Photo: "Crystal Star Castles"

Joshua Tree National Park happens to be one of my favorite places to visit in California. Not only is the landscape beautiful and strange, but there are fantastic 4x4 roads to explore and also some of the best climbing.

Last month, I hit the park with a few good friends and we did a bit of night shooting, during the full moon.

People often ask me which flashlights I like and which ones I use and the truth is, it varies. Some of my lights are upwards of $100. Others are under $20. You absolutely do not need a $100 light to successfully light paint an image, but there are definitely reasons I love the more expensive lights I have.  To light this image, I used a $17 work light by Viisliam - http://amzn.to/1QYG1sc

Photo: "The Land of Dr. Seuss"

Back in November, one of my favorite photography partner's in crime, Quenton, ventured with me to Joshua Tree National Park for a quick trip. 

At the end of our trip, before we were heading into Los Angeles to pick up another friend for part two of the adventure, the storm  clouds began to roll in and the sky lit up. We dodged the rain clouds overhead and got a few shots in before the rain began to soak us. It continued for the entire two hour ride to LA. 

I think it's about time to plan another trip here...

Photo: "Lower Yosemite Falls"

 
 

This image, of Lower Yosemite Falls, was taken during my first visit to Yosemite, back in 2012, with a large group of Google+ photographers. 

Tonight, I'm heading back to Yosemite National Park for the fourth or fifth time. I'm looking forward to getting outside, back in nature this weekend. It is also fantastic that it is almost a full moon, there's fresh snow in the valley and it's also 'Firefall' weekend. 

Photo: "South Rim, Grand Canyon"

 
 

Today, I settled back in at home after being away from San Francisco for 2 weeks. I spent the last 6 days traveling 2,600 miles across California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah while camping and shooting. 

The Grand Canyon was the first stop last Sunday, after leaving San Diego. My friend Joe and I spent less than 24 hours here, but seeing the way the canyon looked during sunset, moonlight and sunrise was pretty awesome. 

Travel: Alberta 2015

For the third summer in a row, I visited my Dad for a few days while he was on one of his crazy 6-week road trips. This year, my brother was preparing to be a Dad himself, so he stayed home. 

My Dad spent most of the trip in a 1950 Ford Woody pulling a 1947 teardrop trailer, but transmission trouble forced him to send the Woody to a shop for repairs and rent a truck for the duration of the week that I was visiting. 

We spent the first few days in Banff National Park, then took the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper to close out the trip. I had spent time in BC and Alberta, but never made it to the National Parks. Like usual, I had high expectations for the trip and was not disappointed. We had our fair share of rain, but it never stopped us from getting out and exploring the snow-capped mountains, cerulean lakes and beautiful landscapes. 

Trina, Dad and I at Lake Louise, Banff National Park 

Banff National Park - iPhone image

Banff National Park - iPhone image

Lake Louise, Banff National Park - iPhone image

Paddle boarding on Lake Louise, Banff National Park - iPhone image with Catalyst Case

Padle boarding on Lake Louise, Banff National Park - Photo: Michel Bury - michelbury.com

Lake Louise, Banff National Park 

Lake Louise, Banff National Park 

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park 

 
 
 

Marble Canyon, Kootenay National Park - iPhone image

 
 

Marble Canyon, Kootenay National Park

 

Marble Canyon, Kootenay National Park

 

Boom at the Ochre Beds at the Paint Pots, Kootenay National Park - iPhone image

 

Lower Falls in Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park - iPhone image

 
 

Sunset from the riverside in Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park 

Icefields Parkway, Alberta 

Columbia Icefields on the Icefields Parkway, Alberta 

Icefields Parkway, Alberta

Icefields Parkway, Alberta

Herbert Lake on the Icefields Parkway, Alberta

Athabasca Falls on the Icefields Parkway, Alberta 

Athabasca Falls on the Icefields Parkway, Alberta

 
 
 
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park - iPhone image

Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park - iPhone image

Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park

Valley of the Five Lakes, Jasper National Park 

Black Bear, Jasper National Park 

Mountain Goats, Jasper National Park 

Drumheller, Alberta - iPhone image

Drumheller, Alberta - iPhone image

Drumheller, Alberta - iPhone image

Photo: "Sunset at Bowling Ball Beach"

This morning I finally had some time to sit down and edit images. 

I somehow (those of you who are photographers know how quickly this can happen) got lost in the Lightroom catalog black hole and wound up in a folder of images from 2014. 

I had intended to edit this image after this trip, but it looks like I never got around to it until today.