Red Cliffs Recreation Area, Leeds, Utah

Red Cliffs Recreation Area

Leeds, Utah

I'm told this beautiful little waterfall only flows in the spring.  We arrived at the perfect time for the early morning sun to cast a golden light on the red cliffs and in the water.

Spring Comes Softly

On my travels today I saw a beautiful flowering tree with branches hanging over a fence into a parking lot.  I had to stop and take some photos.  I think I'm finally convinced that Spring is really on the way!

Early Spring in St. George

Reminds me of a song lyric.....

'softer than a summer's breeze'

I'm lovin' the Lensbaby.  This lens has the ability to make the 'ordinary' look 'magical'!  I took this photo a few days ago of the first blossoms on a scrawny flowering tree in the parking strip on a street in downtown St. George.

St. George Temple

St. George Temple

I think I'm getting too old to take photos from this angle. It probably took me longer to lie down on the ground & then get back up, than it did to actually take the photo!!! But sometimes the most interesting compositions are taken from a perspective either above or below where one would normally hold a camera! (For my non Utah friends, this is the LDS Temple, (Mormon), in St. George, Utah.)

Squawbush Buds

Squawbush Buds 

(photographed at sunset)

Photogs anxiously waiting for spring flowers to bloom can always get a jump on the season by photographing interesting and colorful buds.

Floral Daydream

Floral Daydream

Sometimes a different presentation of something ordinary can show the beauty of nature in a unique way.  This is a small ice plant flower photographed at Red Hills Desert Gardens in St. George, Utah.

(Effect created with two exposures each with a different manual soft focus, then combined in PS.)

Zion National Park in Winter

Zion National Park

(vertical panorama)

Waterfalls in Zion National Park

Waterfall in Zion National Park

Two photog friends and I spent a fun and drizzly day shooting waterfalls in Zion.  The magic only happens after lots of rain.

Sunrise in Snow Canyon

I needed my sunglasses on a sunrise walk in beautiful Snow Canyon.  

A great way to start the day!

Day's End!

  A beautiful end to Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hugs and kisses to warm the soul,

words that are thoughtful and sweet,

and strawberries covered in chocolate to eat.

Sounds like a perfect Valentine's Day to me!!

Fire Lake, Utah (2)

Fire Lake, Ivins, Utah

I love how the sunset light lit up the foreground rocks.  These are the mountains I see from our southern Utah winter home and this was taken about 3-4 miles from home.

Fire Lake, Ivins, Utah

Fire Lake, Ivins, Utah

I think I know how Fire Lake got its name.  This is how it looks at sunset on a beautiful winter day.  If you look really close on the right side of the photo above the lake you can see some of the homes of Kayenta blending in beautifully with this spectacular scenery.

Frozen in Time

And the Title is......

'Frozen in Time'....or how about, 'Death by Ice'.....'Frozen Pink'....'Cold Snap'....'Lost Gravity'....'God's Tears'?????  All suggestions from FB and IG. 

Frozen Flowers

Bored....picked up flowers at grocery store.....submerged in water....put in freezer.....put frozen 'flower block' next to window....attached Lensbaby to camera....started clicking.....HAD FUN and got my artistic 'fix' for the day!!! (P.S. I declare this RED WEEK in honor of Valentine's Day!)

Gunlock Resevoir

Gunlock Reservoir, Utah

Even a winter palette of grays and browns, (with a touch of orange), can make an interesting landscape. Oh, and a beautiful blue sky with puffy clouds helps too!

Mount Routi, Moorea

The island of Moorea, just a short ferry ride from Tahiti, is the most beautiful tropical paradise I have visited. This is Mount Routi and Cooks Bay.  We were able to visit this magical place two times during our 18 month stay in the South Pacific.

Seven Day Nature Photo Challenge

Arenal Volcano, Cost Rica

A Facebook friend has challenged me to post a favorite nature photo for seven days, so thought I post them here as well.  For my first day, I'm choosing a photo that represents a magical experience for me. We had just checked into our lodge room at Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. It was cloudy and rainy on our ride there and we couldn't see the volcano. We brought our bags to the room and unpacked. Probably took about 15 minutes. I finally went to the sliding glass door that led to the balcony, pulled back the drapes, and this was our view! We sat on the balcony and enjoyed one of the most beautiful scenes ever!!  (I'm having trouble with FB and blogger adding saturation to my photos during upload.  It is true the colors were stunning, but the greens here are too vibrant.)

Gunlock, Utah

Gunlock, Utah

This was taken a few miles from my southern Utah home.  One doesn't have to go to far away places to find interesting scenes to enjoy and photograph.  I try to remember that a far away place to me is someone else's backyard!!

Ivins, Utah

Ivins, Utah

After days and days of rain and gloomy weather, today was glorious in southern Utah with mild temperatures, beautiful blue skies, 3D clouds and winter light making the red cliffs vibrant. The photography 'gods' knew I needed a spiritual boost today and led me to this view, just a few miles from our home. I was first surprised and then in awe to see this temporary waterfall, and several smaller ones, formed from all the recent rain. I have been in this area many times, (Ivins, Utah), and never knew this happened. (I just noticed the similarities in this photo and my last post taken in Kauai.)