Kevin Palmer

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  • A partially eclipsed sun sets over the skyline of Saint Louis, Missouri. About 40 minutes before the sun set, it moved behind some thick clouds to the west. There was a small gap in between clouds, but it kept getting smaller. As the sun sank lower, the gap wasn't big enough to fit the entire disk of the sun. So I just shot the upper portion of the sun where the moon was. I had to time it just right, because this lasted only a few seconds. The sun looked like it would appear one more time, but it never did. <br />
To see the sun setting over the city skyline, I had to find a location a few miles northeast of the city, with enough height to see over the trees. The 100 foot high mound at Cahokia Mounds turned out to be the perfect place. 100 feet may not seem very high, but this mound was built entirely by hand over 1,000 years ago by an ancient Indian civilization. The base is as wide as the Great Pyramid of Giza and it took hundreds of years to build by hauling baskets of soil and clay. Dozens of mounds in the area are preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
    St. Louis Eclipse
  • These natural steps are on the top of Bald Knob in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. The newly green trees were catching the golden rays from the setting sun.<br />
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Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Stone Steps
  • The milky way sets in the west shortly after sunset. This was taken from the top of a hill prairie in Jim Edgar State Park. It was a great place to watch a meteor shower.
    Hill Prairie Milky Way
  • The sun sets in between two boulders. The boulders are part of a glade, which is a rocky, treeless area commonly found in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.<br />
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Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Between Boulders
  • Bald Knob in Missouri is a great place to go backpacking and watch the sunset. Most of the area is a thick forest, with no view. But once you reach this glade, there is a beautiful view of the Belleview Valley below.<br />
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Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Belleview Valley Sunset
  • The two brightest objects in the night sky appear side by side in front of the milky way in a rare alignment. Venus is the blue object, and the yellow object is the moon. Even though the moon was only an 8% crescent, it was brighter than Venus. The band of yellow along the horizon is from the last colors of twilight before it was completely dark. This incredible sky is framed over the Colorado River in Utah. The 2000 foot deep canyon is part of Canyonlands National Park. But this view was actually shot from the edge of a cliff at Dead Horse Point State Park.<br />
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Date Taken: 11/5/2013
    Canyon Alignment
  • Bald Knob is the only part of Buford Mountain Conservation Area that has a view through the thick trees. The spectacular view is to the west, perfect for watching the sunset over the Belleview Valley.<br />
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Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Bald Knob Dusk
  • This rocky, treeless area is known as a glade. This glade is on the top of Bald Knob and provided the perfect place to watch the sunset while on a backpacking trip.<br />
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Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Ozark Sunset
  • It was 1AM when my alarm went off. Between shooting the sunset, the stars, and the sunrise, I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. After slipping into my shoes that were still damp from trudging through the snow, I stepped out of my tent into the cold air. With the temperature near freezing and a strong breeze blowing, it certainly didn't feel like the first day of July. But the weather couldn't be more perfect for shooting the milky way galaxy. The moon was setting in the west, leaving me 2 hours of darkness to shoot a time lapse before morning twilight set in. This is a shot I've wanted to take since last year when I first heard about this spot. It's an alpine meadow called Highland Park set at the base of the 13,000' Blacktooth Mountain in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. I've tried shooting the milky way over these peaks before, but they were always too far away, I had to get closer. But the conditions needed to be perfect before I made the 18 mile trek. Between the snow levels, moon phase, position of the milky way, and weather conditions I knew I may only have a couple chances to get this shot. The atmosphere is a lot thinner at 10,000 feet and the stars seemed just a little bit closer on this night.
    Close to Heaven
  • There’s perhaps no better way to practice social distancing and clear your head than to spend some time under the stars. The idea for this picture came months ago: to capture Orion setting over this jumble of giant boulders called the Fallen City. After doing the math and simulating the view, I determined exactly where to put my tripod and when to make it happen. But one problem is this is a very windy spot in the Bighorn Mountains. My attempt in February was foiled by the wind and I could not get any clear images. But March brought another chance with calmer weather. A fresh snowfall topped with rime ice made the forest glow in the starlight.<br />
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The Orion Nebula is the brightest in Earth’s sky. It can be seen with the naked eye from dark skies and looks spectacular in a telescope. Also visible next to Orion’s Belt are the Flame Nebula and Horsehead Nebula. To get this picture first I took a series of images of the sky with my camera on a star-tracking mount. Once the nebula set, I turned the tracking off and took a longer exposure of the foreground.
    Orion and Fallen City
  • This was a day I won't soon forget. The forecast called for very humid air, extreme instability, and strong wind shear in the MT/ND/SD area. Having all these conditions come together at the same time is quite rare and I knew something incredible would happen. I just had to be there. The day involved lots of waiting around in eastern Montana until I set my sights on this supercell in the late evening. The storm structure was otherworldly, looking like a tsunami in the sky. When the first tornado dropped there were hills in the way and road options to get closer were limited. But outside of Buffalo, South Dakota, finally the twister became visible. The tornado lifted and planted again about 4 times. It was looking the best as the sun was setting at 9pm. I was never closer than about 9 miles, but this gave me the advantage of seeing more of the storm's structure. Now I finally have a tornado clip to finish up my time lapse film.
    Buffalo Tornado
  • 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
  • The setting sun casts a golden glow on the boulders beneath the summit of Black Mountain.
    Golden Boulders
  • The rivers in Alaska are unlike anywhere else I've been. They are very wide, but split into many channels separated by sandbars. Their courses are ever-changing, influenced by floods and ice jams. Some rivulets were deep and fast-flowing, while others were shallow and calm. This river is fittingly named the Delta. To reach the flowing water I had to walk farther than the map showed. The setting sun painted the high clouds gold while lower clouds hugged the peaks of the Alaska Range 40 miles away. There are no bridges over the Delta River so getting across it is tricky. Much of the land in between the river and the mountains is undisturbed forest and tundra. But there also exists unexploded ordnance since it's a testing range used by the military. After this I stumbled across a large carcass which reminded me that this isn't always the friendliest of places. Alaska is home to approximately 32,000 grizzly bears and I didn't want to stick around here long enough to meet one.
    Delta River Sunset
  • 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
  • Because of the lack of rain lately, the fall colors have not been as widespread this year in Illinois. Many of the leaves are just drying up and falling. But there is still some colorful foliage to be found, you just have to look for it. I found this bright red tree in a local park just before the setting sun painted the sky a soft pink and purple.
    Fall Meadow
  • As my alarm dinged at 4AM I didn't know what I'd see when I peeked outside my tent. The chances were about 50/50 whether it would be too cloudy to see the lunar eclipse. But to my delight the sky was clear. Right on schedule, the moon was entering Earth's shadow - called the umbra. The left half was dark while the right half was still brightly lit. As the moon sunk lower, the shadow deepened and took on the characteristic reddish color. While the middle of the US never got to see the moon in totality before setting, it was close enough. <br />
Chimney Rock is perhaps the most well-known landmark in Nebraska and on the Oregon Trail. The towering rock spire was seen by half a million migrants who passed by with wagon trains in the 1800's. It was visible from up to 30 miles away , which is a 2 day's journey. Back then it may have been up to 10% taller than it is today.
    Chimney Rock Moon
  • The Beartooth Highway is a 68 mile long road that starts in Red Lodge, Montana, and ends at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. The steep, winding highway reaches elevations above 10,000 feet and is known for getting snow anytime of the year. Snow drifts up to 40 feet high were encountered earlier in the day. This shot was taken at 11PM when the moon was illuminating Pilot and Index Peaks. Resembling the Matterhorn in the Alps, Pilot Peak can be seen near the end of the highway outside of Cooke City. The twin stars of Gemini as well as the Beehive star cluster were setting behind the two peaks.
    Twin Peaks
  • I thought I had missed capturing the best light, but then I came across this section of the woods in Farmdale Recreation Area. The light from the setting sun was hitting it just right.
    Autumn Wonderland
  • Faster and faster the wind gusted, until it was blowing 700km a second - solar wind that is. The solar wind carries an embedded magnetic field from the sun. When it's oriented northward, it gets repelled by Earth's magnetic field. But when the solar wind is oriented southward, that's when things get interesting. The magnetic fields of the Earth and the Sun connect to each other and charged particles are funneled into the upper atmosphere. Collisions with air molecules emit the light that makes up the aurora. After monitoring solar conditions, I went out as soon as the data looked favorable. While I've captured the northern lights over Steamboat Point before, I've been waiting for a chance to try this viewpoint further away. The moon setting in the west was lighting up the cliffs with a warm glow. As the moonlight faded, the aurora brightened, until it broke out into these red and green pillars shortly before midnight.
    Aurora With a Touch of Moonlight
  • In December the planet Venus graced the western sky shortly after sunset. Aside from the moon, no other object in the night sky shines brighter. Venus always follows or precedes the sun in the same path known as the ecliptic. It’s also called the Evening Star or Morning Star, depending on which side of the sun it’s on. Because it’s an inner planet, Venus is never more than 47° from the sun in Earth’s sky. Anyone who points a telescope at the planet would notice that Venus goes through phases much like the moon. It is fully illuminated when it’s on the opposite side of the sun farthest from Earth. When it’s closest to Earth it turns into a narrow crescent. Galileo first observed the phases of Venus 400 years ago, which helped confirm the heliocentric model of the solar system. I attempted to capture Venus setting over Cloud Peak, but clouds were hugging the tops of the peaks and hid them from view.
    The Evening Star
  • Devil's Golf Course in Death Valley is filled with these sharp and jagged salt formations. In the distance the planet Venus can be seen setting over the Panamint Range.
    Devil's Golf Course Night
  • My goal after setting up camp near Big Bluff was to hike into Hemmed-in-Hollow. But I couldn't find the trailhead and it was only afterwards that I realized I walked right by it. After getting lost for an hour I had to make my way through thick bamboo to get back to where I was.
    Hemmed in Hollow
  • The remnants of a low-precipitation supercell moves past a prairie outside of Norfolk, Nebraska. This storm dropped large hail earlier on, but started to die shortly before the sun set. After watching the sun slip beneath the horizon in the other direction, I went up the road a little bit and came across this stunning sky. I was fortunate to find these purple wildflowers on the side of the road to include in the foreground. The sun sets late here this time of year, this was shot after 9:00.
    Dying Beauty
  • 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
  • An updraft is a rising current of air that often leads to thunderstorms. The updraft of a developed storm is also the most active part with large raindrops and hailstones constantly rising and falling. As the rain and hail collide, this creates an electric field and eventually lightning. As the sun set, it gave this storm a beautiful orange color and highlighted the details and the structure.<br />
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Date Taken: May 3, 2012
    Heart of an Updraft
  • 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
  • These bizarre sandstone rock formations rise up out of the eastern Montana prairie. They turned gold as the sun set.
    Medicine Rocks Sunset
  • I've seen pictures taken from this arch above Bighorn Canyon, but I've never been able to locate it until now. And it's not too difficult to reach. Compositions are limited because of the way the arch is set against the cliff and you can't get very far back. Just as I started to leave, the sky unexpectedly took on a pink glow and I ran back to the arch to capture the color before it faded away.
    Bighorn Canyon Arch
  • After the sun set, the Belt of Venus rose in the southeast, casting a soft pink and blue glow over the Bighorn Mountains.
    Dusk Before Solstice
  • After the sun set over the Absaroka Mountains, Venus became brighter and the zodiacal light began to glow vividly all around it. The diffuse, diagonal glow is caused by the sun illuminating dust particles within the solar system.
    Venus Glow
  • A dying supercell created this colorful sky as the sun set near Norfolk, Nebraska.
    Norfolk Road Sunset
  • Sunrise from Mary's Rock was amazing. But it was also very challenging to photograph. With the strong winds, it was difficult to keep myself and my tripod standing. Often I would see a picture, point my camera, set the exposure, and then it would be gone as another cloud came and hid the light. But this was one of my favorites.
    A Place in the Clouds
  • South of Billings, Montana, rising up out of the Bighorn Basin, is the Pryor Mountains. These mountains are home to a herd of mustangs. Some of these wild horses hang out in the lower elevations near Bighorn Canyon, but the majority are found near the mountaintop at 8,000 feet where the grass is greener. Getting here requires traveling a long, rough, and steep dirt road. On my prior Pryor visit, I didn't get all the shots I wanted and was only able to capture the horses in the middle of the day. But this time I made sure to be in the right place at sunset. The views were amazing into the valley below, and the light was magical. The horses numbered at least 60, but I lost count as they moved around. In the last minutes before the sun set, many of them trotted past me. Shooting into the sun created a dreamy look, but I had to be careful not to blind myself.
    Walking Into the Light
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. The light from the crescent moon was sparkling in the lake before it set. The planet Jupiter can also be seen just below the moon.
    Sparkling Lakeshore
  • The pyramid shaped shadow of Black Mountain grew larger as the sun set behind me. The views are amazing from this 9500' peak in the northern Bighorn Mountains. Climbing it in June is about 10X easier than the last time I climbed it in January.
    Black Shadow
  • I got an early start climbing Coyote Mountain in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. It was going to be a very hot day, but the temperature was much more pleasant in the morning. The just past full moon set in the west while I climbed a ridge in between 2 canyons.
    Coyote Mountain Bloom
  • In mid-August I photographed the annual Perseid meteor shower. But this was no ordinary year, as there were twice as many meteors as normal. Beartooth Lake, at almost 9,000 feet in the Beartooth Mountains was the perfect place to watch from. I was worried about the weather, with thick clouds at sunset and a wildfire only 7 miles away. But it ended up being a beautiful night. The show got started at 1AM when the moon set, leaving the sky completely dark. While listening to every little sound around me (this is grizzly bear country) I counted 250 meteors in 4 hours. This was one of 93 that my camera captured over  Beartooth Butte. The radiant (Perseus) was to the upper right outside of the frame. As dawn approached, fog swirled around the glassy surface of the lake. Hand warmers strapped to my lens prevented the glass from fogging up. I don't know how cold it was, but I do know my water bottle froze and I was snowed on at the pass earlier in the evening.
    Green to Red
  • This dawn marked the end of a very long night backpacking in Shenandoah National Park. Between chasing away pesky mice and having very strong winds topple my tent on me, I got very little sleep. I just hoped the sunrise would be worth it. It was. For about 30 minutes preceding sunrise I couldn't see more than 10 yards as Mary's Rock was trapped in a thick fog. But then the sun broke through. It was a struggle to keep myself and my tripod steady as the winds continued to gust. Clouds would race up the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But once they reached the eastern side, the clouds would slow down and hardly move at all because the winds were calmer. Often times I would compose a picture, set my exposure, and then the opportunity would be gone as conditions changed by the second. This was my favorite picture from the morning. Mary's Rock is a 3,514 foot tall mountain above Thornton Gap near Luray, Virginia.
    Between Heaven and Earth
  • As the aurora substorm subsided, the moon set beside Devils Tower, reflected in the Belle Fourche River.
    Mirrored Moon and Aurora
  • The core of the milky way galaxy was shining brilliantly as it set behind the Bighorn Mountains. This is a 2-image composite, with a 10 minute tracked exposure of the sky, and then another for the foreground.
    Core Over the Bighorns
  • After hearing about a comet named C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), I finally got to see it for myself on this morning. Not really knowing what to expect, I set my alarm for 3AM. I was immediately blown away by how big and bright it is. Even after most of the stars had faded out against the light of dawn, it was still visible. The long tail stretched at least 5° across the northeast sky. I’m looking forward to getting more pictures of this comet, but that is assuming it holds together. Comets are very unpredictable. 2 of them were hyped up earlier this year, only to break apart before ever getting bright. Then Comet NEOWISE came as a bit of surprise. This was taken at Fort Peck Lake, the largest in Montana. With it’s many coves, arms, and inlets, the reservoir has a shoreline of more than 1,500 miles.
    Comet at Fort Peck Lake
  • 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
  • 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
  • I spent the night at one of my favorite places: Diamond Butte fire lookout in southeast Montana. Once my wheels left the pavement, I drove for 100 miles without seeing another human. Open range cattle, pronghorn antelope, deer, and elk seemed to outnumber people 1,000 to 1. Here in the middle of nowhere are some of the darkest skies you'll ever see. 360° of sparkling stars over the rolling hills and grasslands makes it hard to get any sleep. After the moon set at 1AM I waited for the milky way to get into position. At 3:30 the core of the galaxy containing nebulae, dust clouds, and star clusters moved above the tower. Also visible is the bright planet Jupiter, in the middle of the Dark Horse Nebula.
    Looking Out
  • Over the last month I've been staying closer to home for obvious reasons. But I'm grateful to have places like this nearby. Lately I've been visiting blocks of public land out on the plains where the snow has already melted. From here I set off cross-country, not following a specific trail. There's a certain freedom that's felt when exploring without a destination in mind. With expectations low, I simply head wherever looks most interesting. From the top of a high hill this is the stunning view I found looking west. The town of Buffalo is tucked away behind the hills but this perspective makes it look like there's nothing around. Cloud Peak at 13,167' is the tallest in the Bighorn Mountains, and it holds the last remaining glacier in the range. The summit is also the 3rd most topographically prominent in the entire Rockies. The flat-topped mountain is flanked by the more jagged Bomber Mountain on the left and Mount Woolsey on the right. I rarely create black and white images, but some scenes are just meant for it.
    From the Hills to the Mountains
  • Up until the lunar eclipse started, I still wasn't sure I would be able to see it. In between an overcast day and an incoming snowstorm, weather models were showing a brief clearing. The clouds parted not a moment too soon. Compared to the last recent eclipse, the moon was a lot higher in the sky at 50°, which made it more challenging to shoot with a foreground. I needed to find something tall, where I could set up my camera underneath and point it southeast. The Needle's Eye is a natural arch that stands at the entrance to Tongue River Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains. I knew I wouldn't be able to fit the moon inside the arch, but just above it. This is a wider shot to include more of the canyon walls.
    Red Moon and Arch
  • The crescent moon glowed brighter after the sun set. By walking up the canyon a bit I was able to line it up behind this cliff.
    Crescent Cliff
  • With both clear skies and a geomagnetic storm in the forecast, I headed north of the border to Saskatchewan. Grasslands National Park is a long ways from anywhere. During the day the landscape seems stark and desolate, especially after a very dry summer. But the real beauty of this park comes after sunset. It is one of the darkest places on the continent. With no sources of light pollution at all, the stars appear the same as they did to the Plains Indians hundreds of years ago. The aurora was already bright and colorful earlier in the evening. But at midnight after the moon set, the northern lights went insane. I've never seen such rapid motion before. If you could imagine a campfire with the flames rising upward and flickering on and off, that's what it looked like. Except instead of orange, it was green, and instead of it being confined to a fire ring, it filled the entire sky. I don't think any camera could fully capture it, it just has to be experienced.
    Two Tipis
  • While the sun set behind clouds to the west, these anticrepuscular rays were shining to the east over Sheridan. They appear to converge at the anti-solar point directly opposite the sun and the rays are actually parallel even though they don't look like it.
    Anticrepuscular Rays
  • Most of the snow had melted in Tongue River Canyon, but some ice remained near the riverbanks. After the sun set, I setup my tripod on the edge of the ice to try a long exposure.
    Tongue River Ice
  • Normally I'm not scared of heights, but Sullivan's Knob at Bighorn Canyon was not a place I could stay for very long. It is surrounded on 3 sides by a drop of 500+ feet down to the Bighorn River. It wouldn't have been as bad if it wasn't so windy. I didn't want to set up my tripod because it might have blown over. There were several of these tough little trees growing right on the edge of the precipitous cliff, bending in the wind.
    Precipitous Ledge
  • In mid-August I photographed the annual Perseid meteor shower. But this was no ordinary year, as there were twice as many meteors as normal. Beartooth Lake, at almost 9,000 feet in the Beartooth Mountains was the perfect place to watch from. I was worried about the weather, with thick clouds at sunset and a wildfire only 7 miles away. But it ended up being a beautiful night. The show got started at 1AM when the moon set, leaving the sky completely dark. While listening to every little sound around me (this is grizzly bear country) I counted 250 meteors in 4 hours. With my camera pointed northwest at Beartooth Butte, I captured 93 of them. I combined them all into this composite image. The radiant (Perseus) was to the upper right outside of the frame. As dawn approached, fog swirled around the glassy surface of the lake. Hand warmers strapped to my lens prevented the glass from fogging up. I don't know how cold it was, but I do know my water bottle froze and I was snowed on at the pass earlier in the evening.
    Night of the Falling Stars
  • 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 />
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Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Inspiration Point
  • 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
  • The soft purple colors of sunset are reflected in Pack Creek, Idaho. The red bush was one of many vibrant fall colors visible across this meadow. Normally home to moose, bears, and wolves, it was unusually quiet on this evening. In September of 1805 Lewis and Clark set up camp here before nearly starving to death in the mountains further west. Over 200 years later, it's still a great place to camp.
    Pack Creek
  • After the sun set, the cliff face of Steamboat Point above continued to soak in the golden sunlight for a few more minutes.
    Sunlight Ascending
  • Not being a morning person, I don't shoot that many sunrises. But it's a lot easier while backpacking with an incredible view as my backyard. I set my alarm for 5AM, took a few shots and then went back to sleep. Rain showers and virga were passing overhead, which was highlighted by the rising sun. Few raindrops reached my tent. But sudden violent gusts of wind sometimes filtered down into this valley next to Lake Solitude. These were unpredictable, coming from any direction. It was a very warm morning for this elevation with the temperature over 50°F. But it was a lot more pleasant up here than in Sheridan where it got up to 98°F later in the afternoon. The willows had yet to leaf out and the aspen trees still had that bright green look to them. Some of the hazards of early season backpacking include tricky stream crossings, water and mud everywhere, and trails still hidden under deep snow drifts. It was going to be a long 12 mile hike out with wet shoes. But it's worth the scrapes and blisters to explore amazing places like the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
    Dawn at Paint Rock Creek
  • While backpacking at Upper Crater Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness, I set my alarm so I could wake up and capture the milky way. But since the cliffs in the cirque were so high, I couldn't see much of the milky way.
    Alpine Midnight
  • At 2AM Sirius was casting a long, shimmering reflection on the Bighorn River just before it set. With a magnitude of -1.5, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. And at a distance of 8.6 light years away, it’s the 8th closest to Earth. Under certain atmospheric conditions when it's low on the horizon this star is known to twinkle wildly and flash a wide range of colors. This happens more often than other astronomical objects because of it’s brightness (planets do not twinkle). Sirius is found in the constellation of Canis Major and is also called the Dog Star. The ancient Greeks used to watch for the first appearance of Sirius in July, which marked the beginning of the “dog days of summer,” the hottest part of the year.
    Brightest Star Reflection
  • While the aurora was still going strong I wandered down to Abisko Canyon to capture the lights here. There wasn't much space to set up my tripod next to the cliff's edge so I had to be careful. I shot a time lapse  as the aurora slowly faded away. Clouds would move in soon afterward, so I was glad the lights were so active early in the evening.
    Abisko Canyon Aurora
  • It snowed almost the whole time while I was in Finland, and there was only a hint of color as the sun set. I captured it from a small island on Lake Kilpisjärvi, where there were a few trees growing. The mountain in the background is in Sweden.
    Hint of Color
  • Up until the lunar eclipse started, I still wasn't sure I would be able to see it. In between an overcast day and an incoming snowstorm, weather models were showing a brief clearing. The clouds parted not a moment too soon. Compared to the last recent eclipse, the moon was a lot higher in the sky at 50°, which made it more challenging to shoot with a foreground. I needed to find something tall, where I could set up my camera underneath and point it southeast. The Needle's Eye is a natural arch that stands at the entrance to Tongue River Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains. I knew I wouldn't be able to fit the moon inside the arch, but just above it. The scattered clouds which remained made a red halo around the eclipsed moon. Closer to the arch is a cluster of stars known as The Beehive.
    Threading the Needle
  • South of Billings, Montana, rising up out of the Bighorn Basin, is the Pryor Mountains. These mountains are home to a herd of mustangs. Some of these wild horses hang out in the lower elevations near Bighorn Canyon, but the majority are found near the mountaintop at 8,000 feet where the grass is greener. Getting here requires traveling a long, rough, and steep dirt road. On my prior Pryor visit, I didn't get all the shots I wanted and was only able to capture the horses in the middle of the day. But this time I made sure to be in the right place at sunset. The views were amazing into the valley below, and the light was magical. The horses numbered at least 60, but I lost count as they moved around. In the last minutes before the sun set, many of them trotted past me. Shooting into the sun created a dreamy look, but I had to be careful not to blind myself.
    Golden Day
  • Ever since I saw the strange name (Leaky Mountain) on a map, I was intrigued by it. Located in the northern Bighorn Mountains, I could find little information about this waterfall online and no pictures. But I soon realized the reason: there's no easy way here. On the last weekend of April I took advantage of the warm weather and set out to find it. From the trailhead on the MT/WY border it's a 19 mile roundtrip hike, and I camped downstream. The next morning I climbed to the base, but there was no trail to follow, with steep terrain and thick vegetation lying between me and the falls. Numerous thorns, snowbanks, loose talus, water crossings and mud all had to be navigated around as I followed my ears to the source of the stream. Snowmelt and groundwater seeps into the limestone cliffs from above. Cold, pure spring water gushes out of the side of the mountain in multiple cascades. Behind me stretched out a panoramic view of Little Horn Canyon and the higher snowcapped peaks. With all the difficulty in reaching this place, once I finally got here I didn't want to leave.
    Leaky Mountain Falls
  • It's difficult to find a village with a more beautiful view than that of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Set in a deep valley in the Bernese Alps, the name of the town means "many fountains." There are said to be 72 waterfalls cascading over the sheer cliffs into the valley, and it seems the sound of falling water is never out of earshot. At the head of the valley is Grosshorn which was covered by a fresh snowfall the day before.
    Valley of 72 Waterfalls
  • It's difficult to find a village with a more beautiful view than that of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Set in a deep valley in the Bernese Alps, the name of the town means "many fountains." There are said to be 72 waterfalls cascading over the sheer cliffs into the valley, and it seems the sound of falling water is never out of earshot. The largest waterfall is Staubbach Falls (on the right) and at 300 meters, it's one of the highest unbroken waterfalls in Europe. At the head of the valley is Grosshorn which was covered by a fresh snowfall the day before.
    Lauterbrunnen
  • This might be my favorite campsite I've ever found while backpacking. The melodic sounds of elk would occasionally disturb the silence as dozens of them grazed in the meadow below. I awoke at 1AM just before the moon set so I could shoot the milky way.
    5,000 Star Hotel
  • 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
  • On winter solstice, the first snow of the season fell in northern Illinois. It was only a couple inches, but it was beautiful at Glacial Park on the edge of Nippersink Creek. After the sun went down on the shortest day of the year, the soft pink and blue colors of twilight set in as the temperature dropped.
    Solstice Snow
  • I was driving along the incredibly beautiful Elk Meadows Road. Just after crossing the Montana border the road went through a thick evergreen forest with no views. But then I drove around a corner and saw this view. My jaw just dropped. Being from Illinois I had never seen larch trees before. In the summer their needles are green and blend in with the rest of the trees. But in mid-October they completely stand out as they burst into color. The clouds above Lolo Peak were turning to pink as the sun set. I jumped out of my car and tried to capture the light on Lolo Peak before it faded.
    Lolo Larch
  • Shooting stars fill the sky during the Geminid meteor shower above the Mississippi River Valley. In the 2 hours after the moon set, I counted about 90 meteors. I also enjoyed watching Comet Lovejoy rise through binoculars and with the naked eye. The comet and it's tail can be seen over the haze on the lower right. I couldn't have asked for better weather for this meteor shower. Wind chills were -15 the night before, and a big snowstorm was arriving in the late morning. But in between the skies were clear with mild temperatures in the mid-20's.<br />
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Date Taken: 12/13/13
    Gifts from Gemini
  • At the end of June I returned to one of my favorite places: Bighorn Canyon. Located on the Wyoming-Montana border, this vast canyon ranges from 1,000 - 2,500 feet deep. The remote location and dry desert air makes it a great place for stargazing. But capturing a canyon on a dark night can be a challenge. In pictures they only appear as a dark void, since very little light makes it's way down between the steep walls. But on this night I had the assistance of the crescent moon just out of frame to the right. The moonlight was bright enough to light up the cliffs, but not bright enough to drown out the Milky Way. This natural arch is set back against a steep hillside, which meant there was really only one spot to place my camera. After a hot day, I heard several rockslides echo from down below. And while walking back to my car, I met a baby rattlesnake who was not too happy I was there.
    Window to the Universe
  • There's nothing quite like spending the night on top of a mountain. High above any haze and light pollution, the air up here is extra clear. Stars stretch from horizon to horizon. Their slow and steady movement is interrupted by the quick flashes of meteors and satellites. This time of year the milky way is up completely by the time it gets dark. Normally camping on a peak is not an option since it's too exposed to the wind and storms, plus the ground is too rocky and sloped to set up a tent. That's why I like to stay in fire lookout towers when possible. This particular one (Sheep Mountain in the Bighorns) is very popular and has to be reserved months in advance. The accommodations may be rustic but I prefer this to any hotel. You simply can't beat the views.
    Night on the Summit
  • This night was a rare one. The weather was completely clear with no winds, the moon had set, and the temperature was even in the positives. Conditions were perfect for stargazing, and I had to take advantage of it. The dead silence in these grassy hills outside of Buffalo was only interrupted by the occasional howl of a coyote. I pointed my camera north and took pictures for 90 minutes, which I combined into this star trail image. It shows the stars apparent motion caused by the Earth's rotation. Each star in the northern sky takes 24 hours (23:56 to be precise) to make a complete revolution in a counterclockwise direction. The height of the North Star (also known as Polaris) is always equal to the latitude - 44° in this case. Any star less than 44° away from Polaris is circumpolar, which means it never goes below the horizon. The red at the bottom of the picture was a very dim appearance of the aurora. I couldn't see it with my eyes.
    Revolutions
  • The colors were very muted as the sun set over Soda Butte Creek in the Lamar Valley.  But it was the only hint of color I saw in the sky while I was in Yellowstone.
    Soda Butte Creek
  • After the sun set over the Absaroka Mountains, Venus became brighter and the zodiacal light began to glow vividly all around it. The diffuse, diagonal glow is caused by the sun illuminating dust particles within the solar system. I shot a couple hundred images for a time lapse and caught a meteor in one of them.
    Zodiacal Meteor
  • I wouldn't normally set my tripod up in the middle of a steep and slick mountain highway. But at this time of night there was no traffic at all.
    December Night Drive
  • At 2:30AM my alarm went off after catching a few hours of sleep. The moon was about to set, leaving me with 3 hours of darkness to watch the Orionid meteor shower over Devils Tower. My camera captured this bright streak of light shortly before twilight began. But the fact that it appeared in 2 frames and lacks any colors suggests that it was a satellite flare and not a meteor. The diffuse glow rising up diagonally from the horizon is called the zodiacal light. Also known as false dawn, the glow is caused by the sun illuminating the dust which is shed by comets and asteroids in the inner solar system. This cone-shaped glow is projected against the constellations of the zodiac, which is the path that the sun, moon, and planets travel through the sky. I've seen the zodiacal light before, but never this bright and prominent. It can only be viewed from the darkest of locations, far away from light pollution, on very clear moonless nights.
    False Dawn and Iridium Flare
  • 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
  • With both clear skies and a geomagnetic storm in the forecast, I headed north of the border to Saskatchewan. Grasslands National Park is a long ways from anywhere. During the day the landscape seems stark and desolate, especially after a very dry summer. But the real beauty of this park comes after sunset. It is one of the darkest places on the continent. With no sources of light pollution at all, the stars appear the same as they did to the Plains Indians hundreds of years ago. The aurora was already bright and colorful earlier in the evening. But at midnight after the moon set, the northern lights went insane. I've never seen such rapid motion before. If you could imagine a campfire with the flames rising upward and flickering on and off, that's what it looked like. Except instead of orange, it was green, and instead of it being confined to a fire ring, it filled the entire sky. I don't think any camera could fully capture it, it just has to be experienced.
    Tipi Aurora
  • 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 sun sets over the hills and prairie of Grasslands National Park. This was taken from the Rock Creek trail in the East Block.
    East Block Sunset
  • The sun sets over tidepools at Laguna Beach. I came here at low tide during a full moon, so the tide doesn't get much lower than this. Normally this part of Victoria Beach would be difficult to access as much of it would be underwater.
    Victoria Beach Sunset
  • 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
  • Crepuscular rays emerge from a cloud as the sun sets beyond Tongue River Canyon. This was the view from the top of Steamboat Point.
    Tongue Canyon Sunbeams
  • Waves lap the shoreline in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness as the sun sets over Lake Superior. By surface area, Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world. 10% of the earth's fresh water is contained in this lake, enough to cover both North and South America with 1 foot of water. The shoreline extends 1,826 miles which is more than the distance from LA to Chicago. 40 degrees is the average water temperature.<br />
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Date Taken: 9/30/14
    Lake Superior Sunset
  • Every year, the Western Larch trees turn a bright yellow before winter sets in. They are one of the only deciduous trees with needles. This view was seen near Lolo Creek in Montana. When the sun came out for a few minutes, I had to stop and get some shots of the Larch trees as they became backlit.
    Sunlit Larch
  • The milky way is reflected over Kreis Pond in Montana as a campfire burns on the left. In October, the brightest part of the galaxy is only visible in the early evening before it sets for the night.
    Kreis Pond Milky Way
  • The sun sets over the hills and prairie of Grasslands National Park. This was taken from the Rock Creek trail in the East Block.
    Butte Afterglow
  • The sun sets over a tide pool in Laguna Beach, California. Underneath the water are hermit crabs, sea anemones, and other sea creatures stranded until the waves rise again. I came here at low tide during a full moon, so the tide doesn't get much lower than this. Normally this part of Victoria Beach would be difficult to access as much of it would be underwater. Both low and high tide occur twice a day approximately 6 hours apart. During 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. But during a quarter moon, the moon is at a right angle with the earth and the sun and there is less variation between high and low tides. This is called a neap tide.
    Laguna Tidepool Reflection
  • The sun sets behind two pillars at Garden of the Gods, Illinois. This part of the Shawnee Hills is filled with strange rock formations and extensive views of the surrounding forest.<br />
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Date Taken: July 22, 2014
    Two Pillars
  • 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
  • The sun sets in between sandstone pillars in Medicine Rocks State Park.
    Through the Crack
  • The sun sets behind the Moulton Barn in Grand Teton National Park. This 100 year old building is on Antelope Flat Road.
    Moulton Barn Sunset
  • The first light of the day illuminates the Borrego Badlands while the moon sets in the west. This is looking towards Borrego Springs from Font's Point.
    Fonts Point Morning
  • Strong winds blow sand across the Kelso Dunes as the sun sets. Located in the Mojave National Preserve, the Kelso Dunes are among the tallest in the country.<br />
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Date Taken: 1/30/14
    Windswept Dunes
  • Mission Falls drops hundreds of feet to the valley below as the sun sets. Golden Larch and Aspen trees fill the valley as the seasons change. The 250 square mile Mission Mountain Wilderness contains many snowcapped peaks, alpine lakes, 1,000 foot waterfalls, and numerous wildlife. There are few hiking trails and most are steep and hard to follow. Because of this, it doesn't attract many visitors. Half of the range lies within the Flathead Indian Reservation and the mountains weren't explored by white men until 1922.
    Mission Falls Sunset
  • 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
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