Dear Readers,
I share my photographs, not for my glory, but to arouse in you the feelings of Joy, Awe, and Gratitude for the miraculous planet we inhabit. To showcase the visuals, this post puts philosophical musings about my life in the background and instead presents a Happiness Tour through 15 of my favorite works.
Enjoy Your Joy!
And if this seems a touch too much, there’s a video at the bottom to help you re-energize for the tour! Take the whole tour and let me know what you feel!
Water Color
My wife Marti made me take this picture. I was sleep-deprived, discouraged, and defeated by the cloud cover of the previous 36 hours. I really deserved a nap. “If you take a nap now, you’ll miss what you came here for, honey.” God bless her!
Warm Creek Gold
My Cub Scout uniform had colors of blue and gold. In scouting I learned to love the freedom and beauty of the outdoors. Now in this age of digital photography, I get outdoors early for serenity, solitude, and to capture some stunning sunlit beauty.
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Architect Frank Gehry’s design glows under colored lights and a trellis supporting speakers over the Great Lawn – a giant shiny ornament, a surprising sight during a Chicago February, while nature sleeps in the cold and dark, preparing for Spring.
Majesty Doubled
I usually look up to see mountains. Looking down and seeing them mirrored at my feet took my breath away. You can learn more about this location in my post Majesty Doubled.
Tufa Transition
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Reinhold Niebuhr
Chicago Riverwalk
Many architectural details adorn the Chicago Riverwalk. A soaking rain lets their surfaces gleam and sparkle under an electric rainbow. Reflections dance on the water to amplify the gaiety. (Bring a tripod, a poncho or umbrella, and a friend!)
LaSalle Street Lights
The city at night needs neither sun nor clouds – it makes its own light. These unlit streetlights form a parade of silhouetted posts, marching to the golden grain face of the Chicago Board of Trade Building. A little rain is the frosting on this golden cake!
A Band of Light
Our timing was perfect – the yellowest aspens I had ever seen! And the clouds were a photographer’s best friend, letting a little sliver of sunshine through. The beavers were still sleeping and missed this sight.
I love capturing mountains and fall color reflected in water. This string of stones was a welcoming path into nature’s Fall Fantasy Land!
Mossy Little River
The presence of Moss means there is no direct sunlight. But the golden reflected sunlight bouncing from a canyon wall signaled me to trek down the side of this riverbank to capture the glow seen by these mossy rocks.
Little River Light
“It’s all about the light!” AND the shapes AND the colors AND the perspective AND the time of year AND getting out of bed AND … the eyes and persistence to see what I might have driven past!
Beaver Marsh Dawn
This calm scene was truly worth getting up early for! Hints of color of the sunrise to come, a lone twiggy tree stretching across the surface of the beaver pond to meet the lily pads, the fog creeping along in the horizon – all combine here to calm my frenzied urge to get the shot!
Saturday Night Pacific
On this Oregon Coast trip, 55 MPH winds and rain kept me in my car photographing seagulls who had hunkered down in the grass. But waiting long enough, the day comes when the seagulls fly, the light is perfect, and all the scenes are above average.
Wabash Avenue Magic
I once visited Disneyland and was awed by the Parade of Lights – magical floats covered in thousands of tiny lights. Now, seeing the City at Night, I light up with an even bigger Magical Feeling than that 27-year-old father felt back then.
Under the Bridge R&B
I played with Red and Blue for this image. The bridge and I were both born in the same year—1949. Google does not know how many rivets it holds, nor do we know how many breaths are left for each of us to enjoy it. Both matter – for now!
This may boost your energy if you feel this post is a touch too much!
You can also see slide-shows of my Portolios in the top menu of the website —Acadia, Canadian Rockies, Eastern Sierra, High Desert, North America, Southwest, and West Coast.
