Oh Come Let Us Adore Him.....

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him....

Salt Lake Temple

The soft, muted tones caused by inversion, create beautiful light on Temple Square. 

 (For those not familiar with inversion, "Inversions occur during the winter months when normal atmospheric conditions (cool air above, warm air below) become inverted. Inversions trap a dense layer of cold air under a layer of warm air. The warm layer acts much like a lid, trapping pollutants in the cold air near the valley floor." Salt Lake valley is like a bowl nestled between two mountain ranges making a perfect condition for inversions.) It's bad for the lungs but often makes for great photography!

Salt Lake Temple - Fisheye

Salt Lake Temple

When I photograph Temple Square at Christmas every year it becomes a challenge to find different and interesting perspectives and compositions. I took this photo a couple of years ago using a fisheye lens.

Penelope

Penny

I've been cleaning out photo files this morning and decided to share a photo of Penelope, (we call her Penny). She is a labradoodle, who joined our family a few weeks ago at age 5 months old. We hope she ends up as a medium sized dog weighing around 30 pounds. I don't know what I was thinking.....it's like having a mischievous toddler in the house again......but we couldn't resist that face. I promised her there would be no pink hair bows, no embarrassing Christmas sweaters and no rides in a doggie stroller!! However, we may have to get her googles when she rides with us in the RZR, (ATV)!!! Haha

Salt Lake Temple in the Mist

Salt Lake Temple in the Mist

(that sounds better than 'inversion' or 'smog')

I am such a wimp! It is so hard for me to take photos outside when it is cold, because it doesn't matter how many layers I have on, my fingers still go numb and stiff when trying to work with my camera. Nevertheless, I always force myself to spend an evening on Temple Square at Christmas time. Last night I went early at dusk before the crowd, and when I could photograph the temple and lights with a beautiful deep blue sky as a backdrop. It didn't dawn on me until I was half way there that the horrible inversion/smog/fog we are having right now would not make that possible. I went anyway, and even though breathing the air was probably not good for the lungs, it sure made for some mystical, misty photos.

Christmas Color in St. George, Utah

How About Some Christmas Color!

St George LDS Temple & Christmas Lights

St. George LDS Temple

(25 second exposure at f/4.5 aperture turned lights into starbursts.)

Supermoon, Ivins, Utah

Supermoon, Fire Lake, Ivins, Utah

Last Saturday's supermoon reflecting on Fire Lake in Ivins, Utah. I totally forgot about the supermoon and was in my car driving at dusk when I glanced out the side window and saw this spectacular moon barely above the horizon. Luckily I had my camera and immediately knew the closest place to find a decent composition was Fire Lake. I raced back there, jumped out of the car and stumbled down toward the lake. By then the moon was just barely peeking over the cliff. This image accurately portrays the scene as my eyes saw it. But this is not what my camera saw. Even with my lack of preparation, (and no tripod, or light to see my camera dials), I was still able to snap multiple exposures at various settings. Back home on the computer I combined the best ones, then did more editing to compensate for blur, noise, tilt, etc. Despite my lack of competence, and manipulations, I hope you enjoy this final image.

St. George Temple

St. George Temple

Christmas 2017

We are spending a few beautiful days at our little casita in southern Utah. Shortly before sunset there was a pretty boring blue sky, but I decided to go take photos of the St. George Temple anyway. I was delighted when a few minutes later, a few wispy clouds drifted by and then the sky turned a lovely magenta. Lucky me!

One Last Garden Flower

 One Last Garden Flower for 2017........
maybe!

Winter's Coming!

Winter is just around the corner in the mountains of southern Utah's red rock country!

Last Flower - 2017

I had to post one last flower image of the season to tide me over until Spring!

Thanksgiving Blessings

Enjoying the last sun rays of a beautiful day. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. At dinnertime we gathered around the table and each said what we were most thankful for this year. It was all about our family and loving relationships. We are so blessed. I hope you had a blessed day as well!

Gunlock Fall

Gunlock Reservoir

Hello Santa Clara! After the fun and excitement of Lake Powell and then wedding festivities, we are spending a quiet Thanksgiving get-away in southern Utah. I immediately went searching for some remaining fall color and was rewarded with this view near Gunlock Reservoir, taken just before sunset.

Goodbye Lake Powell Until Next Year!

Goodbye Lake Powell Until Next Year! 

We vacation in the early fall to enjoy the warm water, while avoiding the extreme heat of summer. Another bonus is that there are less people. I always keep peaceful scenes of tranquility like this one in my mind's eye and on my computer screen to help me get through the cold, snowy winter months ahead.....oh wait, we just go to southern Utah and spend those months hiking and photographing in Zion National Park! So blessed!

One more Lake Powell Sunrise

One more Lake Powell sunrise. Every morning for 10 days there was another great photo op, and all I had to do was walk a few yards from the houseboat and point my camera in any direction!

Another Beautiful Lake Powell Sunrise

My grandson and I enjoying a beautiful sunrise walk. Every year we spend 10 days in the Halls Bay area of Lake Powell.

Magical Sky - Lake Powell

It is amazing that almost every day at Lake Powell we are treated to a beautiful sunrise or sunset, and often both. Each one is unique and magical and reminds me that where ever our earthly challenges are, no matter how severe or debilitating, we all share the same glorious sky. We can glimpse into the heavens and enjoy the beauty we see and we can ponder the limitless possibilities of eternity.

Lake Powell Flowers

Many people think of Lake Powell as a barren landscape of only red cliffs and blue water, like this first photo. But there is also desert vegetation and plants, and even a few tiny flowers still blooming in October like the two following photos:

Lake Powell Sunrise - 2017

Another Glorious Lake Powell Sunrise!