Bora Bora

After years of planning, we got to take a very special vacation earlier this month -- nearly two weeks in French Polynesia! 

We started with a few nights in an overwater bungalow at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort.  Two of Danelle's favorite YouTubers -- Kara and Nate -- made it look and sound like an amazing experience.  And they weren't wrong.

Sunsets from our own Colorado backyard are pretty incredible.  These give them a run for their money.

The sunrises are also pretty stunning.  I went to this spot the morning before -- I mean, it's an overwater hammock -- but it was completely overcast.  Undeterred, I returned the next morning and was rewarded with these gorgeous colors in the predawn sky.

I arrived early enough to take my time recomposing...

...and recomposing.

The the moment was upon me, and I got to experience the thrill that never grows old of watching the sun slowly break the horizon.

One final shot, and I knew I'd already gotten to see something special in this magical place.

Related Links:

• Raʻiātea
• Mo'orea
• Tahiti

Crested Butte Wildflowers 2024

Wildflower season in Crested Butte is always amazing.  This year I made reservations to camp near Gunnison for a couple of nights and capture what I could.

The great views started on my drive into town, with a variety of wildflowers blooming in the foreground and Mount Crested Butte looking fine in the background.

After dinner in town I headed toward Snodgrass Mountain hoping for a nice sunset shot.  I found what I was looking for.

Then I had nice warm light on Mount Crested Butte as I was heading out, so why not?

I hoped for some color in the clouds that never materialized.  Not that the view was bad.

The next morning it was up before sunrise to hike the Woods Walk.  I loved the fog in the valley.

Speaking of fog.  I like the aspens flanking the trail here, too.

Once the sun was up I had great light on wildflowers like these Owlsclaws...

... this Silvery Lupine...

... and this Fireweed.

This American Robin was EXTREMELY proud of whatever he had in his beak.  I thought it was a worm, but looking at the image it seems more like nest material.

I took this shot almost entirely so I could caption it "Attempted Murder."  Thank you very much. :)

More Owlsclaws, this time spotlighted nicely.

I turned around here and headed back, feeling like I'd seen most everything I needed to see.

Gothic Mountain was reflecting nicely in Peanut Lake, and I thought this setting would be a good place to return to for sunset.  So I went into town and bummed around for about 10 hours, enjoying a very lazy summer day.

Again, I didn't get the color I was hoping for at sunset.  But Mount Crested Butte still looked pretty.

One final shot, then into town for some ice cream before driving back to my campsite.  This was my last photo outing for the summer, and a great way to end the season!

Related Links:

• Trail 403
• Snodgrass Mountain, July 2015: Part I
• Snodgrass Mountain, July 2015: Part II
• Scarp Ridge, Part II
• Brush Creek Trail, July 2015
• Brush Creek Trail, July 2014: Part II
• Brush Creek Trail, July 2014: Part I

Trail Ridge Road Sunset

I had plans to shoot sunset on my overnight camping trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.  But storm clouds rolled in, and I wasn't sure there would even be a sunset to sea.  I started driving from Glacier Basin to Trail Ridge Road late afternoon with my fingers crossed. 

Things looked promising as I headed past one of my favorite overlooks, with the sun bursting through the clouds and casting deep shadows across the landscape.

The Gore Range Overlook was where I set up shop, first using my telephoto to capture lenticular clouds over Longs Peak.

The shadows up here were even longer as sunset approached.

The sun was slowly headed towards a great notch between two peaks, putting on an early show as it emerged briefly from behind a low cloud.

"God rays" are always neat to see.

The view to the south was also stunning, with the developing contrast to the east and west.

I can't decide if I like the fence in the foreground or not.

The sun eventually hit that notch it was headed for, giving a bit of an Eye of Sauron vibe before slipping below the horizon and out of sight.

Needless to say, I'm glad I took the chance to see what the sunset had to offer!

Arches National Park 2024: Evening

After Lower Calf Creek Falls in the morning and Goblin Valley in the afternoon, I reached Moab in time to make a foray into Arches National Park in the evening. 

The cloudy skies overhead provided a dramatic backdrop to features like The Organ...

...and Balanced Rock.

The park was surprisingly uncrowded, so I was able to take a leisurely stroll around the formation and shoot it in different light.

I can't find a name for this formation right next to Balanced Rock, but it certainly seems to deserve one.

I decided to set up shop in the Windows Section and wait for sunset.  But I did wait patiently for a clear shot of Turret Arch first.

I got nice golden hour light on the North and South Windows.

There were a decent number of other people here, but not many walked over to take in the South Window up close.

Hanging out in the North Window, I was fortunate to catch a rainbow in the distance.

Unfortunately, by the time sunset came clouds had rolled back in.  So the view to the west wasn't what I'd hoped.  But even without the planned "payoff," the visit was worth it.  There's a reason I've been to Arches three times!

Related Links:

• Arches National Park 2013, Part I
• Arches National Park 2013, Part II
• Arches National Park 2013, Part III
• Arches National Park 2011, Part I
• Arches National Park 2011, Part II
• Arches National Park 2011, Part III

Bryce Canyon National Park 2024: Sunset & Sunrise

My hike of the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail was everything I hoped it would be.  After a quick trip for some ice cream at Sunrise Point, I returned to Sunset Point for its namesake event.

Oddly (to me), Sunset Point faces east.  I've yet to see the sun set in the east.

That said, the overlook provides a nice reminder that you don't have to be looking directly into the sun to enjoy a sunset.  There was nice soft color in the sky, clouds, and rock formations.

A restful night's sleep later, I was the first person at Sunrise Point to await its signature moment.

I had somewhat higher hopes for this, given that I was, in fact, facing the sun.

And ultimately I do feel like this was the more striking view, well worth the early start to the day.  Next up would be another hike in the hoodoos!

Related Links:

• Bryce Canyon National Park 2016, Part I
• Bryce Canyon National Park 2016, Part II
• Bryce Canyon National Park 2016: Mossy Cave Trail
• Bryce Canyon National Park 2024: Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail
• Bryce Canyon National Park 2024: Peekaboo Loop

Paint Mines Interpretive Park

I'd heard a lot about the Paint Mines Interpretive Park since our move back to Colorado in May.  I don't think I'd heard of them at all when we first lived here.  Whatever the case, being only a little more than an hour drive away it seemed like a good destination.

I was looking to do a little sunset photography, too, so I left in the late afternoon.  Of course, there wasn't a cloud in the sky to help create a truly striking scene.  So you do what you can with what you've got, including a dead thistle and a polarizing filter that was dustier than I realized.

I actually had to hustle to get to an overlook.  I was just in time to catch the sun dipping below the horizon.

I purposely wanted to shoot during twilight to avoid sharp contrast and harsh shadows.  In that regard, I was successful.  What I hadn't counted on was the brilliant colors in the clay being so subdued.

The complete absence of clouds meant I wasn't going to get anything visually compelling from the sky, so the formations had to do all the optical heavy lifting.  Fortunately, they're up to the task.

Lightroom has advanced quite a bit since I started using roughly a dozen years ago.  I feel like I need a class to learn how to use all its new features, at least one of which hopefully removes things like the power lines in most of my images.

I'm not sure my polarizing filter did me any favors in this scene.  As cool as the clay looks, the sky is just weird and unnatural.  And again, I couldn't figure out how to fix in it Lightroom.

I loved this plant's brilliant fall color, which was still vibrant even in the low light.

I read somewhere that the park is one of only three places in the country with hoodoos -- tall, skinny shafts of rock.  Bryce Canyon National Park is another, and I'm not sure what the third is.  It seems like there have to be more than that, though.

Shooting at sunset means the rotation of the Earth tells you when it's time to leave.  That time eventually came, and I took this shot of the crescent moon that's nowhere near as sharp as I'd like and as an annoying sign in the background to boot.  Then I headed home.

The park itself seems really cool, but I want another shot at it (pun intended) before making up my mind.  Next time I may try midday for more vibrant colors while hopefully still avoiding shadows.  A learning experience this time, to be sure!