Kevin Palmer

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  • 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
  • When the sun finally appeared over Hurricane Ridge, it was a dark red, before slowly brightening as it rose higher. It seemed like I was looking through a solar filter, but it was only heavy smoke.
    Filtered Sun
  • After dropping off my bag at the airport I walked back to the Watson River one more time. The sun had finally come out and the light was beautiful. The view made it hard to leave Greenland.
    Sun Over Watson River
  • Standing on top of a 12,275' mountain, it's likely I was the first person in Wyoming to see the sun on this particular day. I'm not sure what all the lakes are named in this shot, but the biggest one is Willow Lake.
    First to See the Sun
  • When I woke up on East Pryor Mountain, it was mostly cloudy but there was no fog. As soon as I realized there was fog in the valley below, I walked here to look over the edge. But I was too late, the fog pushed up the mountain and visibility dropped to zero. The sun became visible for a short time, but then fog overtook it again.
    Fog Vs. Sun
  • 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 grass always looks a little greener when the sun comes back out after the rain.
    Sun After the Rain
  • The afternoon sun shines above a snowy pillar along the Penrose Trail. It was a warm 60 degree day despite all the snow.
    Early Spring Sun
  • After driving for 12 hours I arrived in eastern Washington. Smoke from a nearby fire was limiting visibility over the surrounding farmland. But I knew it would lead to a very red sunset, I just had to find somewhere to shoot it. I started looking for an old barn, but instead came across this church. I liked the way it was situated between the golden wheat fields. My legs were shredded a bit as I tried to find the right spot to frame the sun. A farmer was harvesting the field as I took this, one day later and there would only be dirt instead of wheat.
    Sun And Steeple
  • 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.
    Sun Melting Snow
  • Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park curves around the mountainside.
    Going to the Sun Road
  • I was surprised to find this large snowfield on the summit of San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest point in Southern California. It was the middle of August.
    Last Sun Over Last Snow
  • 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
  • After hitting the trail at sunrise I made it to the top of Laramie Peak shortly before 9AM and setup my gear. The true summit is littered with towers and communication equipment, so instead I pointed my camera at this subpeak to the south. The weather was perfect and the thick smoke from Montana wildfires that I was worried about stayed to the north. At 10:23 the partial eclipse began, visible only through a solar filter. Anticipation started to build as more of the sun became blocked out. After over 50% of the sun was covered the light became slightly dimmer but it was only noticeable if you've been watching the whole time. The temperature dropped by over 20°F and jackets came out. At 90% the sky became a dark blue and the landscape took on a smoky appearance. At this point the light began to change by the second. The moon moves from west to east, and the shadow approaches at 1700mph from that direction. At 11:45 the last piece of sun disappeared. Some of my favorite effects of totality were the parts I couldn't capture. Cirrus clouds in the west glowed orange like at sunset. It was similar to twilight but instead of the glow appearing in only one direction, it encircled the entire horizon. Venus came out first, then the other planets and brighter stars. It's a very strange feeling looking at the sun in what's normally the brightest part of the day and instead seeing a black hole. The ~100 people around me marveled at one of the most beautiful spectacles in nature. But just like that it was all over. The full disc of the sun returned at 1:11PM.
    Fleeting Moment
  • The solar eclipse was absolutely incredible. There's no way to capture it in 1 picture or 1,000 pictures and there's nothing really to compare it to. During the minutes surrounding totality the light changed so fast and there was so much to observe and photograph that it was overwhelming. It felt like time stood still and yet it was all over in an instant. I listened to the dozens of people around me who also climbed the 10,276' Laramie Peak to observe this eclipse. Cheering and exclamations of "WOW" were an almost involuntary reaction.<br />
<br />
This is a composite showing 3 partial phases of the eclipse with a solar filter, as well as 3 of the features that are visible during totality. A group of sunspots was visible before being hidden by the moon. The red fringes on the left are solar prominences. Bigger than any planet, prominences are made up of dynamic loops of hot plasma and will often explode. This outer atmosphere of the sun is sculpted by it's magnetic field. The temperature of the corona is up to 450 times hotter than the surface of the sun and no one knows why. At the top right is an effect known as the "diamond ring." It is the moment the first bit of sun emerges from behind the moon. I was surprised by just how suddenly it popped out, with all the brightness of the sun concentrated into a single point.
    Multifaceted Eclipse
  • Known as the "Diamond Ring" effect, this is when the first bit of sun emerges from behind the moon. It lasts only seconds. I was surprised by just how suddenly the sun popped out with all the brightness of the sun concentrated into a single point. If anyone was looking through an optical instrument at this time, it would probably be the last thing they would ever see. I shot this using live view and then quickly put a solar filter back on before I fried the camera sensor.
    Diamond Ring
  • 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
  • My goal was to get an overview of the Teton Valley with the highest peaks lighting up at sunset. But despite the forecast for clear and sunny skies, I was dismayed when I got to the top and saw that the Tetons were hidden from view and the clouds were not going to lift. So I turned my attention to the west instead, looking towards Stouts Mountain and the Swan Valley. At first the light was flat there too, but then a gap in the clouds slowly began to open up. Sunbeams danced across the ridges and the light became better and better. Finally the sun came out for just a moment, and a pillar appeared above it caused by ice crystals suspended in the air. It wasn't the shot I had planned, but this short-lived sunset view was worth all the effort to snowshoe up this mountain.
    Big Hole Mountain Sunset
  • At the end of February I went camping at Mammoth Hot Springs, the only campground in Yellowstone that stays open for the winter. With constant snow coming down, it was hard to get out of my tent in the morning. But as the sun started to climb over Mount Everts, I knew something special was about to happen. I climbed the hill across from the campground to watch this 22 degree halo appear. The sun was too bright to include in the photo so I used this tree to block it out.
    Mammoth Halo
  • The sun rises beyond Castle Rock on the eastern Montana prairie. The sun was only visible for a couple minutes on this mostly cloudy morning. As far as I know Castle Rock is the only rock formation in this state park that has a name.
    Sunrise at Castle Rock
  • There aren't very many waterfalls in the world that allow you to walk behind them and watch the sunset. But you can do just that at Seljalandsfoss on the southern coast of Iceland (foss is Icelandic for waterfall). This is only possible during the late summer and early fall, when the sun lines up and transform the curtain of water into liquid gold. A rain jacket or poncho is essential if you want to get behind the waterfall without getting soaked. The force of the water falling 200 feet and hitting the pool below almost seemed to create it's own wind, with the spray going everywhere. It only took a few seconds before my lens was covered with water droplets. To get this shot I huddled over my camera in a corner, waiting for just the right moment when the sun popped out and no one was walking in front of the falls. This is a popular tour bus stop along Iceland's Ring Road, so it can get very crowded at times.
    Liquid Gold
  • The Pryor Mountains of south central Montana are filled with many towering pinnacles and spires like this one. Last week was my first time hiking in this rarely visited mountain range, going up a deep canyon to the unique Layout Creek Spring. A herd of 160 wild horses live in these mountains, but I didn't see any this time. To get the sun ray effect I went off trail until I found the perfect position to partially obscure the sun behind the pinnacle. Using a smaller aperture produced an 18-point sunstar.
    Pinnacle of Perfection
  • I made it to the top of this sub-peak just in time to watch the sun disappear. While the Missouri Buttes were easily visible, Devils Tower was mostly hidden in the glare of the sun.
    Hiding Tower
  • 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
  • This was taken in Rock Cut State Park near Rockford. It was a couple days after an ice storm and a 6" snowfall. Since the temperature was in the single digits, ice remained on all the trees. To the left of the sun is a faint sundog. It was constantly changing as ice crystals moved through the air.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 12/23/13
    Rock Cut Winter
  • The temperature hovered at 4 below zero as the sun rose over the Illinois River. Amazing things can happen in such frigid conditions. Because of the nearly 40 degree temperature difference between the air and the water, steam formed and swirled around the river. The steam turned into ice crystals and drifted up into the air. The ice crystals then acted as prisms, refracting the light rays from the sun on the right. That is how this bright and colorful sundog was formed. This view is from Eagle Cliff at Starved Rock State Park.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 12/24/13
    Subzero Sundog
  • From this view you can see the scar left in the mountain from Going to the Sun Road. The views from this road were incredible, especially late in the day as the sun got lower.
    A Mountain Cut
  • I went back and had another go at processing my solar eclipse pictures. Here I combined several shots and tried to show every feature of the eclipse that I was able to capture. There is such a huge range of light that it's impossible to capture it all in one image. The glow around the sun is called the corona. Shaped by complex magnetic fields, it consists of super-heated plasma up to 450X hotter than the solar surface. The sun's north pole is located at 10 o'clock where the magnetic field lines are shorter. The red fringes on the right are fiery solar prominences, several times the size of Earth. Also shown is the diamond ring effect, when the first bright sliver of sunlight reappears from behind the moon. Details on the lunar surface can be seen because of an effect called earthshine (not to be confused with moonshine). Sunlight is reflected off of the Earth and faintly illuminates the dark side of the moon. Regulus is the star visible on the lower left.
    Eclipse All In One
  • The setting sun casts a golden glow on the boulders beneath the summit of Black Mountain.
    Golden Boulders
  • A dying supercell created this colorful sky as the sun set near Norfolk, Nebraska.
    Norfolk Road Sunset
  • The sun was only out for a couple minutes at sunrise before going behind a cloud. I didn't want to get any closer than this because the snow looked unstable on top of the cliff.
    Sunstar Dawn
  • While skiing the Pole Creek cross country ski trail, I came across this meadow. A tree in the middle cast a long shadow across the snow as the sun came out.
    Casting Shadows
  • 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
  • While cross country skiing in the Bighorn Mountains, this vivid halo appeared around the sun. I was able to get a few pictures above this meadow before it faded away.
    Halo and Shadow
  • This was my favorite image of the corona during the solar eclipse. The effects of the magnetic field can be clearly seen, with the coronal streamers aligned to the north and south poles of the sun. The star Regulus is also visible on the lower left.
    Solar Corona
  • The sun goes down over a rugged canyon near Lovell, Wyoming.
    The Last Rays
  • The 5 inches of snow that fell this week was extremely dry and lightweight. This allowed the gusty winds that accompanied the arctic front to lift up the snow and carve it into drifts and strange patterns. In some places, the ice at Spring Lake was left bare. Despite the warm colors, the wind chill was -10°F as the sun slipped beneath the horizon.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: January 9, 2015
    Spring Lake Sunset
  • 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 />
<br />
Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Stone Steps
  • It was a beautiful morning in the Wasatch Mountains as the sun started to come out. Just over the hill is a curious place called Peter Sinks. The geography makes it one of the coldest spots in the US, where it once dipped to -69°F. Luckily the clouds kept the temperature warmer while I was camping here.
    Morning In the Wasatch
  • It was still cloudy with flurries in the air when I started hiking. But then the sun came out as the 28" snowstorm finally ended.
    After 28 Inches
  • The sun sets in between sandstone pillars in Medicine Rocks State Park.
    Through the Crack
  • 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
  • The morning dawned bright and clear on top of Granite Butte. The sun doesn't make it above the horizon until after 8AM this time of year. When I arrived on the summit the evening before, visibility was limited to 50 feet. But now the freezing fog had settled into the valleys, trapped below an inversion layer. Underneath that fog is Montana's capital city of Helena. Between shooting meteors all night and keeping the wood burning stove going, I didn't get much sleep. But a sunrise like this makes it easy to wake up. The weather can be extremely harsh up here. It was at a pass 16 miles away where the coldest temperature in the US (outside of Alaska) was once measured at -70°F. While it wasn't quite that cold on this morning, I was still glad to have a fire lookout tower to stay in and escape from the nearly incessant wind.
    8:09 Sunrise
  • The sun peeks out from behind Devil's Tower as seen from the boulder field below.
    Peeking Out
  • On my last morning in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I drove to Fonts Point to shoot the sunrise. To get here you have to drive up a dry wash while avoiding the sandy areas. The colors were amazing, even 45 minutes before the sun rose, the clouds in the east were lit up with an intense red glow. The clouds are reflected in the Salton Sea, California's largest lake. The lake was created in 1905 when engineers accidentally diverted the flow of the entire Colorado River for 2 years.
    Sliver of Gold
  • Snow begins to drop from tree branches as the sun climbs higher in the sky. It was still only about 10 degrees though.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: February 2, 2015
    Sunlit
  • 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 />
<br />
Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Between Boulders
  • The sun shines over a meadow in the Kettle Moraine State Forest of Wisconsin as cumulus clouds move across the sky. This is a popular mountain biking area with many miles of trails built for that purpose.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: June 22, 2012
    Kettle Moraine Meadow
  • After not being able to see the sun at all the previous day, this morning dawned crystal clear at Squaw Mountain. But it was very windy with lots of blowing snow. At night I measured a wind chill as low as -40°F.
    The Winds of Dawn
  • The departing sun casts a golden glow on the forests and grasslands in the Custer National Forest. This view is from Poker Jim Butte.
    Bathed In Light
  • As I was packing up my tent this halo appeared around the sun. This is near the top of Sheep Mountain, Wyoming.
    Sheep Mountain Halo
  • Sheep Mountain has been on my list of peaks to climb for awhile. In the summer it's possible to drive to the top of this 9,610' mountain. But that's too easy, so I went in the winter. Snow depths varied from bare ground to drifts 15 feet high. After snowshoeing an exhausting 6 miles while carrying a heavy pack, I made it to the top with barely enough time to pitch a tent before dark. The summit itself is too rocky and exposed to the wind, but I found a nearby campsite that was flat enough and more sheltered. At sunrise the next morning the views were incredible. Looking east, I could see parts of the Black Hills well over 100 miles away. When the sun made it over the horizon, it was only visible for a couple minutes. But this ephemeral light show was worth all the effort to get here.
    Sheep Mountain Sunrise
  • 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
  • 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
  • After clouds moved in and hid the views from the summit of Store Malene (Ukkusissat), I started heading down. Halfway down I came across this ice pattern when the sun came back out.
    Mountainside Ice
  • There were amazing fall colors at Bass Creek on this morning. It was made even more colorful when the early morning sun peeked through the trees.
    Bass Creek Autumn
  • Shortly before sunset, crepuscular rays danced over the sea dotted with icebergs.
    Icebergs and Rays
  • I took advantage of the nice March weather by heading to a place called Castle Gardens. I love exploring places like this, well off the beaten path that few people know about or visit. It's an area of fantastic rock formations: bluffs and hoodoos, toadstools and arches. Even though it's not a large park, it's easy to spend a whole day exploring and the photography opportunities are almost limitless. But I had to be careful wandering at the edges of cliffs. Often what looked like a solid rock from above was actually overhanging several feet and supported only by crumbling sandstone below. The arch pictured here likely won't survive much longer; it's connected only by a 2 feet thick section of brittle sandstone.
    Castle Gardens Sunset
  • Young saplings grow among the older pine trees near Red Grade Road in the Bighorn Mountains.
    Young Saplings
  • This halo stayed in the sky for most of the evening over the Icelandic village of Arnarstapi. The pyramid-shaped mountain is Stapafell, which is a lower peak of the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano behind it.
    The Halo of Arnarstapi
  • Sermitsiaq is a prominent mountain visible from Nuuk. But the only way to see the glacier and waterfall is by taking a boat tour to the other side of the island.
    Glacier Island Falls
  • I nearly had this lake (Deadman's Basin Reservoir) all to myself on this evening. The few trees on the beach were showing their fall foliage.
    Sunset at Deadman's Basin
  • On my 4th night in Iceland I stayed at a small campground in Setburg outside of Grundarfjörður. This was the view at sunset. The mountain on the left is Kirkjufell, but this is a much different perspective than most people see.
    Setburg Sunset
  • The Tongue River was flowing quite a bit in early June. This was the view in the morning from my campsite while backpacking in Tongue River Canyon.
    Rapid Morning
  • This is the view looking west from High Park lookout shortly before sunset.
    Behind the Pines
  • 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 />
<br />
Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Belleview Valley Sunset
  • It was tough deciding where to shoot the sunset this evening in Glacier National Park. I ended up at Wild Goose Island Overlook, along with dozens of other photographers.
    Wild Goose Sunset
  • On my last night in the Arctic I was treated to a colorful sunset with alpenglow on the mountain Vassitjåkka. I was glad I had to drive back to Riksgransen to return my skis, it was all cloudy in Abisko where I was staying. The roads here have an almost constant layer of ice on them in the winter. But driving isn't as hard as it looks since cars are required to have studded tires.
    Driving in the Arctic
  • It only stuck around for a few hours, but this is how May started in Sheridan.
    Cold Winding Path
  • 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 />
<br />
Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Bald Knob Dusk
  • The last light of the day illuminates McDonald Peak as seen from St. Ignatius, Montana. At 9,820 feet, it is the highest peak in the Mission Mountains. The summit contains a grizzly bear protection area that is closed to hikers every summer.
    McDonald Peak
  • Even though it's a stereotypical aspen shot, I still end up shooting it every year.
    Stereotypical Aspen Shot
  • The ground was white, the sky was white, and so was the air. For every 2 steps upward I slid 1 backwards. Sinking into the snow 12 inches was manageable, but 4 feet was not. My pace was pitiful as it took 2 hours to snowshoe a single mile, while avoiding hazards like tree wells and cornices. But finally I reached my destination just as the snowstorm came to an end. Clouds broke up to reveal Shell Canyon in the distance. Winds whipped puffs of snow off the treetops like the smoke of a hundred campfires. Surrounded by house-sized boulders, I could see across the valley to Antelope Butte ski area. Between gusts it actually started to feel warm, though it was still far below freezing. A higher angle makes sunlight more intense at this time of year, which was about the only reminder that it is indeed spring.
    In the Wind
  • It was cloudy all day and I wasn't expecting a great sunset. But when the clouds started clearing I drove up into the hills near Wyarno to catch this view.
    Isolation
  • Crepuscular rays shine on the high plains of Wyoming shortly after sunrise as seen from the top of Sheep Mountain.
    Sheep Mountain Rays
  • 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.
    April Snow
  • After staying up all night I watched the sunrise from Sand Turn Overlook in the Bighorn Mountains on this windy morning.
    Sliver of Sunrise
  • 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
  • Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite places to catch the sunrise. The sunrise did not disappoint on this morning as wispy fog drifted across a golden sky. A viewing platform on the west side of the 2,000 acre Thompson Lake provides great views out over the water. Many varieties of birds and waterfowl live here, including bald eagles, geese, pelicans, egrets, herons, and much more. I especially saw a lot of pelicans out.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/3/2014
    Silence is Golden
  • 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
  • The day I left Montana, the weather was constantly changing from blue skies to snow showers. I pulled off the interstate and found this random barn to photograph under the beautiful sky.
    Montana Barn
  • 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 />
<br />
Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Ozark Sunset
  • I hiked up to Robber's Roost in the Anaheim Hills to watch the sunset. I could see all the way to the Pacific Ocean and Santa Catalina Island.
    Anaheim Sundown
  • The views at sunrise were stunning from the Granite Butte fire lookout on Montana's continental divide. All the whitebark pine trees were coated with thick rime ice and fog drifted around the valleys. I had to use my widest lens to capture all the color.
    Morning on the Divide
  • Devils Tower (also known as Mato Tipila which means Bear Lodge in Lakota) is an awesome place anytime of year. But there's something extra special about being the only one in the park the morning after a fresh snowfall. I was walking around the tower loop trail after sunrise when a gust of wind blew a chunk of snow off of the tower and into the surrounding forest. The air glittered and sparkled, and rays of golden sunlight glowed between the trees. I only had a few seconds to get a shot, before the scene was gone. Despite the difficulties of winter camping and driving on icy roads, it's definitely worth visiting Devils Tower in the offseason.
    Sparkling Sunbeams
  • On the empty Wyoming prairie near the town of Bill, I watched this cell slowly approach. It went through cycles, weakening and strengthening before sunlight emerged through the rain and hail. Downdraft winds blew precipitation outward near the ground to form a rain foot. With everything bathed in a golden glow, the sky became a painting. It was an unusual perspective, being able to see the entire updraft towering 9 miles high from so close. Only my widest lens would do. Keeping up with the storm was no longer an option as there were no viable roads headed east. But I was content to just sit there and watch it go.
    Upward Updraft
  • I stood on top of a peak in the Big Hole Mountains of Idaho after snowshoeing up. At first I was disappointed by all the clouds hiding the Tetons from view and making the light flat (the forecast called for sunny and clear). But then the clouds began to break up in the west and golden sunbeams (also known as crepuscular rays) danced across the ridges.
    Light Breaking Forth
  • After walking up the F570 road, I came to this view of the Snæfellsjökull glacier.  I knew I had to find a way down to the ice.
    Tongue of the Glacier
  • Snow covers the boulder field below Devil's Tower on an overcast April morning.
    Snowy Boulder Tower
  • The High Park Lookout is 1 of 3 fire lookout towers in the Bighorn Mountains. I snowshoed up here to watch the sunset and the rise of the full moon.
    Boarded Up
  • Shortly before sunset I summited the 12,460' Penrose Peak. It had a spectacular view of the Sawtooth Lakes Cirque. From left to right is The Innominate, Mount Woolsey, Blacktooth Mountain, and Hallelujah Peak.
    Penrose Summit Sunset
  • Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite places to catch the sunrise. The sunrise did not disappoint on this morning as wispy fog drifted across a golden sky. A viewing platform on the west side of the 2,000 acre Thompson Lake provides great views out over the water. Many varieties of birds and waterfowl live here, including bald eagles, geese, pelicans, egrets, herons, and much more. I especially saw a lot of pelicans out.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/3/2014
    Stillness
  • This is one of many amazing views you'll see when driving Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.. If you look closely under the glacier you can see Bird Woman Falls which drops 560 feet. It has a much higher flow in the spring and is a lot harder to see in the fall.
    Crown of the Continent
  • 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
  • I always feel a a sense of urgency this time of year to capture the fall colors before they're gone. Tongue River Canyon is always a great place to hike, and one of the closest trails to where I live. It was extra beautiful on this warm October afternoon. A patch of sunlight came out for just a minute.
    Overcast Sun
  • The top of Lille Malene (Quassussuaq), had an amazing view of Nuuk Fjord. The sunlight came out in the evening and touched Sermitsiaq Mountain.
    Sun Over Nuuk Fjord
  • At the end of March Venus was at it’s greatest elongation. That is when the 2nd planet from the Sun is at it’s highest and brightest in Earth’s sky. Outshining every star and planet, it’s even bright enough to see during the day under the right conditions. Because Venus is an inferior planet orbiting inside Earth’s orbit, it never strays more than 47° from the Sun. When Venus is east of the Sun it is the Evening Star. But when it is west of the Sun it becomes the Morning Star. Counterintuitively Venus appears brightest during it’s crescent phase because that’s when it’s closer to Earth. The Moon was also a crescent on this evening. It’s always challenging to capture the Moon with the stars as they appear to the eye since it's so much brighter. But the passing clouds acted as a filter and helped to balance the exposure. Above the glowing cloud is the Pleiades, the most recognizable star cluster in the sky. A week later Venus would pass through the Pleiades, an occurrence that happens every 8 years.
    Filtered Moonlight
  • I spotted this rainbow a in rural Mason County. The small pop up thunderstorms made it a great day for rainbows, and this was one of the lowest ones I've seen. The height of a rainbow can be determined by the height of the sun. The radius of a rainbow is always 42°, centered at a point opposite the sun called the "anti-solar point." If you subtract the height of the sun (in this case 33°) from the 42°, then you get the approximate height of the rainbow above the horizon (9°). That is why the biggest rainbows are found near sunrise or sunset. They cannot occur in the middle of the day when the sun is higher than 42°.<br />
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Date Taken: August 11, 2014
    Partial Rainbow
  • 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
  • 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
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