During a recent trip to southeast Utah, I spotted a magnificent rainbow arcing high above the twisted red rock desert. Unable to resist its beckoning call, I followed the rainbow to the end, where I found a wee little fellow wearing a bright green suit. He led me into his subterranean lair, glowing brightly from
One of the world’s most spectacular and extensive underground caverns and a proposed World Heritage Site, the Sof Omar cave system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty. At almost 10 miles long, it is the longest cave system in Ethiopia, and possibly the largest cave complex in Africa. The Weib River flows through
Remote, ancient, and breathtaking, the over 200 rock-hewn churches of the Tigray region of Ethiopia were built in high, remote places to protect against attackers. Carved from cliff faces high atop seemingly inaccessible mountain perches, these simple yet stunning churches are the oldest in Ethiopia, some dating back to the 5th Century. And although many
One of the hottest and driest places on Earth, the Danakil Depression in the northern part of the Afar region in Ethiopia (part of the great East African Rift Valley) is one of the most cruelly inhospitable places on the planet. Much of it lies below sea level, with temperatures as high as 125 degrees
Located in the highlands of northwest Ethiopia, the Simien Mountains are truly a wonder to behold. Reaching as high as almost 15,000 feet above sea level, these rugged mountains are home to several photogenic wildlife species, including walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf, klippspringer, and gelada monkeys. Numerous vantage points offer stunning views of steep cliffs, jagged
I believe that photographers should have a great idea of the shots that they want to take when they travel to a new location. I’m not talking about vague, general ideas about the shots you want to walk away with and add to your portfolio. I’m talking about very exact details of photographs that you
I recently spent a week in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, located on the Big Island of Hawaii. I had heard that after a long hiatus, lava was once again flowing into the sea, so with a little bit of free time and some frequent flier miles to burn, I decided to head out and do
The Marble Caves of Lago General Carrera – I had to see them in person to believe their surreal beauty. Getting there however, was another story. After 30 hours of flying, I waited in the small airport of Coyhaique, Chile, with hope that my guide showed up. I was so relieved when a woman called
Rising from the monotonous and seemingly endless grasslands of the Great Plains, Badlands National Park in South Dakota contains sharply eroded formations carved out of multi-colored sedimentary rock layers. Water has left its mark on the soft clay, resulting in miles upon miles of rock spires, deep canyons, and beautiful cracked mud. This fractured landscape
Sunlit Aspens Last autumn, we headed west in our Airstream camping trailer with the goal of being in Yosemite National Park for two weeks, only stopping on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains because a great wild camping spot aligned with our travel schedule. As a Colorado-based landscape photographer, I have a lot
