Happy #EarthDay from my little slice of Earth in the Midwestern United States. I just submitted these four images of some stunningly beautiful corners of our landscape to the "American Landscape" contest by @outdoorphotomag. On this day, they remind me of the infinite reasons to protect the only planet we have.

1. Bridge to #GraysPeak in #Colorado
2. Northern #Minnesota #Rainbow #Reflection
3. #Absaroka Sunset in #ParadiseValley, #Montana
4. Striated #Badlands Hills & Hoodoos

Full size images with accompanying pieces and stories can be found at KCTRVLR.com.

The tropical flowers in Barbados are an explosion of color and scent. View these stunning beauties full-size at KCTRVLR.com. Select prints available.

1. Pride of Barbados / peacock flower
2. Shampoo ginger
3. Lobster claw
4. Tropical croton?
5. White plumeria / frangipani
6. Bitter ginger
7. Painters pallete
8. Aechmea
9. Palm leaves

View these photographs and read my article, "Barbados: A Tale of Two Coasts" at
https://kctrvlr.com/abroad/barbados-a-tale-of-two-coasts/

#Barbados #prideofbarbados #ginger #lobsterclaw #tropical #tropicalflowers #tropicalflower #botanical #botanicalgardens #botanicalgarden #tropicalbotany #tropicalbotanicalgarden #visitbarbados #caribbean #island #islandflowers #barbadoslife #barbados🇧🇧 #barbados #wildflowers #wildflower #peacockflower #

You can find local and exotic wildlife from brocket deer to red-footed tortoises to velvet monkeys in Barbados at the Barbados Wildlife reserve. See more photos from Barbados at the link in my bio. https://kctrvlr.com/abroad/barbados-a-tale-of-two-coasts/

#Barbados #stpeterbarbados #barbadoswildlifereserve #barbadoswildlife #brocketdeer #tortoise #chickens #monkey #velvetmonkey #greenmonkey #Caribbean #travel #tourism #lovebarbados #visitbarbados #🇧🇧 #island #islandlife #atlanticocean #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #naturelovers #fauna #floraandfauna

Hashtag influencer? Anyway, this was an incredible day on a catamaran in the Caribbean Sea pretending to be one. After so long staying home, I'm so thankful to travel again. I've been in Barbados eight full days, beginning on the quiet Atlantic (Eastern) coast in Cattle Wash for nature and wildlife, then in the beachy resort side of the island popular among visitors. I came to speak at @barbadosseo and enjoyed seeing so much of this beautiful Island. And yet there is still so much more to see. I met some remarkable people and had some incredible conversations. I can't wait to @visitbarbados again. I'll be writing about my experience in Barbados and publishing my photos alongside soon!

 (Your friendly reminder to protect your tattoos from the sun with coverage to minimize exposure, and frequent application of high SPF, reef-safe sunscreen. Hydration inside and out is helpful, too!)

#visitbarbados #lovebarbados #Barbados #Caribbean #beach #boat #catamaran #tattoos #travel #cattlewash #globetrotter #tattoedtraveller #cruising #sun

🦉 What a gift to have a barred owl who has made a habit of perching in our yard in the afternoons recently! The evening light was about perfect for photographing this one in its evening hunt. So close I photographed this one in my bare feet! 

Shot on Canon R5

#owl #owls #barredowl #barredowls #backyard #bird #birds #birdsofprey #birdsofinstagram #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotographer #naturephotography #animalphotography #animals #backyardphotography #rightinmybackyard #perched #perch #shotoncanon #kc #kcmo #kansascity #missouri #conservation #conservationphotography #missouriconservation #missouriwildlife @canonusa

Animals of Voyageurs. 
1. Male common loon
2. Female common loon with two chicks
3. Trumpeter swan
4. Adult bald eagle
5. Juvenile bald eagle, approx 5 months
6. Western painted turtle

Just a few of the amazing animals that call Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota home. Water is life in this landscape on the border of the U.S. and Canada. Climate change threatens this way of life as more extreme swings in precipitation patterns impact bird migration patterns, increasing water temperatures cause more algae blooms, and other effects.

Shot on @canonusa Canon R5 Mirrorless at @voyageursnps in July 2022

#loon #swan #trumpeterswan #eagle #eagles #baldeagle #bird #birds #birdsofprey #birdsofinstagram #waterfowl #waterbirds #lake #lakebirds #turtle #turtles #westernpaintedturtle #Voyageurs #voyageursnationalpark #Minnesota #boundarywaters #northwoods #wildlifephotography #wildlife #animalphotography #animals #naturephotography #nature #conservation #climatechange

Less than 48 hours after this photo I was crapping in a bag at 12,000 feet with some delightful stomach bug instead of summiting the mountains I came to hike. 😂 Thank goodness the camping and hiking at Peru Creek before our 14er attempts at Gray's/Torrey's was fantastic - felt great, great views, great photos, great weather! I'll have to see those summits another time.

Photo by @theoutdoorsyartist
Peru Creek, Colorado
August 2022

#colorado #14ers #14er #14ersofcolorado #hiking #hikingadventures #hike #mountains #fourteener #fourteeners #co #altitude #altitudesickness #flatlander #camping #campinglife #hikingtrails #hiking🌲 #hikerproblems #flex #hikingwomen #hikingwoman #perucreek

Young bald eagle waiting for its parents to return with lunch on a balmy and still summer afternoon. Likely less than six months old, this fledgling is still observing and learning from its parents. 🦅 The giant eagles nest overlooks Rainy Lake from one of the hundreds of islands in Voyageurs National Park.

Shot on Canon R5 (@canonusa)
f/11 // ISO 400 // 1/800s

#eagle #baldeagle #eaglet #eagles #eaglesnest #nationalpark #nationalparks #Voyageurs #voyageursnationalpark #boundarywaters #canoeing #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birdsofinstagram #birdsofprey #avian #perched #minnesota #rainylake #kabetogama #ashlake #birdphotography #birdphoto #putabirdonit #nature #naturephotography #animal #animalphotography

A new look at an old photo I took of a single sheep in a flock thousands large in the middle of the only road through rural Antimony, Utah. It paused for a split second to observe me before it darted off to rejoin the mass migration. Sheepdogs trotted past, keeping pace and nipping at the occasional heel to keep the caravan intact. Cowboys on horseback shouted and whistled commands as they shepherded the flock for more than 10 miles between mountain pastures.

Shot on a @canonusa Rebel T2i in 2020
ISO 100 // f5.6 // 1/1000s

#sheep #baa #flockofsheep #ranching #cowboys #shepherd #shepherding #sheepherding #Utah #Antimony #rural #farmland #ranchlife #ranchlands #ranchland #livestock #herding #antimonyutah #country #landscape #farming #ranching #photography #animals #animal #animalphotography #animalphotos #naturephotographer #shotoncanon

Incredible, fiery Kansas sunset around the full moon in a field of prairie wildflowers. This is home. 

Shot on Canon R5
ISO 200 // f/5.6 // 1/250s

#wildflowers #dandelion #dandelions #sunset #kansas #prairie #wildfire #photography #landscapephotography #plantphotography #naturephotography #outdoorphotography #landscape #ks #midwest #flinthills #farm #fullmoon #shotoncanon @canonusa

Paradise Valley, Montana has one of the best blue hours facing the Gallatin Mountain Range. Layers and layers of mountains to photograph, pristine white snow reflects the blue light, and what's left of the vibrant sunset purples the wispy clouds in the sky. View all my images from a cabin at in the foothills of Emigrant Peak at the link in my bio. 🔗👆

Shot on Canon R5 Mirrorless
f/11 1/3s ISO1000 600mm

#paradisevalley #paradisevalleymontana #paradisevalleymt #praymt #Montana #mt #sunset #bluehour #goldenhour #bluehourphotography #goldenhourphotography #bluehourlight #landscapephotographer #landscapephotography #landscape #mountains #snowymountains #snow #gallatin #gallatinmountains #gallatinrange #yellowstone #canonr5  #shotoncanon

Usually I'm behind the camera, not in front of it. This is me shooting at Badlands National Park on a blustery day in April with 35-50mph winds. 🌬️

📸@skeletorreynolds 

#Badlands #badlandsnationalpark
#intothebadlands #southdakota #sd #nationalpark #nationalparks #photography #photographer #landscape #landscapephotography #landscapephotographer #nature #naturephotography #naturephotographer #outdoors #outdoorphotography #outdoorphotographer #windy #windyday #photographingthephotographer

This is what Yellowstone National Park looked like just 6 weeks ago. I visited just as the park was beginning to open for the year. An April blizzard altered my plans, but left amazing blankets of beauty throughout the park, like this eye-popping scene of a creek carving the snow with bands of color created red brush, gold grasses, and green conifers. 

Just after I published my photographs from Yellowstone, record-breaking floods occurred at Yellowstone National Park, causing widespread destruction, with mudslides and rock slides washing out major roadways. At a time when the country's first national park was to celebrate their 150th anniversary, this astonishing flooding created extremely hazardous conditions and major damage to the park's infrastructure. Dozens of people in the region have been recovered by helicopter search and rescue. 

The photos and videos of the flooding Yellowstone River and remarkable damage at Yellowstone are jaw-dropping. The northern road loop -- including sites like Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge, Lamar Valley, and Yellowstone National Park headquarters -- is so badly damaged that it will likely remain closed all season. Half the park is not operational as the National Parks Service works to stabilize from the historic flooding, and with more rain and warm weather that causes snowmelt in the mountains in the forecast.

@yellowstonenps @nationalparkservice #Yellowstone #YellowstoneNationalPark #yellowstoneriver #yellowstonepark #yellowstonephotography #yellowstoneflooding #yellowstoneflood #nationalpark #nationalparks #snow #river #conifer #conifers #deciduous #deciduoustrees #montana #wyoming #photography #landscapephotography #travelphotography #naturephotography

🐻 Second bear sighting, first ever bear photo for me. Extremely cool. Note to self: This will be a great one to compare my growth to in a few years.  Cannot wait to go back and spend *much* more time shooting and learning in the Yellowstone region.

See all my images from Yellowstone National Park at the link in my bio.

🏞️ Yellowstone National Park, USA, April 2022 @yellowstonenps
📸 Shot on Canon R5 // ISO 200 // f/11 // 1/400s 105mm @canonusa
🔗 https://kctrvlr.com/domestic/yellowstone-national-park-first-visit-april-2022 @kctrvlr

#bear #bears #bearsighting #bearsightings #🐻 #Yellowstone #yellowstonenationalpark #yellowstonepark #yellowstonenps #Montana #Wyoming #snow #snowfall #nationalpark #nationalpark #wildyellowstone #wildlife #wildlifephotography #growthmindset #practicingphotographer #shotoncanon #canonr5

My first semi-successful full moon photo attempt on a new 600mm lens. 

Shot on @canonusa EOS R5 mirrorless with 600mm f/11 lens at 200ISO and 1/250s exposure

#moon #fullmoon #moonshot #moonphotography #moonphases #moonphoto #moonphase #moonlight #moonpics #moonlovers #🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕 #🌕#photography #shotoncanon #practicingphotography #landscapephotography #canon #canonphotography #nightphotography #night #sky #nightsky #mooncraters #astrophotography

Snow geese feathers come to rest in the icy divide as the frozen marsh begins to melt at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, about 100 miles north of Kansas City.

Shot on @canonusa EOS R5 Mirrorless
f/11 // 1/320s // ISO200

#snow #ice #frozen #marsh #pond #feathers #feather #goose #snowgoose #geese #snowgeese #snowmelt #loessbluffs #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #loessbluffsnwr #loess #kansascity #Missouri #stjoemo #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #winter #shotoncanon #canonphotography #canon

Grasses silhouetted against a vibrant sunset on the frozen marsh at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, about 90 minutes north of Kansas City. 

Shot on @canonusa EOS R5 Mirrorless
f/16 // 1/125s // ISO200

#shotoncanon #sunset #marsh #pond #silhouette #vibrant #photography #landscapephotography #landscape #nature #naturephotography #winter #frozen #snow #ice #cold #Missouri #loessbluffs #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge  #loessbluffsnwr #birdhabitat #kansascity #Missouri #stjoemo #kcmo

Perched eagle last weekend at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, about 90 minutes north of Kansas City.

Shot on @canonusa R5
#eagle #baldeagle #baldeagles #eagles #loess #loessbluffs #loessbluffsnationalwildliferefuge #perched #birdsofprey #missouri #winter #shotoncanon #fauna #wildlifephotography #wildlife #naturephotography #nature #kansascity #kcmo #stjoemo

Wisps of snow glissade across the frozen pond toward tiny snow islands forming under the dimly lit wooden bridge. Photographed at Loose Park in Kansas City this weekend. 

Shot on Canon EOS R5
f/4 // 1/200:// ISO200

Prints available on my Society6 store. Half of all sales donated to environmental charities.

@canonusa @kcmoparks @kansascity @igkansascity @kansascityscenes @visitkc #LoosePark #kansascity #kc #kcmo #winter #snow #ice #frozen #bridge #midwest #midwestwinter #cold #winterwonderland #shotoncanon #wintertime #photography #landscapephotography #landscape #blue #canonphotography #canon #looseparkkc

Near Plaza los Dolores in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Read about my travel to Honduras as an international election observer at the link in my bio.

Shot on Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless
ISO 250 // f/4.5 // 1/800s

#tegucigalpa #tegucigalpahonduras #tegucigalpacity #streetphotography #honduras #honduras🇭🇳 #cityphotography #concrete #brick #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #texture #travelphotography #travel #centralamerica #centralamericatravel #latinamerica #latam #latinamericantravel #shotoncanon @tegucigalpa.hn @canonusa

This is Kansas. I learned from studying professional landscape photographers that the most magical images often get made on the way to places people usually go to take pictures. Making this photo of sunset on the Neosho River reminded me it's the journey, not the destination.

See the full-size, uncropped image and all my photos from 50 miles on the Flint Hills Nature Trail, part of one of the last remaining tallgrass prairie existing ecosystems, at https://kctrvlr.com/domestic/50-miles-flint-hills-nature-trail-kansas-tallgrass-prairie/.

Shot on Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless
ISO 200 // f/16 // 3.2s

#sunset #lake #reservoir #kansas #johnredmond #dam #reservoir #water #johnredmondreservoir #neosho #neoshoriver #midwest #flinthills #flinthillskansas #flinthillsnaturetrail #landscapephotography #landscape #outdoorphotography #outdoors #photography #naturephotography #nature #scenery #sceneryphotography #fierysky #fierysunset #purplesky #orangesky #bluesky #blueskies #shotoncanon

Early autumn landscape photography from a hike in the Snoqualmie Falls Pass of Washington, in the Pacific Northwest just outside Seattle. See my final selections, uncropped by Instagram and detail at full size at https://kctrvlr.com/domestic/snoqualmie-falls-autumn-landscape-photography/.

All shot on my Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless

#Snoqualmie #snoqualmiefalls #snoqualmiepass #washingtonstate #washington #pacificnorthwest #pnw #pacificnw #hiking #hike #photography #landscape #landscapephotography #naturephotography #outdoorphotography #forest #amateurphotography #mirrorless #canonphotography #shotoncanon

The lilypad pond at Powell Gardens, just outside Kansas City. Powell Gardens is one of the beautiful, thoughtfully curated botanical gardens in the area. It makes a fabulous morning, especially on their special dog days. Poppy joined us on this excursion.

Shot on Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless
ISO 200 // f/4.0 // 1/4ks

#shotoncanon #canonphotography #canonr5 #kansascity #kc #kcmo #powellgardens #powellgardensmo #botanical #botanicalgardens #lilypads #aquaticplants #aquaticplant #flower #lotus #lotusflower #lotusflowers #whitelotus #floatinglotus #flowers #flowerphotography #flowerpic #landscapephotography #igkansascity
@powellgardens @kansascityscenes @igkansascity

I'm already daydreaming about my next mountain. 🏞️

Shot on @canonusa EOS R5 Mirrorless #shotoncanon

#mountain #mountains #Leadville #BuenaVista #Colorado #huronpeak #collegiatepeaks #landscape #landscapephotography #hiking #hike #lulugulch #14er #14ers #fourteener #fourteeners #creek #chaffeecounty #sawatch #sawatchrange #clouds #meltwater #altitude

Amanita muscaria. 🍄 A stunningly beautiful, yet nauseating mushroom. Learn more about this and other, friendlier mushrooms, like the "Rocky Mountain porcini," that can be found in the Collegiate Peaks wilderness of Colorado, courtesy of some friendly amateur mushroom hunters we met on the trail, at the link in my bio. ☝️

#mushroom #mushrooms #fungus #fungi #amanitamuscaria #mario #mariobros #Colorado #Co #CollegiatePeaks #mountain #mountains #HuronPeak #mushroomhunting #mushroomhunters #foraging #mushroomforaging #foragingformushrooms #red #hike #hiking #trail #muscari #muscaria #amanita #amanitamuscaria🍄 #🍄 #hallucinogen #hallucinogenic #wilderness

I successfully completed the Huron Peak 14er, part of the Collegiate Peaks wilderness near Leadville and Buena Vista in Colorado. All the training - physical, mental and emotional - culminated in this ascent from flatlands to 14er. This summit is my third 14er of four attempts (Pikes, Quandary, and Humboldt previously). 

#14er #14ers #alpinelake #BuenaVista #Class214er #CollegiatePeaks #Colorado #Colorado14ers #ContinentalDivide #fearofheights #fourteener #GooglePixel3 #hike #hikertrash #hiking #HuronPeak #Leadville #mountains #RockyMountains #SanIsabelNationalForest #travelphotography #mounthuron #mthuron #huron #leadinglines #peak #summit #peakbagging #mountain

I came back to this spot near our rental in Oro Valley (just outside Tucson and Saguaro) again and again at all times of day. On my last night in town, I set up my frame with the perfect specimen of a rare crested saguaro cactus on the left, a quintessential saguaro cactus on the right, almost playing tug-of-war to balance the scene. Behind them, the Sonoran desert, a vivid and colorful desert sunset, and Arizona mountains as the backdrop.

For un-cropped original visit KCTRVLR.com
Shot on @canonusa Canon R5 mirrorless
RF24-105MM
ISO 320 // f/4.5 // 1/25s
Post-processing in @lightroom
Photographed in Oro Valley, Arizona

#saguaronationalpark #saguaro #cactus #saguarocactus #cactus #cacti #desert #sonorandesert #sonoran #arizona #az #sunset #sunsetphotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #orovalley #orovalleyaz #tucson #tucsonarizona #tucsonaz #outdoors #outdoorphotography #nature #naturephotography #nature #canonphotography #shotoncanon #canonr5 #crestedsaguaro #crestedcactus #cristate

I can't count how many times I've made this drive across the Kansas prairie to get from Kansas City to Colorado for hiking, or New Mexico when my mom lived there many years ago. The buffalo, the windmills, the way clouds cast shadows on the hills in the morning - it's home.

Shot on @googlepixel Pixel 3 Phone

#prairie #plains #greatplains #kansas #ks #fieldsofgold #bluesky #blueskies #clouds #hills #rollinghills #travel #roadtrip #crosscountry #hikingtrip #midwest #middleofthemap #country #countryroads #highway70 #shadows #cst #centraltime #centraltimezone #shotonpixel

A car I came across this week on my early morning walks in front of an early sky with great clouds rolling in. I've been putting in a lot of miles this week getting ready to go from the flatlands to the summit of my next 14er in a matter of days. Trying to keep my eye sharp and creativity active, too.

#sunrise #clouds #car #rustycar #cityphotography #streetphotography #streetphotographer #kc #kcmo #kansascity #photosonfoot #morningwalk #photography #shotonpixel #googlepixel #googlepixel3 #pixelphotography #streetphotos #westportkc #americana #rust

A giant osprey nest rests atop the field lights on the U.S. Naval Academy Yard in Annapolis, Maryland. Also called "sea hawks," this family of raptors is perfectly poised at the waterside to fish for prey. 

View all full size photos from the shoot at LINK IN BIO. ⬆️

📷 Shot on @canonusa
EOS R5
ISO500 // f7.1 // 1/800s
Post processing in @lightroom 
@usnavalacademy @visitannapolis @visitmaryland 

#landscapephotography #sunrise #bridge #fitchbridge #chesapeakebay #navalacademy #navy #annapolis #maryland #eastcoast #outdoorphotography #waterfront #md #visitmaryland #gonavy #americasnavy #usnavalacademy #sunrisephotography #waterphotography #river #estuary #osprey #raptor #birds #seahawk #shotoncanon

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