National Parks & Monuments USA
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White Magic - White Sands Nat'l Monument, New Mexico - USA
I believe in magic, and I believe in wonder. And I believe they can be experienced every day in the simplest of ways. The smile of a stranger is magical. The light in another's eyes. The sun peeking through the clouds. The bountiful blooms of nature. Everywhere we go, and everywhere we look, we can experience a sense of magic and wonder. Having been fortunate enough to experience the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, this sense was on maximum overload. It's a true wonder of nature. The geological process of how these pristine, towering, awe inspiring white sand dunes formed is fascinating, as is the experiencing of them. Add in the surrounding New Mexico mountains and desert flora for an extra dash of mysticism. Perhaps more than any other locale that I've experienced in my journeys, I was filled with an immensity of wonder, awe, and connection to something greater, and so much more powerful than myself. My spirit and soul was vibrating with excitement and aliveness, in this place of pure magic.
Rush - Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee - USA
This powerfully cascading river in the Smokey Mountains National Park gave me quite a rush. A rush of excitement, of energy, and connectedness to Mother Nature. Found on a random trail off the side of the road, I was in my own private Heaven in this spot. Wanting to capture the essence of the excitement and the rush this scene provided me, I turned the camera to provide this perspective, with the cascading water as the focal point.
Invitation - Smokey Mountains Nat'l Park, Tennessee - USA
A full spectrum of forest green found on the Laurel Falls trail in the Smokey Mountains National Park. Walking back from the falls, this scene captured my attention and awe, on an otherwise ordinary forest trail. Looking up, as I often do, I observed the afternoon sun illuminating the forest, providing this lovely palette of greens. I also noticed, as the crowd rushed by, people were either occupied in conversation, or fixated on their destination, and I seemed to be the only one in the moment, taking note of this magnificent and subtle beauty being provided to us all by mother nature, inviting us to slow down and admire it.
Taken in Zion Nat'l Park Utah. I was absolutely in love with this beautiful flowering cactus, and lucky to have a majestic backdrop & beautiful sky to give it added depth & character. This was in the middle of the main road in the median. I spent a few minutes with it, having to watch out for oncoming traffic, including a tour bus driver slowing down to motion at me & look at me like I was crazy!! Obviously, he wasn't seeing what I was seeing :-)
Wetland Wildflower - Everglades National Park, Florida - USA
A wildflower found in the wetlands of Everglades national park, with blue water and sawgrass providing the background abstraction.
This shot really jumped out at me while hiking a trail in Zion Nat'l Park Utah. The rock formations, reddish hue, and detail carved into the mountain was begging for me to create a piece from this spot. Also noteworthy is the rustic brownish cliffs in the distance. Thankfully, other hikers on the fairly busy trail were pretty patient with me as I tried to capture the artistic nature of this scene. With a gray sky, and feeling a bit rushed, I had a tough time doing it justice, and had to work at it a bit in editing to bring out the color that was seen by the naked eye.
An inscription carved into the granite at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. Taken at night with the lighting installations illuminating the wall.
