"Teton Reflections" Photo of the Day: November 6, 2015

"Teton Reflections."

"Blanchard Springs" Photo of the Day: October 28, 2015

Blanchard Spring roams under a mountain in the Ozarks, helping to form the majestic Blanchard Spring Caverns underground. I shot this where the spring emerges from the mountainside, creating a lovely stream that continues to carve out the geology of the nearby mountains. Prior to excavating a separate entrance, this was the only known access point into the beautiful caverns.

"Above the Clouds" Photo of the Day: October 7, 2015

"Above the Clouds." After a lengthy drive and an exhausting hike one can come across this view in Glacier National Park in Montana. The high altitude results in one tiring quicker than usual, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time when hiking so far up!

"Joshua Tree Landscape" Photo of the Day: October 4, 2015

Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California. Eight years ago, this was the first ever desert national park that I had visited. To my surprise, it snowed almost the entire time that I was there and was one of the coldest days in recent park history (according to a park ranger).

"Foggy Mountain" Photo of the Day: September 14, 2015

I remember rolling out of my tent around four in the morning in order to set up my camera equipment in time to catch the early morning light interacting with the fog in the Ozark National Forest.  Sometimes it is completely worth it to get up early to get a few unique photos!

"Vertical Falls" Photo of the Day: September 1, 2015

Happy September! This photo was taken several years ago in Glacier National Park in Montana on its famous Going-to-the-Sun Road.

"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: July 24, 2015 "The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains"

This was shot within the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales, Australia. I shot this while peering through the rainforest at the "Three Sisters" rock formation during a hike. This beautiful park has some of Australia's most stunning scenery and was a blast to explore!

Photo of the Day: July 23, 2015 "Foggy Flight"

Here is an excerpt out of my professional portfolio website. This is one of my most viewed images on the site and was taken eight years ago. 

"One early morning in Santa Monica, California I was shooting macros and portraits along the beach. Because of the intense fog I was not intending to shoot any long-distance photos but eventually slapped on my telephoto lens and shot the Santa Monica Pier with the foothills in the background. I would get lucky, as the three birds rode an air current, perfectly placing them within the frame."

Photo of the Day: July 10, 2015 "Blue Mountains"

Because I depart tomorrow morning to return home to Minneapolis from my adventure here in Australia I thought that it was only appropriate to post a photograph of one of the first excursions that I had in the land down under, to the Blue Mountains National Park. Located about a 2 hours drive west of Sydney in New South Wales, this gorgeous mountain range is covered in a beautiful eucalypt forest. Truly one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen!

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 13, 2015

Why are the Blue Mountains in New South Wales covered in a "fog" of blue? The subtropical rainforest is made up primarily of eucalyptus trees, which have incredible oily leaves. This oil evaporates into the air where it mixes with dust and condensation creating a stunning blue hue over the enormous mountain range. Photo taken in Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia.

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.

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

Captured Moments

When I was young, it was a family tradition for my parents to take my sisters and I to the famous Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis to watch the "Red, White, and Boom" fireworks light up the sky each fourth of July night. I remember sitting in my little lawn chair being absolutely overwhelmed by the sights that surrounded me; the colorful fireworks, the beautiful skyline shining like the Emerald City in Oz, all the while everything being mirrored onto the mighty Mississippi river below. This swarm of color, light, and reflections was astonishing, wonderful, and perfect. I remember never wanting to forget what I was seeing. I wanted to remember.

Our world is beautiful, and ever since I was a young boy I have felt an urgent pull to capture beautiful  moments in time; to rescue them from the oblivion of forgotten memories. To save them forever so that they could be enjoyed by many.

Enter photography. Photography allows for us to freeze moments in time and share them with others; to allow other to take part in our memories. That is an absolutely beautiful thing to me! That is the purpose of this blog, for me to share moments which I have captured with you. Thank you for coming on this journey with me! -Wyatt

Marina City Towers, Chicago, Illinois

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wooden Canopy, Minnehaha Falls State Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Vertical or horizontal?

Okay people, I have a question! On my drive out here to Seattle I got to go through one of my favorite places in the world - Glacier National Park in Montana! I took these photos of a waterfall that was far off in the distance with my telephoto lens. My question? I want to know which one looks better!

One great thing about photography is the fact that you capture a moment in time. However, depending on how you capture that moment it can create a diverse range of emotion, beauty, awe, etc. Something as simple as taking a photo of the same subject both vertically and horizontally can make a large difference. So which one do you like better? Leave your comment and let me know!

Glacier National Park's "Going to the sun road" Part 1

On a recent trip through Montana I had the opportunity to travel through Glacier National Park, whom many consider to be one of the most scenic places on the planet. The "Going to the sun road" goes right through the park, and features the majority of the park's popular sights. These are some photos that I got along this road and paths branching off of it.

As you can tell, it was a very cloudy day.

Some of the rolling landscapes, high up in the mountains.

While I was far up on a path, it began raining freezing rain. I took off my jacket and covered my camera and ran (well, slipped) my way back down the mountain to the comfort of my vehicle. By the time I got there, my shirt and pants were completely soaked through.

The name, "Going to the sun road" seemed a little misleading (haha) since while I was there, the sun barely peaked out. The weather eventually got so bad that I had to leave, because the clouds were too thick to really see anything and the narrow mountain roads were becoming very slick, and I didn't want to end my day accidently driving over a cliff.

Cylindropuntia bigelovii: "Teddy bear" Cholla

The Teddy bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) is a species of cactus native to the American Southwest and the Northern parts of Mexico. The name "teddy bear" comes from its very soft appearance but it is covered with extremely sharp spines, so the name is quite decieving. These plants can stand up to 5 feet tall and in May and June produce small fruits and flowers. These photos were taken in Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California.

"Weathered"

Like in my previous post, this photo was taken in Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. I love this photo for the weathered branch in the forground and the snowy mountains in the background, thus I like to call it "Weathered".

Despite Joshua Tree being in a desert, when I was taking this photo it was a mere 30 degrees f...thanks to the altitude and a very cold day. It is somewhat funny, the first time that I was ever in a "true" desert it snowed...enjoy!

Fun fact about mountains: In the U.S. in order for a land mass to qualify as a mountain, it must stand 1,000 feet tall or more. However if it is only 999 feet, sorry it is just a hill. (500 feet or below and its a knoll.)