Story Behind the Image 6: Medicine Bow Milky Way

This story is one for the books, truly, as I’ll also be adding this image to my book when I can finally get it complete. Taken within the Snowy Mountain Range in Eastern Wyoming, Medicine Bow peak stands tall at 12,018ft. The goal was to capture this stunning “wave-structured” peak in the Wyoming wilderness with the Milky Way galaxy shooting out of the top whilst showcasing the many alpine lakes below.

It took me two attempts to get the shot I had in mind. First attempt was quite wild while the second was more relaxed and much comfortable. The total hike was 4mi round trip with about 1,000ft of elevation gain. And of course this shot had to be done at night to get the milky way in prime viewing.

The first attempt (Image 1): After some research to get to the trail I had to get onto and the amount I’d be hiking, I arrived around 11pm and made my way to the trail. After adventuring on the trail for about .25mi my flashlights died. Yes, both my flashlights were useless surrounding in miles of wilderness that I was most likely alone in to only try and avoid the Mountain Lions, Moose, Elk, Cows and Bears! So after contemplating about moving forward for a few minutes, as I still had 1.5mi left of my hike to the get to the view, I decided to go ahead and use my phone flashlight as the only light which garnered me about 10ft of view distance. Using my ears and keeping my head on a swivel for stalking Mountain Lions and plenty of switchbacks. I made it to the spot, and although beautiful, there was one problem. I was late, the Milky Way had already made its way behind Medicine Bow and was tilting out of frame, and if you have noticed in my photography, I love symmetry and balance. So after taking a few photos I decided it was no longer worth it and trekked back down the 2mi and thankfully got back to my car without encountering any wildlife, that I know of. So that takes me to attempt two.

Attempt 2 (2nd and 3rd images): Two nights passed of clouds and I decided it was time to try again and see if I could accomplish the shot I wanted. This time I left a little earlier. At around 9pm I made it to the trailhead and started the 2mi hike. With new batteries in the flashlights and carrying my good ole 40lbs photography bag I made my way up the 1,000ft climb. This time it was a little darker out as the Moon hadn’t risen above the horizon yet. So after taking time to navigate and understand where I was I set up shop. After a little bit of trial and error with focus, I got what I had gone there for. The Milky Way, standing up tall, over Medicine Bow, with the alpine lakes below. This shot was super rewarding not only because of failing the first night but because my plan was exact. I was able to have plenty of time to get different views and different compositions below the stars. Definitely my favorite Milky Way shot from 2022 and I can’t wait to see what I can capture this coming year.

Attempt 1: The Milky Way can be seen behind Medicine Bow Peak with some crazy hues in the sky as well. And the ridgeline of mountains that reach out to the peak as well.

Attempt 2 Image 1: The Milky Way exactly where I had envisioned and even created a stunning reflection in the water of the lakes below. The long exposure brought out just enough detail in the mountains for this compelling shot.

Attempt 2 Image 2: A little rotation in the Milky Way but that’s better than it being straight up for this image. It had some balance to the alright right heavy frame and balanced nicely along the Alpine Lakes.

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Thank you for reading and plenty more blogs to come!

Story Behind the Image: 6

This image was something I had thought about before. Never thinking about ever having the opportunity to take this photograph though. The idea came back when I was catching up with a friend when he started sharing about his flight experience in a Cessna C170B. Of course this conversation sparked my interest and I had to ask for a trip around downtown Pittsburgh. So then we started planning, he created a flight plan and I started researching angles I could possibly get from 3,000ft within the sky. This photograph however was the main one I wanted to capture throughout the whole flight. So when we went past Point State Park and the rest of downtown, the plane roll was a perfect spot to be able to capture the wing and the city within one frame from the window. The reflection on the wing was completely unexpected but brought another amazing detail to this frame.

I went about taking this photograph as how I would any take any photograph, figure out exposure, make any more adjustments and make sure I’m getting clear photographs through any possible obstacles such as the window I shot through for this frame. Once I have all of that figured out I just buckled down and started photographing as much as I could as we were moving pretty quickly around the downtown area. Being comfortable while taking photographs is not a must but it sure helps, with my fear of heights it took me some time to get over being suspended in air with mild turbulence, but after 20min or so I was comfortable with the discomfort and was able to capture some of my personal favorite images and perspectives I’ve been able to capture of downtown Pittsburgh.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and I look forward to sharing another photographic story, of course ask any questions you may think of and I’ll be sure to get back to you! Thank you for taking the time to read about this Pittsburgh aerial photograph!

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The Water of Death Valley

If the desert is mentioned you'd probably think of a barren wasteland that has nothing around it but rattlesnakes, sand, and the sun. Death Valley National Park’s name even offers and feeds to this generalization of deserts around the globe. But truthfully there is still life that flourishes in these harsher environments even though it’s not as saturated as other ecosystems. The 3.4-million-acre park has much to offer from its many oasis, sand dunes, mountains, and even having the lowest point in North America, with its lowest point reaching -282ft.

This park has many valleys, but those valleys aren’t just flat desert they offered a wide variety of places to enjoy. Of course, for there to be a valley there are mountain ranges that surround these valleys, the most famous in the park being the Panamint Range. Throughout my visit at this park I tried to see as much as possible and capture the many things that water brings life to in the valley of death.

Death Valley was also important at the beginning as it was prosperous mining region for many decades. It graced the likes of many pioneers who wanted to get rich off the many minerals. There are 61 known geological formations within the park and there are still 20 formations that have not been added to the collection. There are also 3 different formations that have unofficial names. The many different rock types brought people to Death Valley in the beginning and keep bringing people back.

That’s not the only thing that brings people to Death Valley either, there are plenty of other things to enjoy such as sand dunes, salt flats, ghost-towns, different plants and animals, and the amazing stars. Only the plants and the salt flats are pictured below, so you’ll have to wait for further blog posts or visit for yourself to see the rest

Death Valley National Park deserves to be preserved because of these many things and the unique landscape it encompasses. In these photographs I hope I can give you a feel of what it feels like to be in these remote locations and observing the beauty unfold. The many sunrises, sunsets, stars, etc. are amazing sights within themselves but are more spectacular than those that are inhibited by chemicals in the air of cities and the light pollution blocking the stars. These natural spaces offer way more than people realize how they help you understand yourself and the world around you more as well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post and enjoy these photographs. I hope you’ll make the trip to Death Valley to enjoy its unique beauty.

At the bottom is a video that explains these ideas more!

Erosion flowing down the mountain can be seen throughout the different ridges and then the valley floor below.

The beginning of salt flats .

Water run-off from the mountains above.

A clump of salt being formed on the surface after evaporating

Salt flats for miles.

Human tire-track destruction on the desert floor over mud-cracks.

Water run-off with desert plants in the shadows.

Water erosion through the desert floor creating empty banks.

Panamint Mountain Range during sunrise. Snow melt creates erosion on the mountain-sides.

Salt flats happen from rainfall that evaporates too quickly (from the desert sun) before the next rainfall and creates this layer on top of the ground.

Mud-cracks from hot desert sun and little to no rainfall.

Salt flats

A fully grown desert plant basking in the desert rays.

Water run-off from the rugged mountains and colorful rocks.

Erosion in this spectacular area a couple miles North of the Panamint Range.

More erosion in front of the Panamint Range

Thank you for reading my post about the water in Death Valley National Park!

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The Elements to the "Dreamscapes"

A couple months ago I shared a blog post about a photoshop project I did of “Dreamscapes”. These dreamscapes helped me see a different way in Photoshop. (I know my way around photoshop, have just never composited images to this extreme). When first starting this project I was just thinking about doing one of them, but that quickly turned into four more projects for a total of five. This group of composites took about 50 hours working in Photoshop. It really shows how powerful these programs are to be able to complete compositions with different photographs. In this series there are photographs featured from all over the world forming to create one. I hope you enjoy and your imagination grows!

Desert Sails - This was the first one I made, it included sand dunes, the milky way, and a sailboat. This creation was to fill it all with Irony. Sailing on sand, and Stars during Sunset. I mainly masked and then did some color correction to fit the mood and scenery.

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Used the Milky Way. Masked out the umbrella and clouds.

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Cropped this shot vertically and used it as the base.

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Masked out the boat. Photoshopped the people off the boat. Masked to use the sun.

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Lake House Moonrise - This image was created to bring the idea of a walk in pool. This image has the moody grass fading into a lake that is from Montana.

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Used the barn and the grass.

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Used the mountains and beautiful sunset light.

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Used this image to add a layer of stars

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Bridge to the Lights - This image was created to incorporate Northern Lights I was able to capture in Iceland. Then to have them placed about a gorgeous bridge that is in New York.

Northern Lights used for the sky. Masking and Layer Effects.

Used the bridge as the main subject.

Used the S-Curve river and the pine trees to add depth.

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Yosemite Dream - I wanted this to be a dream in Yosemite National Park. Having the Hot Air Balloons brings me the dream of the valley. If one day they released Hot Air Balloons I’ll be there. California made me think of hot so I added the ice to add the Irony.

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Used this ice image for the foreground.

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Used this image as the base layer.

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Looking to San Francisco - This image I wanted to incorporate my enjoyment of the city of San Francisco. And also add in the amazing landscape features to compliment it.

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Used the sunrise to lighten up San Francisco.

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Used this image for the gorgeous bridge.

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San Francisco Aerial image as the Base Layer.

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Masked and created a frame.

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Thank you for reading!

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Upstate New York

At the end of the summer I decided to sleep and travel through central New York to North Western New York. Some of the most beautiful locations on the east coast are contained in this area. The locations I went to are Letchworth State Park, Chimney Bluffs State Park, and had a little fun of exploring in Rochester. While on this trip I wanted to sleep in my car so I found places to sleep each of the nights I was traveling. Many hours of driving and hard-work here are some of the images!

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San Francisco

After a lot of recovering and relaxation. I traveled back to San Francisco to enjoy the views and vacation there. Some of the cool locations were downtown San Francisco, V. Sattui Winery, along the Coast, and I met a sea lion. Here are some of the images!

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Philadelphia

Going back to Philadelphia was an adventure to see some old friends but also photograph the city with a new eye and my drone. Attending school there and then transferring was not something I expected but something that was needed for my photography career. Being back in this city brought new light to me starting to like Philly more, but not as comforting as my network back  in Pittsburgh. Below are some of the images I captured while here! Hope you enjoy!

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Aruba

Welcome to Aruba, I small little Island about 19mi long and 8mi wide with winds that average 18mph everyday. I was here February 10-18 of 2018 exploring and experiencing the Aruban culture and climate. One thing that stuck out most to me was the windy days combined with the heat created a great temperature to enjoy during the day. Aruba being a touristy destination has a lot to offer. You can quad around the Island, jet ski, sunset cruises, parasailing, snorkeling, you name it they probably have it. From the most northern part of the island to the most southern part of the island it is lined with hotel after hotel on the left side, and on the right it's lined with beautiful rocky scenery and a National Park. This small little island only being 6mi from Venezuela is apart of South America. Being this close to South America made me want to have an impromptu trip to Peru, but that would've been a little hard to do considering the time of year. The activities I was able to experience were the Quads, a couch type tubing in the sea, a sunset cruise, and then I watched wild Pelican's hunt for food off the beaches by the resort. This trip was filled with drama, I almost lost my drone to 25mph winds and the sea, I was thankfully able to bring it back; the wind also played a game of knocking over my camera and tripod every once and awhile. The landscape and the people were great and fun. Here are images I took from this trip!

The famous Divi Tree. This was a must have shot, I went during sunrise. Did not regret it, except this is when the wind knocked my camera and tripod over 3 times!

The rocky coast drew my eye when I saw the waves crashing and leaking through the cracks. 

This image from my drone is a product of 25MPH winds carrying my drone to the sea and me fighting to bring it back. 

Pelican hunting at 4pm for dinner

Golden Hour wings

The beautiful California Lighthouse during Sunset. With some Cacti in the foreground.

Beautiful rainbow during one morning

What is left of the Natural Bridge. Was fortunate enough to come go here for sunrise.

Beautiful sunrise shooting through stacked rocks.

Waves were shooting into this wall and jumping out taller than me standing on top of this. About a 10ft drop into the first level of this wave pool.

Thank you for reading this post about my trip to Aruba. If you would like to see more blog posts like this please check this trip out I'll be going on in May. Please do not feel pressured to donate, but it would be a great help and you get a free print!

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Drone!

Recently I got the DJI Mavic Pro drone. This thing is a beast for what it's been through so far. I flew it in the snow storm, sunny days, snowy days, and in decently fast winds. I try to not really test my equipment, but it's become a habit recently; you'd be surprised as to what this gear can do.  I've been able to fly it in Maine, Pennsylvania, and Aruba so far. I will definitely bring it with me wherever I go to continuously look in different perspectives. This drone will be a great tool to have on this upcoming summer road-trip!

Here are some photos I've been able to photograph already.

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National Park Exploration

Coming up this year in May - June of 2018 a few friends and I will be making way across the country to experience all the beautiful sights and wildlife. Along side this experience, I will be photographing and sharing the experience through social media. We are accepting donations to help us with this trip, but if you donate enough you can receive a Free Print of your Choice from the trip!! The remainder of the donations we receive will be donated to SeaLegacy to help improve the healthiness of our oceans. 

Here is the link to the fundraising page! All donations are appreciated and a lot of help! 
https://gogetfunding.com/cross-country-exploration/

Here is the map and the names of every place we'll be visiting. 
If you have any questions please contact me at anytime! 

We will be starting in Pittsburgh, PA > Chicago, IL > Maquoketa, IA > Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refugee, NE > Badlands National Park, SD > Custer State Park, SD > Black Hills National Forest, SD > Thunder Basin National Grassland, WY > Yellowstone National Park, WY > Grand Teton National Park, WY > Glacier National Park, MT > Banff National Park, Canada > Yoho National Park, Canada > North Cascades National Park, WA > Seattle, WA > Olympic National Park, WA > Mount Rainier National Park, WA > Portland, OR > Siuslaw National Forest, OR > Brookings, Oregon > Travertine Hot Springs, CA > Yosemite National Park, CA > San Francisco, CA > National Bridges State Beach, CA > Big Sur, CA > El Matador Beach Road, CA >  Death Valley National Park, CA > Joshua Tree National Park, CA > Las Vegas, NV > Grand Canyon National Park, AZ > Zion National Park, UT > Bryce Canyon, UT > Antelope Canyon, AZ > Monument Valley, UT > Canyonlands National Park, UT > White River National Forest, CO > Garden of the Gods, CO > Rocky Mountains, CO.

We are hoping this trip can change our life, conserve these beautiful parks, and help make the oceans cleaner.

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