It’s been a lifelong dream to visit the Kiwi’s.  Quick reaction: the most eco-diverse place I’ve ever seen…drive a few hours find yourself in a different biosphere.  Mountains, then tropical rainforest, then rolling pastoral landscapes.  Plus the sheep! Wall to wall sheep, it’s silly.

And the happy/friendly New Zealanders.  People who are willing to stop what their doing and chat it’s err…creepy. Jesus, it’s fricken Shangi La down there. What am I doing living in Illinois?

Having flown into Auckland the normal international starting point (easiest point of entry), we began working our way South.  On route, we ran into some paragliders at Muriwai on the North Island and a local doing a fly by.

The real action however is on the South Island which is the place I’d encourage travelers to concentrate their time.  The Ocean village of Kaikoura is a great place amazing sunrises and whale watching.

As you work your way around the island you quickly realize that this country survives on ranching (sheep, cattle and ekkk deer) and tourism.  I’ve been through Scotland and Wales…they don’t match the mutton per square meter.

Plus, there are mushrooms.  A lot of mushrooms.  It’s so lush and rainy in many areas (Spring is their rainy season) that these guys go nuts.

Back to our trip.  New Zealand sports over 9,000 miles of coast.  Incredible views everywhere you look.  This shot was taken with a Mavic III drone in Punakaiki.  For our photo geeks, I was able to cause the water to look blurred by merging multiple photos together in Photoshop.

Pictured below is a famous NZ view at Lake Matheson in the Franz Joseph region.  My ducks are soon to be famous.

This barren moonscape with the lone house is located in the high country just outside of Wedderburn, a very (& I mean very) small town on the South Island.  A pretty good fishing spot I’m told.

Ok, you’ve probably heard about NZ’s most famous landmark, Milford Sound (in addition to Mt Cook).  Well after a big storm it looks like…err…the gates of hell?

As we continue to the Southernmost part of NZ, we burn our legs climbing the famous Ben Loman, 3,400 ft straight up just outside of Queenstown. The view about 20 minutes from the top.

What kind of birds are these?  Hell if I know.  They like to hang out at Hayes Lake and don’t move much.

Speaking of which, the lake looks pretty impressive at sunrise.

With all the rain NZ gets (especially the West Coast) moss and other grassy “stuff” grows like crazy…on everything!

Finally, my trusty travel partner Mrs Snitz navigating the 5 bridges trail outside of Arrowtown.

Want to see the full gallery? Click the link. https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/New-zealand/n-cn4zmz

Vermont and New Hampshire are spectacular viewing platforms for fall leaf peeping. The combination of Beech, Maple, Oak & Birch trees create a bomber variety of color (red, orange and yellow)!

What really kicks things over the top however is the fall weather combined with a heavy dose of reflecting ponds. How so? First off, you have an environment with a lot of humidity and cold evenings. That causes the ground to cool off and produce low-lying morning fog…which is very photogenic. You also have some great cloud cover which can be reflected in these ponds.

The problem is how to view these? Until 7 years ago, you needed to get in a plane or chopper to really get the visual impact of the sky reflected in these bodies of water. Not any longer! With sophisticated drone tech, you can photograph this imagery from above. Pretty groundbreaking.

BTW in case you’re wondering where I was finding these cool scenes, the trip was based out of Montpelier, Vt and the area close to Conway, NH. BTW…there are some pretty cool things to view back on the ground!

Want to see the full gallery of images! Click the link! https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/VermontNew-Hampshire-24/n-WHRGDB

I’ve been lucky enough to visit some great places, usually off a hiking or jeep trail.  This summer I was invited to explore the Italian Dolomites with a small group of avid photographers (& riders) by mountain bike. We could access places that were too far to reach on foot and inaccessible by jeep. Talk about getting remote (seeing very few other humans)!

Plus, late-season rains had left the mountains full of wildflowers.  Most days were partially stormy.  Yes, we got dumped on a lot, but we also had amazing skies as the breaking squalls created bomber clouds.  Wooo!

Our trip started after landing in Venice.  My first time…pretty colorful.

Plus they have glassblowing! Who doesn’t love glassblowing?

Ok, time to fire up the map.  The area we explored was approx 4.5 hours North by car.  Most mornings started in a small village with a steep climb (2,000-4,000 ft) to a mountain plateau (ending at an elevation of between 6,000-7,000 ft).  Ouch…my acking legs.

Those wildflowers I mentioned. Who’s the ugly bastard in the photo?

Ah, much better!

They have horses up here!

That are friendly and want a Snickers Bar.

And strange looking cows.

Biking on top of the world!

I also brought my trusty Mavic III drone.  The low lying morning fog created some amazing ops for aerial photos.

What’s that green stuff down there!

Click the link for the full image gallery : https://www.snitzerphotos.com/Other/Galleries/Dolomites-2024/n-7SZCDc

It’s tax season (Ap 15th) and time to explore America’s West!  The Utah Badlands (Located near the town of Hanksville about 1 hour Southwest of Moab) offers some of America’s most badass ops for drone photography.

The spire shown below is hilariously known to locals at Long Dong Silver (Shot about 30 minutes before sunset).

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 shown under the Milky Way 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 is the Alabama Hills, home to hundreds of Westerns that were filmed on location in eras past (located at the foot of Mt Whitney-shown below).

Below 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!