"Admiring the Reflections" Photo of the Day: September 8, 2015

"Admiring the Reflections."

"Small Town Skyline" Photo of the Day: August 28, 2015

"Small Town Skyline." Taken in Waterville, Minnesota.

"Misty Morning" Photo of the Day: August 26, 2015

Shoreline on lake in Yellowstone National Park covered in sulfur steam. Wyoming.

"Storm Over Yellowstone Lake" Photo of the Day: August 20, 2015

The cloud cover after an intense rain storm over Yellowstone Lake begins to break apart. This was difficult to shoot as I was standing near a sulfer vent, and I had to consistently clean the lens from the build up of condensation from the steam!

"Glacial Lake" Photo of the Day: August 18, 2015

Glacier National Park, you are stunning. I have had the privilege of visiting this beautiful park twice before, each time driving the length of it's famous "Going to the Sun Road". The scenery and hiking is some of the best that I have ever experienced! This was shot at a lake after a short hike from the road.

Photo of the Day: August 6, 2015 "Flooded Forest"

Here is an image that I shot earlier this week while walking some trails at Hyland Lake Park here in Minnesota. We came across this area of a lakefront that was inhabited by the remnants of the edge of the forest in the form of old trunks. The shore was absolutely covered in Green Leopard Frogs too!

Photo of the Day: July 9, 2015. Yellowstone Lake

This was shot one morning in Yellowstone National Park on the shore of a lake shrouded in steam. The smell of sulfur filled the air adding to the experience!

Photo of the Day: June 19, 2015

"Boater's Oasis." In one of the world's most beautiful areas, in Grand Teton National Park (right on the border of Yellowstone), there are countless scenic viewpoints that will make your jaw drop. I was lucky enough to spend my birthday on a trip to Yellowstone for the second time in my life this past year, and I shot this lake on a day trip into the Tetons.

Photo of the Day: June 11, 2015

I shot this while wandering through the beaches of downtown Hudson, Wisconsin this past April during stormy weather. This beach building provided both a shelter and a pleasant architectural frame of the lake!

Landscapes Shaped by Water - Yellowstone

These photographs were taken this past August in Yellowstone National Park. Erosion caused from water can create absolutely stunning landscapes, as seen beautifully here in America's first National Park. I personally love photographing anything that involves water; it instantly makes any scene more intriguing to me. Yellowstone is dotted with lakes, rivers, and streams so I got my fair share of time photographing good 'ol H20! 

Below is an image of me taken at Grand Teton National Park, the next door neighbor to Yellowstone.

Small Town Exploration in Black and White

Hi everyone, I did not want text to distract you as you looked through these photographs, so here it is at the end of the post. I took these while walking through a small town in Southern Minnesota. I absolutely love shooting in black and white but rarely publish them for all of you to see (just a coincidence, it is not intentional I promise!). I personally love the honesty of small communities and the value of relationships that are formed within a small town. It is truly a beautiful thing and I hope that I captured it here.

Nightfall Above Chicago

Sunset Over Chicago

Throwback Monday? I guess that is what I am doing with this post about an experience that I had while visiting Chicago this past summer. As a college kid studying architecture, exploring downtown Chicago for the first time was an absolute blast for me. One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Willis (Sears) Tower observation deck. The 1,454 foot tall building is the second tallest in the United States and watching the sun set over Lake Michigan and Chicago from such a high perch was truly a breathtaking experience.

Yes, we do look extremely tired. We had several very busy days!

The gridiron urban layout of Chicago.

The lights were captivating. 

P.S. I just did a post dealing with me photographing the sun set while atop an observation deck in downtown Minneapolis the other day. I thought that it would be interesting to post this "throwback" close to that one to compare the two series. Let me know your thoughts!

Lake Sylvan, South Dakota

 Within the Black Hills of South Dakota lie some incredible sights, including popular tourist destination Lake Sylvan. This lake is neatly tucked away on the famous "Needles Highway" and features many amenities such as a swimming beach, a "novice" walking trail around the lake, picnic areas, a store, along with many other points of interest. A main feature are the extensive hiking trails that surround the beautiful landscape, some of which I got to experience on my last visit, this past August. Here are some photographs that I captured during my day at Sylvan!

Note: I have visited this area of the Black Hills many times throughout my life. Because of this I have shared images from the lake prior to this posting. Thanks for looking! - Wyatt

Foggy Reflections

Fog and sulfur steam, Yellowstone National Park, WY

This past August, early one morning in Yellowstone National Park, I was lucky enough to photograph this stunning lake within the park. "Fog" hugged the treeline, making for absolutely beautiful imagery. Interestingly, it is not just fog, yet a mixture of fog and sulfur steam from vents in the ground. The smell of sulfur was quite strong - as is the case with many areas in this park - as the volcanic earth beneath you leaks through the surface.

Fallen Tree, Yellowstone National Park, WY

Reflection, Yellowstone National Park, WY

 My girlfriend photographing the gorgeous landscape, Yellowstone National Park, WY

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton Mountain Range, Grand Teton National Park, WY

In Wyoming, not far from the world-famous Yellowstone National Park, sits the beautiful, but less popular, Grand Teton National Park. The Grand Teton Mountain range is absolutely beautiful, and the winding roads and trails within the park give many spectacular views of these geological behemoths. Gorgeous lakes and prairie space, along with a stunning river add to the beauty of the park. This August I took a day out of my trip to Yellowstone to explore the Teton park...I am very glad that I did!

Grand Teton Mountain Range, Grand Teton National Park, WY

I found many forms of wildlife along the shores of Jenny Lake; the parks largest lake. 

Toad, Grand Teton National Park, WY

Spider, Grand Teton National Park, WY

When first entering the park from the Yellowstone side, one comes to the main visitor center/lodge. A gorgeous back porch on this building offers some stunning views of the range.

Grand Teton Mountain Range and Marina, Grand Teton National Park, WY

Herds of Bison and Pronghorn dotted the prairie landscape of the park. Absolutely beautiful!

Bison, Grand Teton National Park, WY

It's Fall...again...

Not to ruin anyone's day, but I thought that I'd point out that Fall is here and Winter is right around the corner. For some of you who live in warmer areas of the world, that might not mean much to you but for someone who lives in an area like Minnesota (myself included) it means a great deal. 

I am personally not looking forward to all of the snow and cold, but as always it offers some nice photo opportunities. Here are some photos that were captured up on the shore of Lake Superior, right before the leaves started to change.

Unique camera angles and nature photography

Some people think that "unique" camera angles and nature photography don't mix. I beg to differ. Though you will see alot of nature photography with directly horizontal and vertical framing, I challenge you to explore other options. You may be very pleased with the results.

"Cradling the sun"

These photos are ones that I took a while ago but have never posted. In the one above, I positioned the camera so that a "Y" shaped tree branch would appear to have the sun resting in it. The lower photo is a shot of the sunset that evening.