1.  A photo that takes my breath away:

Kalalau Valley, Kauai

The Na Pali Coast on the island of Kauai is truly spectacular. Fly along the coast on a helicopter tour, take a Zodiac or kayak into coves and caves, hike the Kalalau Trail, or peer into lovely Kalalau Valley from the viewpoints at Koke’e State Park and you almost certainly will have your breath taken away by the incredible beauty of this place. On one trip to Kauai, friend and fellow photographer Carl Shaneff and I went up to Koke’e, only to find the view non-existent due to heavy fog. We hung around, doing close-ups of rain drops on ferns and moody shots of ‘o’hia trees in the fog. Suddenly, the fog parted, ever so briefly, and we watched in wonder as the setting sun lit up Ka’a'alahina Ridge.

2.  A photo that makes me laugh or smile:

Visitor feeding a banana to an elephant at Patara Elephant Farm near Chiang Mai.

Riding an elephant had been on my bucket list since I was a young kid, reading books like the adventures of Dr. Doolittle and Kipling’s Jungle Book. I finally got my chance during a visit to Patara Elephant Farm in Thailand. Just as fun as the actual ride was learning how to care for elephants (step one: hands on inspection of fresh dung), bathe them and feed them, activities that all visitors to Patara take part in, prior to a bareback ride through the forest to a stream and waterfall. While Patara Elephant Farm is a wonderful experience for travelers, it’s primary purpose is to provide a preserve and rehabilitation center for these wonderful animals.

3.  A photo that makes me dream:

Dream in a dream-like setting - hammock, beach and sunset at Matangi Private Island Resort in Fiji.

Dreams have come true for me in the way of travels to tropical islands in the Pacific. The Hawaiian Islands were my home for many years, and I’ve had the good fortune to visit a number of other islands in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. On a recent trip to Fiji, my travels took me from the very rustic backpacker-friendly Bulou’s Eco-Lodge in the remote village of Navala on Viti Levu, to the ultra deluxe Matangi Private Island Resort, an outstanding location if you want to get away from it all, and do so in comfort and style.

4.  A photo that makes me think:

A Shan boy is celebrated on his way to becoming a monk.

On a tour of Chiang Mai, a group of travel writers and photographers I was with unexpectedly came upon a colorful and noise-filled parade. In unison we yelled “Stop!” to our driver and piled out of the back of the truck to find out what all the excitement was about. Our guide told us that among the Shan people of Burma, many of whom are living in Thailand, it was customary for the young boys to be sent away to a monastery to become Buddhist monks. The send-off was cause for celebration, with a parade through the streets, the boys bedecked in finery and carried on their father’s shoulders. A group of musicians accompanied the young devotees, as did many friends and relatives, as the parade made its way to one of Chiang Mai’s ornate Buddhist temples, Wat Khun Thwong. Each of the boys – about a dozen in all – looked at me very intently as I photographed them. I wondered, what must they be thinking, about to leave their families for a year or two at that young age? The dads were obviously very proud, but I couldn’t imagine sending one of my own sons away at that stage of their lives. What were the thoughts of those fathers?

5.  A photo that makes my mouth water:

Local fresh chinook salmon paired with Oregon pinot noir wine.

A few years ago, Compass American Guides asked me to do the photography for their guidebook Oregon Wine Country.  I told them that the only thing I knew about wine was that the stuff that came in a bottle with a cork in it was better than what came with a screw-top. The author promptly informed me that that wasn’t necessarily true, and the publisher said, no matter, we like your work, bring us some nice pictures. Most wine lovers are also foodies, so part of my job was to cover some of the restaurants in the Willamette Valley that specialize in pairing fresh, local food with Oregon wines. One of the first to do that was the Joel Palmer House in Dayton, where owner and chef Jack Czarnecki masterfully prepared this dish of Oregon chinook salmon with duxelles quinoa and chimichurri. I was definitely salivating while working on this photograph.

6.  A photo that tells a story:

Tracks in the snow, Paradise Valley, Mount Rainier.

The Paradise area at Mount Rainier National Park is best known for the wondrous displays of summer wildflowers on acres of lush meadows, but it’s also a winter wonderland, averaging over 600 inches of snow each year. Cross-country skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers flock to the meadows, slopes, and roads around Paradise. While snowshoeing around Paradise Valley on a quiet Monday, I came across this scene that told the story of a busy weekend. Tracks made by snowboards crisscrossed those of snowshoes and intersected with the footprints of a deer looking for food or shelter amongst the trees.

7.  A photo that I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot):

Lava from the Pu'u O'o eruption explodes when it meets the ocean.

Some of the most thrilling and enthralling moments of my life have been witnessing volcanic eruptions at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Several times during the years that I lived on the Big Island, I had the opportunity to see Madame Pele in action. There is nothing to compare to seeing in person a rift eruption on the flanks of Mauna Loa, lava fountaining hundreds of feet in the air at the Pu’u O’u vent, or watching the fireworks as molten lava pours out of a lava tube and drops into the ocean. “Awesome” seems like a trite descriptor for such scenes, but I was definitely in a state of awe on those occasions, hanging out of a helicopter or precariously perched at the edge of a new and still warm flow. Of course I’ve got nothing on this compared to my friend, master volcano photographer Brad Lewis, but I’ve managed to get a few good shots, and I’m happy to say that National Geographic has published some of my photos.

Thanks to the good folks at Hostelbookers.com for coming up with this idea, and Kat for inviting me to participate. Want to join the fun? click on the Hostelbookers link to get the details.

Here’s some of my travel and photography blog friends that hope will post their own 7 Super Shots:

Brenda Tharp – Notes From The Field

Pam Mandel – Nerd’s Eye View

Chris and Don Faust  - C Around The World

Erik Gauger – Notes From The Road 

Ken Kaminesky – Ken’s photo & travel blog

Besides being Valentines Day, this February 14 is the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Statehood for Arizona. This desert southwest state includes some of the most dramatic scenery in the United States and many locations are constant draws for nature and landscape photographers. Arizona also offers a wealth of opportunity for adventure travel and for history buffs.

The images in the slideshow imbedded here are from some trips I’ve made to Arizona, and show just a sample of its attractions: Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Lake Powell, Sedona, Route 66 and more. Hover your mouse pointer near the top of the images for caption and location. Click on this link to watch the slideshow with larger images in a separate window.

Check out the work of some of my friends who live in Arizona for even more outstanding photography of the state: Jack Dykinga, Kerrick James, Victor Beer. Each of these photographers also offer tours and workshops in the state. For a small group tour, without a specific photo purpose but with people who will put you in some of the most photogenic locations, I highly recommend Detours of Arizona.

Check this link for some of the special events planned this year for the Arizona Centennial. For more information about visiting Arizona, check the official Arizona Office of Tourism website. Photographers will definitely want to get a copy of Laurent Martres’ award winning guidebook Photographing the Southwest, Volume 2 – Arizona.

Do you have a gallery or slideshow of Arizona photographs?  Feel free to add a link in the Comments section.

Mount Whitney and the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains seen through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills.

The fantastic rock formations of the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, have been favorite subject matter for photographers for many years. The combination of jumbled and roundly eroded rock rising up from the Owens Valley with a backdrop of the dramatic eastern face of the Sierra Nevada mountains is hard to beat.

Scattered throughout the Alabama Hills are a number of interesting rock arches. At one time, some photographers and concerned conservationists tried to keep the location of the arches a secret, but word started to get out, and now the whereabouts of some of the most prominent arches are well known. The Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce even gives out a map with directions to some of the arches.

The most striking of the arches, and the most popular with photographers, is often referred to as Mobius Arch due it’s shape. I believe that it was master landscape photographer David Muench that made this arch famous with an image made years ago showing Mount Whitney viewed through the arch.

Mobius Arch is one of those shown on the CofC map (available at several stores in town) and is quite easy to find. From US Highway 395 in the center of Lone Pine, turn west at the stop light on the road signed for Whitney Portals. Drive 2.5 miles and then turn right onto Movie Flat Road. Follow this road (sometimes bumpy but no problem for passenger cars) and veer right at a “Y” junction at 1.5 miles. Pull into the large parking area immediately on the left. A well-marked trail starts from the northwest corner of the parking area. The trail descends into a wash, then climbs back up, heading north to a jumble of rocks. The arch will suddenly appear in front of you after a short ¼-mile walk.

Lone Pine Peak and Mount Whitney through Lathe Arch at sunrise.

Before heading back to the parking area, look for a faint path to the left immediately after leaving Mobius Arch. A few steps will take you into a slot where you’ll be right next to a narrow, flat arch, nicknamed Lathe Arch, which can also be used to frame Mount Whitney.

Back at the parking area, look for a small heart-shaped arch near the top of tall rock formation to the northeast.

For the best photos of Mobius Arch, hike out before dawn and have your composition lined up when the sun first hits Mount Whitney and the ridge of Sierra peaks. Stick around for awhile, until the sun hits the arch itself. In this high desert environment, the beautiful golden light lasts just a few minutes.

There are a couple of campgrounds in the area, as well as several motels in Lone Pine. For more information about the Alabama Hills National Recreation Area, check the Bureau of Land Management website. If you’re in need of camping or outdoor gear, the friendly folks at Elevation have crammed an amazing amount of great stuff into their little store on the corner of US 395 and Whitney Portal Road.

Sun in a foggy forest of fir trees.

May the sun shine upon you, and may a light shine within you.

Wishing everyone a great year that brings peace, health, happiness and prosperity.

Cafe Pacifico and pulmonia on Plaza Machado, Mazatlan

In cities large and small all over Mexico, the town plaza is the cultural and social center of life. Plaza Machado in historic Old Town Mazatlan is one of the most enchanting of the plazas I’ve visited. Historic buildings surround the park-like plaza with its typically ornate ironwork kiosko. There are several restaurants with outside seating where guests can enjoy the usually mild evening weather of Mazatlan.

One of the things I enjoy most about visiting Mexico is hanging around the plaza in the evening. Teens and young adults meet and court, seniors sit on the benchs and talk old times, and whole families come out for an evening on the town.

People enjoying Plaza Machado in the evening

The top photo above includes Café Pacifico, the oldest bar in Mazatlan, and one of the little pulmonia taxis that are unique to the city. To make the photo, I walked down one of the side streets a bit and used a slightly telephoto setting on a zoom lens. This let me compress the elements in the scene a little, and it allowed me to keep the lines of the architecture in correct perspective. Shooting right at dusk, I was able to balance what was left of light in the sky with the mutiple artificial light sources around the plaza. In the days of shooting film, it would have been almost impossible to filter this scene properly, but the auto white balance setting on my digital SLR needed only a little tweaking to render a pleasing color balance.

Are you a Mexico fan, too?  Do you have a favorite town plaza somewhere?

Dawn light on the cinder cones in Haleakala Crater.

One of the most popular things to do on the island Maui is watching the sunrise from the rim of Haleakala crater. Almost everyone goes right to the summit viewpoint. Much less crowded and just as spectacular is the view from Kalahaku Overlook.

This view, looking north instead of east to the sunrise, shows the prominent cinder cones in the crater (technically speaking, it’s a caldera, not a crater). On the upper right, Sliding Sands Trail is visible, leading to the cone of Pu’u O Maui. Visible in the distance are the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

This photo was taken just before the sun rose above the rim of the crater. A layer of thin, high clouds were beautifully lit by the rising sun and the rich color bounced back to the landscape. I used a long exposure to help intensify the color.

Have you been to the Kalahaku Overlook at Haleakala National Park? How about Lelewi Overlook?

Face Rock and sea stacks at Bandon Beach

One of the most scenic places on the Oregon coast is Bandon Beach. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I think it is has some of the most photogenic scenery on the entire west coast.

The main attraction for photography is the sea stacks – monolithic rock formations that provide dramatic subject matter for photographers in just about any weather condition. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better location for sunset seascapes. Nowhere else on the coast has such a concentration of sea stacks, and you can walk up and down a mile or so of sandy beach looking for angles and compositions.

The Old Town section of the city of Bandon is also fun to visit, with a nice selection of shops and places to eat. From the harborfront walkway you can see the Coquille River Lighthouse across the channel.

On the north side of town, Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge provides important wetland habitat for waterbirds. Just across the Coquille River is Bullards Beach State Park, providing access to the lighthouse, and year-round camping.

For more detailed information about photographing Bandon, see my book Photographing Oregon. And look here for some more of my photos of Bandon Beach.

Have you been to Bandon?  Where else on the Oregon coast do you like to go for photography?

Looking for a good cause to get behind this holiday season?  Passports With Purpose is an annual fundraising effort by a group of travel bloggers, now in its fourth year. PWP has done some great projects in the past, and this year the goal is to fund a library in Zambia. Make a donation through the Passports With Purpose website and you’ll also have a chance to win some great prizes, including tours, hotel rooms, gift cards, electronics and photography gear. Check out the complete list of prizes and sponsors. If you win the Costa Rica tour, take me with you, okay?

Trees and tracks in snow, Paradise Valley, Mount Rainier Park.

Looking for a unique gift for someone special, or just want to have a nice piece of art for your own walls?  From now until December 16, choose from any of the photographs that are in my “Nature of the Northwest” photo show for 20% off the already low show price of $185. These are my personal custom made 12×18” archival fine art prints, mounted and framed to 18×24”. The frames are excellent quality, simple design and dark wood; mats are soft white. Visit the show at the University of Oregon School of Law, 1515 Agate Street in Eugene, or view the images online at http://gregvaughn.photoshelter.com/gallery/Nature-of-the-Northwest/G0000JNr8puuIHC0 

Details: price includes delivery in the Eugene-Springfield area on December 17. Shipping is extra to other locations. The above deal is only for the framed prints in the show, and there is only one of each, so make your selection early. Email me at Greg@GregVaughn.com with any questions and to place your order.

If you prefer a different size print, a gallery wrap canvas print or one of my photographs that is not included in the Nature of the Northwest show, I’m also offering 20% off on all orders placed through my website. For these orders the print is made by a custom lab and shipped directly to you. Select the print options you want and enter the coupon code HH11 during the checkout process. The sale price is good for any of the photos on my website, can be applied to multiple orders, and also expires on December 16. Be sure to order early enough to allow for processing and delivery time if your purchase is for a gift. Look for specific locations or subjects with the Search function on my website, or select from my online photo galleries.

Happy Holidays!