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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

National Parks - Places to Refresh, and Photos

Stunning natural beauty, raw rugged lands, clear moving waters, big skies... I have a goal to see every national park and monument...
"Nature's Painting" - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
This small piece of Yellowstone is a stunning example of what I saw throughout the park. I was amazed by the dramatic colors created by sulphur and other minerals, misty steam, creeks and channels, and the grand size and variety of beautiful scenery. To know that I was atop the huge caldera of an ancient volcano was eerie but fascinating.

National Parks Photos
I just entered these 5 photos in Fodor's National Parks photo contest (wish me luck!)... some of my favorites, these are from recent road trips. Looking at them again, I'm getting the urge to hit the road and see all I can see, drink in that gorgeous outdoor beauty, and crisp cool air, satisfy that desire for becoming just part of the landscape... no phones, computers, lists... And I think, too, my photos are just waiting for me to paint them soon.
"Contrast and Mystery" - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
I traveled this planked walkway through the misty steam, over delicate areas hiding thin crust and bubbling underground geothermal activity. This place spoke to me of the beauty and paradox of nature. Yellowstone offered amazing contrasts that I often remember.

"Land of Fantastic Shapes" - Badlands National Park, SD
I was captivated by the array of mounds, spectacular formations, and golden grasses in the area. I could see the effects of erosion on the dry rugged vistas. I understood why the aridity and treacherous canyons led the native Americans to name it "bad lands".

"Otherworldly Beauty" - Badlands National Park, SD
As I walked in the white hot afternoon over the undulating dry landscape, I felt transported to an otherworld of stark beauty... punctuated by the occasional sound of a rattlesnake.

"Dusk at Lake McDonald" - Glacier National Park, McDonald Lake, Montana
The breathtaking beauty of early evening evoked a feeling of being at peace. Rugged glacial mountains, deep green forests, and shimmering reflections in the water called up the desire for adventure and exploration.

15 comments:

pattrsnd said...

Love this capture!!

JonesMoore Studio Art, Lisa JonesMoore said...

Gorgeous photos D., I especially love the one of the boats in the lake!

HeartFire said...

Thanks David for stopping in! I've been missing you at your blog, you take such stunning photos!!

HeartFire said...

Thanks Lisa, those were all such wonderful places to be...

Dreamcicle Journeys said...

Beautiful! Good luck with the photo contest. I dream of getting a National Parks Passport and touring the US to see them all.

HeartFire said...

Paula, I have 2 of those little Passports & have stamped in quite a few, but so many more to see! Do it!

Anonymous said...

What superb photos - I wish you all the best with the competition. And I can't wait to see the paintings you create from your pics, and wonder which image you will select first. Ann from UK

HeartFire said...

Hi Ann,
You know I already painted that Montana pix with the boats, but it didn't work out so well. I'm really drawn to the first one with the river and the fourth one with the rugged parched ridges and shapes...

Gina said...

Great photos! You’ll probably love the new Ken Burns series on National Parks—have you seen it?

HeartFire said...

Gina,
I've seen portions of the program & hope to see all of it... thanks for looking.

Dreamcicle Journeys said...

Delorse, Your photos are stunning. I'm enjoying Ken Burns' The National Parks series, too.

HeartFire said...

Thanks Paula! I've got another park trip in the works, so I'm excited...

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

The photos are beautiful, I wish you well. The National Parks...especially Yosemite and Yellowstone are magical!

HeartFire said...

Thanks Blue Sky!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Delorse, I love your website and am forwarding it to my daughters.

I like the National Parks entries. The series was wonderful and I wish now that I had seen more of them. These are relatively close, too. What a gift.

Thanks for sharing your web page; it is beautiful and inspiring.
W