On a drive back from the Salton Sea, I stopped at this overlook of the Anza Borrego Badlands. Immeidately I knew I needed to return for a sunrise photo. A few weeks later, the universe graced me with soft wispy clouds that caught great colors of sunrise.

The full cascade of Panther Creek Falls in Washington is something to behold. It's well worth the scramble to the base of the falls. And on a sleepy Sunday morning, you'll have the whole place to yourself.

One of several trees in a grove of sorts in the Anza Borrego desert.

A glorious sunrise overlooking the Borrego Desert.

Sunrise is an event to behold in Death Valley. If the skies don't put on a show, the light and shadow play in the mountains will surely delight.

Bolinas Ridge is such a soothing place. There's something about the gentle rise and fall of the rolling hills that speaks to our distant past. It's a place we inherently recognize as hospitable and fertile, a place to make camp.

A gorgeous sky in Del Mar as the sun goes down. A single Torrey Pine stands tall.

I took this image years and years ago, back in the 35mm film days. Seeing it now it almost looks like a miniature model of the Grand Canyon.

In the early morning light, the stark landscape of the Carizzo Badlands looks otherworldly. An alien landscape right here on Earth.

The Racetrack Playa - home to the mysterious sailing stones - a veritable right of passage for any landscape photographer. For the best stones, head to the south end of the Playa. And don't be fooled by the tire tracks :(

As the first rays of a new day wash over Death Valley, Manly Beacon is first to grab the morning light.

It's a scramble to get to the base of Panther Creek Falls. Very challenging in the dark before sunrise. And it's well worth it. Walk slow, be steady, and bring lots of lint free cloth wipes to keep your lens dry. There's lots of spray!

Zabreskie Point is the place to go for sunrise photos in Death Valley. There's a large platform of land beneath the formal viewing area. Bring a sturdy tripod - it gets very windy on the point.

The Long Kiss Goodnight

Broken Hill in, in my opinion, the most picturesque spot in the Torrey Pines Reserve. In the winter months, the sun rises at the right angle, bathing the south-facing side of the hill in golden orange.

An exceptionally foggy morning in the valleys near Lake Hodges in San Diego, California.

Green pastures of east San Diego county turn a brownish gold in the winter months. Cold, crisp, austere at night and still warm in the day.

An impromptu stop on an afternoon drive led to a brilliant light show. The sun filtered through the trees and fog in spectacular rays.

A rainy winter's afternoon, mist and fog shroud the granite walls of the Yosemite Valley.

As the sun rises above the mountains surrounding the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, there's a period of maybe 15 minutes where the mysterious sailing stones cast long narrow shadows.

Breathtaking. Majestic. Powerful. There are so many ways to describe the vista from Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park... and none of them are truly capable of describing this natural wonder.

I had a spare afternoon outside of Denver, Colorado. I took a drive through Estes Park to the outskirts of the Rock Mountain National Park. The entire way, the clouds grew thicker and the sky darker. Sure enough, my return drive was in a downpour.

Moss covers a fallen tree on a path in Oregon's forest.

Long shadows stretch across Hidden Valley as the sun goes down in Joshua Tree National Park.

Looking south from the Muir Beach Overlook on a clear afternoon in the Marin Headlands.