It’s tax season (Ap 15th) and time to explore America’s West!  The Badlands of Utah offer some of the most badass ops for drone photography in the US. Located near the Utah town of Hanksville (located about 1 hour Southwest of Moab) I fired up my Mavic III flying quadcopter allowing the capture of some otherworldly imagery.

The spire shown below is hilariously known to locals at Long Dong Silver. Shot about 30 minutes before sunset, the spire really shows off.

Sunrise a great time to view the “Moon Overlook”.  Honestly it looks more like Mars to me.

About 7 miles away are the Bentonite Hills, formed from mud, sand and volcanic ash and created over 140 million years ago during the Jurassic period.

Another prominent feature of the area is Factory Butte which looks pretty bomber at 5am.  I waited around till dawn to get the soft blue light that illuminated the foreground in the image below.

Ok, I need to keep moving. No rest for the weary.  Next stop; Zion National Park and a view on route to my fav hike there, Angels Landing.

Shown below is the Milky Way arching across Zion’s night sky (4:30am).  The rock walls are illuminated by the dim light of nearby Springdale, Utah.

Several days later I arrive in Death Valley which lies about 90 minutes West of Las Vegas. Yup that’s me disappearing into the sand dunes.  Goodby cruel world.

This year the National Park was hit with unusual torrential rains, a once in a decade event. The result?  Parts of the park which are normally dried clay now are carpeted with yellow Sunflowers.

In fact some areas have received so much water that they are now shallow lakes.  Badwater Basin, normally looks like this!

Check out the difference now that it’s full of water. This pano shot taken at 2:30am features the Milky Way reflected in the mirror like water, now called Lake Manly.

Speaking of the Milky Way, nothing beats exploring a sand dune in the dark when you can’t see where you’re going.  I have a few screws loose.

Final stop are the Alabama Hills, home to hundreds of Westerns that were filmed on location in era’s past and which is located at the foot of Mt Whitney (shown below).

Shown is the Cyclops Skull Arch framing the same Mt Whitney.

If you’d like to see my entire gallery of photos click the link below!

https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Death-valley-hanksville-alabama-hills/n-r9dm5M

The Smokies are a great place to view fall color and hike!  The mix of Maple, Oak, Birch, Beech, and Pine trees create postcard scenery and a diverse pallet of yellows, reds, and orange glowing foliage (reaching peak color around the 3rd week of Oct).  That can change from year to year based on weather.

Unfortunately, this area can remind you of rush hour in LA. Others have discovered my secret. Tips on how to navigate around, and see the great stuff while avoiding the crowds:  Let’s start with a map.

Most viewing/hiking in the park is centered around Cades Cove (& surroundings), the Foothills Parkway, and the Rt 441 corridor (which is a very target-rich environment).  If you’re doing a week trip, the best place to stay for the first two days is in Townsend, a charming small town with excellent lodging, some solid restaurants, and few crowds.

The bulk of the epic views & hiking however is off of RT 441 and Gatlinburg is closer (saving you an hour of driving each way).  Sadly, Gatlinburg is like the Wisc Dells on steroids.  My compromise is to stay a few minutes North of the town (Gatlinburg Falls resort/cabins) and visit the local restaurants North of the City.  Ergo stay out of the downtown!

The other key point: hit the trails early (like at sunrise).  That way you’ll completely avoid the traffic and crowds on the trails.  Leave late morning and you’re asking for a beating.

Time to hop aboard the Snitz tour bus.  Let’s start with Cades Cove.  This can be crowded with cars (avoid weekends) but offers some great wildlife viewing, cool frontier cabins and the popular Abrams Falls hike.  This little guy was being protected under the watchfull eye of his mom at the tree’s base.

A nearby suitor waiting to put the moves on Mama Bear.

Some of the structures in Cades cover are almost 200 years old.

Next stop, the Foothills Parkway which has some fun hikes and pull outs featuring great views ot the valley floor.  Fog builds up on particularly cold mornings provide great ops for sunrise imagery.

About 20 minutes from Cades Cove is the Lynn Camp, Middle Prong trail.  One of my fav hikes in the park, the first several miles follow a colorful gorge with lots of rapids and small waterfalls.

As I mentioned the 441 corridor features some fantastic views (Newfound Gap, Clingman’s Dome) and epic hiking (Alum Cave to Mt Leconte, Chimney Tops).

Toward the end of 441 lies the town of Cherokee and the Oconaluftee Nature Center.  A great place to hike along the river and if your lucky see herds of Elk.

Closer to Gatlinburg is the Roaring Fork Nature Trail Road which also features some impressive views.

I couldn’t resist launching the Spritzler Drone from this winding trail to capture the crazy canopy of color from 1200 ft up.

Lot’s more photos to view.  Click the link for my full gallery!

https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Smokies-2023/n-5SqM6v/

I’ve been gumshoeing around mountains most of my life. The US has some amazing scenery; the Rockies, Sierra’s, Cascades, Uintas, Denali, and Smokies. None of these places hold a candle to the scenery between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta. Sorry America, the Canucks have you beat.

The peaks are higher, more frequent and seem always to have some bomber lake in the foreground—a photographer’s paradise.

Shown below is the view in front of the Lake Louise Chateau Hotel. The hotel is a great starting point for a number of great hikes.

One of these, the Plain of Six Glaciers, takes you about 4.5 miles up a canyon (2,200 ft vert) we’re we unexpectedly ran into a tea house! Not kidding. How cool is that? They also serve a mean vegetarian Chili.

Hanging with the Mrs.Talk about a great lunch spot with a view.

Perhaps the most photographed icon in this Region is Moraine Lake. Crowded with people…you bet.

A quick 10-minute drive takes us to Herbert Lake. Sadly, the sun rises at 5:30 am! Ouch, I’m out of bed at 430am for this sheet. The rocks along shore make a great foreground. 

Southwest of Lake Louise lies the very remote area around Lake Ohara. It took us two years to get a cabin in the Park: only 13 cabins and very limited camping. You basically have this crazy area to yourself. Did I mention we showed up after they got hit with 3 inches of snow (in late June)! The view below taken from the lake’s North Shore.

This lake features a variety of “killer” views! This one taken looking Northwest.

Hiking from our Lake Ohara Lodge, your fearless leader gaining altitude looking down on Mary Lake(justSouth of Ohara).

Speaking of altitude, I got the bright idea to hike about 1,500 ft up another drainage to get this waterfall at dusk.  Fortunately I had my trusty flashlight for the hike down as things darkened significantly.  No bears however!

All aboard! The Canadian Pacific railroad runs what seems like 30+ trains a day through the mountains. If you are patient enough, you might catch one! This shot captured at the well known Morant’s Curve vantage point.

Slightly up the Glacier Parkway (heading North) is Bow Lake. I arrived as another snowstorm was just breaking leaving more snow on the mountain and surreal skies.
That’s Mrs. Snitz standing atop Peyto Lake one of the other most photographed spots in the area.

And below our pet Marmot named Rover.

Athabasca Falls (just outside Jasper).

There’s lots more. Check out the link below.

https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Canadian-Rockies-Summer-2023/n-hLDVt7/

These Slavic countries offer some wonderful unspoiled scenery, a little like the Italian Dolomites. Punctuated with historic (I mean 500+ years old) small towns they’re inhabited by a friendly populace that likes American tourists!  Plus, you can walk anywhere at night and feel safe. The price to stay in great lodging and enjoy bomber dining is substantially less than in the States—a comparative bargain.

So what’s there to see?  Let’s start with one of the craziest massive waterfalls on the planet, Veliki Slap which falls 300ft.  (Plitvice Lake National Park, Croatia).  Why they call waterfalls Slaps is beyond me.

Yes, the fishermen are getting wet.

Sibenik, a coastal town (also in Croatia).

And the very old City of Dubrovnik. How old?  Like 7th Century.

As we drive North we enter the nation of Slovenia. Lake Bled reminds me of the Sound of Music.   Some fun shots taken from the footpath that circles the lake. The Church of Mary the Queen dates back to 1534.

Ok, time to fire up the Spritzler drone.  Pictured immediately below is Bled Castle (circa 1011).

High above the church.  I’m getting a nose bleed.

And Bohinjsko, Slovinia

Continuing to head North we reach the Soca River Valley.

What a cool place to Kayak!

Link below to high res gallery of photos

https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Croatia/n-ZZJr4F/

Wondering how to get the full moon to show up on cue?  Ans. you need to be a tech geek.  I use a program called the Photographer’s Ephemeris to figure out when the moon will be full and, more importantly, when it will be setting to the West around sunrise (sky not too bright or dark).  Ergo, I want the sun coming up behind me and the moon in front of me.  I also, need to figure out how to get the angle of the moon just right (in relation to what I’m photographing).  I told you this requires a photo geek!

Zion’s Canyon Overlook lined up just perfectly a few weeks ago!

The next morning I tried another Zion spot (just behind the Human History Museum) and BAM.

Not done yet.  Hopped in the car and made the 5 hour drive to Death Valley.  The next morning I’m chasing that moon again, this time at an the iconic Zabriskie Point.

Death Valley, of course, has a bunch more to offer!  Portions of the desert floor flooded last August causing the mud bottom to dry into a mosaic of fantastic shapes.

There are also miles of cool looking sand dunes, bracketed in the rear by the Cottonwood Mountains.  One of my buddies shown below to put things into perspective.

If you look hard enough, you can even find water in America’s hottest place.

The pictures above are literally taken at sea level.  Parts of the park sit almost 5,000 ft higher, offering spectacular views.

About 90 minutes West of the Park lies California’s Alabama Hills.  At the base of Mount Whitney, this area was home to hundreds of westerns.  Pictured below is the iconic Mobius Arch.

Hey, gotta keep moving.  Time to start heading back.  On route is an other worldly place called Goblin Valley.  The early morning sun creates some long shadows across the desert floor.  Those funny looking sculptures down there are called “hoodoos”.

Last stop, a Martian landscape in the Utah Badlands.  Ironically at ground level the scenery looks very uninteresting.  Boring in fact!  But fly a drone 1,600 feet above and you see some incredible patterns.

More cowbell?

Coming in for a landing we angle the camera up a little to see the surrounding neighborhood.

There’s plenty more to see!  Click the link below to check out the entire gallery:

https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Zion-death-valley-alabama-hills-utah-bdlnds/n-cmhVLf/

About 700 miles separate the Ozark and Smoky Mountains.  Both are spectacular places to leaf peep, bike and hike.  Two differences:

• The Smokies are a little more vertical & perhaps contain a slight edge on iconic trails/views.
• Smoky Mntn NP is the most visited park in the US!  It’s more crowded.  Don’t even think about staying in the popular park destinations of Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.  They’re grossly, overbuilt resort towns.  Townsend, Tn, is the place to be (quiet, gorgeous).

My time in the Ozarks centered around Buffalo River River NP.  The park was the first national river to be designated by the Park Service and flows for over 135 miles.  With that extended shoreline the possibilities seem endless.

The river is also home to a sh-t ton of spider webs.  They literally glow when warmed by the morning sun.

The cold fall nights and humid air allow for fog to frequently roll in each morning.  Makes for some moody photog ops!

My Drone provided the means to capture the fog from above.

There are also a host of great hikes just outside the park.  Pictured below is your fearless leader doing a self portrait atop Whitaker Point.  Yep, that red backpack is my trusty camera bag.

After several days exploring the Ozarks, I started the 10 hour drive to the Smokies, stopping along the way to hike out to Machine Falls, just outside of Tullahoma, Tn.  Yep, out in the boonies.  Zero crowds!

Drone shot above a nearby lake.  The white cottonballs in the blue water are actually the sky being reflected. Wooo!

Day one in the Smokies and I’m treated once again to fog blanketing the valley & beams of light breaking through! 

The area is also full great rivers to explore. BTW, the spiral brown formation in the lower right section of the photo actually consists of leafs stuck in a whirlpool.  I took a long 10 second exposure which blurred those bad boys.

Lots more fun photos to see.  Click the link: Click for more!

People frequently ask me “how” do I get “those shots.” Some inside scoop, specifically for leaf peeping, follows.

Basically, to get good fall color, you first gotta get there “at the right time.” Unfortunately, in the Rockies, it’s almost impossible to predict when the fall color will explode. You’re typically looking for that crazy 7-day period when the lights go “on.”

Unfortunately, the variability of summer rain, fall temps, and big wind storms (that can strip the trees bare) all make predicting pretty much impossible. Meaning I plan very last minute and start driving in when it’s “just right”.

So getting there is half the battle. The other half is catching great light and even better, an overnight snowstorm before the leaves disappear. You want just the right amount of clouds to catch the early morning rays or sunset. Clear blue skies suck!

Every once in a while, I get lucky. Got up early to catch this shot after it snowed all nite. Was this view visible from the road? Nope. That’s where the drone comes in.

Drones have become a leading edge tool to grab unique shots from vantage points previously requiring a helicopter. Kind of the new frontier for adventure photography.

Some other shots taken in flight. BTW, I use a DJI Mavic 3 Cine as my UFO.

That’s not to say, I’m not willing to go low. This photo was taken about 2 inches off the ground. For our photobugs out there, it’s actually two images blending together. One focused in on the nearby leaves, the other focused on the further away trees. I used a small aperture (F22) to create the Sunstar.

I used the same technique below (focus stacking) to get the nearby leaves in sharp focus (shot 1) and then focus out long for the mountain (shot 2).

Ok, now for getting rainbows. When I see it raining, but there’s a clear sun sky behind me, I start looking around!

What makes a great woodland shot? Occasionally, you chance upon some very white, large-diameter Aspens with the foreground covered in ferns. Yellow fever!

Let’s not forget the wildlife!

No, not the moose, the Holstein(or whatever). I was standing about 8 ft from that girl. Actually taken with my iPhone. BTW, I was not close to the moose. Don’t have a death wish. Taken with a big telephone lens.

Finally, it doesn’t hurt to be tenacious. I’ve been trying to get a great shot of Mount Crumpet (Rabbit Ears) for years.  Some Steamboat buddies, helped me find the right vantage point (thanks to the Clarks!). Finally got all the elements together. Great sky, changing trees & hint of sunlight on the mountain.

Oh, yes…how to get a good photo of a lake? Two things really help. Go when it’s dead still, so the lake becomes a mirror. II: Have a great sky. The sky becomes the main event!

Check out the link below to see the full gallery. https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Fall-in-the-west-2022/n-rrc2QX/

“What’s the best location you’ve ever photographed?”. I get asked that a lot! Usually, I look stumped and can’t answer. Now I can; the Western Coast of Norway.

Part of my attraction is the scenery. You have vertical peaks jutting out of an endless supply of lakes. You find yourself driving from one fjord to another, through an amazing system of tunnels as you pass under mountains to successive bomber views. Nuts! Along the way, every 5-10 minutes, you pass a quaint fishing village.

BTW there are zero billboards and practically no stop lights. Just unspoiled postcard views.

But that’s not the most compelling part.

It’s the light! Located very far North (further than most of Alaska) in late summer, it never gets dark. The sun sets around 11 pm and comes up again around 3 am. During that time the sky can stay red for hours. Sunsets and sunrises never seem to end. Magic for a photographer.

And amazing hiking? Try treking up a 2,500-foot mountain at 930pm, arriving as the sun sets and seeing nobody. No crowds! Pretty surreal.

Ok, what’s the catch? Well, it typically rains every 3rd or 4th day. You can get slammed by weather. And as you may have guessed, to take advantage of this great “light” you’re staying up through the Norweigan nights (basically remaining on Central Standard Time). And yes, the food is crazy expensive (however the fish is top-notch).

My trip started in the Village of Senja, a quiet fishing village.

11 pm and families are out enjoying the great color!

A few hours later it’s still red out there, and the tide is out, creating this great river effect. Normally the entire foreground would be underwater.

The tidal action creates these cool lines along the beach.

Taken with a drone over 1,000 feet up. A perspective you seldom see from the road.

Talk about getting a different perspective! Here’s the view atop Mt. Husfjellet. The climb up takes about 90 minutes (& can be pretty muddy after a rain)!

With the frequency of rain and cool lighting it’s pretty common to see rainbows. Lot’s of rapidly changing weather.

Plus a good share of hidden waterfalls.

My family joined me mid trip and we proceeded South to the Lofoten Islands.

Great to see kayakers out exploring the fjords. We spent a half day doing the same!

Lots more to see. Click the gallery link. https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Norway-2022/n-FX5WwV/

I’ve never had the chance to photograph some of my favorite Colo Mntn spots covered in snow.  Ergo the San Juan Mountains located in Southwest Colo (think Telluride/Crested Butte).

For instance, I’ve shot Mount Sneffeles many times, but getting back there in the winter isn’t easy. Requires a snowcat or a Jeep with some massive tires. Worth the effort!

BTW there are more uncharted jeep roads (with about 2ft of untracked snow on them) to explore. The shot below was taken with a drone (about 30ft above the road).

The drone provides a pretty unique perspective when the sun is about to set. Love the shadows!

Speaking of sunset, it was full moon time on my trip. Everything lined up just right!

The two shots below were both taken about 35 minutes before sunrise (just outside the town of Ridgeway).

Interesting, how different some iconic views look when covered with the white stuff!

Then there are those crazy (& I do mean crazy) ice climbers. This dude was going up an 800ft high ice flow (just outside of Ouray, Colo). Any fall would be a game-changer (& not for the good).

Next stop, the Moab area (which includes Arches and Canyonland NPs).

A previously hidden view I discovered while flying the drone. I had no idea what this plateau looked like till I got approx. 800 ft above the trailhead.

The photo below (Arches NP) looks like it’s taken at a lake. Nope, the image was created by getting down really low and photographing across a 3 x 4ft pond.

Another bomber reflecting pond.

Yes, every so often you can find a waterfall in the desert!

This place is aptly named Goosenecks State Park. Looks even better from above.

On to Arizona! My exploration focused on two areas, Lost Dutchman State Park and the Kofa National Wildlife Preserve.

This image was taken near my tent at 4 am. The cacti in the foreground are called Cholla (actually jumping Cholla). If you brush up on them, they release their barbed needles. Good luck getting them out. Incredibly nasty plants. I was darn lucky to avoid any accidents!

BTW, for our photo enthusiasts. The photo below was taken by shooting 13 images of the Sky (ISO 8,000, F 2.8, 17 secs) and stacking using Starry Landscaping Stacker Software. The foreground was shot 90 minutes later during twilight. The images were then merged in Photoshop.

The Cholla make great foreground objects and almost glow during sunrise or sunset!

This guy is a Balloon Cactus plant.

This shot features the Saguaro cactus (the really big guys).