My Top 10 Nature Photos of 2019

 

The Tetons from Glacier View Turnout, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA. (Greg Vaughn)

Another year’s orbit around the sun is almost complete. And like last year and the year before, this one seemed to go far too fast. But it was a wonderful year – a year full of wonders and a good amount of wanders as well. I re-visited some favorite places and explored some new locations. I pushed the shutter buttons on my cameras over ten thousand times in the past 12 months, and I managed to produce a few images from those captures that I’m pleased with and want to share.

Among those, here are my top ten nature photos from 2019. If you’d like to view the images without the distraction of surrounding blog elements, just click on the photo. After viewing, hit your back button to return to the blog post.

The photo above is of the namesake Teton mountains in Grand Teton National Park. That morning I’d planned to join the line-up at Schwabacher Landing for the iconic view of the Tetons reflected in the placid water of a Snake River side channel. I found, however, a layer of dense ground fog down at river level, so raced back up to the plateau and arrived at Glacier View Turnout just in time to catch the dawn glow on the peaks in the morning blue hour.

Salt formations at Badwater, Death Valley National Park, California. (Greg Vaughn)

After attending the NANPA Summit in Las Vegas, I spent a few days in Death Valley. Late one afternoon I ventured out on the salt flats at Badwater, hoping for a good sunset above the polygonal shapes created by salt crystals. As you might guess, I was not the only person out there and I had to walk a long way from the packed parking lot to get beyond the other photographers and selfie-takers. After a good bit of wandering, I found a composition I liked with some pleasing shapes that hadn’t been trampled on. I set up my tripod, made a few exposures, and waited for sunset. On this day there wasn’t much of a show in the sky as the sun slid behind the Panamint Mountains. Most of the other photographers packed up and headed out, but I noticed a few clouds to the north and held out hope that they might light up in that lovely last light of the day.

Vine maple and moss; North Fork Middle Fork of the Willamette River, Cascade Mountains, Oregon. (Greg Vaughn/© Greg Vaughn)

Living in western Oregon, I have plenty of nearby opportunities for enjoying the benefits of Shinrin-yoku. The best forest bathing for me is in one of our old-growth forests where gigantic Douglas-fir trees tower above moss-draped maples that seem to glow in the early light of a Spring day. Better still if the trail meanders alongside a crystal clear creek, or as with this photo, the rushing waters of the McKenzie River.

Balsamroot and oak tree, Memaloose Hills Trail, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon. (Greg Vaughn)

Like many Pacific Northwest photographers, I love photographing the showy balsamroot flowers in the eastern Columbia River Gorge. This year I explored some new areas instead of returning to the popular flower fields at Rowena Crest and Dalles Mountain Ranch. I don’t mind sharing locations and working alongside other photographers, but on this beautiful morning, I really enjoyed the solitude of wandering among the oak trees and wildflowers in the Memaloose Hills.

Rhododendron in bloom, Del Norte Redwoods State Park, California. (Greg Vaughn/© Greg Vaughn)

My Redwoods photo workshops have always been scheduled for the best time of year for blooming rhododendrons and fog rolling through the forest. The exact timing and location of the bloom vary from year to year so I always arrive a few days early to scout and shoot for myself. 2019 was not one of the best years for the rhodies, but we worked several beautiful scenes like this one in Del Norte Redwoods State Park.

Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa); Grasshopper Meadow Trail, Willamette National Forest, Cascade Mountains, Oregon. (Greg Vaughn)

Summers on Pacific Northwest mountain trails and in sub-alpine meadows are a pure delight for nature lovers. This was a very good year for wildfl0wers in the Cascade Mountains and I enjoyed making close-up images of flowers during several hikes and camping trips. For this photo of Red Columbine, I used the Focus Shift Shooting feature of my Nikon Z7, then processed the series of frames with the focus-stacking app Helicon Focus. I love this technology that enables me to render the entire flower in focus and at the same time have the background stay soft and unobtrusive.

Canary Spring travertine formations at sunrise, Upper Mammoth Terraces, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. (Greg Vaughn/© Greg Vaughn)

On my seventh trip to Yellowstone National Park in the past five years, I was finally able to produce a photograph of the Canary Springs terraces at Mammoth that I really love.

Rocky Mountain Elk bull bugling; Lake District, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (Greg Vaughn)

This year I spent ten days scouting and shooting for myself in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park prior to the arrival of my Muench Workshops clients. It was wonderful to have that much time to really work some of my favorite locations, explore new ones, and search for wildlife.

Fog and sea stacks at China Beach on the Southern Oregon Coast. (Greg Vaughn/© Greg Vaughn)

Serendipity continues to provide me with some of my best and most favorite images. A wrong turn on a trail during my Oregon Coast photo workshop led to this enthralling view.

Sand dune at dusk; White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA. (Greg Vaughn)

One of the most memorable photoshoots for me in 2019 was an evening in White Sands National Monument with fellow Muench Workshops pro Wayne Suggs. This fascinating location is practically in Wayne’s backyard, so I willingly followed him up, down and around the dunes searching for interesting formations. After shooting the sea of dunes at sunset over the San Andres Mountains, I turned to capture the last light of the day on a dune with wondrous wind-sculpted ridges.

I hope you have enjoyed viewing these photos as much as I enjoyed making them. Each of these photographs, as well as many others, are available as fine art prints in several formats.

Please let me know in the Comments which are your favorites, and if you have a set of your own Top Ten Photos for 2019, feel free to post a link.

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12 thoughts on “My Top 10 Nature Photos of 2019

    1. Thank you, Alex! I’m glad to hear that someone else likes that sand dune photo as much as I do. As you know, we photographers sometimes have a hard time separating the memory and experience of making a photo from its stand-alone quality. You certainly have an excellent set of 2019 favorites on your website. The Laguna Mountains photo in particular really grabs me.

  1. This is a wonderful collection, Greg. the Oregon Coast and White Sands are standouts for me. Congratulations on another great year! Wishing you all the best in 2020.

    Cheers,
    Russ

  2. Glad to come across your best of 2019 ! Mammoth Springs at Yellowstone Natl Park and the last image of White sands National Monument are exceptional.

  3. Hi Greg – I really enjoyed looking through your lovey collection of photos from the year. The Tetons, Oregon forest, and columbine are my favorites. I wish you the best for 2020!

  4. Another nice selection this year Greg. I really enjoy them all, but the last image from White Sands really jumps out at me. At first I assumed it was wind blown snow on a mountain summit. I’ve been to White sands only once so far and would love to go back, especially after seeing this one! Best wishes and happy travels in 2020, maybe our paths will cross this year.

    1. Thank you, Luka! We’re doing well here. Frustrated that travel and workshop plans are curtailed but trying to remain positive and use the time constructively. I hope you and yours are also well.

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