Yellowstone National Turns 150 Years Old
The first national park in the country turns 150 years old. In 2019 our family spent four days camping in Yellowstone. I instantly knew one trip would not be enough time to explore the park.
Here are a few images from that trip. I know I will have to go back to explore more.
Day Hike at Three Sisters Park | Good For The Soul
Hiking and landscape photography go together in so many ways. Being outside in nature is one of the best ways for me to recharge and get some exercise. Three Sisters Park is about an hour from Denver in the mountains. The trails are relatively easy to hike and the views are amazing. For this hike I brought the Sony A6100, 18-105mm and 70-300mm lens. In the forest I mostly used the 18-105mm.
Gear I used:
Sony A6100 Review: https://youtu.be/0yqFW1X824g
Sony A6100 - https://amzn.to/30ORIBt
Sony 18-105 f4.0 - https://amzn.to/3dcHfoe
Sony 70-300mm - https://amzn.to/3tkziV8
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Landscape Photography in Colorado: Paint Mines
We took a quick day trip to the Painted Mines Interpretive Park. It’s about an one and half hour from the Denver airpot. The mines are clay structures that look like they’ve been painted. The colors are from the iron in the clay being oxidized.
For this trip I brought the Sony A7ii with the Tamron 28-200mm lens.
I Miss Local Day Trips
A neighborhood convenience store.
2020 has hard on a lot of people. Luckily no one in our family has been affected in any major way. I know there are countless stories about people who died too soon due to this horrible virus. Not to mention all the people financially affected in a negative way.
2020 was the first time we didn’t go to Rocky Mountain National Park since moving to Colorado. In the pre covid years, most weekends we would explore a new state park or area in Colorado. These little day outing were great because we got to explore and have fun but also feel like a get away without having to actually getting away. They were more than enough to break up the routine of the week. Other than a camping trip we didn’t get in the normal weekend exploration that we would typically do.
The last few weeks the mondaine routine was really getting to me when I realized how much I missed those day trips. Not only to get out of the house and break up the routine but from a creative stand point. Going on these day outing was a great way to capture new images and video. I was able to fulfill the creative itch on a regular basis and in different locations. Being stuck in the house for so long one can only do so many product, still life, family or other types of pictures. For me I love to explore with my camera and seeing what I can capture. I love looking through new images, editing them and sharing them with the world.
With vaccines rolling out I’m hopeful we will be back to exploring again. I look forward to getting back to the hunt of capturing the “perfect” picture.
My lightroom Panorama Method
In this video I go over how I create panoramic pictures in Lightroom. This will work on Lightroom Classic and CC. At the time of this video it is not possible to do so on the mobile versions.
Camera Gear I Use:
Sony A7ii - https://youtu.be/jRD3I1UA6iI
Sony A7 ii - https://amzn.to/38OLEdL
Sony 24mm F2.8 - https://amzn.to/2TO8kWd
Sony 85mm F1.8 - https://amzn.to/3aLP1Ut
Sony A6100 Review - https://youtu.be/0yqFW1X824g
Sony A6100 - https://amzn.to/2LvFbOf
Sony 18-105mm - https://amzn.to/38ie4iQ
Sony A7ii: How It Changed My Photography
The Sony A7ii kit, once a high end camera that many dreamt of owning. Today it's yesterdays news and can be found at the bottom of the used section for very little money.
The Sony A7ii, once a high end camera that many dreamt of owning. Today it's yesterdays news and can be found at the bottom of the used section for very little money. The Sony A7ii kit is the best entry level camera for the price. In this video I share 5 ways the Sony A7ii body changed the way I shoot. The 24 megapixels in the Sony a7ii is still amazing for a 6 year old camera.
My 2020 iPad Setup:
2017 iPad Pro 12" 512gb - https://amzn.to/3gnyRDF
Apple Pencil - https://amzn.to/3bZ8VdX
Magic Mouse 2 - https://amzn.to/36uSyoq
Brydge Keyboard - https://ebay.to/3d7EWBW
Logitech Keyboard - https://amzn.to/3ekBynv
iPad Stand - https://amzn.to/3d4YXcx
Sd Card Reader - https://amzn.to/2X7xXUl
USB Reader - https://amzn.to/2ZKLrqq
Magic Trackpad 2 - https://amzn.to/2YJYTsA
My 2020 Panasonic G9 Gear: https://youtu.be/IAYjHSP9IAg
Panasonic G9 - https://amzn.to/3ctmKCx
Battery Grip - https://amzn.to/2YVEp1O
Batteries - https://amzn.to/35TiZ6P
Panasonic 12-60mm - https://amzn.to/3csFVfI
Sigma 25mm F1.7 - https://amzn.to/2WL4DkW
Sigma 60mm F2.8 - https://amzn.to/35TGpJj
Panasonic 45-210mm - https://amzn.to/2yEYsad
My 2020 Sony A7ii Review: https://youtu.be/jRD3I1UA6iI
Sony A7 ii - https://amzn.to/38OLEdL
Sony 24mm F2.8 - https://amzn.to/2TO8kWd
Sony 85mm F1.8 - https://amzn.to/3aLP1Ut
Battery Grip - https://amzn.to/3fOV8Jo
Field Trip: 2019 Fall Colors Along Peak To Peak Drive
When we first got to Lily Lake there was a ton of fog over the lake. The lake is pretty small but with the fog we couldn’t see across. I love the way fog looks in these pictures.
The fog was a bog part of the day but I was still able to find color contrast. The reason I love fall colors is the contrast in those colors that work well together in nature.
This last picture was from a wrong turn we took. We ended up in the valley where the fog was. I think this is my favorite image of the day.
Field Trip: Colorado Western Slope Road Trip
This past June My wife and I took a mini road trip to Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. We did all in three days.
Our first stop was Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park. When you first get there you see how deep the Canyon is, I was pleasantly surprised. The roads curve back and forth. There are some spots that the curve comes up on you pretty quick. If you are into panoramic pictures this is the place for it. At each stop it felt as if I was doing a pano. The views are well worth the winding roads and small birds zipping past your head in some places.
When we first entered Mesa Verde National Park it overwhelming to see all the dead burnt trees. From the top of the first couple stops we could see a fire they were monitoring. The dead trees were from a fire in 2002.
The cliff dwelling are something everyone should get to see at least once. It is amazing to see what people did without machines or computers. There are straight lines and 90 degree angles. I was blown away by the architecture. The way they got in and out of the dwellings where by rock climbing.
Canyonlands National Park gets over looked by its neighbor Arches. But it is amazing to see all the canyons that were created over millions of years by water. The landscape looks like being on a movie set about Mars.
Lastly we visited Arches National Park. Again seeing these structures carved from rain and wind over thousands of years was amazing. The crazy part is they are still forming and at some point they will fall down. Knowing that they aren’t permanent makes me really cherish seeing them.
Overall this was a great little get away with my wife. Our little focus got us to every location without any issue. I would highly recommend visiting one or all of these national parks.