"Lunchtime at the Falls" Photo of the Day: December 23, 2015

This cute little mammal was snacking on some seeds in probably the most photogenic place that it could have possibly been - in Yellowstone National Park, at the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. I got a couple of shots before it became camera shy and turned its back to me and continued munching!

"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.

"Rainforest Waterfall" Photo of the Day: September 6, 2015

This stunning waterfall is located in Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales, Australia.

"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.

Photo of the Day: July 13, 2015 "Waterfall in the Blue Mountains"

Here is a photo that I took near the beginning of my recent trip to Australia, in the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales. I shot this from an observation point that gave a terrific view of this massive waterfall. Beautiful, right?

Photo of the Day: June 14, 2015

This was shot in an incredibly remote portion of the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas this past March. This specific waterfall is call "Glory Hole Waterfall" and is unique in that the stream that feeds it eroded an opening in the roof of a cave where the water now pours through.

Returning from the Ozarks was a Difficult Thing to do...

As I attempt to get back into the swing of normal everyday life again it is all too easy to get caught up  in reflecting on the wonderful trip that I just had over my Spring Break. Rather than running off to some tropical beach, I spent the week exploring and photographing the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas. I cannot wait to share the many stories and photographs that I gathered while I was there. 

The image above is of the Glory Hole, a remote waterfall located off of the beaten path in the forest. It surprisingly is not advertised and is not visible on the National Forest's maps and directions, despite being one of the most beautiful spots there (in my opinion). A mountain stream flowing over the rocky hillside eroded a circular "portal" into a cave beneath it, creating a stunning waterfall through the ceiling.

Shout out to Alyssa for letting me use her as my human scale figure in this image as she was testing the temperature of the chilly mountain water with her hand. I will be doing a more in depth post or two on this waterfall and its surroundings when I have more time (hopefully later this week), including how to find it if you are to ever visit the Ozarks and want to visit a remote-yet-beautiful landmark.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Whenever you see something that truly takes your breathe away, you often will never forget it. I have had the privilege of visiting Yellowstone National Park twice in my life and each time have spent a good deal of time along the Yellowstone River. After spilling over the 308-foot Lower Falls the water runs through the gorgeous Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

The canyon snakes through the landscape beautifully with incredible colors and a non-stop array of beautiful views. The canyon is over 1,000 feet deep. 

 The incredibly photogenic Lower Falls. This world-famous waterfall is one of the most heavily toured areas of Yellowstone, and is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful locations in the world.

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

Minnehaha Falls

On the edge of the Minneapolis city limits is a famous park known as "Minnehaha Park" which is home to Minnehaha Creek and the iconic falls. The Creek runs from Lake Minnetonka until it merges with the Mississippi River 22 miles later. The word "Minnehaha" translates to "laughing water" in the Dakota language.

The 193-acre park is located near where the Creek joins the Mississippi, with the falls being the main visitor attraction.

This final photo was taking facing downriver on the peninsula between where the Mississippi and  Minnehaha meet.

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!

Some Waterfall photos

In a recent trip to Glacier National Park in northern Montana, USA, I got the opportunity to photograph some of America's most scenic views. Though most photographers will spend all of their time in the park photographing the mountains, lakes, glaciers, and wildlife, I took some time to photograph a simple roadside stream. I have to admit that I am pleased with the results!

The water is very clear (and cold!) in the park's streams, as they are fed from glaciers and snow higher up in the mountains.

During the summer, lush mosses and grasses can grow along the streams.