Kevin Palmer

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  • Early in the morning a very active lightning storm passed by north of Peoria. An overlook on Grandview Drive was the perfect place to watch it approach. The overlook sits on a bluff 300 feet above the Illinois River. This is the part of the river where it widens and forms Peoria Lake. It was raining heavily with plenty of lightning bolts striking on the opposite side of the river. But from where I was it stayed dry enough to take over 400 pictures.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/3/2014
    Strike Three
  • I've been to the Devil Canyon Overlook many times, but this time I wanted to get a different perspective from higher up. This view shows how precarious the overlook is, it's not a good idea to go beyond the railing. It also shows why Bighorn Canyon is one of my favorite places: it's almost always empty.
    Above Devil Canyon
  • A lenticular cloud hangs above the rising full moon during twilight. It was an extremely windy evening at the Sand Turn Overlook above Dayton.
    Hovering Above the Moon
  • It was a beautiful day to be in the Bighorn Mountains. Fresh snow had fallen the night before and the clouds cleared out before daybreak leaving sunny blue skies. This was the view from the Sand Turn Overlook.
    Bluebird Day
  • When I reached this overlook in the Bighorn Mountains, one thunderstorm was moving off to the east, while another approached from the north. This is the eastern storm, dumping rain over the lights of Sheridan.
    Raining On Sheridan
  • Last week this spectacular sunrise filled the eastern sky as seen from an overlook in the Bighorn Mountains. Even before the sun made it over the horizon, a pillar of light was shining above the sun, appearing like a flame. While sun pillars aren't that uncommon, it is rare for them to be as tall as this one. This optical phenomenon is caused by the collective glint of millions of flat hexagonal ice crystals slowly falling through the air. When they are aligned just right at sunrise or sunset, it forms a light pillar. Pillars can form above other bright light sources as well such as the moon and even streetlights when the air is cold enough.
    Sun Pillar Dawn
  • After staying up all night I watched the sunrise from Sand Turn Overlook in the Bighorn Mountains on this windy morning.
    Sliver of Sunrise
  • Grand Teton glows in the early morning sunlight as seen from the Snake River Overlook. The Tetons are never more beautiful than at sunrise, especially in the winter.
    A Grand Morning
  • I've photographed the sunrise here from the Snake River Overlook once before in September. But I think the Tetons are even more beautiful in the winter covered with snow. This was the view just before the sun crested the horizon.
    Awaiting the Sun
  • As the sun rose behind me, the nearly full moon set in front of me. This panorama was shot at the Snake River overlook in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ansel Adams took one of his most popular photos at this same spot.
    Teton Moon Cropped
  • As the sun rose behind me, the nearly full moon set in front of me. This panorama was shot at the Snake River overlook in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ansel Adams took one of his most popular photos at this same spot.
    Teton Moon B&W
  • As an evening storm approached, the sun came out for just a moment over the Badlands National Park. After driving and trying to make it to this overlook, this was the only shot I took before it was gone.
    Moment of Light
  • It was super windy at the Beaver Creek Overlook at 9,430'. But I sat and waited for the sun to come out between clouds and light up the snowy mountains.
    Bighorn Basin Rays
  • The Snake River Overlook is the spot where Ansel Adams took one of his most iconic photos. I wanted to try a different take by just focusing on the Grand Teton itself and the S-curve of the Snake River.
    Grand Teton Snake
  • Even though I love thunderstorms, I was hoping for a clear sky to photograph the milky way since I was only in the Badlands one night. At 10 pm it didn't seem like it was going to happen so I returned to my campsite in Wall. But just before going to sleep at midnight I looked up and could see stars. So I drove the 20 minutes back to the overlook and saw this. Badlands National Park is one of the best places you can go for dark skies with very little light pollution. Although it wasn't very well defined, green airglow is visible in this shot. Even a very small town can have lights that reflect on the clouds and that is what the orange spots are.
    The Clearing
  • The milky way sets behind the peaks of the Biterroot Mountains, Montana. This view was seen from Lost Horse Overlook and the pointy peak on the right is Brandy Mountain. The clouds here were repeatedly forming in the same area on the left, hiding some of the milky way.
    Bitterroot Milky Way
  • Even after driving up Highway 14 dozens of times, I almost always stop at this scenic overlook. It’s where the Bighorn Mountains meet the endless plains stretching across eastern Wyoming and Montana. The towns of Dayton, Ranchester, and Sheridan are seen thousands of feet below and it’s a popular spot for launching hang gliders. For years I’ve wanted to capture a good lightning storm from here. But it required just the right storm, one that comes in from the northwest in a path parallel to the mountains. It needed to be close enough to light up the valley, but far enough to stay out of danger and out of most of the rain. It also needed to be predictable, so I could get there in time. At 10PM sheets of rain began to envelop the ridges to the north one by one. Then this brilliant flash illuminated the foothills and switchbacks just before the lights of Dayton disappeared into the downpour. I’ve always loved the challenge of capturing something that lasts a fraction of a second and preserving it in a picture.
    Electric Rain
  • On October 21st, Northern Wyoming received it's first snowfall of the season that made it down to the valleys. After the storm cleared out overnight, the temperature plummeted. It was about 10°F up here at 6500 feet in the Bighorn Mountains. I made it to one of my favorite views, the Sand Turn Overlook just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. I was glad to find this tree still showing it's fall foliage, illustrating the clash of two seasons.
    Winter in October
  • As the sun rose behind me, the nearly full moon set in front of me. This panorama was shot at the Snake River overlook in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ansel Adams took one of his most popular photos at this same spot.
    Teton Moon
  • The Grand Teton mountain range in Wyoming glows from the first light of the day. Scattered fog was moving in between the colorful fall foliage along the Snake River. This same viewpoint is where Ansel Adams took his iconic image, "The Tetons and Snake River". Although 61 years of tree growth means the view of the river is not quite the same.
    Foggy Snake
  • The light of sunrise illuminates one of the first snowfalls of the season in the Bighorn Mountains near Dayton. The switchbacks of Highway 14 can be seen in the valley.
    Fog and Switchbacks
  • The Teton Mountains tower in the distance while rafters make their way down the Snake River.
    Snake River Rafters
  • The view from Tolmie Peak is spectacular, or at least it would be without the smoke. Eunice Lake sits in a valley below, while Mount Rainier rises above the forested ridges.
    Rainier Above the Smoke
  • There are lots of different mesas and buttes to focus in on when the sun sets over the Grand Canyon. This view is from Hopi Point.
    Mesas and Buttes
  • I waited on this precarious ledge for the sun to come out one more time over Bighorn Canyon before setting. The light only lasted a couple minutes. I'm not sure what caused the 2 different colors mixing together in the river.
    Below the Edge
  • Shadows recede across Badwater Basin  as seen from Dante's View.
    Above the Salt Flats
  • The light of sunrise illuminates one of the first snowfalls of the season in the Bighorn Mountains near Dayton.
    Frosted Slopes
  • An impressive looking shelf cloud approaches north of Peoria. I was in the perfect location to watch this storm. Heavy rain fell on the other side of the Illinois River but it stayed dry where I was.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/9/2014
    Grandview Drive
  • Reddest Red
  • For most of the evening the sun hid behind clouds. But finally just before sunset, golden sunbeams emerged and flooded the canyon with light. I shot the sunset from Desert View, on the east side of the South Rim. I thought this viewpoint was off the beaten path, away from the watchtower. But just out of the frame at the bottom someone had spoiled the view with graffiti.
    North of Desert View
  • It's hard to choose where to watch the sunset at the Grand Canyon. I started hiking the Rim Trail and ended up at Hopi Point.
    Hopi Point Sunset
  • The Tetons glow in the light of sunrise on a frosty morning while the Snake River flows quietly below. It is this exact view that I used to create my logo/watermark. One of the reasons the Tetons are so majestic is because this range has no foothills. The mountains rise abruptly 7,000 feet above the valley floor in only about 3 miles. On long winter nights cold air tends to slide down the steep slopes and becomes trapped under an inversion layer in the Jackson Hole Valley. With the Tetons to the west, Absarokas to the north, and the Gros Ventre mountains to the east, the air has nowhere to go. This leads to some seriously cold temperatures. In the last month alone it has reached -20°F or colder on 7 mornings. In 1933 the temperature here dropped to a bone-chilling -66°F, making it among the coldest temperatures ever measured in the US outside of Alaska.
    Winter Teton Sunrise
  • The Tetons glow in the light of sunrise on a frosty morning while the Snake River flows quietly below. It is this exact view that I used to create my logo/watermark that I put in the corner of every picture I upload. One of the reasons the Tetons are so majestic is because this range has no foothills. The mountains rise abruptly 7,000 feet above the valley floor in only about 3 miles. On long winter nights cold air tends to slide down the steep slopes and becomes trapped under an inversion layer in the Jackson Hole Valley. With the Tetons to the west, Absarokas to the north, and the Gros Ventre mountains to the east, the air has nowhere to go. This leads to some seriously cold temperatures. In the last month alone it has reached -20°F or colder on 7 mornings. In 1933 the temperature here dropped to a bone-chilling -66°F, making it among the coldest temperatures ever measured in the US outside of Alaska.
    South, Middle, and Grand Teton B&W
  • Inspiration Point is located in the Larue-Pine Hills in the far southern part of the state. Below the cliffs lies a marshy area that is part of the Mississippi River floodplain. In the distance the river itself can be seen, along with the hills of Missouri. The view can look different depending on the time of year and the water level. Even though the weather had been quite dry, a thunderstorm had just passed through a few hours earlier. The storm cleared the hazy air and seemed to make the colors even more vivid. Evening is the best time to visit this viewpoint as you can watch the sun set to the west and light up the cliffs and the wetlands below with a golden glow. At the bottom center of the photo you can see Snake Road. Twice a year this road is closed to vehicle traffic to allow the large population of snakes to migrate back and forth from the cliffs to the swamp.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Inspiration Point
  • The views are spectacular from Inspiration Point. You can see the cliffs of the LaRue Pine Hills and the marshy area beneath. The sunset colors were reflecting on the still waters of the ponds below.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    LaRue Pine Hills
  • A distant lightning storm moves south past the Badlands in South Dakota. The red sky in the west was casting a soft glow on the tops of the cliffs. This was a typical late summer evening when a thunderstorm formed over the Black Hills and moved out across the plains.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 7, 2013
    Stormy Badlands
  • For most of the evening the sun hid behind clouds. But finally just before sunset, golden sunbeams emerged and flooded the canyon with light. I shot the sunset from Desert View, on the east side of the South Rim.
    Between Sunbeams
  • Sunlight illuminates the distant canyon as seen from Moran Point.
    Sunlight From Moran Point
  • A colorful sunset fills the western sky above the Grand Canyon as seen from Yavapai Point
    Orange Glow at Yavapai
  • It's hard to choose where to watch the sunset at the Grand Canyon. I started hiking the Rim Trail and ended up at Hopi Point.
    Grand Canyon Last Light
  • 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
  • Telescope Peak and the Panamint Range glows in the early morning sunlight as seen from Dante's View. A fighter jet and a B-2 stealth bomber can be seen flying in front of the mountains.
    Telescope Morning
  • Keys View in Joshua Tree National Park is a great place to watch a sunset. You can see 5,000 feet below to the Palm Springs area, the Salton Sea, and the San Andreas Fault.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 19, 2014
    Keys View
  • Inspiration Point is located in the Larue-Pine Hills in the far southern part of the state. Below the cliffs lies a marshy area that is part of the Mississippi River floodplain. In the distance the river itself can be seen, along with the hills of Missouri. The view can look different depending on the time of year and the water level. Even though the weather had been quite dry, a thunderstorm had just passed through a few hours earlier. The storm cleared the hazy air and seemed to make the colors even more vivid. Evening is the best time to visit this viewpoint as you can watch the sun set to the west and light up the cliffs and the wetlands below with a golden glow.<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Inspiration Point Panorama
  • A distant lightning storm moves south past the Badlands National Park. The red sky in the west was casting a soft glow on the tops of the cliffs. The black dots in the center are turkey vultures.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: August 7, 2013
    Badlands Lightning
  • For most of the evening the sun hid behind clouds. But finally just before sunset, golden sunbeams emerged and flooded the canyon with light. I shot the sunset from Desert View, on the east side of the South Rim.
    Golden Ridges
  • The sun peaks over the horizon as seen from Shoshoni Point. It was only visible for a minute and then I had to wait for it to rise above the cloud deck again.
    Here Comes the Sun
  • The constellation Orion hangs above the snowy peaks of the Bighorn Mountains on a cold and windy night. The diffuse glow on the right is called the zodiacal light. This glow can only be seen where the skies are very dark, any light pollution will drown it out. The zodiacal light is caused by the sun reflecting off of grains of dust shed by comets and asteroids in the inner solar system. This dust is concentrated along the zodiac (also known as ecliptic), which is the orbital plane that the sun, moon, and planets travel in our sky. The planet Mars can be seen touching a cloud at the bottom of the glow. Because of the angle of the ecliptic, this phenomena is best seen in the west after dusk in the spring, or in the east before dawn in the fall.
    Glow of the Zodiac
  • This area of the Delta River Valley was extremely windy during my time here. At the cabin I was staying at the winds bent the chimney and blew open the door multiple times. The southerly winds also made temperatures rise into the 40's the next morning and melted the snow in a matter of hours. Yet a few miles away it was calm. Wind is always tough to capture, but this was the best I could do, showing snowflakes blowing sideways.
    Windy Delta Overlook
  • One of my goals this summer was to capture a lightning storm from the Bighorn Mountains. But it’s not easy since by the time a storm pops up it may be too late to get to the right spot. And once I’m in the mountains, lack of cell data makes it hard to know what’s happening with the weather. But storms weren’t even expected on this night. I was camping near an overlook called Freeze Out Point. At 11PM I went up to the overlook one last time and was surprised to see flashes to the east. The cell was some 75 miles away in Montana, and at that distance lightning often appears red as it’s seen through the thicker lower atmosphere. Distant lightning strikes that are silent and without thunder are often called heat lightning. But heat lightning isn’t really a specific type, thunder simply can’t be heard from more than 10 miles away. There was just enough time to shoot a time lapse of this moonlit lightning storm before low clouds and fog came in and obscured the view.
    75 Mile Strike
  • Every clear night between December and April, Orion has a close encounter with Devils Tower just before it sets. It was a shot I've had in mind for awhile, but I waited until March to pay a visit so I could capture it at a more reasonable time and temperature. Beneath the 3 belt stars is found Orion's Sword. It also goes by the name Messier 42, NGC1976, or simply the Orion Nebula. As the brightest nebula in northern hemisphere skies, it is easily seen with the naked eye away from light pollution. Larger in angular size than the moon, it looks spectacular in even a small telescope. If you zoom in to the belt star of Alnitak (pierced by a satellite trail), the Flame Nebula is on the left, with the Horsehead located below. Between finding the right overlook, aligning the star tracking mount, shooting dozens of long exposures, and hours of editing, “deepscape” photos like this are always more complex than any other type I create. But I love showing a commonly photographed landmark in an uncommon way. When thin clouds started to roll in I almost stopped shooting, but I ended up liking the halo effect.
    Orion Close Encounter
  • The moose is the tallest mammal in North America. And the Alaska Range is the tallest on the continent. They both came together for this shot. According to the sign at the overlook a herd of bison also roam here in the summer.
    Moose and Mountain
  • There are no trails in this part of Bighorn Canyon, so I had to find my own overlook.
    Little Pine and Sagebrush
  • After a rough 35 mile drive on rocky dirt roads, I reached the Dry Fork Overlook at the top of the Pryor Mountains just before sunset. There was a large thunderstorm to the south in Wyoming, which lit up with color.
    Pryor Experience
  • Earlier in the spring I came across this overlook on a hilltop with a view of the mountains to the west. I knew it would be be the perfect spot to watch a storm roll out of the Bighorns, I just needed to wait for the right storm. My first attempt didn’t yield the pictures I wanted as the cell went too far south. But the second time’s a charm. This storm intensified after I got here and started spitting out dozens of close lightning bolts. It was dark enough that I could use a longer shutter speed, and capture about 40% of the strikes that occurred. But there were many more out of frame to the right. This is a composite image showing 5 of the best strikes. By the time I left there was a small stream running under my car as well as some minor street flooding in Sheridan.
    5 Strikes
  • The Big Snowy Mountains are one of several island ranges found in central Montana, rising straight out of the prairie. But unlike the surrounding mountains in a mostly dry climate, this one has it's own lake. Crystal Lake is interesting for several reasons. It is very shallow and fish do not survive the winter when it freezes solid. The lake bed is made of porous limestone. The water level reaches it's maximum depth in early summer when the snow finishes melting. But then it starts to drain. As I walked along the shore I noticed the water bubbling away in certain spots as it seeped through the ground. By early fall the lake is significantly smaller and in some years it's not much more than a puddle. The color of the water also changes quite a bit depending on the direction and intensity of the sunlight. I liked this turquoise color the best as seen from an overlook called Promontory Point. Next time I visit I want to check out the perennial ice cave which is located at the top of the 8,000' ridge in the distance.
    Turquoise Crystal
  • Badlands are a type of terrain that experiences rapid erosion, estimated to be an inch per year at Badlands National Park. Much of that erosion happens during thunderstorms like this one. When the downpour first started I was disappointed because I didn’t get any shots of the storm structure beforehand. But then there was a break in the rain. It lasted just long enough for me to rush back to this overlook and capture the dark menacing clouds above surrounded by two blueish-green rain cores. Hidden in the ravine below were big horn sheep climbing the steep muddy terrain. The second wall of water hit even heavier than the first and dropped visibility to almost zero. A local told me they had never seen a spring with more rain. And they were right, 2019 was to become the wettest year on record in western South Dakota.
    Wall of Water
  • I was just about to leave the Devil Canyon Overlook because I thought the sunset was over. But then the sky suddenly started glowing to the west, and I shot this panorama.
    Bighorn Canyon Glow
  • Clouds swirl around the Bighorn Mountains near Sand Turn Overlook after a late season snowfall.
    Shrouded Peaks
  • Water gushes over the top of Manido Falls right before the larger drop. The wooden overlook can been on the other side of the river.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 10/3/14
    Manido Falls
  • It was at this overlook where my photography logo was born, years before I knew I’d move to Wyoming. This was also the spot where Ansel Adams took one of his most iconic photos. At least that’s what the sign would say if it wasn’t buried under 4 feet of snow. Tree growth in the 8 decades since means his shot can’t be replicated because the Snake River is not as visible now. Every night between December and April Orion follows the star Rigel until it sets behind the sharp spire of Grand Teton. There exists plenty of night sky pictures of the Tetons in the summer, but not so many in the winter. The weather may have something to do with that. On a clear night cold air slides down these steep mountain slopes and settles in to the Jackson Hole valley. One February night in 1933 the thermometer here bottomed out at -66°F, a Wyoming record that still stands today. Spring officially began the very next day, but it still managed to reach -6°F this night, making it my coldest night of camping yet. While Orion will soon be gone for the season, the summer Milky Way will take its place. And you won’t need 4 layers of clothing to see it.
    Orion Over Tetons
  • This is the northern overlook at Roundtop Mountain in Jasper, Arkansas.
    Roundtop North Bluff
  • Chasing storms in and around the Black Hills is a challenge. Finding a good viewing spot isn't always easy, but I was lucky to find this overlook outside of Sundance. When everything comes together just right, the colors and structure of the supercells here are stunning.
    Sundance Supercell
  • I got to the Crystal Creek Overlook just in time to watch this storm roll in off of the Bighorn Basin. I've always wanted to watch a storm from here and this one was perfect because there was no lightning occurring.
    Storm in the Bighorn Basin
  • In front of me was a rainbow, lightning to the left, a colorful sunset behind me, and to my right were baby bighorn sheep prancing around. When the downpour ended and the sun came out, it was an overwhelming few minutes and I didn’t know where to point my camera. I was just lucky to be at this overlook in Badlands National Park. When the storm was closing in I made a bad decision to turn down a very muddy road. But somehow my car made it back out after spinning the wheels for 5 minutes. My last 2 visits to this South Dakota national park were both very short and involved waiting out heavy thunderstorms, which isn't all that enjoyable in a tent. One of these days I'll return when the weather is actually nice. But bad weather makes for the best pictures.
    Badlands Bow
  • I woke up early to catch the sunrise at this overlook near Freeze Out Point. There weren't any colorful clouds, but the cliffs glowed gold.
    Cliffs Aglow
  • I had been wanting to shoot a storm rolling out of the mountains from this overlook next to I-90. But this particular storm was dying just after sunset and produced hardly any lightning.
    Dying Storm at Twilight
  • When I passed by this overlook of Seminoe Reservoir earlier in the evening I knew I had to return at midnight. As the milky way first rises it forms a huge arch from the northeast to southeastern sky. The only way to capture it all is by shooting a panorama with my widest lens. Stripes of green airglow crossed the sky and the yellow glow is light pollution from the Denver suburbs 150 miles away.
    Midnight Arch
  • I've been to Bighorn Canyon many times, but never the northern part near Fort Smith. So I took advantage of the warm weather and paid it a visit. This area is well known for it's exceptional fishing, but there are no hiking trails. That meant I had to find my own overlook. Starting near the Okabeh Marina, I headed up a ridge, squeezed in between scratchy sagebrush, and descended to the edge of a cliff. Wind whipped across the water far below while the scattered clouds began to glow after sunset. Bighorn Lake stretches 71 miles from Montana into Wyoming and was created in 1968 after the completion of the Yellowtail Dam. As beautiful as it is now, I can't help wondering what the canyon looked like before it was flooded.
    Cliff's Edge View
  • Rock Creek Vista is the first scenic overlook on the Beartooth Highway, located at 9,200 feet. Looking southwest, the U-shape of the valley carved by glaciers was obvious
    U-Shaped Valley
  • On previous visits to Yellowstone I've passed by this Calcite Springs overlook without stopping. But I knew I wanted to see it in the winter. Since the road here is closed it requires hiking a couple miles down the road. Sulfur gas emerges from the ground at the base of the cliff along the Yellowstone River.
    Calcite Springs
  • A vibrant sunset is reflected in the muddy waters of the Little Missouri River. This river flows over 500 miles on it's way to the Big Missouri. Echoing across the wilderness was the sound of bugling elk, and stampeding bison. The Wind Canyon overlook is one of the most scenic views in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The 26th president started a cattle ranch here in 1885. Even though the harsh North Dakota winter drove him out a few years later, it was his time here that inspired him to establish many national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.
    Glowing River
  • Anyone who has tried chasing the aurora is familiar with disappointment. Especially in mid-latitudes, there can be months in a row with little to no activity. And when the sun does get more active, sometimes it feels like everything is working against you. Unpredictability is high. The timing is all wrong when the geomagnetic storm happens during the day, or on the cloudiest night of the week, or when the moon is so bright you can’t see it. But if you keep going out and watching, eventually you’ll catch a view like this. Last night I went up to an overlook in the Bighorn Mountains. For the first couple hours the aurora glowed but lacked any movement. Then at 10PM, a substorm broke out into these colorful pillars moving from right to left. Just half an hour later the moon was up and the show was over. Aurora activity will continue to increase as we head towards solar maximum.
    Highway 14 Aurora
  • This thunderstorm popped up west of Devils Tower around 10PM. Once I got to this overlook, I could only get a few shots of Comet NEOWISE before it was blocked out by the clouds.
    It's Coming This Way
  • A bitter wind blew across the icy mountainside in Björkliden, Sweden, while the moon illuminated the landscape below. I had heard about this overlook, but couldn’t find it in time to capture the first wave of auroras at 10PM. But since it was my last clear night in the Arctic, I waited until 1AM for the aurora to come back. A green stripe first appeared to the east, featureless and unmoving but slowly getting brighter. It was almost like a rubber band building up tension, until suddenly it released. Within seconds the northern lights filled the entire sky, moving and changing faster than I could possibly capture it. This is known as a substorm, and they occur several times a night when geomagnetic conditions are favorable. The solar wind piles up charged particles on the tail side of the magnetosphere. When the magnetic field line snaps, these particles are quickly funneled towards the Earth’s poles which causes a sudden expansion and brightening of the aurora. It’s not completely understood what triggers this ‘snap’. But the unpredictability is what makes the aurora so fascinating to watch, you never know what it's going to do next.
    The Second Substorm
  • After waiting out a heavy thunderstorm at the Pinnacles Overlook, the sun began to come out. Beautiful golden light illuminated everything, a double rainbow appeared with lightning, and bighorn sheep wandered around. It was an overwhelming few minutes as I didn't know where to point my camera.
    Weathered
  • Pairs of eyes stared back at me as I made my way through the forest at 3AM. Three elk dashed away along the unmarked path to Shoshoni Point. This was the one Grand Canyon overlook I could find with a view to the southeast. The south rim is not the ideal place to photograph the milky way because it's located in the southern sky while most of the viewpoints look north. Once I got to the edge the galaxy was shining brilliantly above, but below it was a black abyss. Neither my eyes or my camera could see any detail in the canyon, it was just too dark. But after shooting the milky way I left my camera in position and waited for morning twilight to brighten the sky. This helped to fill in the shadows and I combined the images later. The majority of the canyon is out of the frame to the left. Someday I'll have to return to the north rim for a better view when it's not closed. Three planets are visible in this image if you know where to look.
    Grand Canyon Milky Way
  • ome of the best parts of Iceland are the unexpected spots that aren't on a map. I saw this waterfall in the distance near Rif and followed a gravel road to get closer. But the main overlook was still a ways away, and it looked like I couldn't get any closer without crossing the river. But I watched another group of people make it to the top of the falls, so I followed their tracks. It was worth the effort since the view was much better up close. Svödufoss flows over moss-covered basalt columns below the slopes of Snaefellsjokull volcano.
    Svödufoss
  • This wasn't the sunrise I was hoping for. But I had to stop at this overlook for The Thunderer mountain and just appreciate the perfect silence. The snowflakes in the air seemed to absorb all sound and the thick forest blocked out the winds that were present further up Lamar Valley.
    Silent Dawn
  • Sometimes I chase storms, and other times storms chase me. This beast rolled out of the Little Belt Mountains at 5PM and roared onto the Central Montana plains. It was a challenge to keep up with as it felt like I was never more than a few minutes ahead. The rollings hills provide limited spots to overlook the storm and I couldn't shoot any time lapses because there simply wasn't enough time. I tried to stay to the south of the tornado-warned portion of the storm so I wouldn't be in harm's way. While shooting this picture a rancher stopped by and I asked him if he'd ever seen anything like this. He said he had; apparently sights like this are not uncommon around here in the summer. Big Sky Country certainly lives up to its name. The central part of the state is filled with numerous island mountain ranges, and this shelf cloud swallowed them up like they were nothing.
    Beast of a Storm
  • In front of me was a rainbow, lightning to the left, a colorful sunset behind me, and to my right were baby bighorn sheep prancing around. When the downpour ended and the sun came out, it was an overwhelming few minutes and I didn’t know where to point my camera. I was just lucky to be at this overlook in Badlands National Park. When the storm was closing in I made a bad decision to turn down a very muddy road. But somehow my car made it back out after spinning the wheels for 5 minutes. My last 2 visits to this South Dakota national park were both very short and involved waiting out heavy thunderstorms, which isn't all that enjoyable in a tent. One of these days I'll return when the weather is actually nice. But bad weather makes for the best pictures.
    End of the Storm
  • Early on November 19th the moon passed through Earth's shadow, known as the umbra. Less than 1% of the lunar surface remained lit by sunlight, just missing out on totality. Scattered clouds hid the moon much of the night.  But waiting until 2AM paid off as a brief window to the heavens opened up. One of the best parts of a lunar eclipse is watching the sky darken and more stars come out. At no other time can you see so many stars beside a full moon. This was shot at the nearby ghost town of Monarch. A century ago it was a booming coal mining town, but today there is little evidence of its existence. An old water tower on top of a hill overlooks the mostly empty river valley.
    Monarch Moon
  • 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
  • It’s a view I came across in early spring: a lone tree on top of a hill overlooking ranches, ponds, a canal, and the Bighorn Mountains. The milky way was the perfect backdrop when I returned to shoot it on a warm night in July. The green stripes in the sky are from a phenomenon called airglow. During the day sunlight ionizes oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere, and their recombination at night emits a small amount of light. This chemical reaction occurs about 100km up at the same height as the aurora, which is caused by a different process. Ripples in the airglow come from gravity waves, which may originate from the jet stream or a particularly powerful thunderstorm complex. I often find airglow in my pictures anytime I’m shooting under a dark sky. But this night was the strongest I've ever seen it. The wave pattern was very apparent, although the color was undetectable to my eyes.
    Beckton Milky Way
  • With winds blowing over 40 mph, it was not the most pleasant evening for a hike. At first it was sunny, but the weather changed quickly as a cold front blew through. A fiery orange glow appeared at sunset while rain showers moved in over the mountains. I was standing on top of Lodge Trail Ridge, a mile high vantage point overlooking the small town of Story to the west. There's a lot of history here, as this ridge sits in between Fort Kearney and the Fetterman Battlefield. The fort was established to protect travelers of the Bozeman Trail, an offshoot of the Oregon Trail which passed through Indian land. Tensions culminated in 1866 in an ambush led by Crazy Horse that killed 81 soldiers. It was the US Army's worst defeat in the West until the Battle of Little Bighorn 10 years later.
    Cold Front Sunset
  • In December I spent a few days exploring Joshua Tree National Park. Compared to the hustle and bustle of most of Southern California this desert park is roomy, quiet, and peaceful. Even though I grew up fairly close, this was only my second time visiting. A mile above sea level in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Keys View is one of the best viewpoints in the park and a great place to watch the sunset. A hidden trail leads up to Inspiration Point where this was taken. Far below on the floor of the Coachella Valley the infamous San Andreas Fault is visible. Over 10,000 feet above that is the snowcapped San Jacinto Peak. Few mountains in the US have a steeper rise. Higher still is San Gorgonio Mountain on the far right, which is the very top of Southern California at 11,500 feet.
    Overlooking Coachella Valley
  • The Château de Miolans is a privately owned castle dating back to the 12th century. It was built on the side of a hill overlooking the French village of St-Pierre-d’Albigny.
    Château de Miolans
  • I found these 3 fir trees overlooking Taggart Lake while snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park. I was trying to find a shorter trail down to the lake that was shown on the map. But nobody else had gone this way and I soon realized breaking trail in snow this deep was a lot of work, so I returned the way I came in.
    Three Sentinels
  • Red Rock Canyon is located just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a beautiful desert landscape with colorful rock formations, distant mountains, and a nice view back toward the city. There is a scenic loop drive that allows you to see a lot of the park and stop at some overlooks. This is also a popular climbing destination.
    Red Rock Canyon
  • Kobbefjord is a small fjord just east of Nuuk. The best way to see it is by climbing the 2,533' mountain called Store Malene (or Ukkusissat). It was perfectly sunny when I reached the summit. But it didn't take long before visibility was zero because the weather changes very fast in Greenland.
    Overlooking Kobbefjord
  • From left to right is Cloud Peak, Bomber Mountain, Mistymoon Lake, Florence Pass, and Lake Marion. This was a much different view with all the snow and ice compared to the last time I saw it in July.
    Overlooking Mistymoon
  • A small herd of bighorn sheep were grazing along one of the overlooks at Badlands National Park.
    Munching on Grass
  • This strange rock formation is found at Shoshoni Point overlooking the Grand Canyon. The milky way was shining brilliantly above at 4AM. Jupiter is the bright object on the right, while Mars and Saturn are near the top left.
    Shoshoni Point Galaxy
  • Diamond Butte Fire Lookout Tower overlooks the Custer National Forest and grassland in southeast Montana. It's the only fire lookout in the eastern part of the state that's publicly accessible and available for overnight rental.
    Diamond Butte Road Cloudy
  • Between the tiny village of Hellnar and Arnarstapi there is a path along the top of the sea cliffs. This was at the end of the trail overlooking Hellnar.
    To Hellnar and Back
  • From my campsite next to Upper Crater Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness I had an amazing view in both directions. This is looking down at Lower Crater Lake shorty after sunrise.
    Overlooking Crater Lake
  • The views of Ann Lake in the North Cascades kept getting better as I climbed up to Heather Pass. But sunlight was getting scarce as rain showers moved in.
    Overlooking Ann Lake
  • I'm still in shock that my camera captured this. Most of the small storm had moved off to the east behind me and I thought the show was over. This was literally going to be my last shot before packing it up, and if it happened 2 seconds later, I would have missed it. The bright light behind the cloud is the first quarter moon. All the other white specks are raindrops, frozen in mid-air by the brilliant flash. The raw power dwarfed everything around and it took awhile for my eyes (and ears) to recover. I'm still not sure what was struck, but one of the forks looks like it connects with the short tower on the hill. I've tried before and failed to capture lightning from this vantage point overlooking Sheridan. But when I heard a thunderstorm rolling out of the mountains shortly before midnight, this is where I went. The covered deck at the rest area offered a little protection and helped keep the rain off of my lens.
    A Flash of Brilliance
  • Diamond Butte Fire Lookout Tower overlooks the Custer National Forest and grassland in southeast Montana. It's the only fire lookout in the eastern part of the state that's publicly accessible and available for overnight rental.
    Diamond Butte Road Sunny
  • 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
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