorer, Hawaii, USA

22. Jessie breaks open coconuts, Molokai, Hawaii, USA

23. A mega-pod of dolphins off the coast of California, USA

24. Military gravestones, Medical Lake, Washington, USA

25. Playing with LEDs, Mt. Baker, Washington, USA

26. Rust and waves, Metchosin, British Columbia, Canada

27. Moths to a flame (look closely and you’ll see the repeating pattern as the light hit them), Clinton, Washington, USA

28. Spinning dancer, Paro, Bhutan

29. Nature’s ladder, Washington, USA

30. Keeping pace with the falls, Oregon, USA

31. How to make an okay sunset even better (panning blur), Whidbey Island, Washington, USA

32. Sunset on our second to last night on our honeymoon 🙂