fstopandsee

It took some scouting, scrambling and a short sprint to get here in time for sunset. It wasn’t far off the road in the Kolob Terrace area of Zion, but it also wasn’t directly accessible. When a sunset calls sometimes I have to make a run for it!

Cities don’t always have to be square.

Rocky Mountain National Park earned its name on Fern Lake Trail, with lots of rough rocks every way that you look. We started our hike at Bear Lake, and after some good climbing the view opened up into this gorge with mountain peaks in all directions.

Just before sunset, a cloud perfectly hid the sun to create these crazy rays of light. Smoke from wildfires wasn’t good for the air quality, but also made for some dramatic lighting over the Rocky Mountains.

Lisbon is a very hilly city, as any resident of the city will happily tell you. These old tracks are the home of the Ascensor da Glória, a type of train that will take you on a short ride up or down the steep hill. The interesting views were at night, when the clouds were moving and the crazy mix of sky and artificial lights took over.

I’m a sucker for cities. I’m a sucker for clouds. Lisbon is a great city, and was nice enough to provide clouds so you better believe I was out there with my camera! I started most nights on our hotel rooftop, and was able to get this shot without even leaving our temporary home!

One thing I love about the San Francisco Bay Area is the diversity of the surroundings. You can look to the east and see the rolling brown hills, look to the west and see green and trees. In the early morning there is often a layer of clouds that quickly burn off for a day of blue skies. This one spot seemed have all of those different environments at the same time.

It’s hard to keep driving when all the roads look like this. The natural beauty of Zion is amazing, and the narrow strips of road that run through it get you where you need to go while providing a contrasting perspective.

This road is intimidating in a vehicle, but the cyclist zooming towards me has a steep descent in front of him. From here he’ll make his way down the switchbacks you can see to the left, and ultimately to the far right below. One brave cyclist even passed our bus on this winding road, not for the faint of heart!

I like taking photos during the day, but I especially like taking photos at night. There are fewer people around and long exposure photos have a completely different look. On this night I was in the right place at the right time, and was also lugging my tripod around as usual. I worked quickly as a big street sweeper only waited about 30 seconds for me to do my business before almost literally brushing me aside!