First Storm of the Year

A Winter Storms Hits Aspen, Colorado During Fall Season

This could be the closest I have ever come to a painting in my life. I took a look at this file and was very suprised on how much it looks like a painting. There is no post production or photoshop manipulation to this image. Just a massive amount of snow falling early in the season. There is a pine tree and a few yellow aspen tress in the fame, but they are a bit diffcult to make out. The snow was coming down so hard I could not see more than 50 yards in front of me. I took around ten images of this, some focused on the trees and some in the forground where the snow flakes are focused. The difference was massive and the final cut was a no brainer. This shot was taken at the top of Pearl Pass at around 12,000 feet. The early snow was wet, heavy and really coming down fast.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/2.8; 1/500 sec; ISO 100; 3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 135mm; EF 70-200 2.8 L IS USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Frosted Pine Trees Surrounding Colorful Aspens

The Fall Season

Once again I went to Aspen for the fall season. It was more colorful than last year with many red, orange, green, and yellow colors. The aspen trees seem to glow in this image. What happened was this was shot early morning when the first snow of the year fell and stuck to the trees. The sky was cloudy, but then started to clear up making gaps in the cloud cover. This image was taken right when the sun poked out and illuminated the aspen trees. A bit of luck!!! Love those. It was taken around 10 miles east of Aspen, Colorado.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/8; 1/400 sec; ISO 200; 3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 280mm; EF 70-200 2.8 L IS USM; 1.4x
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Waterfalls of Havasupai- Mooney Falls

Early Morning at Mooney Falls

I just got back from one of the most wild trips of my life.

I am glad to report that everything went well and I am back in one piece. After just 4 days shooting near the Grand Canyon I racked up over 40 miles of extreme hiking. I am far more use to driving to the National Parks, but not this trip. Far from it.

I will be writing up more stories soon and will update camera info soon. Thought I might just post a few pics.

River near Supai

Waterfalls of Havasupai- Havasu Falls

Havasu Falls

Wildflowers in Beaver Creek, Colorado

Wildflower Rose Bowl in Beaver Creek, Colorado

I spent a day hiking around in Beaver Creek and went into Rose Bowl. One whole side of the mountain was covered in wildflowers that were all different colors. There were red, orange, purple, and white flowers that cover the hillside. I spent a few minutes shooting there before I noticed that a deer had been walking in my direction. It walked within a few meters of me and I will be posting those photos in a few days when I get a chance.

I will be traveling to Havasu Falls in a few weeks, and trek the 10 miles to get there. Its gonna be tough with all the gear and tents, and food and water for a week. But somehow and someway its gonna happen. Also I am planning on spending 3 times as much time in Aspen during the fall season than I did last year. That post and photoshoots are gonna be really great....keep your peeled.

The Black Rock Turtles in Kaanapali Maui

The Black Rock Turtles in Kaanapali Maui

Well what can I say....Shooting off the Black Rock in Kaanapali Beach is fun. Maybe more than fun, great. The warm water, the clear blue sky, all made for a great day of shooting. I was free diving....so no scuba great was used to get these shots. Just a pair of flippers and a mask. It was a lot of fun to see how deep I could make it, but I feel like I got the shots I wanted.

This is a turtle who lives near by right around the corner from the shot. They feed on the plentful food near the black rock and enjoy the warm shallow waters. They have to dodge people who enjoy the perks of snorkling in the area.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/4.5;1/2500 sec;ISO 200;2336x3504 Pixels
Focal Length 15mm;EF 15 mm fish eye f/2.8
Camera Details: Canon EOS 20D

It was great not shooting surfing, having to dodge waves gets exausting quickly. When shooting underwater things can be a bit tricky but makes it more fun. I shoot with a Canon 20D. I use Hoodman 8GB Card so I am able to shoot more images once in the water. I use an Ikelite housing here is the link to their website. Its a great underwater housing and they work really well. http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/2d20canon.html

A Turtle near the Black Rockin Kaanapali Maui

Turtle Swimming Along the Sand off Kannapali, Maui

A Turtle gliding along the sand just

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/4.5;1/2500 sec;ISO 200;2336x3504 Pixels
Focal Length 15mm;EF 15 mm fish eye f/2.8
Camera Details: Canon EOS 20D

A lone sail boat near the Hawaiian Islands

A Lone Sail Boat of the Coast of Maui

This image is of a lone sail boat off the coast of Maui. In the background you see the beautiful islands of Hawaii. It's Lanai and Kahoolawe in the distance. The image was taken from an altitude of around five hundred feet.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/9.0;1/640 sec;ISO 100;3679x5518 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Kaanapali Beach and Lahaina, Maui

Kaanapali Beach from the Sky

Maui from the air is quite a view. This image was taken from 500 feet above sea level. It shows the island and all its beauty. You can see the jagged mountains and the rain forests, and the one of a kind beaches that run along the coast. Kannapali is on the far left and Lahaina is about center on the coast. The blue skies and the cool blue water against the green of the island make for a great picture

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/9;1/500 sec;ISO 100;3582x5373 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Sunset at Big Beach, Maui

Big Beach Sunset, Maui

What a perfect way for the day to come to an end. Brilliant colors in the sky, Orange, red, blue, purple, just to name a few. The clouds lit up like they were on fire, and the sun just hung on the horizon for what seemed like forever. Big Beach was a great place to view the Hawaiian sunset. Its close to Wailea, but well worth the 45 minute drive from Kaanapali. It seems like there is less chance for clouds down their compared to Kaanapali, at least at sunset. Big Beach also had some big waves that some surfers were having fun on.

(click image to enlarge)

Shot details: f/5; 1/200 sec; ISO 100; 5616x3744 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Black Rock Sunset in Maui

Black Rock Sunset

This shot was taken just after sundown near Wailea at Big Beach. The lava rocks still sit right on the beach getting slowly broken down by the waves that crash there relentlessly. The sky turned a great blue color and helped reflect some light on the sand. It gave a great feel and made my day!!

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/22;3.2 sec;ISO 100;5094x3396 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Haleakala National Park-Sunrise

The House of the Rising Sun

Getting up at 2:15am for a photoshoot is not always a fun shoot. However, waking up early for the most beautiful sunrise these eyes have ever seen was well worth it. From the summit of Haleakala which stands 10,023 feet above sea level you over look a river of clouds from above as the sun pokes through the horizon.

The shot below is a composite of 8 vertical images taken to help make the final image better quality.

It was quite a spectacle to see the sunrise over the clouds and it looked like I was sitting on an airplane to get the angle. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Maui to make the drive to the summit of Haleakala.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/7.1;1/40 sec;ISO 125;12,755 x 4,919 Pixels
Focal Length 100 mm;EF 100 mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Orange Sunset of Ocean near Wailea, Maui

Wailea, Maui Sunset

For one sunset I drove to Big Beach near Makena Bay located in Wailea, Maui. We tried shoot at Big Beach, but America's Next Top Model had shut down the beach for their shoot. I choose to drive a bit South to the Red Sand Beach to shoot sunset. It was a great choice, and we had the beach to ourselfs. It was a great sunset with beautiful colors and the clouds let with briliant orange and red colors.
(click image to enlarge)

Shot details: f/4.0;1/500 sec;ISO 250;3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm;EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details:Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

The Bamboo Forest

The Bamboo Forest

Located in Haleakala National Park. You park near the beach over looking the ocean and other islands, but take an hour or so hike and you run into one of Maui's best kept secrets. The Bamboo forest is one of the nicest hikes I have been on in Maui and for a while I forgot I was in Hawaii. The lush and wet ground was saturated with water and the plant life looked alive. It was so green their, with sounds of nature all around

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/9;3.2 second exposure;ISO 100;3097x4646 Pixels
Focal Length 26 mm;EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Black Sand Beach near Hana on the Island of Maui

The Black Sand Beach

Honokalani Black Sand Beach is located in the Wainapanapa State Park. This beach is set among lava cliffs. Over millions of year the persistence of the ocean have beaten this lava cliffs to sand. There are different sections of sand on the beach. Some medium rocks to fine grain sand. It looks out of this world cool and the sand is a true black.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/4.0;1/1600 sec;ISO 250;3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm;EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Wave beating the black lava rock down to sand in action. If you look close you will see the grains of sand flying through the air after being crushed against a rock from a small wave. This turns a bunch of lava into a beautiful Black Sand Beach

(click image to enlarge)

Shot details: f/4.0;1/800 sec;ISO 100;3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm;EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/4.0;1/800 sec;ISO 100;3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm;EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

The first of many days shooting pictures from the Islands of Hawaii. It was two weeks of shooting but I enjoyed every second of it. Maybe the best vacation of my life!!!

The first days of shooting images were from the main Island where I went to the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. It was a long 20 hour day from the flight out till well past midnight. The image below was taken from Jagger Museum just after midnight.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/4.0;6 second exposure;ISO 1600;3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 73mm;EF 70-200 2.8 L IS USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

(click image to enlarge)

Shot details: f/4.0;20second exposure;ISO 400;3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 26 mm;EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

A lone buffalo walking on hill side in a winter blizzard

I was driving today up to Copper Mountain to cover some SnowBoarding events and noticed this on the side of the road and had to take a few shots. It was a beautiful winter storm with huge snow flakes falling down and a buffalo just walking through the snow storm. The Rocky Mountains are a great placing to be living and getting days like this in Denver made the move worth it. I missed Colorado tons and I am happy to be back.

(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/3.5; 1/640 sec; ISO 100; 3744x5616 Pixels
Focal Length 73mm; EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Africa Safari Featured in Rangefinder Magazine

Rangefinder Magazine April 2009

Listen to Scott Shepard interview Joe Morahan (click here)

Shooting Like It was My Last Day on Earth
By Joe Morahan

For nearly a month this past summer I was on Safari across southern Africa, traveling through Namibia on Africa’s Atlantic west coast through Botswana and into Tanzania bordering the Indian Ocean on the east coast.
In each camp I stayed, people from all over the world had come to witness Africa’s beautiful, vast, and varied landscapes and its amazing wildlife. They seem relaxed, at ease, and very rested. Their days and nights were spent viewing the animals, sharing safari experiences with fellow campers while sipping tea and having every need or want satisfied by helpful, courteous, pampering camp staffers. The only thing working in Africa during their stay in the bush was their wallets. First class is, well, first class.
I, on the other hand was not relaxed, not at ease, and definitely not sitting back sipping tea, nor was I enjoying pina colada’s in the blazing African sun. I may have been ‘on safari’; but for me, this was no vacation. A photographer’s day begins long before sunrise, and ends well after sunset. To paraphrase an old Irish Proverb, ‘You can always sleep when you’re dead’. Well, I was close; I was dead on my feet! But oh my goodness, the beauty of Africa defies description.
For me the trip was an opportunity of a lifetime. The costs are high, and Africa’s fragile political landscape is constantly changing and rarely for the better. As a result, there would be no time to waste. Shoot Shoot shoot. Plan the shoot, shoot the plan. And then when not shooting, be ready to shoot. For in Africa you just never know what you will see next.

I’d work the safari and enjoy it later when I reviewed the work product. That was my plan. Easier said than done; for reviewing the work was a slightly more arduous task than I ever could have imagined. How long does it take to cull, edit and prepare a month’s work product? If you have 22,000 pictures to review, it takes a long time! But what a trip it must have been, for those relaxed campers! I now see in print what they were viewing live. I hope my work captured the essence of the African safari experience.
Each day began about 4:30 am. Gear in hand, wrapped snugly in blankets keeping me warm in the cool pre dawn hours, I hopped into our open roofed Toyota Land Cruisers. The animals move at first light and I wanted to be there when they began to prowl. I shot till noon. A quick shower, followed by a spectacular feast for lunch, we had two hours to down load cards, clean lenses, and review our notes before heading back out in the bush.
Dinner at eight, two hours of downloading, battery charging, planning the next day’s shoot. Dead in bed by eleven. Ready to do it all again the next day. How good can it get!
I shot in the Namib Desert and the Sossuvlei in Namibia, the Kalahari Desert and Okovango Delta region of Botswana, before shooting in the Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti plains of Tanzania. Knowing I might never be at any of these places again, I shot each day like it was my last day on earth.
It took two days of traveling to position ourselves in our first camp, Duma Tau deep in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. But it was well worth the effort. A big advantage for photographers in Botswana is the ability to drive off road, deep into the bush, in the quest to find the wildlife, very wary of dirt roads and people. Most African countries severely restrict safari vehicles to designated dirt trails. Observing the animals from a vehicle on a road can prove to be both visually restrictive and very frustrating.
The Land Cruisers are perfect vehicles for bush travel, capable of traversing sandy desert terrain, crossing small rivers, and moving steadily through muck in swampy environments, climbing over downed trees, (a favorite trick of elephants whom want to reach the fruit on high branches which remain out of reach and simply knock them down), and crushing bushes that block the way in heavy thicketed areas.
I was rewarded for my efforts by filming four of the ‘big five’, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo and Elephant during our first twenty-four hours in the bush. Only the Rhino escaped us that first day.
Duma Tau is located on the edge of the Okovango Delta providing plenty of food and water for the animals, making it an attractive place for most forms of wildlife. There was no shortage of either game or action here.
Every hour or so we saw amazing sights; Lions leisurely making their way to a drinking hole at sunset, the other animals all scattering at their scent; coming upon two Cheetahs devouring the delectable delights of their kill; a quick face off between a pod of elephants and several cheetahs, who got the message quickly and slipped off into wilderness; and a very large hyena which intimidated two cheetahs away from their kill. An auspicious beginning.

We then flew into the heart of the Okovango delta, to an island camp named Xigera. Rainfall had been unusually heavy in the Angola mountains to the north in the past year and the runoff gradually made its way south to lower ground in the delta. As a result, there was no way into Xigera except by boat and the camp had been provisioned for nearly a year solely by boat, a logistical headache.
At Xigera, there were only two ways to view the wildlife, by macorros, indigenous hand-carved boats that resemble canoes. Piloted by tribesmen who propel them through the water by a stick they push against the muddy swamp bottom, the macorros glide silently through the reeds, stirring to life only the insects living amongst the tall water grasses. The other is by motorized flatbed boats very similar to the machines used by the locals in the Florida Everglades. You cover more territory by motorboat, but you appreciate more of the delta in a macorro.
However, a word of caution, there is little movement allowed in a macorro. Its sleek design is ingenious for slipping over or through the tall waterborne grasses, but it is not designed for surviving rough waters or weight shifting passengers. Flipping your macorro in the delta is potentially lethal; drowning is only one risk you assume. Other more dangerous risks include death by crocodile, hippopotamus, Cape Buffalo and all sorts of venomous watersnakes. Once you have seen lions swimming in the delta, one knows not to rock the boat!
Water everywhere makes shooting a bit more complicated, but does present advantages. Just before sunrise one morning, I noticed an impala relaxing in the reeds, awaiting the rise of the early morning Sun. As the sky began to light up just moments before the Sun would break through the horizon, I got an idea for a shot. We maneuvered the macorro into position so as to put the Sun’s reflection on the water directly behind the calm animal. It worked as planned. A beautiful shot. A great way to start the day, one image under my belt, only minutes after sunrise!
After a week in the world’s largest inland delta environment, it was time for a change. A flight to the Sossusvlei in Namibia would do that in spades.
The landscape in Sossusvlei looks like the surface of the moon; though on reflection, it’s rust red color made me think I was actually on Mars. Our twin engine plane circumnavigated the surrounding mountains and we landed in the middle of nowhere on a long dirt airstrip in an area devoid of buildings and people. There were no signs of any life whatsoever. Willowy but sparse eight inch high white grass grew out of the rocky surface and blew silently in the wind. The grasses your only companion in the Sosselvlei, during the heat of the day.
I shot an image from the landing strip that captures the rocky rust colored road we would need to take to get to camp. It was a curved road, trimmed by the tall bleached white grass, that ran ever so gently uphill to the horizon, where it met the bluest sky I have ever seen. We’d come along way to see the barren beauty of the Sossulvlei and its first impression was certainly impressive.
As starkly beautiful as the Sossulvlei was, we were not here to shoot the desert; the real prize lay two hours away. We were on the road by 4 am, racing towards the world’s largest and tallest complex of sand dunes. Nearly 40,000 square miles of monstrous, ever-changing dunes fill the landscape. The dunes turn fire red in the morning sun and yield fantastic images as the shadows cross the myriad of shapes the wind has carved in the sands. The natural built-in composition of the dunes is a photographer’s dream come true.
Situated more than a mile inside the dunes, just beyond the world’s tallest dune, a monster of a dune, known affectionately as, Big Daddy, is one of nature’s best kept secrets. Those willing to trek over the dunes out to the dead lake, called the deadvlei, are rewarded by the magnificent sight of petrified trees that have grown out of the bleached lake bed and stand like iron monuments under the fierce sun, surrounded nearly 360 degrees by monstrous dunes.
The lake dried out seven centuries ago, but the trees still stand tall and proud in their petrified state. In this part of Namibia, summer temperatures can exceed 120 degrees, with little rain. With humidity levels hovering near zero, there were simply no insects to attack the wood and the dunes shielded the trees from the bite of the high winds that rake the dunes. Hundreds of such petrified trees spot the dry lake bed, and demonstrate nature’s unlimited power to enthrall those willing to go out and find it
A week in the desert, a week in the delta, four days on Mars, I mean Sossulvlei, we now looked forward to Tanzania. We started off our last week on Safari in arguably the real Garden of Eden, the Ngorongoro Crater.
Crater is really a misnomer as it was not formed by a meteor strike. Rather, it is actually a caldera, the fallen remains of the cone of a dead volcano. More than twelve miles in width, and covering more than 100 square miles, Noah might well have filled his ark here and floated out of Ngorongoro when the great floods occurred, so numerous are the species of animals in the crater.
Herds of thousands and thousands of Zebra and wildebeest fill the horizon, while well-fed lions take shade near the wheels of our safari vehicle. We sit there and wait for the King of the Jungle to rouse from his nap. Bored with lions lying only three feet from you, we gawk at the sight of tens of thousands of flamingoes that turn the lake waters red; shoot threatened rhinos as they feed in the wet areas of the crater. We catch a pack of thirty plus hyenas come upon a pride of lions enjoying the taste of a recent kill. The hyenas surround the lions, intent upon finishing the meal the lions started. But you go after the King, you better finish him off. The hyenas didn’t have the courage and a few angry lioness show the hyenas just who is boss. The hyenas back off. The lions sleep the sleep of kings next to their kill. The hyenas still wait their departure as we drive off.
We are spoiled; witnessing lions stalking their prey, a cheetah running down an antelope, kites dive bombing unwitting tourists and stealing their sandwiches. Action from sunrise to sunset.
From the crater we traveled to one of the most amazing places on earth, Serengeti National Park. I remembered a quote from my childhood, a story of Africa. Paraphrased it went something like this: “Everyday in the Serengeti, an impala awakes and thinks, ‘Today I must out run the fastest lion or I will die.’ And that very same morning, a lion awakes and thinks ‘I must out run the slowest impala or I will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an impala or lion, when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
My experience in the Serengeti proved the adage true, as we followed a pride of lions stalking impalas all morning long. The vast Serengeti plains appear endless with its rolling plains spreading to the horizon in all directions. Umbrella Trees dot the plains, and no matter how long you drive the Serengeti just rolls on. Animals graze everywhere. Enormous herds can be scene moving to and fro. Kudu, tommies, wildebeest, elephant, hartebeest, warthog, giraffe, Zebra catch our eye. At water holes and river crossings, hippos eyeball us, nostrils, eyeballs, and improbably small flapping ears the only parts of their huge bodies visible in the dark muddy waters. Prehistoric crocodiles soak up the sunrays on riverbanks, their stillness belying the speed and ferocity they display when the mood strikes them, most notably at feeding time.
Every few hours, we come alert at the sight of lions. They prowl with knowledge that, except for man, there’s nothing to fear. The alpha species of the plains goes where it wants, when it wants. But on the plains, all the other creatures know who the competition is, a very specific creature with the name, LION!
A month of shooting completed, all my hard drives full, more than 240 gigs worth, my computer maxed out, and my ipod erased and no longer filled with my extensive portfolio of songs, but with more of Africa’s images, we begin the arduous two day trek home.

It’s tough traveling with all my gear, hard drives, lenses, tripods, computer, and batteries half way round the globe. Exhaustion sets in. But the worst of it is the concern I have for protecting the integrity of my work product, my images, as I navigate customs in multiple countries, with nosey customs inspectors, x-ray devices, and numerous baggage transfers.
As our flight finally descended into LAX after a grueling forty-eight hours of travel, I looked out the window of the 747 and concluded four things: First, I had truly enjoyed the trip of a lifetime. Second, I knew months of hard work would be required to edit and prepare the 22,000 images I had produced. Third, I was very tired and very stressed. I really wanted to get home. But, last but not least, I admit it; I am an American carnivore. Home would have to wait, I was heading straight to McDonalds.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a living laboratory. Everyone from preschoolers to Ph.D.’s can study their favorite natural sciences while enjoying the breathtaking beauty of this park. 150 lakes and 450 miles of streams are the basis of the riparian (wetland) ecosystem in the park. Lush plant life and dense wildlife are the hallmarks of these wet areas that speckle and divide other ecosystems.Forests of pine and grassy hillsides dominate the montane ecosystem in the park. These areas may be drier than riparian areas but life still abounds. Look for critters leaping or creeping from tree to tree or poking their heads from underground.As you gain elevation, you leave the montane areas and enter the subalpine ecosystem. The bent and gnarled bodies of spruce and fir trees tell the story of hard summers and harder winters near the mountain tops. (http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm)

(click image to enlarge)

Shot details: f/9.0;1/640 sec;ISO 100;3679x5518 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

(click image to enlarge)

Shot details: f/9.0;1/640 sec;ISO 100;3679x5518 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM

Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III


(click image to enlarge)
Shot details: f/9.0;1/640 sec;ISO 100;3679x5518 Pixels
Focal Length 17mm; EF 17-40 mm f/4 L USM
Camera Details: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III