This natural arch was within a large section of land called "Canyonlands" in southeast Utah. Although there are many distant things to see in this vast territory, this photo opportunity was a brief hike from the road. Upon first finding this framed lookout onto the valley below, I just knew it would make a great image. For some time, I moved around, first left and right, then closer and farther, higher and lower, until I ultimately got the rock formations below to frame nicely inside the arch (and had enough space to setup a camera).

some picture-perfect stalks of Imperial Fritillaria (lutea maxima) just waiting for someone like me to come by and capture them on film.

while returning home from a long bike trip, i noticed some cumulus clouds blowing by as the sun was getting low. Predicting a scenic sunset in the making, i rapidly peddled to find a good vantage point. It seemed the sun was setting abnormally quick, colours were coming and going quickly as i was searching about to gain a few extra feet in elevation. No time to climb a tree or gain access to a rooftop, so a nearby fence post was my only resort. It was at least four-inches square but cut at a slight angle so staying on top with fatigued legs was a bit of a challenge. Wiggling about, i managed to establish a light reading as my balance failed and i fell to the ground. While i was on a more stable surface, i set my exposure time and climbed back up the post. This time i managed to set my focus and adjusted my lens for a good composure before falling off again. Third time up, everything is set and only seconds to spare, big breath out to steady my body as much as possible to capture this beautiful sunset image before falling back to the ground. The streaming rays of light withdrew and the colour faded almost as quickly as it began; the spectacular event was certainly over but at least it was now preserved for lifetimes of enjoyment.

This is a close-up of Dichrolam Film - an exotic material that won awards for being one of the most innovative materials in the world. It's paper thin and made up of several hundred layers of super-thin plastics that diffract and filter light into different colours depending on the viewing angle.

High in the Urubamba Mountains, lies the recently famous ruins of MachuPicchu. The peak off to the right is WaynaPicchu. After a lengthy steep climb up damp and slippery rocks, it provides a nice overlook of the ancient city. Many photographers stand on the hill on the left side of this photo and capture a portion of the ruins; I chose to climb to a neighboring peak and shoot down over the entire area. The stepped plateaus going down the side were farmland and between each level are stone steps protruding out from the wall.

glass tulips illuminated with various neon lights would certainly make a wonderful piece of contemporary art, but this is actually a closeup photo of a Grecian Windflower. in between the bumpy center cone and the outer petals, is a ring of many stamen with short filaments. zooming in extra tight on the area where the anthers (top part resembling mini-tulips) connect with the filaments (supporting stems), and adding in a micro-spotlight to make everything sparkle, you then get a shot like this. each filament (stems seen at the bottom) measures around 0.0062 inches in diameter which is a tad thinner than a bristle on a toothbrush.

This is truly in the middle of nowhere and reachable only by foot (or perhaps parachute). It's hard to believe that rock could form in such fluid shapes but it sure makes for a great find for those willing to bare the elements of the desert.

sunset above the clouds near hawaiian islands