“Grand Tetons & Snake River at Sunrise”

On February 15, 2022June 6, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography39 Comments

In August 1996, I took a trip up north to see my buddy Jeff in Montana. During that trip, I visited several national parks and monuments in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, including Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Devils Tower National Monument. On my way home, I spent two nights at Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park sleeping upright behind the steering wheel of my little truck in bear country (no tents allowed) and woke up both mornings to this very sight. Shortly after making this image, a bald eagle flew lazily across the sky, then three moose decided to stand right smack in the middle of the river for about an hour, watching me. Later that day at another Grand Teton location I saw a black bear. It was incredible. Sometimes nature can be wonderfully generous. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Indian Paintbrush & Bluebird Feather”

On February 12, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography36 Comments

F25–Indian Paintbrush & Bluebird Feather, SE Utah
I came across this Indian paintbrush one late-summer afternoon at the farm. It was surrounded by dry cheatgrass, and a long-dead pinyon pine stood nearby. At the base of the flower were several bluebird feathers, the remnants of a recent meal left by some small predator (perhaps one of the farm cats). Immediately, I was struck by the three primary colors–red, yellow, blue–and how the neutral tones of the cheatgrass provided the perfect background to amplify the colors. I rarely ever manipulate a scene (aside from perhaps clearing away dead sticks or debris to unclutter an image), but this image demanded a bit of artistic license, so I placed a feather in the flower and was pleased with the resultant image. (Canon gear, Kodak Royal Gold 100)

“Breakers on Rocks”

On February 9, 2022 By Mike U.In Poetry31 Comments

W17(S)–Breakers on Rocks, near Port Orford, Oregon Coast
I spent the morning photographing breakers crashing like cannon-shots onto huge boulders just off the coast south of Port Orford in southern Oregon. These booms were incredibly loud. During a lull in the action as I was examining tiny fossilized shells in a nearby boulder, I glanced back at the ocean and saw the water rising rapidly. The Oregon Coast is notorious for its sneaker waves, which are like mini-tsunamis. I had climbed down a ten-foot dirt embankment to get to the vantage point for this image, and suddenly I realized I had to scramble back up immediately. Luckily, I was able to find some rocks to climb up and made my way to safety. When I looked again at the water, it had completely overwhelmed the spot I’d been standing on seconds earlier. I learned a valuable lesson that day: never turn your back on the ocean at any time, for any reason. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Boulder, Cliff & Moon”

On February 6, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography31 Comments

D35-1(S)—Boulder, Cliff & Moon, Lisbon Valley, SE Utah
Lisbon Valley is a rather nondescript area in southeastern Utah devoid of the arches and spectacular rock formations found in nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, but I’ve made a few nice images there. I loved the simplicity of this “intimate landscape” of boulder, cliff and moon. The rocks glowed brilliantly in the westering late-evening sun (no color manipulation here), and the darkened sky contrasts starkly with the fiery orange tones. The moon was rendered tiny by the 24mm wide-angle lens I used, which exaggerates the distance between objects in the foreground and background. I’ve always found the surface details of red rock sandstone fascinating, and that’s what I was attempting to convey here. This is a favorite image of mine due to the colors, surface details, lines, forms and overall contemplative tone. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Sheep Mountain & Wild Flowers”

On February 3, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography31 Comments

M10-1(S)—Sheep Mountain & Wild Flowers, near Trout Lake, SW Colorado
Sheep Mountain is located near Trout Lake, about ten miles from the small tourist town of Telluride in southwest Colorado. This image was made a couple of miles from the lake one summer evening. Due to the contrast in lighting between the sunlit mountain and the open shade of the meadow and distant forest, a soft-edged two-stop graduated neutral density filter was used to balance the exposure of the scene. This image was made before digital photography became mainstream, so all technical effects had to be made in-camera at the time of exposure without having any way to review the final image until the slides arrived in the mail later. Digital photography makes exposure-balancing effects such as this much easier with post-processing tools such as HDR (High Dynamic Range), which can balance the lighting in a scene by combining multiple exposures of the same subject. When this image was made in 1995, photographers had to know how to do all the tricks in-camera before pressing the shutter button. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“A Few Haiku (31)”

On February 2, 2022February 2, 2022 By Mike U.In Poetry34 Comments

(#181)

three chickadees…
winter’s ellipsis as earth
pauses in thought

…..

(#182)

winter cattails
frozen tiki torches glow
in silver moon-fire

…..

(#183)

in night’s cold silence
old snow-laden branch succumbs
too many winters

…..

(#184)

warmth and light and love
all the world’s hope resides
in my glowing hearth

…..

(#185)

messenger moon
conveys hope to my lost love
through the years and tears

…..

(#186)

light in the darkness
dawn of hope or setting sun
I cannot decide

“Thus the Evening’s Stillness Deepens”

On February 1, 2022February 1, 2022 By Mike U.In Poetry32 Comments

“Thus the Evening’s Stillness Deepens”
(c) 2022 by Michael L. Utley

I don’t want to break the peaceful
stillness of this winter evening
as the gloaming deepens and the
shadows freeze upon the hills

I don’t want to leave my footprints
on the pristine frozen fields
where the haggard cornstalks gather
contemplating harvests past

I don’t want to burden forests
slumbering in hiemal stasis
dreaming of the coming springtime
and the warmth of summer sun

so I’ll tell the moon my secrets
shed my tears in silent prayers
rest my head on silver shoulders
close my eyes and bare my soul

there’s so much to say this evening
as I wait in darkling meadow
for the object of my fondness
as she peeks between the trees

she has never kept me waiting
she has never left me wanting
she has never sent me reeling
in the throes of winter’s woes

I can hear her humming softly
as the stars begin to sing in
perfect cosmic harmony an
airy astral aria

gathering her scarf and mantle
she ascends as alpenglow paints
roseate blush on pale cheekbones
crimson tincture on her lips

as she rises I stand helpless
in this chilly empty clearing
I am powerless against her
I surrender to her glow

there’s a kindness in her visage
as she turns her gaze upon me
there’s compassion as she wraps me
in her shimmering embrace

thus the evening’s stillness deepens
thus the frozen fields glimmer
thus the forests drift in slumber
thus my damaged soul renewed

“Spruce Cone & False Hellebore”

On January 31, 2022 By Mike U.In Poetry28 Comments

F64-1(S)–Spruce Cone & False Hellebore, Taylor Mesa, SW Colorado
A cluster of false hellebore was growing beneath a tall spruce and this cone was nestled within the folds of this particular plant. This was a “found image”–the spruce cone wasn’t placed there by me but arrived there of its own accord, via gravity. I liked how the lines, curves and soft color palette of the false hellebore contrasted with the rough texture of the cone, as well as how the plant seemed to gently and protectively cradle the lone cone. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Cascades on Weeping Wall”

On January 28, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography35 Comments

NP34-2(S)—Cascades on Weeping Wall, Glacier National Park, Montana
This weeping wall of cascading falls stands along Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana. A slow shutter speed rendered the water as silky gossamer threads against the black rocks. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Sandstone Pillars & La Sal Mountains”

On January 25, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography22 Comments

NP25-1(S)—Sandstone Pillars & La Sal Mountains, Arches National Park, SE Utah.
Arches National Park is famous for its many natural arches (more than 2,000 of them, making it the world’s most dense concentration of natural stone arches), but it also contains an abundance of monoliths like those shown in this image. I liked the juxtaposition of the orange desert rocks against the snowy La Sal Mountains and deep blue sky. Arches National Park is a perfect location for stunning natural beauty and contemplative landscapes. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)