One reason I love landscape photography is that it forces me to get outdoors more often. There is something special about getting away from a computer, phone, and the hectic pace of normal life. You can breathe... Oh, and even when it's COLD! On my drive to Hickory Nut Mountain, my thermometer hit a low of 5 degrees! Brrrrrrr! When I arrived at the Lake Ouachita vista overlook, it was a balmy 7. So, why would I venture out in such cold weather? I heard there was a spring-fed creek with some cascades and a small waterfall. I wanted to catch some ice and icicles if possible. 

Fog is something I really enjoy photographing.  It can be tricky to capture properly, but it makes for some beautiful scenes!  These were taken at Lake Catherine State Park one morning. The first shot below isn't all that spectacular, but I loved how the sun was bursting through around the bend. My next shot I liked simply because I was able to capture some ducks swimming across the bay. This one is definitely my favorite. Be sure to click on it to see it full size on my SmugMug page to truly appreciate it.  The light, fog, lake, trees, mountains... a beautiful scene! And...

I was so blessed to be part of the teaching team for the inaugural Homebuilders Gulf Coast retreat! Plus, the retreat was held at Camp Baldwin, a wonderful facility in Elberta, AL.  On the first night there, the sunset was only so-so.  I did HDR in the photo above to give it a more dramatic feel. This is overlooking Wolf Bay.

There is a beautiful barn on the way to my parents' house that I've wanted to shoot for awhile.  I finally set out for a sunrise yesterday.  I think I'll give it another shot too at sunset so I can catch some golden hour rays on the barn front.  I love this place!  Notice the super-cool cross.

We had an ice storm recently in Hot Springs.  The mountains in particular looked amazing with all the glistening ice on the trees.  I decided to head up into the surrounding mountains to see if I could capture some of the magic. This was the first shoot with my new Nikon D800.  First, I tried going up to West Mountain.  They had the road closed off though.  I guess some trees were down over the road.  So, I headed towards Hot Springs Mountain.  Score!  It was open!  I was a bit worried though as the ice had all melted at the base of the mountain.  Thankfully, the higher you went, the more...

Yesterday morning our town was covered in fog. I decided to drive up to a nearby mountain top with a clearing facing the east. I lucked out as the fog cleared at the top. I was treated to an amazing sunrise over a sea of fog with just a few mountain tops showing. The mountains looked like islands.  I did my best to capture the moment, but I don't think the pictures do it justice.  God certainly knows how to put on a display of beauty!

I've learned that landscape photography puts you into some interesting situations.  If you really want a certain shot, you have to be willing to look a little crazy!  I've been wanting a sunrise shot over Lake Hamilton for awhile but wasn't quite sure where to go.  I used my favorite website, SunCalc, to see where the sunrise was coming from this time of year.  I guessed that the boat dock for the Clarion Hotel would be ideal so I headed that way when I noticed the great cloud formations in the sky this morning.  People really underestimate the time and effort that goes into planning landscape...

In Hot Springs, we are blessed to have some wonderful, caring people.  One local man, Dr. Kevin Hale, has built such a reputation in our community.  He lives just down the street from me and was gracious enough to allow me to take pictures on his property recently.  The land is gorgeous and I couldn't wait to get some photos of the mist rising from one of the ponds in the golden glow of a sunrise!

This may be my last shots from my beloved Nikon D90.  I bought a D600 which I had for about a week before I... gulp... dropped it.  I had never dropped a camera before in my life, but as soon as I had my new baby I dropped it and broke some parts.  It should be back tomorrow from its 6 week stay at Nikon as they repaired it.  

Is it an unwritten rule that every photographer must have a website for their gallery and blog?  I've decided to follow the trend and create my own.  On the blog I'll be sharing what I hope will be inspirational photos and writings for you.  This picture was my first attempt at capturing a sunrise.  The sun had not yet peaked over the horizon which gave me some beautiful colors to work with.  I love how the horizon is vibrant with orange and red yet the rest of the sky is still a deep blue.  You can even spot some stars in the top right of the photo.    My favorite part of this photo...