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Image taken along the shore line of Ruby Beach located in Forks, Washington. Evening sunset as a storm approached Olympic National Park.

After I put Diana on a plane New Years day I headed out to Olympic National Park. I traveled across the Puget Sound and deep into the Makah Indian Reservation with another photographer, Daniel Ewert. Talk about a great time and the weather was perfect for camping on Shi Shi beach. Well, when I mean perfect slightly above freezing and dry for the most part. We hit a little snow hiking out and driving to Forks and Ruby Beach, but all in all a great time was had. Those not familiar with Forks, Washington then you must not be caught up in the Twilight movies! We had great early and evening light to shoot the coast and plenty of clam chouder to warm us up in the afternoon. If visiting you must stay at the Kalaloch Lodge right along the coast line! Here are a few images from my trip with several more in my Olympic gallery. I also plan on add some more from Marymere Falls soon.

Image taken at the base of Mineral Mountain and along the north shore of Mystic Lake as the sun was setting. Northern area of Mt. Rainier National located in Mineral, Washington

Image taken of early morning backcountry and West Fork Creek that feed Mystic Lake. Clear water from Carbon Glacier, Mt. Rainer National Park located in Mineral, Washington

Image taken at dawn after a storm had passed over Mt. Rainier. Southwest facing shot from Van Trump Park Located on the south west side of Mt. Rainier in Ashford, Washington

Image taken along the Middle Prong Creek and Ramsey Cascade Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Just this past weekend we headed down to Gatlinburg, TN for a long weekend. The weather was not the best as it rained most the day on Friday, but it did clear up on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday we headed to Cades Cove and managed to get a 5 mile round trip hike in between the morning and late afternoon rain. We headed up to Abrams falls on the Little Bottoms Trail along Abrams Creek. This is a great day hike with plenty to see even before you get to Abrams Falls. On the way back I was fortunate enough to meet another photographer named Daniel Ewert. Daniel is also a Nature photographer and has an unbelievable collection of nature images on his web site. He is one of the most gifted photographers I have ever met and his images are very inspiring. You can check out Daniel’s work at the link above.

After our hike we toured around the rest of Cades Cove, a must stop while visiting the Smokies. There is always plenty of wildlife and if your lucky you will see a black bear hanging out in a tree. Plus there are a lot of historical buildings still in place and open to walk through. On Saturday we headed out to an auto tour of the Roaring Fork Nature Trail,  which is outside of Gatlinburg. This is also a great way to see a little of the Smokies without having to wonder to far away from the car. The Grotto Falls Hike is a must.  All in all it was a great weekend. One that will become a yearly trip and a longer one!!!!

This is an image taken at The Subway in Zion National Park located in Hurricane Utah.

Image taken along the shore line of Mystic Lake on the north base of Mineral Mountain and Mount Rainier.

Finally a trip built around backpacking and photography. We shot Mt. Rainier from about every angle and elevation. The weather was great, no rain for 8 days, which is unheard of in Washington. We took in the usual tourist hot spots like Paradise and Sunset, but we also hiked up and into the backcountry as well. We were about two weeks late for the prime wildflower pictures, however we found some still holding on at higher elevations. All in all a great time and a productive one as well. Places to hit include a night at Paradise Inn. Enjoy my Mt. Rainier gallery!

This image was taken on a trip to Shi Shi Beach on the cost of Washington.

This was a family vacations with a few mornings and one evening of photography mixed in. I should have taken advantage and spent more time shooting….oh well i came away with a few good images. Most of these images are taken at Topsail Hills State Park, and Henderson State Park. Destin, FL has some fantastic beaches and park areas. Plus, the boardwalk and intercostal areas are great for photography. I highly recommend visiting!

Image taken of the rising moon over the red canyon walls and mountains of Zion National Park. Located in Hurricane, Utah