Spectacular Eruption

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks"

-John Muir

"Beehive Erupts", 2012
Beehive Geyser
Yellowstone National Park, WY

Beehive Geyser erupts once a day during the summer months.  Its eruption is spectacular with sprays of 200 feet high.  These eruptions are actually longer and higher than that of Ole Faithful, the famous geyser that is located feet away from Beehive.

On our private guided tour of Yellowstone, we happened to drive up to the location of Beehive about 5 minutes prior to the eruption for the day.  Our tour guide was ecstatic because he recognized the indicator of the eruption activating upon our arrival.  It gave us just the right amount of time to get situated and experience the amazing eruption of this mysterious natural event.  The eruption lasted over five minutes and I captured many photos. 

I have always been moved by the drama of black and white photographs so I chose to photograph much of my experience at Yellowstone in black and white.  "Beehive Erupts"captures the crowd witnessing the eruption, the drama of the spray, and the beautiful clouds in the sky in black and white.  

When looking at this image I find myself thinking back to the early explorers who discovered Yellowstone ... I can't imagine their thoughts about the erupting earth, bubbling waters, and mysterious activity throughout the land. 

Glory and Beauty Unite

"The glories and beauties of form, color, and sound unite in the Grand Canyon"
-John Wesley Powell, 1909

The Grand Canyon...what an awesome sight to be seen!  One can not explain the beauty in this unbelievable natural monument.  

It was 2008 when my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to the Grand Canyon while on a trip to Arizona.  It was in January when we made the trip.  The afternoon we arrived the weather was crisp and clear.   This quickly changed when snow moved into the canyon.

"Canyon through the Snow", 2008
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Grand Canyon in the Clouds, 2008
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

We wanted to know where the best place was to see the sun rise over the canyon.  We were told to go up to Desert View, the farthest eastern point on the South Rim of the Canyon.  We woke up early and traveled the distance through ice and snow and arrived just in time to witness the sun peak over the top of the canyon walls.  What a spectacular event.  

"Sun Breaking over Desert View", 2008
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Words and photos cannot begin to capture the absolute beauty and the grandeur of the Grand Canyon but it is clearly a photographers wonderland.  

Something Marvelous

"In all things of nature, there is something marvelous"

-Aristotle

"Rebirth", 2012
Yellowstone National Park, WY

Who would think that a photograph of fallen trees would become one of my favorite compositions?  This image has grown on me over the months after I took it.  There is something about the rebirth of grass coming out among the fallen tree trunks that appeals to me.  The colors are vibrant and full of life and the symmetry of the tree trunks adds composition. 

While in Yellowstone, our family was treated to a personal guided tour of the park.  This was an all day event and we only had a chance to tour half of the park.  We learned so much about the history of Yellowstone as well as the many intriguing facts of the terrain, nature, and wildlife that makes it such a unique place to visit.  I found it very interesting to learn about the life cycle of nature and the importance of wildfires to the growth.  It is a common site to find dead trees charred from a wildfire in the middle of a beautiful meadow of green grass.  This is what is captured in "Rebirth".  The image defines the marvelous cycle of life.

Beautiful Imperfections

"If you look closely at a tree you'll notice it's knots and dead branches, just like our bodies.  What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully"

-Matthew Fox

"Gnarled Roots", 2012
Yellowstone National Park, WY

Yellowstone National Park is a photographer's dream come true.  The colors are vivid, the scenery amazing, and everything just seems to scream to be photographed.  During our RV trip out west we spent quite a bit of time exploring Yellowstone.   I was amazed by the beauty of everything.  The colors were spectacular and there was such a variety.  I was particularly impressed by the combination of new and old growth throughout the Park.  In 1988, Yellowstone National Park experienced its largest wildfire in history - over 793,880 acres or 36% of the Park was burned.  Still today visitors to the Park can see the remains of this fire throughout its scenery.  It is very common to see a tree that has fallen due to fire or other means amidst the rebirth of grass.  In "Gnarled Roots" the beauty and shape of the roots of a dead tree is captured among the green of the new grass.  The image reveals the dead branches, knots in the trunk, and the variation in the roots.  It is the imperfection of all these that makes this dead tree a beautiful combination of shapes and colors.

Swaying in the Wind

"Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven"

-Rabindranath Tagore

"Through the Trees", 2012
Yellowstone National Park, WY

I have always been fascinated with trees.  I love everything about them ... their shade, strength, flexibility, and color.  They provide us with so much.  

Several years ago (probably too many to count) I had to provide a devotion to a group of seniors.  I didn't have anything prepared and was sitting on my front porch looking out at the many trees that filled my yard.  The wind was blowing briskly and I watched as the trees swayed back and forth.  Right then and there I realized I may not have a written devotion to share with the group but a lesson was being provided to me right in front of my eyes.  I quickly grabbed my notebook and started writing down my thoughts.... 

Trees tell us a lot about our relationship with God.  If you watch a tree sway in the wind you see that as long as the tree is grounded with a strong set of roots and a strong trunk, it can handle the wind by swaying back and forth.  This parallels with life itself.... As long as we are grounded with a strong relationship with God, we can get through anything life blows our way.  We can sway back and forth in order to keep from breaking because we are grounded with God.   Now, many years later, I still think about these thoughts when I am looking at trees.  It's a good way to keep grounded in my relationship with God.

I am drawn to trees.  I love looking at the shapes of their branches, the colors of their leaves, and how they define their surroundings.  In "Through the Trees" I love the contrast between the branches of this pine tree and the sky.  The patterns of the branches are beautiful and to see the clouds in the sky against them makes it even more beautiful.  If I look closer at the photograph, I can hear the wind blow and see the branches move while the tree sways back and forth.  It is a strong tree with its roots grounded.

Comforting Water

"Water is the driving force in nature" 

- Leonardo de Vinci

"Babbling Brook", 2012
Glacier National Park, MT

Water...it is a necessity to life.  We all need water to survive but have we looked deeper into that statement?  Yes, water is necessary for our bodies to survive physically but what about how important water is for the survival of our mental and emotional lives?  Water acts as a relaxant to many.  I know it is a relaxing factor in my life.  I remember as a child traveling to the beach with friends and sleeping with our windows open.  The sound of the waves crashing onto the beach provided me with a sense of peace.  Still to this day, the sound of water - may it be a beach with crashing waves, a mountain stream or a babbling brook - calms me.

In the photograph "Babbling Brook" the movement of the water is captured and the sound can almost be heard while looking at the image.  One can imagine the sound of the water flowing downstream, see the bubbles coming to the top of the water and feel the wetness of the stream.  "Babbling Brook" provides that sense of comfort without being right next to a water source.  I wanted to capture this comforting feeling of water in this photograph.

The Symphony of Queen Anne's Lace

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common - this is my symphony."

- William Henry Channing

"Queen Lace", 2012
Glacier National Park, MT

Queen Anne's Lace - weed or wildflower?  I love how Queen Anne's Lace covers the ground and provides a softness as well as show the delicacy of the pedals in "Queen Lace".

Legend says that Queen Anne, the wife of King James I was challenged by her friends to create lace as beautiful as a flower.  While making the lace, she pricked her finger, and it is said that the purple red flower in the center of Queen Anne's Lace represents a droplet of her blood.  Also called Wild Carrot (since Queen Anne's Lace is the wild progenitor of today's carrot), Bishop's Lace, or Bird's Nest(for the nest like appearance of the bright white and rounded flower in full bloom), in the language of flowers, Queen Anne's Lace represents sanctuary (The Meaning & Symbolism of Queen Anne's Lace, Teleflora).