Nature Gallery
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This photo is from the lava ocean entry on Big Island in Hawai'i. It was about a 7 mile round trip hike to get to this location but it was worth it - I'm glad I had a flashlight for the trip back! This lava flow has since collapsed and is no longer visible.
My take on an abstract sunset in San Diego. This photo was created by using a long exposure while panning the camera. It's not an easy technique, but it sure does create an interesting image!
Ama Dablam mountain in Nepal - it always felt so close yet so far away. Ama Dablam means “Mothers necklace”. The ridge line even looks like arms forming a protective barrier around a child. After hiking around Nepal, I found Ama Dablam to be a constant reference point - almost a source of support, much like a mother. Dare I say it, I like it better than Mt. Everest.
I've always wanted to see Mount Fuji up close, but the weather never panned out as it is usually covered by clouds. I happened to be in Japan during the winter and had a free weekend so I took the advice of some close friends and made a trip to Hakone - I was told they have some of the best hot springs (onsens) around, and I am not one to pass up an opportunity for a hot tub. As soon as I arrived, all of my onsen plans went out the window. Mount Fuji was standing proud and in clear view. I spent about 10 hours in the blistering cold photographing and enjoying the view - from sunset, through the night, and again in the morning. It's a good thing Hakone has a lot of onsens - I needed them to defrost myself after I was done photographing!
I find myself waking up early in the mornings to watch the sunrise - to me, it's a great time to make a cup of tea and reflect on your day or life. It's a sense of peace that I've come to cherish and helps me start my day off right - before the stressors of the day takeover. Finding a beautiful location such as the one captured in this photo elevates my peace.
The best part of a sunset is the 10-15 minutes after the sun actually sets - with the right clouds, the sun lights up the bottom side of the clouds as shown in this photo. I call this the after burn.
I needed to get out. Quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic had me sitting at home going stir crazy - I needed to find some peace and there's nothing better than the sound of waves for that. Luckily, San Diego was experiencing its annual bioluminescence and what a show it was. As the waves crash, oxygen is introduced to the dinoflagellates in the water and creates this blue chemiluminescence - it looks like lightening bolts in the water.
High tide was rolling in during this bioluminescence photo shoot. The waves were so strong that you can see the blue glow of the water splashing over the rock side. It was an absolutely stunning display of nature's surprises.
A wide angle shot of nature's effervescent bioluminescent glow. That bright light in the sky is Venus!
This image is particularly meaningful to me. In April 2020, San Diego had one of the brightest and longest lasting bioluminescent displays in its history. I went to Windansea beach to capture the bright blue glow of the dinoflagellates as the waves crashed when I noticed this couple enjoying nature's light show. I captured this photo but before I could find them, they left. I just HAD to find them so I could give them this photo - so I posted it online in the hopes that somebody somewhere knew who they were. NBC news caught wind of it and they used their platform on social media to help accelerate the search... and because of that, WE FOUND THEM! It was amazing to see the community come together and find this couple who share a Love Like This. Even more serendipitous - they celebrated their 4 year wedding anniversary just after I took this photo, and they had gotten married at this exact location. News article: https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/search-for-couple-stunning-bioluminescence-pic-shows-pair-enjoy-electric-blue-waves-in-la-jolla/2317063/
I love the color contrast of this photo - the green and yellow of the foreground plants and flowers compared to the bioluminescence in the ocean.
McWay Falls in Big Sur, California