Photos from the Past

I’m at it again. I’m plumbing the depths of my archives in search of the oldies but goodies. I have some I really like today. I hope you’ll enjoy them.

My first photograph was taken on a road trip we took to Death Valley, California in March, 2012. Death Valley has two interesting distinctions. Firstly, its lowest elevation is 282 ft (86m) below sea level, the lowest point in North America. Secondly, it holds the record for the hottest temperature on record in the world, 134 deg F (56.7 deg C), set on July 10, 1913. It was pleasant while we were there, with temperatures in the 80’s.

This scene, taken at Zabriski Point is one of so many great photo sites in Death Valley. It’s a large national park, offering a great diversity of landscapes. A photographer’s paradise.

This next photograph was taken near Lunenburg Nova Scotia in September of 2010. We were visiting friends at the time and in addition to their hospitality, I enjoyed the opportunity to capture some beautiful scenery.

While visiting California in 2011, we made a stop at Yosemite National Park. One of the most recognizable landmarks of the park is El Capitan. The granite monolith features nearly vertical walls and towers 3,600 feet (1,100 metres) over the western end of Yosemite Valley.

That’s the Merced River, reflecting El Capitan for me.

In Autumn 2012, I participated in a photography workshop in southern New Brunswick, not far from St. John. One of our morning sessions was conducted on the property of one of the workshop leaders. It’s a beautiful rural setting. On this particular morning, it was quite foggy, creating some great conditions for taking pictures. When the sun broke through, it cast its beams on the trees, lighting up the vividly coloured autumn leaves.

In 2013, we traveled to Ireland. One of our stops was the Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.  It is located on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.

It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

Today’s final photograph was taken closer to home, in nearby Yoho National Park, about an hour west of Canmore. It’s a spring scene, as evidenced by the torrential run-off. Two rivers, the Yoho and Kicking Horse combine at this location, known as Meeting of the Waters. As the two rivers come together, they combine and continue as the Kicking Horse. Note the difference in colour between the siltier brown of the Yoho and the clearer, aqua hue of the Kicking Horse.

The weather here has changed considerably from the past few weeks. Tomorrow promises to be a beautiful day and I look forward to combining a pleasant drive with the opportunity to take some nice pictures.