Some of my Most Memorable Sunrises

This is a slow time for me and my photography. So, I thought I’d share some sunrises. As you look at these, please pay attention to the captions. Some of the tell a story about the place and the circumstance.

More to come!

Please click on caption to see image at higher resolution!

Primera Lúz; First light over Yosemite
Yosemite National Park, California, USA; July 2014

Tunnel View is an iconic view at Yosemite. I visited it many times. I Often mused that a photo with the sun peeking from behind Half Dome. I planned this shot for 2 years until I was finally able to be there at the right time and it was all that I expected.

Wondrous Morning;
Zabriske Point, Death Valley National Park, California, USA; OCT 2015.

Zabriske point is the go-to place for a sunrise at Death Valley. On a typical day, the sun rises over your shoulder, casting an alpenglow over the mountains on the far side of the valley. If you are lucky, there will be a few clouds over the far mountains, and you can watch the sky turn from orange and magenta to gold. On the day we visited, the thick cloud cover from the previous day’s storm was breaking up. We got the beautiful color we had hoped for. But, in addition, we got a marvelous rainbow. It was an unforgettable moment.

Sunrise at Driftwood Beach;
Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA; JUL 2023

Some days you just get lucky. We were having a family vacation to St Simons Island, Georgia, USA. I didn’t really plan to do any photography but took my equipment anyway. While there, I saw that the sun would be rising at a great spot. So, my wife and I got up well before sunrise and before anyone else woke up, went to this spot and it was wonderful.

Badlands at Sunrise;
Yellow Mounds Area, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA; JUL 2021

The Badlands are an interesting place to visit anytime of the day but at sunrise and sunset the colors pop. The dry valleys cut from the highly eroded plateau are beautiful. Most of the valleys are drab and dusty. While scouting for places to shoot, I spotted this unique little valley with its creek and green floor. My research showed that the sun would be rising from a good position. We watched the beautiful sunrise paint the sides of the valley.

The Beam, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Par
k, Wyoming, USA; FEB 2013

This “rainbow” can only be seen at sunrise in February at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. I was on a photography workshop, camping in Yellowstone. It was a wonderful experience to be with a small group of like-minded people enjoying this rare opportunity.

First Light on the Sierra
Alabama Hills, Lone
Pine, California, USA; APR 2021

The Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California are a wonderful place to visit. It is a field of immense boulders that sit in front of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s a place with many arches, boulders and trails. It becomes a place of wonder when the sun rises over the White-Inyo mountains to the east and paints the Sierras with it orange-red alpen glow. My spirit feels at home there.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Prairie Dogs

Prairie Dog sitting on mound at den entrance.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Prairie Dog Village, Devils Tower National Monument, South Dakota, USA; JUN 2021

On our trip last July, we spent some time observing Prairie Dogs. I was fascinated by them, just as I am with many rodents.  They are very observant and industrious creatures.

Please click on caption to see images in higher resolution!

Prairie Dog with concerned look on its face and barking.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA; JUL 2021
Group of 3 Prairie Dogs interacting.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Prairie Dog Village, Devils Tower National Monument, South Dakota, USA; JUN 2021
Prairie dog standing while watching and eating. Blurred Prairie Dog in distant background.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Prairie Dog Village, Devils Tower National Monument, South Dakota, USA; JUN 2021
Three juvenile Prairie Dogs observing from the entrance of their den.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA; JUL 2021

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Bighorn Sheep

Three female and one juvenile Bighorn Sheep grazing against a backdrop eroded hills and valley.
Bighorn Sheep
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021

One of the interesting sites at Badlands National Park were the Bighorn sheep. It was especially fun to watch because they had babies.

Bighorn sheep are not native to Badlands National Park. Twenty-two were introduced in 1964 from the Pike’s Peak area in Colorado. The population is now estimated to be over 250. There are no natural predators to the Bighorn at Badlands National Park.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution!

Three female and 2 juvenile bighorn sheep traversing a rugged trail.
Bighorn Sheep on the Trail
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Ram (Male) Bighorn Sheep descending a cliff side.
Bighorn Sheep Ram
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Two female and 3 juvenile Bighorn Sheep resting on a grassy hillside.
Bighorn Sheep
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Juvenile Bighorn Sheep nursing from mother.
Bighorn Sheep Nursing
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Two female and one juvenile Bighorn Sheep resting on rocky hillside.
Bighorn Sheep
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Closeup view of the ears from a group of juvenile bighorn sheep grazing alongside each other.
Bighorn Sheep
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.

 

Badlands National Park

Eroded valley at sunrise.
Badlands Sunrise – P5
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021

When you drive through Badlands National Park, on one side of the road is prairie grassland. The other side is a wide, highly eroded valley. You are riding on the edge, the dividing line. Both sides were intriguing. The prairie was green but transitioning to golden brown, flat to the horizon. The valley is flat and desolate occupied only by scrub except where water flows through. Where the prairie meets the valley, the transition zone consists of beautifully eroded sediment layered in gray and rose-colored bands. The rock is crumbly, almost like dried mud. It is the results of how nature sculpted these erosional features that make the park interesting and beautiful.

Please click on caption to see images at higher resolution!

Colorful river valley at sunrise.
Badlands Sunrise – P3
Yellow Mounds Area, Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Eroded mountains at sunset.
Badlands Sunset – P1
Notch Trailhead, Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Eroded valley at mid-day.
Badlands from Sheep Mountain Overlook – P1
Sheep Mountain Overlook, Badlands National Park, SD; JUL2021
Colorful, eroded valley at sunrise.
Badlands Sunrise – P1
Yellow Mounds Area, Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Eroded mountains at sunset.
Badlands Sunset – P3
Notch Trailhead, Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021
Grassy edge of prarie transitioning to eroded valley.
Badlands Sunrise – P7
Badlands National Park, SD; JUL 2021

If anyone would like a copy of almost any picture in my library, for educational or research use, please contact me and I will happily share a digital copy with you.

Please visit my website, www.earthwatcher.us to see my collection of landscapes and wildlife.

These and other images are available to purchase by contacting larry.klink@earthwatcher.us.