The hike in this area was amazing. A short hike from the car, and it seemed we traveled years back in time as we hiked up the narrow valley towards the mine opening. We scouted the area before I hiked back down to the mine opening that grabbed my attention. The dark sun dried wood held back the collapse of the purple and yellow rock piled high above.

This simple black and white polaroid was my first large format taken in the wilderness. I was amazed when I opened up the lens and peered through the ground glass for the first time. My imagination soared when I realized I was using equipment very similar to the great photographer of the past. Looking at an abandon mine through the glass of a camera that will be abandoned by technology seemed poetic. It took my 15 minutes to compose, re meter, compose, double-check and finally press the cable release to capture this image, but the time flew by in my world. The camera and subject matter may be a scene from the past, but I think that this image represents my future.

Our Main destination for this trip was Chiricahua National Monument and the surrounding wilderness. Spring time is a great time to be in the dessert for photography and birding.

So in late November, Heather and I finally got to head off to the picturesque scenery of Zion. We took off later that I normally would have preferred, but my brothers wedding and cousin pushed us back a few weeks.

Heather never had the opportunity to visit Zion or Bryce so I had a lot of fun showing her around. We had several wonderful hikes along the valley floor.

This years adventure started during the California Wildfires. Friends and family homes located in the San Bernardino Mountains were danger as we left and not all the news we had was good. My brother and I piled into his Four Runner under the smoke filled dawn and made the eight-hour drive to Zion National Park in Utah.

Since we had just over a days wait for our companions for the trip. My brother and I did several hikes out and around the main canyon in Zion while we waited for my photography partner and good friend John Farkas and his wife Abby to arrive.

A quick hike up to the Emerald Pools left us with a great view, but view great photographic opportunities. The quick moving white clouds above gave us great-diffused light, but this light would quickly vanish and made composing and hit and miss venture. That evening, we dropped in on Michael Fatali, and were fortunate enough to get a tour of his dark room and a little map review as well. Thanks Michael!

After losing a day to travel, we awoke near Dance Hall Rock in the Escalante Wilderness. After a morning breakfast we loaded up our backpacks and head out across the sand trail towards “Crack in the Wall”. “Crack in the Wall” is a “Class 2″ rock scamper. Since we didn’t know that this really was, we didn’t worry too much as we hiked closer towards the canyon wall. We hiked over prehistoric petrified dunes, dried water pools, and cow trails as we edged ever closer towards the infamous “Crack in the Wall”.

“Crack in the Wall” is perhaps the most descriptive named structure that I have run across to date. A narrow crack in the towering canyon walls was formed by a large section of stone cleaving away from wall. Perhaps one of the more interesting hiking trails I have seen, we removed our heavy frame backpacks, broke out our rope, and quickly lowered the packs past the narrowest section of the trail. Another twenty minutes of hiking found us near the Escalante River. Light danced on the canyon walls, and reflections glowed in the shallow creek as we explored the canyons looking for the light.

After a three-hour hike out of the canyons of the Escalante River, we planned our next days excursion. The decided to head east down the John Burr trail and towards Capital Reef National Park. The Burr Trail is a nice paved windy road that is perhaps one of the most scenic roads I have traveled. We stopped many times on our travels this find day, as the diffused light was booming. Water carved towers of rock illuminated by the soft Utah sun passed by as we drove deeper and deeper into Capital Reef.

Another day of driving took us back towards Los Angeles. We were sad to see our expedition coming to a close, but time was against us. However, we still found time to visit a slot canyon just a few miles away from our route. We certainly could not pass this opportunity

Round Valley Draw slot canyon opens up in a streambed after a very short hike from the trailhead. We walked down the side of the canyon to survey the canyon before lowering ourselves deep into the heart of the Earth. I have stated it previously, but walking a slot canyon is a magical experience. Time, Water, and Sand carve these beautiful canyons for us to visit, and you just cannot appreciate this place until you have been there.

So, I spent a few late nights prior to my flight setting up as much of the network as I could before I left the mainland. This is my attempt at maximize the time I can get the network setup, but also maximizes the amount of time for fun, sun, and of coarse, photography. We shall see..

I also had a unique problem, in that I was trying to travel lite, and since I had to hand carry a computer server, some of my camera gear would need to be left behind. Truly a sad day for me, but I guess I can’t complain too much.

Photography in Maui is actually an interesting problem. The vast landscapes are criss crossed by power lines, farms, and buildings. Arguably not my favorite subject matter. The majority of the photos that I have seen usually involve amazing sunsets, smooth beaches and a few palms trees. I try to avoid the obvious when I am composing. Additional problems involved dark black lava rock, harsh noon sunlight.

I will be writing more in time, I am a bit anxious to post some photographs, but I would like to be sure to thank the gang at Hono Hu’aka Tropical Plantation for taking such good care of me.

My goal this spring was to get a nice flower shot that I would desire to blow up as a photograph, however, these conditions were not condusive towards this task and a true exercise in patience. It looks likely that I will not reach this goal this season, the flowers bloom has begun to wane, and my only hope appears to be in the foothills of the eastern sierras in a few weeks.

Part Two:

Well, on a beautiful Monday morning I played a little hooky from the office, and decided to head out the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve. I dropped by in the spring of 2002 and was greeted with about one poppy. Literally one poppy, it was depressing but was a drought year, so the valley was quite dry and brown. But this year California did not have that problem and this picturesque area epitomized what the golden state is all about. Two weeks prior to this trip I met some friends in the preserve and the trumpet shaped poppy bulbs showed great promise.

So, as I made the hour drive from my apartment to the western edge of the Mojave Desert floor my mind was distracted with the wildflowers showing in the San Andreas Fault area. As I neared the preserve itself, traffic slammed to a stop as other people and photographers had also made the trip. Fortunately for me, I have an SUV and am not afraid to us it. You don’t really need one to travel around the rutted dirt roads surrounding the poppy preserve, but apparently most people in their town cards did not feel up to getting their car dirty. Fine by me. So, I soon found myself in a small valley all to myself with one of the most beautiful flower displays I have ever witnessed.

I find it difficult to describe the scene before me. Deep orange colored poppies in large beds mixed in with purple flowers of the Davy Gilia (Gilia latiflora ssp. Davyi) and the yellow curved heads of the Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata). I have never seen such a concentration of wildflowers in my life. Sparrows surrounded me and a Black-tailed Jackrabbits danced as I setup my tripod and went to work. What a great way to spend a spring day away from the office.

Yosemite is a magical place.One of the most photographed places on the planet and volumes have been written about this magical valley on the western side of the Sierra Mountains. The peak season for Yosemite Valley is generally considered to be late spring when the Sierra snow pack cause the infamous hanging valleys to explode in a torrent of water falls that defies true explanation. I found a certain elegance in the smaller waterfalls of late October that is atypical of most photography of this region. There is a timeless quality to this valley that allows one to become lost in the world that I can only dream of capturing and expressing on film.

The trip started with a short drive over to the ghost town of skidoo for various mine exploring. The town itself is long since gone but, the the hills remain riddle with hundreds of mines, tailings, and tunnels. The only structure that remains is the mill, but the structure is now marked unstable, and explorers are discouraged from entering the site.

Later on this day, I took a hike out into the Dunes. I found it very  frustrating to see the huge volume of tracks from previous hikers and explorers. The majority of whom, seemed determined to continually stand or walk along the fragile ridges of the wind swept dunes. Compost ion proved to be a nightmare, and I did not want to bring home an image with foot prints in it. I continued on my way, dune after dune after dune. I found my subject on the far end of the dunes. Over one more ridge and the sand turned back into the wasteland that is the central valley floor. The image I saw in my head, was a low angle shot that pushed the depth of field, with a shallow sweeping curve of the dune ridge created by the strong desert winds. I did not get the exact composition that I was looking for, but the results have there own charm. I the failing desert light, I headed back across the dunes with my brother and arrived in camp well after sundown.

The next day in the valley typified the valley for me. In the morning we headed off for Darwin Falls, and I had some success. Later in the day, we encountered a violent wind storm. Sand rose hundreds of feet into the air, as I watched my chances for more work in the dunes vanish under the shifting sands. I might risk my self out in that storm, but I wouldn’t dare sand blast my camera lens in these harsh conditions. I spent the evening light enjoying a cocktail as I watch the sunset. I snapped a few of the sunset, but the light failed to turn, and I only really capture a far off desert sand storm.

We awoke the final day, and as the sun peaked over the horizon, the now familiar winds began again with a vengeance. Our camp was pummeled under the onslaught, as we watched as another campers tent gently flew overhead at an altitude of about 75 feet, and take off across the desert at high speeds. The majority of the day was spent traveling around the main valley hot sports. Even in early April, we could feel the heat of this place.

As the day waned, my brother and I drove towards the yellow hills of Zabriskie Point. Our friend the wind continued to follow us, and fellow visitors laughed a bit when they say me composing image with my camera, and putting all of the 6′1″ frame on top of the tripod to pin the camera to the earth to prevent distortion caused by the wind. It was under these conditions that I missed my first great shot. We by car in the hills above Zabriskie Point. While driving I took a quick glance in the side mirror and saw the most brilliant golden hue I have ever seen. My brother must have thought me insane as I slammed on the breaks, turned off the road, and grabbed my camera. I took off running. I needed some high ground to compose my shot. The late afternoon sun managed to piece the blackening ski, and found the yellow hills. The resulting color and light can never be described. Unfortunately, I was 5 seconds too late. As I opened the shutter, the intensity of light failed along with my opportunity.

In October, I took two weeks off, and spent one week on a house boat at Lake Powell with friends. Each afternoon I would hike out into the country looking for the right light. However, I was never able to find the images I was looking for. I found that I had some problems being on the wrong side of the lake, when the sun light began to soften.

After a week on the lake, I was finally able to relax from the office, and wind down. The second week of my trip was spent with my good friend John and his wife. John has been taking photographs for several years, but only began after I stopped. So this is the first time we have ever taken pictures together. A truly fine photographer, John has taught me much in the last year and has been instrumental in helping me develop my technique and style.

The Slot Canyons

The light at midday was inspiring and I found it difficult to shoot as I was just content to look. However, after a quick walk through the canyon we went to work with the cameras with some good results. The only negative thing that I could say about Upper Antelope Canyon, was that it has become quick popular, and was rather crowded. There was only 25 people or so in the canyon, and this may not seem like many, but when you are in a canyon that is only 3 feet wide, you are constantly moving and relocating to let someone pass.

Lower Antelope canyon is just across the road from Upper Antelope, but could not have been more different. Upper Antelope is known for it’s Grandeur, Lower Antelope Canyon is a much more intermit place to visit. The whole time that we were there, we only saw two other people. I could not have planned it better. Lower Antelope canyon starts literally as a small crack in a river bed. It opens up into one of the prettiest places on earth. Words can not do it justice, and the images that can be capture are beyond description. Hours past in an instant

Escalante & Bryce

Zion

After a quick lunch we started shooting the water falls, and let the other photographer work further up the valley unimpeded. Although careful, I quickly was completely soaked with water from the knees down. Continuing up the canyon, we found our goal, the subway itself. Standing in near freezing water, for hours at a time had its toll, but the time continued to fly by. However, the longer we waited the better the light became.

After just four short hours we had to leave. The climb out of the canyon is steep up a heavily eroded trail that is best navigated with some remaining light.

The next two days were spent relaxing a bit. On the hike out of the subway, I aggravated an old knee injury, and my knee had quickly swollen and became painful. It was worth it though. I captured some good photographs, and met one of my influences out in the field, doing what we both love. Truly a great trip.