St. Goar, Germany Grapevine

Grapevines are used all over Europe in decorative ways as swags around doorway.

Backstreet Boy

This is a back street in Luxembourg. Lots of little details and tones of grays.

Visiting

Lucerne, Switzerland

Shedding Hohenschwangau

This caught my eye in the nooks of Hohenschwangau.

Gleaning Wisdom

Gleaning wisdom in the Hofbrau Haus, Munich

Mums the Word

Goat Raspberries

Sometimes they just don't want their pictures taken!

Salzburg Buggy Driver

They were all lined up with no where to go... I usually don't like to center a subject, but with the antiques look, I thought it worked.

Living on the Edge

What can I say? Saw these two hikers along this trail looking straight down the cliff edge.

Kandersteg, Switzerland Church

This is a little church on the main street in Kandersteg, Switzerland. It is a ski town during the season, but probably best known as the home of the International Scout Camp.

Hohenschwangau Castle, Germany

This is the Castle Hohenschwangau, built by Bavarian King Ludwig I. It is now Germany. Beautiful view of the castle and landscape in the background.

Varenna, Italy Pearl of Lake Como

It is interesting, but every city located on the beautiful Lake Como in Northern Italy proclaims themselves the Pearl of Lake Como. They all seem to have a lot of character. Bellagio is probably the most well known, because of its namesake in Las Vegas. George Clooney recently became a resident of the fair city.

Old Timer

Old timer swimming in lake near Bellagio, Italy

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria

This is a photo of the altar in the church in Mondsee, Austria, made famous by the wedding scene in "The Sound of Music".

Munich Steeples

Being at the right place at the right time is always good for a photographer. This was taken from our hotel room in Munich at sundown, just as we returned from a day of shooting.

Legs to Die For

We All Could Use a Little Hopi

This is a Hopi Chipmunk which perched itself on a beautiful cedar. I had scared it off on my hike through "The Neck" area of Canyonlands National Park, but figured if I sat down out of it's sight line, it might pop up to see what was going on. I wanted it to get on this tree, so moved to where it was positioned between where I saw the little critter disappear last. Sure enough, it ran up the tree and have me a quick few seconds. I love the intricate shapes the tree offers, and the bonus of the tiny Chippy there for perspective.

What Up?

This is a Whiptail Lizard found during my trip to Arches NP.

A Little Prickle

Prickly Pear in the high desert, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Seeing Beyond My Veil

I'm quickly learning that no matter how well planned a trip to get exceptional wildlife and landscape photos, God and His creation control it all. I believe He reveals to us what He wants us to see. We control the technical instruments to catch a glimpse, but He exhibits what we see in front of the lens. The more I see, and the more awed I become, the more He allows me to add to my understanding. My portfolio is only a microcosm of His. I am very thankful of the opportunities He affords me, though I am unworthy in so many ways.

Delicate Rainbows

Storms gathered while I sat waiting for the sun to set to get the bright shots. The clouds never really broke for the great shots of the full Delicate Arch, but as all of the other people began to leave, the rainbows popped. What a beautiful sight to see.

Timpanogas Cave Drapery

This is a mineral deposit structure called "drapery" located in Timpanogas Cave in American Fork Canyon, Utah. It has taken thousands of years for this beautiful art of God to form.

Delicate Arch Light Painting

I was getting a bit nervous when the sun went down and the crowds left and I was the last one at the famous Delicate Arch. I had good reason. I had three light sources on me when I began the journey down. I got out my headlamp to use on the hike down. Dead batteries. No problem, I had an LED flashlight. Too dim. My last and greatest resource, the Q-Beam I used for light painting was in my day pack. It was great. It lit up have the county, until the battery pack fell out of the back of the light and hit the ground. My stomach fell when it happened. Not a good omen. I could not get it to turn back on, so had to revert to my little LED flashlight. Long story short, I lost the rock cairn trail and after crisscrossing several times and getting to within an 80 ft cliff drop, decided I was lost and made preparations to hunker down for the night until I could see well enough to find the path down. It's a 1.5 mile hike to Delicate Arch. I had a poncho and used it to create a makeshift tent with my tripod. I had a short sleeve shirt on, but had plastic lens rain covers for my telephoto lens, which I used to cover my arms and tightened them with drawstrings. I used my day pack as a pillow and wide brimmed hat to cover my head. My main discomfort level was that I knew enough about cougars to know that they are always very aware of where you are, so I kept one eye open all night hoping I wouldn't hear any growling in my ear. I kept my head tucked under the tripod tent as much possible, since cougars make kills at the head and neck. I figured it that wasn't visible, it would help the cause. After shivering in 50 degree weather and watching stars have the night, the sun finally rose enough for me to see my surroundings and I was able to rediscover the lost path a few hundred yards away. The lessons we always teach our Boy Scouts paid off for me. That evening, though I ended up wasting a paid night at a much more comfortable location. This picture will always remind me of that special evening.

Light Painting of Balance Rock

Update: This was a June top pick by Art Wolfe on his monthly photo contest. I'm very happy about it.

This was my first foray into light painting and I can tell I'll be hooked. It gives you a perspective not many others get to see and is a heck of a lot of fun.

Turret Arch from North Window

This is a shot of Turret Arch through North Window Arch. You have to rock scramble to a pretty precarious peak to get this shot. I was there long before sunup and fended off the spot from a couple of other photographers.