Best Landscape Photos of 2016

2016 was another incredible year of photography and adventure! Between teaching workshops, assignments, and personal travel, I managed to visit a lot of new locations as well as old favorites (and drove over 25,000 miles again!). A quick highlight of this year's escapades:

1. Backcountry Ski Huts - I went from being a complete noob at backcountry skiing and hut trips the year before to a "seasoned pro" with 5 new huts visited in 2016. I mostly got better because I finally bought my own gear, and it's super light, but I like to think I improved my skills some as well.
2. Running most of the Zion Traverse - I organized a group run of the Zion Traverse, a 48 mile run across the park from the East Portal to Lee Pass Trailhead. We had snow, rain, fog, sleet, mud, mud, mud, and everything else, so while we stopped at 35 miles, it was still an incredible adventure. As a bonus afterwords I went to the Grand Canyon and ran to Phantom Ranch and back.
3. Scuba Diving Trip to Cozumel - We made our first scuba diving trip and spent a week on the beautiful island of Cozumel, Mexico. There's no other experience like it and I only wish I had done it sooner!
4. Colorado Trail Assignment - I spent a few weekends this summer on assignment for 5280 photographing the awesome runners Heath Kirschner and Paul Landry on their quest to run the Colorado Trail. I got a chance to run parts of the trail, including the superb Segment 24 in the Weminuche Wilderness, and spent time with their amazing families.
5. Wind River Range Backpacking - Not one, but two 4 day/40+ mile backpacking trips in the Wind River Range this year. I had over 30 days of backpacking again and those were definitely the best. There's so many trails, so few people, and so much incredible wilderness, and mosquitoes...
6. New Mexico Exploration - I've spent time in New Mexico before, including a 10-day backpacking trek at Philmont, but it's an area I've seriously neglected since moving to Colorado. This trip helped rectify that as we spent a week of the summer checking out the towns and monuments of the northern half of the state.
7. Annual trips to the PNW & SW - I don't think I could ever get sick of visiting the incredible landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.
8. Havasupai - After years of wanting to make it down to photography and visit Havasu Falls, I finally made it this fall. A last minute trip with new friends made for an awesome time full of adventure and cliff-jumping!
9. Colorado Fall Time-lapse Film - After 5 years of filming and work I finishing my first time-lapse film of the incredible fall scenes in Colorado. I still can't believe the overwhelming responses to it and it's definitely inspired me to create more! (video link at the bottom)

Between all the adventures and work I struggled per usual to edit an inkling of all the images I captured. Of those I did edit though, these are some of my favorites. Feel free to enjoy the pretty views or you're inclined to know more you can read some of the background info under each one.

P.S. Some of this year's adventures have led to a new and big project for 2017, so check back in the coming weeks for more info!

Autumn Sunrise over Sneffels Range

Nothing represents the incredible colors and drama of fall in Colorado more than this image. I've been exploring and photographing the state for over 8 years, and I've constantly come back to this location in the San Juan Mountains. Persistence paid off and this year I was rewarded with a kaleidoscope of colors in the scrub oak and aspens, all lit by a brilliant pink sunrise overhead. This image is more than just pretty colors to me though. I've spent many days backpacking and hiking the surrounding forests and mountains. I've stood on the 14,158-foot summit of prominent Mount Sneffels. I haven't just photographed this scene, I've lived in it.

McNamara Hut at Night

After ski-touring most of the day to reach McNamara Hut high in the backcountry of Aspen, we were rewarded with fresh snow but cloudy skies. After bedding down for the night and another day of fresh snow, the skies started to clear in the mountains around the hut. As night settled in I grabbed my camera and went out into the crisp air to capture our ski cabin under a blanket of stars and snow.

Midnight Storm on the Bells

Moonlight on the Maroon Bells and changing aspens below. This image is one of the frames from my time-lapse film and features an incoming snowstorm as it engulfs the Bells.

Moonlight view from Betty Bear

After a disappointing February, Colorado winter returned with lots of snow and frigid temps. The day before this shot we skinned up to Betty Bear Hut in one of the "make-up" snow storms and went to sleep under a blanket of new snow. The next morning, clearing skies and predawn light filled the forest and surrounding mountains with a fantastic blue glow!

Mount St. Helens Sunrise

When I showed up for sunset at Mt. St. Helens the evening before, the entire peak and surrounding area were covered in fog. I patiently waited and hoped for a clearing but eventually left without a single image. I camped nearby and returned for sunrise only to find the same conditions, but this time I got lucky! Just as the sun was starting to rise the clouds retreated filling the blast area below.

Owl Creek View

Traveling around Colorado in the fall is an incredible experience no matter the weather, but when you get a sunset like this it's hard to image a more beautiful place. Getting a sunset like this though isn't just about good luck; I hiked to this off-trail spot 6 times over 3 years until this fall I was finally rewarded with spectacular color in the sky and trees below.

Palouse Sunrise

Having grown up in Ohio you would think I've seen enough farmland, but there's nothing like the unique landscape of the Palouse; rolling hills of verdant greens and forested mountains in the country's most fertile volcanic soil. On my second trip here I was exploring a new area and caught this fiery sunrise over the mist-shrouded town of Palouse.

Saguaro and the Superstitions

Photographing the towering Saguaro and rugged Superstitions was high on my list during a recent trip to the Southwest. As my first visit to the area, I arrived a few hours early to scout compositions. I found an incredible Saguaro only a minute from my campsite and set up for sunset. The sunset was decent, but as the first stars started to come out the clouds formed interesting patterns perfectly complimenting my composition. I knew I immediately I had lucked out with an incredible scene and couldn't have been happier with my first visit. There's nothing like giant tree-like cacti under an unending sunset and the night sky!

Sneffels Range Sky Fire

Sneffels Range is probably my favorite range in Colorado and if you haven't already noticed I feature a lot of images of it. The East to West direction of the range, as well incredible layers in the foreground, allows for stunning images at sunrise or sunset. This particular shot was captured on one of my many visits to an off-trail location and while it wasn't my original subject I was more than happy to photograph it these conditions.

Titcomb Basin Stormset

After spending most of the day backpacking to Titcomb Basin we set up our tent with an overlook of the peaks and lakes. Just as we finished, though, dark clouds appeared over one of the ridges and lightning ripped through the sky. We quickly moved our tent down amongst the shelter of large boulders in the treeless basin and waited out the pounding rain and thunder. As the storm died off I emerged from the tent and captured this image with the last light of sunset.

Wilson Peak Sunrise

I often visit this spot in the fall for the golden filled valleys of Aspens and dramatic clouds. This summer I decided to make the drive up during a sunset thunderstorm to catch dramatic light but the lightning was too close and frequent to risk getting out of my car. Luckily the next morning brought the drama I was looking for over Wilson Peak and Last Dollar Road.

Yankee Boy Sunset

A sunset storm over wildflowers in Yankee Boy Basin near Ouray, Colorado. After an assignment in central Colorado, I decided to head to the San Juan Mountains to spend time photographing, backpacking, and running. After a few days of exploring new and old locations, I made my way to Yankee Boy Basin for sunset and to climb nearby 14er Mt. Sneffels in the morning. As I started on the 4WD road and approached the trailhead, the fields of wildflowers thickened as storm clouds built overhead. I soon found a spot that lined up with the storm in the valley and a patch of vibrant Paintbrush. I set up my camera, worked on my composition, and prepared for what looked to be an overcast sunset. But just as the last few minutes of daylight approached, the sun broke through an opening in the distance, and light spilled onto the peaks and clouds. I captured the brief and fleeting light before the thunderstorm closed in; soon after, thick rain sent me dashing for my car as lightning streaked in the sky overhead. While I've photographed Yankee Boy Basin numerous times in the 8 years I've lived in Colorado, this is the most incredible scene I've witnessed.

Pushing our limits

While the risks I take in my adventures nowhere near compare to wingsuit BASE jumping, this excellent article gives us all something to think about.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/activities/aerial-sports/why-are-so-many-base-jumpers-dying/

I've seen so many people going to what I would consider insane lengths for an Instagram shot. Every image of mine from a cliff, mountain top, waterfall, etc have been thought out with regards to my safety; and that's only come about through years of experience. I grew up camping and backpacking, hiking and running trails by myself, navigating with a map, and exploring many types of terrain. I still make mistakes, I try to plan for them and have a backup, but most importantly I continue to learn. I think the hardest thing can be knowing when we're pushing our limits too far, something I used to struggle with more, but asking yourself is the shot worth the risk makes a huge difference.

Ok, now I'm off to go shoot a lightning storm from the top of a mountain while jumping on a pogo stick! ;)

My Image Collection

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When working in my image collection, I'm constantly reminded how lucky I am to have seen so many amazing things. I can look at each photograph and remember the story of how I captured it and what the journey was like to get there. In this small sample I can remember wading through waist deep fall snow, suffering frozen digits in below zero temperatures, standing on towering cliffs in raging storms and high winds, walking soundlessly through an ocean of stars and the milky way, and looking up awestruck as the sun's power danced in lines of green and red in the night sky.

For me, photography is the power to remember and share this amazing world, through each image and its story. I've spent the past few weeks revisiting images old and new to select the ones that tell the most powerful visual story and represent the best of my talent. With these photographs, I will be starting a new series of limited gallery pieces that fulfill my vision for beautiful and modern display form. I'll be sharing more information in the future but for now thank you, everyone, for enjoying and supporting my work.