Beauty in the Rocks

 

Beauty in the Rocks

At City of Rocks State Park, in New Mexico, one can find some nice lovely quiet places in the midst of a field of huge volcanic rocks, some of which reach 40 feet tall.  From such natural violence, comes quiet refuges.

Hidden Spot

In this little alcove between volcanic rocks, one can find a place to take a moment to appreciate nature.  Specifically, how this place where millions of years ago, devastation occurred and left us with peace.

Natural Underpass

Can you imagine the power of nature to lift a huge boulder and place it on tops of others to create this natural underpass – or natural bridge, if one were to walk on top of it?  Volcanic activity from million of years ago gave us this place of natural sculptures.

Path between Rocks

In the midst of a square mile of volcanic boulders from millions of years ago, you can find paths to peacefully wander among the giants and appreciate not only the power of, but the beauty of nature.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Lines and Shadows at the Dunes

 

Lines and Shadows at the Dunes

Although images from White Sands National Park are of nature at its simplest and most dramatic, it sometimes feels otherworldly.  Take a look at some of my favorites.

Sunset on the Dunes

There are lines galore in this image from White Sands National Park – from the horizon line highlighting mountains, to the lines of the dunes themselves, to the lines made by the wind on the dunes surface, this image is full of graceful calming lines.

Undulating Lines

I processed this image from White Sands National Park as a black and white image to highlight the dramatic feel all the lines of the dunes there can sometimes create.  The shadows are sometimes more easily seen in the contrast effect of a black and white image.

Smooth Moves

When standing on the dunes at White Sands National Park, sometimes it feels like I’m at sea when looking at the lines created by the wind blowing over the dunes.  It changes constantly, much like the waves of the sea.

Moonrise over the Dunes

When the sunset is at its peak and the moon is also rising, the horizon line on the dunes is very dramatic and clear cut.  And, yet the image has a peaceful, calming feeling to it, like the day has found a soft place to fall.

Enjoy!

Note: These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

 

 

 

 

Dunes Nature Trail Discoveries

 

Dunes Nature Trail Discoveries

While wandering around the Dunes Nature Trail area at White Sands National Park, there were some wonderful photographic discoveries to be found!

Dusk

There is a calmness when walking the grassy dunes at White Sands National Park.  Often, there aren’t quite as many people wandering around, and those there are nicely spaced.  It creates a sense of being alone with nature, which, to me is very soothing.

Dune Landscape

At White Sands National Park, it seems that the only thing that is constant is the tree anchoring this scene.  The sand, which is actually gypsum, is constantly changing, shifting with the winds that caress the landscape.  This scene is only guaranteed for the moment, and who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Sunset Beginning

People have different, but to me, sunset is the most magical time at White Sands National Park.  The constantly shifting sands playing against the quickly changing light of sunset, makes for a temporary nature of the beauty one sees.  Yes, it will be there tomorrow…but different.

Enjoy!

Note: These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

The Wild West - Monument Valley

 

The Wild West – Monument Valley

We happily got to spend a full day in the Monument Valley and took full advantage of it!  Here are some of the views of the wonderful landscape!

Morning at Monument Valley

It was early morning.  The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon.  I stepped outside of our RV and this was how the morning greeted me.  Vibrant colors, incredible landscape formations, and perfect natural framing all came together in this image.

Movie View

John Ford is a famous director of many westerns in the 1940s starring John Wayne.  Apparently, this was one of his favorite viewpoints to set the scene, so to speak.  The lighting on this day was a perfect blend of bright and soft, and truly complimented the landscape.

Shadows

The formations when I stood in this position, reminded me of shadows.  The formations aren’t identical, although you cannot see that from this vantage point.  The starkness of the landscape seemed to call for the image to be processed in black and white.

Garden Green

There isn’t much that’s green in Monument Valley, but this tree was one of the view things that were a rather dusty green.  Just as the rocks are in various formations, so, too, is the tree, with its twisty turning trunk.

Sepia Tree

This tree has a perfectly formed trunk, with several large branches filling out to create a wonderful form of the tree.  As is the case with much of what’s found in Monument Valley, this tree seems to have the primary color of sepia.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Riverside Walk

 

Riverside Walk

There is another side to Zion National Park, one that is only accessible via a shuttle and that requires just a bit of walking.  The walk, Riverside Walk, takes you to an area that seems far too lush to be in a high desert environment.

Lush Canyon

Riverside Walk in Zion National Park meanders alongside the Virgin River, deep in the heart of Zion.  The farther you walk, the further into the canyon you go, and the canyon becomes narrower, allowing for the intimate feel of this scene.

Reflection in Nature

The waters of the Virgin River in Zion National Park run cool and clear.  In the little pond created by the small waterfall, you can see the colors of the trees and rocky banks reflected in the water.  These colors are best when created by nature.

River Rocks

I am continually fascinated by the gentle power of nature, which are evident in river rocks.  At one time, these rocks had sharp, perhaps jagged edges.  But season after season of the river waters rushing over them, have gentle worn down those edges to be smooth and rounded.  Never underestimate the power of nature.

Sunlight in the Canyon

This view may be one of the iconic views within Zion National Park.  It is along the Riverside Walk, approaching the area known as The Narrows, where the canyon walls are only about 20 feet apart.  The walls are further apart than that in this image, and they are wide enough apart to allow the early morning light into the canyon to show off the lush interior.

Enjoy!

These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Zion's Treasures

 

Zion’s Treasures

There are two distinct areas that make up Zion National Park.  These images are from the area more easily accessible and reflect its natural beauty.

Natural Steps

The rock formations in a part of Zion National Park create very interesting textures, many of which look like steps.  Trees are common among these formations, seemingly growing out of the rock itself.

Small Canyon in Zion

There are many canyons in Zion National Park.  Some can be quite large, and others, like the one in this image, are much smaller.  The natural path into the canyon also serves as the path the snow melt follows in the early spring.

Bison Grazing

The drive into Zion National Park takes one past a field where you can see bison grazing from time to time.  This bison grazing near an old, broken windmill, speaks to an earlier time.  The vintage tone of the image compliments this feeling.

Enjoy!

These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Special Monument Views

 

Special Monument Views

As we traveled through Colorado National Monument, we had some special views we’ll always remember.

Dead Tree Portrait

As we slowly walked around a viewpoint at Colorado National Monument, I noticed this view, which wasn’t the one highlighted at the viewpoint.  The twisted trunk of the tree against the stacked rocks and clear blue sky makes for an excellent nature portrait.

Grand Old Tree

As we stood at Grand Viewpoint at Colorado National Monument, my husband and I were struck by the grand old tree still standing proudly at the point.  There are significant rock formations behind the tree, and a fabulous view, but for now, the tree is the star!

Desert Bighorn Sheep

As my husband and I were driving the scenic road at Colorado National Monument, we rounded a bend in the road, and came to a stop due to a small herd of desert bighorn sheep.  A male sheep with magnificent, rounded horns came very close to our open Jeep window, and I was lucky enough to capture his portrait.  I think I got his best side!

Enjoy!

These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.  

Colorado Back Road

 

Colorado Back Road

Another day in the area around Rocky Mountain National Park, we took a drive on a Colorado back road.  There were a couple of scenes of autumn that stood out to me….

Tree Line

You’ve heard of a tree line, I’m sure.  It’s when the trees stop growing at a certain elevation.  This is another type of tree line, where the trunks of taller trees serve as a backdrop for others that are beginning to put on the autumn color show.

Whisper

The color of these leaves are brilliant with autumn color.  The hint of a breeze creates a somewhat abstract feel to this close up image of these leaves.  The sound of the breeze was soft enough to remind me of a whisper.

Enjoy!

These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes in my online gallery. https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

Treats from Rocky Mountain National Park

 

Treats from Rocky Mountain National Park

Although there were many wonderful sights to see at Rocky Mountain  National Park, these stand out as a couple of the best!

Horseshoe Falls

This scene was created by Mother Nature, a few decades ago.  The Horseshoe Falls was created when the Lawn Lake Dam burst back in 1982.  Many millions of gallons of water crashed through this area, and this peaceful waterfall is what remains of that destruction.

Landscape Moose

This peaceful scene is made complete by the addition of a moose, who calmly grazed and drank the water of the small lake it stood next to.  The colors of fall serve to accent the majesty of his stance.  Nature at its best.

Enjoy!

These images can be found in my online gallery, available in a variety of formats and finishes. https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg

 

Taste of Monet

 

Taste of Monet

While stopped at a state park in Colorado, we took our pup, Max, to swim in one of the park’s two lakes.  Along the shoreline, I saw some very relaxing images just waiting to be taken, and so I did!

Shoreline

This image reminded me of a Monet style of painting, so I processed it to look somewhat like one.  The softness of the subject, and very tranquil setting seemed to ask for some “soft” processing.

Reeds on the Shoreline

Here is a very peaceful scene along the shoreline of the lake, with the grass reeds only slightly moving in the soft breeze.  I processed this as a watercolor painting, keeping with the feel of the image.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are available in a variety of formats and finished via my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

 

Saturday Storm

 

Saturday Storm

Sometimes incredible photo opportunities are right outside your door, as was the case the Saturday before we left on our fall travels.  We didn’t actually see any rain until well after this show was over!!

Sunset Storm

I think I am used to living in an area where the sky always seems big, and then something like this happens, which truly shows me how magnificent the sky and nature can be.  The mountains that the clouds tower over are about 8300 feet in elevation, but they almost look tiny compared to the incredibly large clouds.

Eye of the Storm

You can almost feel how angry this storm cloud is.  It swirled around a bit, letting light in and then blocking it out.  In the end, storminess won out, and the rain poured down a short time later.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are available in my online gallery in a variety of formats and finishes.  Please visit https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

 

Treasures from Plaza Blanca

 

Treasures from Plaza Blanca

Here are some of my favorite images from Plaza Blanco, or The white Place, where Georgia O’Keeffe painted.  You will only see these images here and not in my online gallery.  When the mosque limited entry to this special place, they placed certain conditions on those who enter.  One of those is that any images photographed there were to have the copyrights turned over to the mosque.  Basically, that means I cannot sell them, at least not without some consideration going to the mosque.  So, they will remain sort of hidden treasures, only available for viewing.

White Place Walls

The further into the canyon known as Plaza Blanca one walked, the narrower it got, and the walls truly felt like they were towering over you.  It was nice to have the greenery as a break from the rock walls.

Just Around the Bend

As the canyon became more and more a slot canyon, the path to follow became narrower and more well-defined.  Although the sky overhead is vast, for some, it might actually feel a bit claustrophobic.

End of the Canyon

And here we are – at the very end of the canyon.  The only way to move forward from here is to begin to scale the walls.  Since I’m not a mountain goat, for me it meant it was time to turn around!

As Georgia Saw Them

When I googled images of Georgia O’Keeffe’s White Place paintings, there was a painting that looked like this view, to an extent.  Of course, she painted in semi-abstracts, so it’s not exactly the same!

Standing Tall in Plaza Blanca

I love the perspective in this image.  The tree is not a small tree, probably a good 25 feet or more, and it looks dwarfed by the walls of the canyon.  It was such a treat to be able to see this special place.

Enjoy!

Red River

 

Red River

Although we spent just under a week in Red River, NM, there were some gems that I managed to capture and share on my photo imagery site!

Deserted Barn

I saw this barn while driving along a road in northern New Mexico.  It spoke to me of days gone by, as do many deserted buildings from the days of ranching and farming.  I converted this image into a digital collage, adding a brush showing written words, and the photograph of a dead tree I previously captured.  The background is one that I made manually in my studio and adds to the vintage feel of the piece.

Summer Grass

Can’t you just feel the warm summer breeze as it brushes over your skin when you look at this image?  The tips of this grass would feel like soft brushes as you run your hand over them.  It feels like a warm August day in the country, and that’s just when this image was captured.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes on my online gallery – https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.

 

 

 

Lava Treasures

 

Lava Treasures

Who knew that lava rock could produce such interesting landscapes?  Take a look at these from Craters of the Moon National Monument…

Gnarled Tree

This tree was found in Devil’s Garden in Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.  Although there is greenery in the background, everything is growing on lava rocks.  It’s interesting to see how much life there is among the rocks.

Living is not Enough

There are some beautiful flowers growing among the lava rocks at Craters of the Moon National Monument.  And, from my perspective, they are quite inspiring.

Inside Tree

I think of lava as being fiery hot, like the lava in Hawaii.  But, the lava at Craters of the Moon National Monument, has long cooled into lava rocks.  So, the only lava red hot color I saw while wandering in Devil’s Garden, were the lines of orange red found inside a dead tree.

Perseverance

This image is demonstrating that the most fragile of flowers are very tough creatures, able to find life giving nourishment from beneath the lava rocks at Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Looking Up the Lava Field

It’s not often that one can find a lovely landscape in the midst of the lava fields of Craters of the Moon National Monument.  But here’s proof that it does happen.  Textured, craggy rocks, fragile looking flowers and mountains in the background.  Somehow, they combine into a peaceful landscape.

Enjoy!

Note:  These images are available in a variety of formats and finishes from my online gallery at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nadine-berg.