Kevin Palmer

  • Portfolio
  • Time Lapse
  • About
  • Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • Links
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
58 images found
twitterlinkedinfacebook

Loading ()...

  • The view was amazing from the High Park lookout tower shortly before sunset. This is the view looking north. Meadowlark Lake can be seen on the left. Bighorn Peak and Loaf Mountain are the prominent peaks on the right.
    North of High Park
  • Even in April, the snow was still at least 3 feet deep at the High Park summit.
    High Park Drifts
  • On this quick overnight backpacking trip to High Park I had the best of both worlds. Scattered clouds made for a very colorful sunset and sunrise, while the night was clear enough to see the stars. This view is looking south off of the cliff.
    High Park Sunset
  • The High Park fire lookout tower at almost 9,500 feet was the perfect place to watch the April full moon rising. It was a location I scouted out in advance on Google Earth, when I was looking for an ideal foreground to the east. The two peaks are Hesse Mountain on the left and Hazelton Pyramid on the right. If you look closely to the upper right of the moon the planet Jupiter can be seen. Winter is far from over here in the high country. The 3 feet of snow made it a challenge to find a route to the summit since I had never climbed this peak before. But it was much easier on the way down since I could simply follow my snowshoe tracks and the bright moonlight meant I didn't even need a headlamp.
    April Moonrise
  • This is the view looking west from High Park lookout shortly before sunset.
    Behind the Pines
  • Clouds swirl around Bighorn Peak before sunset as seen from the High Park lookout
    Bighorn Peak Panorama
  • Clouds swirl around Loaf Mountain before sunset as seen from the High Park lookout.
    Loaf Mountain Panorama
  • The High Park Lookout is 1 of 3 fire lookout towers in the Bighorn Mountains. I snowshoed up here to watch the sunset and the rise of the full moon.
    Boarded Up
  • In early January is the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Meteor rates weren't nearly as prolific as the Geminids of December. But I still wanted to photograph it since the moon phase was favorable and few pictures of this astronomical event exist. With decent weather in the forecast, I climbed to the top of a 9,477' mountain and spent the night there. The expansive views to the north included Meadowlark Lake, the tallest peaks of the Bighorns, and the High Park meadow. After chasing a mouse out of my backpack I set my camera to take pictures for most of the night. The shower seemed to be most active between about 10PM and midnight. That's when my camera captured these 8 meteors, although 3 of them were halfway out of the frame. I stitched together a few images for the bottom half of the picture, this allowed me to correct the distortion in the trees.
    8 Quadrantid Meteors
  • Orion shines above the High Park meadow as seen from the lookout tower on a cold January night.
    Orion and Snowy Cliff
  • Electric Peak in Yellowstone National Park is the highest in the Gallatin Range. It lies directly on the border of Montana and Wyoming, exactly halfway between the equator and the north pole. The 10,969 feet high peak got it's name after the first men to climb the peak were struck by lightning near the summit.
    High Voltage
  • The sun was only out for a couple minutes at sunrise before going behind a cloud. I didn't want to get any closer than this because the snow looked unstable on top of the cliff.
    Sunstar Dawn
  • In early January I spotted this pair of lenticular clouds in the Bighorn Mountains, and I reached a lookout just in time to watch them light up after sunset. These lens-shaped clouds appear to remain stationary, and are fascinating to watch. When strong winds flow over a mountain range, the air gets deflected and standing waves are formed on the lee (downwind) side. If there is enough moisture in the air, then the crest of the wave condenses into a cloud. Mountain waves can cause severe turbulence in passing aircraft. Even though these waves may be present in clear air, lenticular clouds serve as a visual warning to pilots to stay away. UFO sightings have been attributed to these clouds as well, since many of them do resemble flying saucers.
    Stacked Plates
  • Every winter I try to go on at least one backpacking trip that involves climbing a mountain. In early January I spent the night on this 9500’ peak in the southern Bighorns. Winter backpacking is not without its challenges. The rule of thumb is that everything takes twice as long and requires double the effort compared to summer. Progress is slow when breaking trail through soft and deep snow. From pitching a tent, to cooking, melting snow for water, and packing up while pausing to thaw my hands, it all takes extra time. I have to be very selective in choosing a day with the best weather when it’s not snowing, not too frigid and not too windy. Things can go wrong very quickly if you’re unprepared. There’s never enough daylight and the nights seem to go on forever. But for all that trouble, this is the reward: to wake up to an amazing sunrise and a view that few people ever get to experience.
    New Day in the Bighorns
  • A colorful sunset fills the sky over the Pacific Ocean. This was taken at Crystal Cove State Park in California during low tide. Many of the tide pools were exposed and hermit crabs, anemones and other sea creatures could be seen. Both low and high tide usually occur twice a day approximately 6 hours apart. During a quarter moon, when the moon is at a right angle with the earth and the sun there is less variation between high and low tides. This is called a neap tide. But when there is a full moon or a new moon the tides are especially high and low. The gravitational force of the sun and the moon combine to generate more of a pull on earth's oceans. This is called a spring tide.
    Reflected Tidepool
  • Matthiessen State Park is located in North Central Illinois. There are at least 6 waterfalls located throughout the park with several creeks cutting through the gorges. The creek in this shot flows from Matthiessen Lake down to the Vermillion River. The trails alongside the creek are only accessible when the water level isn't too high. Giant's Bathtub is the name of this waterfall and it's located in the upper dells area, not far from Lake Falls.
    Giants Bathtub
  • The beaches of Olympic National Park in northwest Washington are a special place. There are few stretches of coastline in the US that are this wild and undeveloped. Sea stacks dot the shoreline, some with trees growing on them. Many of the sea stacks are cut off at high tide, but can be reached at low tide. I spent the night on this beach, pitching my tent on the sand above the high-tide mark. Thick forests grow in the area, and rivers carry fallen trees out to sea. This leads to big piles of logs that have to be climbed over to reach most of the beaches. The sun didn't really set this evening. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but the red sun disappeared early into the thick smoke. The next morning it felt like I woke up on a different beach since the marine layer came in and the fog hid all the sea stacks from view.
    Sea Stack Sunset
  • A small herd of bighorn sheep were grazing along one of the overlooks at Badlands National Park.
    Munching on Grass
  • This 20 foot high waterfall in Matthiessen State Park doesn't even have a name. You have to hop across a creek and hike up a canyon to find it. The pollen on the surface of the water was continually swirling around the small pool.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: May 10, 2013
    Swirling Falls
  • A pair of bull moose trot past grazing bison in Yellowstone National Park. At up to 7 feet high, moose are the tallest mammals in North America, while bison are the largest. Bull moose typically lose their antlers in early winter, but you can see the stumps remaining between their eyes and ears. The flap of skin hanging from their necks is called a bell and it is not known for sure what purpose it serves. The Lamar Valley where this was taken is located in the remote northeast corner of Yellowstone, along the only road that's kept open in the winter. It has been called the Serengeti of North America because of the wide variety of large wildlife that inhabit the valley. Grizzlies, black bears, moose, bison, elk, wolves, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, coyotes, and red foxes can all be found here.
    Trotting Moose, Grazing Bison
  • Death Valley in California is a land of extremes. On my last morning there I shot the sunrise from Dante's View. From this incredible viewpoint Badwater Basin can be seen, which at 282 feet below sea level is the lowest place in North America. The basin is also consistently the hottest place on Earth. High's in the 120's and lows in the 90's are not uncommon here in the summer. Even in November it was 95°F while I was here. The average annual rainfall is less than 2 inches. In the distance beyond the extensive salt flats rises the Panamint Range up to the 11,049 feet high Telescope Peak. From valley to summit, only one other mountain in the continental US has a greater vertical rise (Mt. Rainier). The previous evening I shot the sunset from Badwater Basin, and the evening before that from the summit of Telescope Peak.
    Dante's View
  • The waters were almost perfectly calm at Oxbow Bend on this fall morning. Then this lone duck came along, disturbing the reflection. The peak in the background is the 12,605 foot high Mount Moran
    Duck at Oxbow Bend
  • My 9-hour flight home was one of the most scenic I’ve ever been on. Taking off from Helsinki at sunset, we chased the sun westward. Meanwhile the full moon emerged to the east and followed the plane. In a state of perpetual twilight, the light remained the same for hours. The moon neither rose nor set and it felt like time was standing still. At the top of the world, just 250 miles from the North Pole, the scene was most striking. 7 miles below was Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s largest national park. The ice sheet emptied out into the Arctic Ocean between pristine snowy mountains. Moonlight shimmered across fresh sea ice, fractured by undersea currents. The moon was directly in the middle of what’s called the anti-twilight arch. The pink band above is the layer of atmosphere where the sun was still shining, reddened by the backscattering of sunlight. The blue band is Earth’s shadow projected out into the atmosphere. In mid-October the sun sets for good in this part of the high Arctic, not to rise again for more than 4 months.
    When Time Stood Still
  • A lone bison grazes in the evening light in Badlands National Park. Cowbirds like to hang around bison because they stir up insects as they graze.
    Bison and Cowbird
  • Lake Falls is a 45 foot high waterfall that flows from Matthiessen Lake in a state park with the same name. There was mist in the air the closer you get to the falls, making it challenging to photograph without getting my camera wet.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: May 10, 2013
    Lake Falls Mist
  • In the northwest corner of Washington state is one of the wettest places in the US. Up to 10 feet of rain falls here annually, which creates a lush rain forest. The dense canopy blocks out the sun, and the forest floor is covered with moss and ferns. When the massive trees do fall, many of the logs end up in rivers and are carried out to sea, where they become piled up along the beaches. Marymere Falls is a 90 foot high waterfall found not far from the shore of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. This hot August day was the perfect time to photograph the rain forest, since thick wildfire smoke was blocking out all of the big views.
    Falls and Ferns
  • Tower Fall is a 132 foot high waterfall in Yellowstone National Park. The road there is closed in the winter so it requires a 5 mile roundtrip hike. The view of the waterfall is limited because there is no way to get closer or find a different perspective. There used to be a trail to the base but it is now closed.
    Frozen Tower Fall
  • The last light of the day illuminates the summit of the 11,049 feet high Telescope Peak in Death Valley National Park.
    Telescope Summit
  • The last light of the day illuminates the summit of the 11,049 feet high Telescope Peak in Death Valley National Park.
    Telescope Peak Aglow
  • A soft pink glow hangs in the east as seen from Telescope Peak, the top of Death Valley National Park. The views from this 11,049 feet high mountain are outstanding. Nowhere else can you see both the highest and the lowest point in the continental US. On the upper slopes of the Panamint Range grow bristlecone pines, a tree with a lifespan measured in millennia. The pink glow in the sky is known as the Belt of Venus, and it's caused by the backscattering of reddened light from the setting sun. The blue band beneath it is the shadow of the earth projected out onto the earth's atmosphere. If I had taken a panorama you could see that this shadow is curved, matching the curvature of the earth. This phenomena can be seen on any clear evening in the east after the sun sets (or in the west before the sun rises). But the colors were especially vivid here, above all the dust and aerosols in the lower atmosphere. I wanted to stay on the summit to watch the stars come out, but I still had to hike 8 miles and descend 3600 feet to get back to the Thorndike Campground where I started.
    Highest to Lowest
  • I went on an early morning hike so I could watch the sunrise from Mastodon Peak. It's not a very high peak, but it does provide a great 360° view of the southern part of Joshua Tree National Park. There is also an abandoned gold mine below the mountain.
    Light On Mastodon
  • At 90 feet high, Wildcat Falls is the tallest waterfall in Starved Rock State Park. Starved Rock is located in North Central Illinois and contains 17 canyons, many of which have waterfalls. Each canyon flows into the Illinois River to the north.
    Wildcat Falls
  • American Alps. With countless towering peaks, alpine lakes, verdant meadows, and waterfalls, there are a lot of similarities. The mountains aren't as high, but it's more wild than the European Alps, since the majority of this rarely visited national park in northern Washington is pure wilderness. 312, or 1/3 of all the glaciers in the lower US are found within it's borders, although many of them are shrinking. While passing through in August I only had enough time for one hike. So I climbed a ridge up and around Ann Lake, which is a small, round tarn with it's own island. Sunlight began to disappear as a storm was moving in. But I should have expected to get wet, the trail started from Rainy Pass.
    Ann Lake Wildflowers
  • On this night I found myself in the Arctic wilderness of Abisko National Park in Swedish Lapland. After trekking for 9.5 miles I arrived in this stunning valley in the Scandinavian Mountains. The northern lights came out right away when night fell. But I had to wait for them to become more active and spread to the eastern sky over the 5,000' high peak named Kieron. That happened after 11:00, when bright auroral curtains shimmered across the sky, lighting up the snow and turning it green. The temperature hovered at -10°F and a stiff wind was blowing across the frozen Abiskojaure lake. But this captivating view was worth every step to get here and every moment of cold endured.
    Midnight Flare-Up
  • The first light of sunrise paints the top of the badlands with a brilliant orange glow. Located in western South Dakota on the edge of the Great Plains, this harsh landscape is home to bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, and other wildlife. By definition badlands are semiarid regions with sparse vegetation that experience high rates of erosion. Even though there are other places in the western US and throughout the world known as badlands, the term originated here in Badlands National Park. This is a special place, but unfortunately the person who decided to use it as a landfill didn't think so. When I peered into this steep ravine I spotted a couch that someone had rolled to the bottom.
    Badlands First Light
  • It was a beautiful time of year in southern California. After an unusually wet winter, the hills are verdant, the mountains are snowcapped, and wildflowers are abundant. Chino Hills State Park is one of my favorite places to hike in the area. Even though it's surrounded by millions of people, its surprisingly quiet and uncrowded. Of course the main reason I only saw 2 other people here was probably because this particular trail (Scully Ridge) was severely overgrown. At times I was hiking through a tunnel of brush 10 feet high, which covered me in pollen. But I made it to this viewpoint just in time to catch the last wispy colors of sunset over Mount Baldy to the north. Even though I didn't capture the more popular poppy blooms this year, these golden wildflowers are almost as nice.
    Verdant Hills and Sunset
  • The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River thunders over a cliff as seen from almost a mile away. At 309 feet high, this waterfall is nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls. It is the largest waterfall in the Rocky Mountains by volume, although the flow rate was a lot less in September when this was taken. The 24-mile long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone starts here and in some places is over 1,000 feet deep. The canyon walls consist of a volcanic rock called rhyolite, and display a wide variety of colors. Hot springs and other geothermal features are scattered throughout the canyon along the river. If you look closely you can see a viewing platform just above the falls to the right.
    Falls of the Yellowstone
  • After trekking for 10 miles into the wilderness of Abisko National Park in Swedish Lapland, I was relieved to reach my destination. The last couple miles were the toughest, crossing a frozen lake fully exposed to the wind. My face was getting numb and the last of my water was now a block of ice. After warming up a bit I went back out to capture the mountain Kieron glowing in the evening sunlight. High peaks surround this scenic valley in the Scandinavian Mountains. The vegetation at the edge of tree line mostly consists of short birches, with everything else buried under a meter of snow. This was the first segment of the Kungsleden, a popular 270 mile long hiking and skiing trail. Ski season doesn’t start until the 2nd half of winter, the first half is much too dark. Mountain cabins are spaced about a day’s journey apart. They lack electricity or running water. But chopping firewood and collecting water from a hole cut in the ice keeps guests busy. The facilities included a small store, caretaker’s cabin, bunkhouse, and of course a sauna.
    Birches and Kieron
  • It was nearly 11pm in southern Saskatchewan. I had just watched a bright auroral substorm send colorful arcs high into the northern sky, but it was starting to fade. Then I turned around, looking south, and this is what I saw. A bright pinkish strip of light stretched from east to west, while the crescent moon hung low on the horizon. It's one of the most unusual things I've ever seen in the night sky. This strange type of aurora is called Steve. The name started as a joke, but it stuck.  Steve was first captured last year by a group of aurora photographers in Alberta. After ESA flew a satellite through it earlier this year, it was discovered that it's comprised of very hot (10,800°F) ionized gases moving along at 4 miles per second. This ribbon of light is 16 miles wide and thousands of miles long. I watched as Steve started overhead nearly paralleling the US-Canada border, before slowly moving south. It turned into a green "picket fence" pattern before fading away. It was awesome to see such a mysterious phenomena which is still being studied by scientists.
    An Aurora Named Steve
  • Spray Falls is a 354 feet high waterfall found on the northwest side of Mt Rainier. You can hear it from far away and as the name implies, I kept having to wipe the water droplets off of my lens.
    Spray Falls
  • These trees are what Big Cypress National Preserve is named after. It was the dry season so the water level wasn't very high.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 12/14/2014
    Big Cypress
  • At 5am fog was slowly rising from the Rock River after an unseasonably cool night. Once the sun rose, it cast a warm glow across the river valley. This was taken at Castle Rock State Park, which sits on a 100 foot high bluff near Oregon, IL.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 11, 2014
    Castle Rock Sunrise
  • It was nearly 11pm in southern Saskatchewan. I had just watched a bright auroral substorm send colorful arcs high into the northern sky, but it was starting to fade. Then I turned around, looking south, and this is what I saw. A bright pinkish strip of light stretched from east to west, while the crescent moon hung low on the horizon. It's one of the most unusual things I've ever seen in the night sky. This strange type of aurora is called Steve. The name started as a joke, but it stuck.  Steve was first captured last year by a group of aurora photographers in Alberta. After ESA flew a satellite through it earlier this year, it was discovered that it's comprised of very hot (10,800°F) ionized gases moving along at 4 miles per second. This ribbon of light is 16 miles wide and thousands of miles long. I watched as Steve started overhead nearly paralleling the US-Canada border, before slowly moving south. It turned into a green "picket fence" pattern before fading away. It was awesome to see such a mysterious phenomena which is still being studied by scientists.
    Steve and the Moon
  • At 5am fog was slowly rising from the Rock River after an unseasonably cool night. Once the sun rose, it cast a warm glow across the river valley. This was taken at Castle Rock State Park, which sits on a 100 foot high bluff near Oregon, IL.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 11, 2014
    Rock River Dawn
  • After snowing on and off all day, the clouds parted just before sunset and revealed a fiery sky to the west. First one peak would become visible, and then glimpses of even higher summits beyond. The Alaska Range is the tallest mountain range in North America. Not only do these mountains reach high, but they also start low at about 1,000 feet above sea level. This makes even the shorter peaks look impressive. None of the other high mountains of the world are located this far north. The Alaska Range is notorious for some of the harshest weather on the planet. 100 mph winds and temperatures below -50°F are not uncommon in the winter. Except for the occasional wolf howl it was a quiet evening. But the next morning very strong winds would start to blow. It was a warm southerly wind, melting the snow in a matter of hours. The higher gusts kept blowing open the door and bent the chimney of the cabin where I was staying. I never did get to see Denali during my trip, but that just gives me a reason to go back some day.
    Donnelly Sunset Reflection
  • Kaskaskia Canyon contains a 20 foot high waterfall, with several dead trees that fell down and became stuck. Behind it is this cave. The ice in the cave was just barely thick enough to support my weight and I could see fish swimming underneath. I liked the way the light was reflecting on the ice.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: January 6, 2015
    Cold Cavern
  • The Johnson's Shut-Ins are found on the Black River of Missouri. A shut-in is where the river splits into channels as it flows in between hard rock that is resistant to erosion. When the water level isn't too high this is a very popular swimming area with many natural pools and water slides.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: May 7, 2014
    River Chute
  • In the Cascade Range in northwest Washington is a peak called Mount Baker. This peak is the 3rd tallest in the state, and is among the snowiest mountains on Earth. One winter saw a staggering 95 feet of snow fall, which is the most recorded anywhere in a single season. I hiked halfway up and set up camp on a ridge overlooking this volcanic peak. Into the clouds I ascended and waited until they finally parted just before sunset. My jaw dropped as the glacier-capped summit appeared high above me. But the view was short-lived as the winds shifted and brought in heavy smoke from Canada. Even though the meteor shower would be a bust, I was thankful to get this view, however brief it was. This volcano is still active with fumaroles found in the summit crater, but it hasn't erupted since the end of the 19th century.
    Between Smoke and Cloud
  • Rocky Top is the high ridge to the left and Brown Mountain is on the right. This view is from one of the overlooks on Skyline Drive.
    Rocky Top
  • Bats emerged from their hiding places and fluttered about as the rumbles of thunder drew closer. A herd of bighorn sheep and a couple of bison were grazing around me as I awaited the arrival of the storm. The sun had already gone down over the South Dakota Badlands, but the nearly continuous flashes of lightning provided enough light for my camera. The storm was advancing slowly, but once this striated shelf cloud emerged ahead of the rain core, then it picked up speed. I could hear and smell the rain before I felt it. Once the wall of water hit, the downpour wouldn't let up until 3 hours later. This perhaps wasn't the best night to be camping in the Badlands. Although my tent held up well enough with minimal leakage, the entire campground was a muddy mess the next morning.
    Badlands Shelf Cloud
  • This bison bull used a post to scratch an itch on his belly.
    Scratching an Itch
  • Bats emerged from their hiding places and fluttered about as the rumbles of thunder drew closer. A herd of bighorn sheep and a couple of bison were grazing around me as I awaited the arrival of the storm. The sun had already gone down over the South Dakota Badlands, but the nearly continuous flashes of lightning provided enough light for my camera. The storm was advancing slowly, but once this striated shelf cloud emerged ahead of the rain core, then it picked up speed. I could hear and smell the rain before I felt it. Once the wall of water hit, the downpour wouldn't let up until 3 hours later. This perhaps wasn't the best night to be camping in the Badlands. Although my tent held up well enough with minimal leakage, the entire campground was a muddy mess the next morning.
    Out of the Darkness
  • Nearly 2 miles high in the Cloud Peak Wilderness is a place called Highland Park. Ever since someone told me about it last fall I've been wanting to visit. But it is not easy to reach. The trailhead starts at the end of a long and rough dirt road. After hiking 7 miles, deep snow drifts covered the last mile of trail. With lots of post-holing, my shoes were soon soaked through. But it was worth the effort to get here. The highest peaks of the Bighorn Mountains towered to to the south providing an incredible panoramic view. From left to right is Penrose Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, Mount Woolsey, and Blacktooth Mountain. With over 50 elk grazing in the meadow below I opted to setup camp a little higher instead. Other than the sound of a distant waterfall and the occasional elk call, it was perfectly silent. This was the view of the alpenglow at sunrise the next morning.
    Highland Park Sunrise
  • After driving for over 5 hours I finally reached the edge of this powerful supercell just west of Faith, South Dakota. From a distance I could see wall clouds and funnels, but up close they disappeared. I was having trouble recognizing the storm structure until I noticed this horseshoe-shaped RFD cut. The back of the horseshoe shows where a potential tornado would form. There was a short-lived funnel, visible at the bottom center. At the time there was a mobile dopplar radar parked down the road scanning the skies.
    RFD and Funnel
  • This backcountry thermal area is a 3.5 mile hike from the Lamar Valley trailhead. The water running through was not hot, but highly sulfuric. The sulfur gases could be seen bubbling through the mud.
    Backcountry Thermal Area
  • From the first time I glimpsed Devils Tower 7 years ago I’ve been dreaming of this picture. Countless visits to this iconic monolith were all badly timed for catching the aurora. But since then I’ve explored almost every acre of the park to figure out exactly where to go when the moment was right. That right moment happened on April 23rd. Two days earlier the sun hurled a massive explosion directly towards Earth at more than a million mph. When it arrived it caused the strongest geomagnetic storm since 2005. My widest lens, which covers a field of view of 115°, was not nearly wide enough. The entire sky pulsed in green waves like lightning. The raw intensity was humbling. I could see the ground by the light of the aurora alone. Since the ice recently melted, I headed for the Belle Fourche River. The water level on the shallow waterway was high enough to provide a perfect reflection. Because it's still the off-season, the park was much quieter with less stray light compared to the summer. I don’t know how many hours of sleep I’ve lost through the years chasing this shot. But it all feels worth it now.
    Monumental Mirror
  • The Circle Park loop trail west of Buffalo, Wyoming, passes by over a dozen named and unnamed lakes. I chose to camp at Old Crow Lake because it had a great view of the 12,324 foot high Bighorn Peak 3 miles away. At sunrise the peak took on a soft pink glow which was reflected in the outlet of the lake.
    Bighorn Peak Dawn
  • Located just 8 miles west of downtown Baltimore, Patapsco Valley State Park is a suprisingly scenic place. The Cascade Falls Trail goes up a ravine filled with numerous small waterfalls and cascades. This mossy waterfall was the biggest, about 20 feet high. It wasn't a very nice day with thick clouds and rain. But that kind of weather is actually the best for pictures like this. The clouds helped to diffuse and even out the light and allowed me to use a longer shutter speed, making the water look like milk. The rain also made the foliage look even more vibrant.
    Cascade Falls