Sandia Mountain Winter Storm, Part 1
Winter storm clouds obscure the top of the Sandia Mountains outside Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sandias and Winter Clouds (Panorama #1, 2021), Cibola National Forest, New Mexico (18″x67″)
Grayson Highlands Ridge Views
Several more views of the clouds and receding ridge lines from a summer trip to Grayson Highlands.
Cows Grazing and Receding Ridges under Clouds, Grayson Highlands State Park, VA (12″x21″)
Receding Ridges under Clouds, Grayson Highlands State Park, VA (12″x21″)
Grayson Highlands Panorama, Part 3
Panorama of the ponies under a tree on the ridge trail to Mount Rogers in Grayson Highlands.
Grayson Highlands Ridge and Ponies Panorama (#4, Color), Grayson Highlands State Park, VA (16″x50″)
Grayson Highlands Panorama, Part 2
Panorama of the views along the trail to Mount Rogers in Grayson Highlands, this time looking back to the south down the ridge towards the trailhead.
Grayson Highlands Ridge Top Panorama (#7, Color), Grayson Highlands State Park, VA (16″x66″)
Grayson Highlands Panorama, Part 1
I haven’t been as focused on panoramic photography recently- instead I’ve been making more single-frame photographs focused on time (long exposure). However, sometimes it is just too hard to capture the magnificent views of a rolling landscape with a single-frame photograph. Here is one of the panoramas I took from the ridge leading up to Mount Rogers from Rhododendron Trail in Grayson Highlands back in the July, 2021.
Grayson Highlands Ridge Top Panorama (#8, Color), Grayson Highlands State Park, VA (16″x52″)
Panorama of Crater Lake and Maroon Bells
Crater Lake, Maroon Bells, and Passing Clouds (B&W, 2021), White River National Forest, CO (16″x51″)
Crater Lake and Maroon Bells
Even at nearly 10,000 feet elevation, the trailhead at Maroon Lake was a bit warm. Fortunately, the relatively short (~1.8 mile) hike to Crater Lake only ascends about 600 feet and is partly shaded through evergreens and aspens. The views of the mountains and gathering clouds above Crater Lake were as beautiful as usual, so the walk, despite the warmth, was worth it. I was glad I had a 15-stop ND filter to make a 4-minute exposure of the lake and the movement in the clouds around noon. I shot the photo at f/16, so I could have even made an 8-minute photograph at f/22 (wish I would have now- the clouds could use a little more blur!).
Crater Lake, Maroon Bells, and Passing Clouds (B&W, 2021), White River National Forest, CO (13″x23″)
Trees in Winter Fog along Mud Creek
Late in 2020, I went out for a bike ride between a series of chilly rain showers. While passing through a low-lying area, I noticed the fog hugging the ground in a flooded forest along Mud Creek. Hope you get a sense for the atmosphere that evening.
Fog and Flooded Forest, outside Durham, NC (16″x16″)
Durham Sunset and Passing Clouds, Part II
Horse grazes in a field beneath moving clouds outside Durham, NC.
361 s exposure.
Grazing Horse and Clouds at Sunset (#1), outside Durham, NC (14″x14″)
Durham Sunset and Passing Clouds
Horse grazes in a field beneath moving clouds outside Durham, NC.
152 s exposure.
Grazing Horse and Clouds at Sunset (#2), outside Durham, NC (14″x14″)
Sunset and Clouds from Mt Mitchell
Light from the setting sun shines below the clouds over the Blue Ridge Mountains, shot from the summit of Mt Mitchell, NC. Similar to last week’s post, but I wanted to zoom in on the clouds and mountains and crop out the tree tops in the foreground.
Layered Mountains, Clouds, Light (Panorama #6), Mt Mitchell, NC (16″x39″)
Sunset at Summit of Mt Mitchell
Rain clouds and fog draped over the ridge north of Mt Mitchell just after sunset.
Clouds and Fog at Sunset (Panorama #2), Mt Mitchell, NC (16″x43″)
Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook
Since moving to North Carolina, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mt Mitchell a few times. Every time I drive by this overlook, I think about photographing the dead tree hanging over the steep hillside just off the road. I’m still trying to get the composition right- this is getting close, but not quite there. Rain clouds were moving in when I set up to shoot this panorama, which provided a nice backdrop for the trees.
Lone Tree Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (16″x43″)
Bulb Exposure of Mt Sopris and Clouds
While driving across the country in June, I stopped in Carbondale, Colorado to take my annual photograph of Mt Sopris. This time I decided to make the long shadows across the field an abstract, black foreground element. Exposure time was ~4-5 minutes with a 10-stop ND filter to get a little blur in the passing clouds.
Mt Sopris, Shadow, and Clouds (B&W, Bulb), near Carbondale, CO (7″x16″)
Views from Dirty Harry’s Balcony
View from Dirty Harry’s Balcony of winter clouds over I-90 and the Cascades between Seattle and Snoqualmie Pass.
Clouds over I-90 from Dirty Harry’s Balcony (#3, Color),
near Snoqualmie Pass, WA (16″x44″)
Clouds over I-90 from Dirty Harry’s Balcony (#3, Color),
near Snoqualmie Pass, WA (16″x44″)
Hike to Dirty Harry’s Balcony
Mid-January rain clouds gather on the I-90 corridor between Seattle and Snoqualmie Pass. Views from the hike to Dirty Harry’s Balcony.
Clouds over I-90 from Hike to Dirty Harry’s Balcony,
near Snoqualmie Pass, WA (16″x44″)
Window in Clouds at Hurricane Ridge
A second photograph of a mountain poking through clouds near Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, WA.
Tree Silhouette, Clouds, and Mountain, Olympic National Park, WA (10″x10″)
Ridge and Clouds in Olympic National Park
This is one of my favorite photographs from a recent trip to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, WA. Clear days are fantastic, but I love the atmosphere created by cloudy, foggy, partially obstructed views.
Mountain through the Clouds, Olympic National Park, WA (12″x18″)
Low Clouds over Hurricane Ridge
Mountain poking through clouds near Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, WA.
Tree Silhouette, Clouds, and Mountain, Olympic National Park, WA (10″x10″)
Clouds over Olympic Range from Hurricane Ridge
I visited Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park for the first time back in August – unfortunately many of the trails were closed for management/removal of mountain goats (via helicopter!). Even though I wasn’t able to hike around as much as I may have liked, the small loop trails provided fantastic views of the clearing clouds over the surrounding mountains and hillsides.
Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center and Clouds, Olympic National Park, WA (10″x18″)
Clouds and Mountains from Navaho Peak
Panorama of Stuart Range and clouds shot from Navaho Peak.
Clouds over Stuart Range from Navaho Peak (BW),
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, WA (16″x72″)
Cloud over Stuart Range from Navaho Peak
Earlier this summer, I hiked up to Navaho Pass and Peak. From the peak, the view of the clouds spilling over the Cascades onto the Stuart Range was fantastic. More panoramas and single frame photographs soon.
Cloud over Stuart Range from Navaho Peak (BW),
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, WA (12″x18″)
Dark Morning Clouds over Seattle
In early August,, I peeked out my window before heading in to work and noticed dramatic, dark storm clouds rolling over town. I grabbed my camera and shot a few panoramas on my way in to work.
Central District and Dark Morning Rain Clouds, Seattle, WA (12″x43″)
Santa Fe, NM Summer Clouds
Bulb exposure of gathering summer rain clouds over a sculpture at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Meow Wolf Sculpture and Summer Clouds, Santa Fe, New Mexico (12″x18″)
Luke Parsons Photography 