Poppies in Alpine

 Poppy Field in Alpine

NOTES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS.  Learn to be flexible!  Expectations can change when you are 'in the field', (in this case, literally)!  I left early to capture soft morning light, but by the time I found this location the sun was above the mountain and the light was harsh.  Plus, there were already photographers, painters, hikers and bikers roaming around this small area.  I was not going to leave without a few shots, so I opted to shoot into the sun to back light the poppies and create an interesting sunflare.  I had to take my shots in between people walking into the scene and in front of my camera!

Kayenta Spring

Kayenta

Ivins, Utah

I took this just a few minutes before 9:00 pm.  Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE living in Utah, I LOVE spring in the desert, and I LOVE daylight savings time!!!  (It is about 5 minutes away from home.)

Gunlock Reservoir - Spring 2019

Gunlock Reservoir

NOTES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Color is critical in landscape and nature photography if your goal is to capture what you really see.  One of many ways to make your photos more interesting with color in mind, is to find scenes that attract attention because they are "color coordinated".  In other words, find compositions that have similar color shades and tones in different elements and positions in the frame.

Salt Lake Temple - The Blue Hour

Salt Lake Temple - The Blue Hour

This photo of the Salt Lake Temple was taken during what is known as the 'blue hour', or twilight, occurring just before sunrise (or after sunset). The dots in the water reflections are coins.)

 

Argentine Cactus

Giant Argentine Cactus

One of the largest and most beautiful cactus blossoms I've photographed.

Spring Blossoms

Dreamy Spring Blossoms

Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Hearts 
Lamprocapnos spectabilis or Dicentra spectabilis

"I know a bleeding-heart plant that has thrived
for sixty years if not more, and has never
missed a spring without rising and spreading
itself into a grassy bush, with many small red
hearts dangling. Don't you think that deserves
a little thought? The woman who planted it
has been gone for a long time, and everyone
who saw it in that time has also died or moved
away and so, like so many stories, this one can't
get finished properly. Most things that are
important, have you noticed, lack a certain
neatness. More delicious, anyway is to
remember my grandmother's pleasure when
the dissolve of winter was over and the green
knobs appeared and began to rise, and to cre-
ate their many hearts. One would say she was
a simple woman, made happy by simple
things. I think this was true. And more than
once, in my long life, I have wished to be her."

                             ---Mary Oliver

I will miss these beautiful spring flowers in my garden!

Spring on Temple Square 2019 - 2

Dancing at Dawn

Spring on Temple Square 2019 - 1

Spring on Temple Square - 2019

It was a beautiful morning on Temple Square. I never get tired of my annual Spring visit!

Desert Primrose

Desert Primrose

One of my favorite challenges when I take photos of flowers in nature is to find the smaller and often overlooked little gems, and then try to show off their modest beauty in the best possible way I can. When I saw this tiny Desert Primrose plant beside the dusty dirt road we were on, I knew it had potential!!

Joshua Blooms 2019

Hello!  I haven't been around for the past several months.  (Thanks to those who inquired if everything was alright.)  Just too much going on, (travel, Disneyland with the grands, purchase of new house, and preparing another house to sell), that I had to put my camera away for awhile.  But a couple of weeks ago I stole a few minutes just before sunset to drive into Snow Canyon for a shot of my favorite Joshua Tree.  It's my favorite because of the beautiful background to show it off.  This year was a Joshua Tree super bloom.  A few bloom every year but most do not, then some years they have a super bloom when most all the trees in Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California bloom during the same season.  The experts don't know exactly how they all know which year to bloom!  P.S.  Our new home is right behind the red cliffs in the distance.

Quail Creek State Park, Utah

Quail Creek State Park, Utah

I bet there are a few fishermen out there who would be jealous of these two enjoying a sunny winter day out on the lake!

Watchman Peak, Zion National Park

Watchman Peak

Zion National Park

This is a magical place! It surprises and delights me every time I'm there. Having a bit of cabin fever yesterday, and needing to get away for a few hours, I grabbed my camera and took off. Without having a specific place to go, I found myself heading toward Zion, as I often do. It was just about sunset when I arrived at this iconic photo op. Every time I cross this bridge I tell myself I can't shoot this scene one more time, yet I always do, and rarely have I been disappointed. This time the bridge was full of photogs and visitors, as it always is, waiting for a beautiful sunset that never happened. The sun was hidden behind a sky full of clouds and the landscape was dark and dull. A man visiting the park for the first time walked over to where I was standing with my camera and tripod set up, looked at the scene, and asked what was everyone looking at. About this time most of the photographers were packing up to leave. Finally everyone was gone except for four other photographers and myself. We waited and waited and waited, and finally two gave up and left. The rest of us waited some more as it got darker and colder. Then finally the magic happened! It was like Mother Nature was going to reward us for our patience with a beautiful show. Slowly Watchman Peak appeared to have a very faint warm glow that slowly spread to the surrounding red cliffs and then began to grow more intense. As the clouds continued to disperse revealing blue sky, a few lingering sun rays directly hit the cliffs turning them instantly into a neon shade of orange which lit up the whole scene. It was lovely to behold! Another bit of magic that happens in this place is that the Virgin river, normally a muddy river with a dull green tinge, seems to take on the color of the sky at sunset. I have photos where the river is green, turquoise, rosy pink, and various shades of blue, depending on the color of the sky.Below is a photo I took of this scene before the magic happened:

Winter Scene in Springdale, Utah

  A drab, colorless winter scene is transformed with golden sunset light. 

(Taken near Springdale, Utah on the way to Zion.)

Snow Canyon Rainbow

Just outside Snow Canyon State Park, Utah

NOTES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:  A polarizing filter on your camera lens will make rainbow colors pop!

Snow Canyon - January 2019

A break in the storm over Snow Canyon, Utah.

Have I mentioned that I love Utah!!

Ivins, Utah - January Rainstorm

Ivins, Utah - January Rainstorm

.....and the much needed rains came to the deserts of southern Utah, creating seasonal waterfalls and a misty, magical scene to enjoy and photograph. This is 5 minutes from our southern Utah home but just out of the frame are beautiful homes in Kayenta that have this view every day.

Gunlock Reservoir, Utah

Gunlock Reservoir

 January 2019

I think watching sunsets must be a natural remedy to lower blood pressure and stress! This is what I saw last evening at Gunlock Reservoir.

Mt. Timpanogos Temple - December, 2018

Snow and Glow

Grand Canyon Overlook

Here's a few more photos I initially ignored, taken in March of 2018, but rethinking that they deserve a little love, if only to remember one of our RZR (ATV) trips last year. We rode from St. George to this remote Grand Canyon overlook. I don't remember if it had a name, but we were in Whitmore Canyon.