National Parks

The American Southwest Utah Zion

The Temple of Sinawava, Zion Canyon, Zion National Park

The Temple of Sinawava lies at the end of the Zion National Park scenic drive, where the canyon becomes so narrow one must proceed on foot. On approach to the Temple of Sinawava is the Pulpit, a dramatic sandstone column rising above the Virgin River, monolithic and huge yet dwarfed…

Phil CollaMarch 1, 2022

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Alpenglow and the Big Walls of Zion Canyon at Dawn

Shortly before sunrise I was greeted by this sublime scene. This is one of my favorite spots in Zion National Park, and I photograph sunrise here every chance I am able. This morning there were thin clouds hanging above the high cliffs, and together they caught the alpenglow that precedes…

Phil CollaFebruary 25, 2022

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Milky Way over Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

I recently made the hike to the summit of Half Dome. It's a grueling 16-mile hike with 5000' of elevation gain so I left my heavy camera home on that day. However, I chose to time my hike on the perfect night for astrophotography in Yosemite National Park, so I…

Phil CollaJuly 15, 2021

Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Cathedral Peak and Upper Cathedral Lake at Sunset, Yosemite National Park

Cathedral Peak rising above Upper Cathedral Lake is one of the most beautiful views in all of Yosemite National Park. From the trailhead to the point on the promontory above Upper Cathedral Lake where I shot this photo is about a 9 mile round trip hike. I made it most…

Phil CollaMay 9, 2021

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Serenity Now: Yosemite’s Quietest Summer?

I recently spent four days hiking in Yosemite National Park. It was strange to be in Yosemite after being cooped up at home for four months, but Yosemite with no crowds is a gift at anytime of the year and I took advantage of it. Alone. Following are some of…

Phil CollaJuly 6, 2020

Best Photographs of the Year Haleakala

Natural History Photography – Best Photos of 2018

My Best Natural History Photographs of 2018 2018 offered opportunities for me to spend a week in Maui with my family, dive the chilly waters of God's Pocket in northern Vancouver Island, return to dive Fiji's gorgeous reefs on the wonderful Naia, enjoy some college volleyball and fall colors on…

Phil CollaJanuary 1, 2019

California National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Yosemite Valley in Spring, May 2018

I try to get into Yosemite Valley each Spring, usually in May since that is when Yosemite's waterfalls are at their most impressive. This year I spent a couple days photographing and hiking in early May. The dogwood bloom was peaking and, while I am not a wildflower photographer, I…

Phil CollaJune 24, 2018

Carlsbad Desert Joshua Tree San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photographs of Southern California’s Spring Wildflowers — the 2017 Super Bloom

During March and early April of this year I was chasing the wildflower bloom around the southernmost parts of California. The wildflower bloom was indeed spectacular and went on for weeks with vast displays of color. Was it a "super bloom"? I'm not sure. Somewhere during March the interwebs began…

Phil CollaJuly 16, 2017

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Blood Red Moon Madness! A Tetrad of Total Lunar Eclipses

Lunar eclipse sequence, showing total eclipse (left) through full moon (right). While the moon lies in the full shadow of the earth (umbra) it receives only faint, red-tinged light refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. As the moon passes into the penumbra it receives increasing amounts of direct sunlight, eventually leaving…

Phil CollaDecember 23, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Joshua Tree National Park, August 2015

Each August the Perseid meteor shower takes place. This year it peaked during a new moon, which offered prime conditions for seeing many meteors. I photographed the Perseid meteor shower in Joshua Tree National Park using two compositions/locations: with Arch Rock as one feature and with a single joshua tree…

Phil CollaAugust 16, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, 2015

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each August, peaking on the evenings of August 12 and 13. It happens because the Earth is plowing through the trail of dust left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseid meteors are named for the constellation Perseus in the northern sky, from which the meteors…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse April 4 2015 from Joshua Tree National Park

I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to watch the lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015. Photographically, I was not sure what I was going to do. I've made a series of lunar eclipse sequence images (lunar eclipse October 8, 2014 and April 14, 2014 version 2 version 3).…

Phil CollaApril 5, 2015

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Wild West Magazine – Shooting Star and Milky Way over Delicate Arch

A shooting star and the Milky Way over Delicate Arch at night, seen on the "parting shot" end page of Wild West Magazine. This is the first time I have had my work in Wild West which was nice! Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Phil CollaJanuary 11, 2015

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Sunset over the Garden of the Gods, Arches National Park, Utah

The sun sets over the Garden of the Gods in Arches National Park, Utah. Garry McCarthy and I were in Utah for a few days of hiking and night photography. While we shot the sunset from this scenic point we bumped into night photography great Brad Goldpaint, a nice guy…

Phil CollaAugust 13, 2014

Aerial Photography Channel Islands

Anacapa Island, Aerial Photo, Channel Islands National Park, California

This is Anacapa Island, viewed from the west with the California coastline visible in the distance. Anacapa Island is composed of three islets stretching about 6 miles long, located 11 miles off the coast. West Anacapa, seen here, is the highest of the three reaching an altitude of 930' above…

Phil CollaAugust 8, 2014

Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Dusk on Vogelsang Peak, Yosemite National Park, California

The last time I stayed at Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, my dad and I took the Rafferty Canyon trail and arrived about 3pm. For some reason I still had some energy so I took off and tried for the summit of Vogelsang Peak, arriving just shortly before sunset. The view…

Phil CollaJune 24, 2014

Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Townsley Lake and Cathedral Range at Sunrise, Yosemite National Park

One of my favorite lakes in the Sierra Nevada is Townsley Lake, located a bit above and not far from the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite National Park. Every time I stay at Vogelsang I make sure to spend at least one sunrise at Townsley, where I have always…

Phil CollaJune 23, 2014

Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Lembert Dome Sunset, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park

Nice pastel light hits the clouds and lights up Lembert Dome rising above Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park, California. An easy hike takes one to the top of Lembert Dome for expansive views of Tuolumne Meadows and the high Sierra Nevada around the eastern side of Yosemite National Park.…

Phil CollaJune 22, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence, Juniper and Standing Rock, Joshua Tree, 2014

For the eclipse of April 14/15, 2014, I wanted to depict the course of the eclipse across the sky with some recognizable landscape features in the foreground to anchor the composition. As the day of the eclipse went by, I watched the weather reports and decided Joshua Tree National Park…

Phil CollaJune 9, 2014

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise and Night under the Milky Way, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Icon alert: this post is about Mesa Arch, a major icon which many now scorn and avoid as a subject of landscape photography, and which is known to have the crowd these days. I've photographed a few icons over the past 30 years, although many of them are underwater and…

Phil CollaJune 7, 2014

Arches Icons The American Southwest Utah

Icon: Sunset over Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

I unapologetically photograph a lot of icons and Delicate Arch is one of my favorites. There are few places in the United States that are more iconic than Delicate Arch in Arches National Park -- it is depicted on a license plate for crying out loud. Places like this are…

Phil CollaJune 1, 2014

Arches Canyonlands New Work

New Work – May 2014

With the exception of one image, all of my new work in May comes from Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, both in southern Utah. I've photographed in these parks a number of times and love them, and will return again and again I'm sure. Both parks lend themselves…

Phil CollaMay 30, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

The Eyes of Utah – Natural Arches and the Milky Way

The Eyes of Utah? I think these two images look like "eyes", at least to my eyes they do. The first one sort of looks like an evil serpent's eye, while the second resembles a whale's eye. (If you have never seen a whale up close, you'll just have to…

Phil CollaMay 23, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest

Light Painting Delicate Arch, Utah

The first few times I photographed Delicate Arch in Utah's Arches National Park, most of my compositions were close to the arch. After editing the results of my last visit to the park I resolved to make more distant compositions, for variety's sake and to put the arch into its…

Phil CollaMay 14, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch, Milky Way and Iridium Flare at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

I have shot Arches National Park a number of times, including a very fruitful trip some years ago to shoot astrophotography landscapes. I returned earlier this month for more, and found that I have reached a point where I need to find alternatives to the usual compositions. This one was…

Phil CollaMay 13, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree Panoramas The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, April 2014

The lunar eclipse of April 14 and 15, 2014 was a wonderful event to see. I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to photograph it for two reasons. First, the weather forecast in the high desert was for clear skies and, for the most part, the skies were indeed…

Phil CollaApril 29, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Blood Red Moon Sequence over Joshua Tree National Park

This is the first of my photographic efforts shooting the lunar eclipse the evening of April 14/15 2014. I spent the entire night out under the stars in Joshua Tree National Park, where I often shoot when looking for clear skies and stars at night. I photographed several compositions and…

Phil CollaApril 17, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Venus, Milky Way and Arch Rock at Astronomical Twilight, Joshua Tree National Park

Things are always better at astronomical twilight. Venus was often referred to as the “Morning Star” by ancient civilizations (and as the “Evening Star” as well). On this day, it was indeed the morning star, rising just moments before astronomical twilight began. This allowed for a very brief window of…

Phil CollaApril 11, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Mount Rainier Washington

Milky Way and Stars at Night Over Mount Rainier

In this single image (not a composite), made with a special combination of low-light camera and extremely fast lens to best capture the details and colors of the gas areas of the Milky Way, our galaxy rises in the night sky over Mount Rainier. A few specks of light can…

Phil CollaSeptember 5, 2013

Crater Lake Landscape Oregon Panoramas

Panoramic Photographs of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Crater Lake National Park is the most panorama-ready national park I have ever visited. The vistas are sweeping from the rim of the extinct volcano's caldera, encompassing a six-mile wide lake. I have made two short visits to Crater Lake National Park, and spent most of my time composing panoramic…

Phil CollaAugust 28, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier, the Milky Way galaxy, Star Trails and Climbers’ Lights at Night

On my recent trip to Mount Rainier National Park, I had one particular image in mind, and I managed to achieve something very close to what I envisioned with this photograph. Seen here is the northeast side of Mount Rainier, with star trails in the sky and climbers' lights tracing…

Phil CollaAugust 23, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Yosemite

Perseid Meteor Shower, Milky Way, Half Dome and Yosemite National Park

Perseid Meteor Shower, Milky Way, Half Dome and Yosemite National Park I spent two evenings at Glacier Point during the peak of the 2013 Perseid Meteor Shower, hoping to capture my first photographs of meteors. I have a few landscape astrophotography images that have chance meteors recorded in them, but…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Yosemite

Zodiacal Light, Milky Way and Jupiter over Yosemite National Park

Photographing Zodiacal Light over Yosemite National Park August 11-12 was near peak viewing for the 2013 Perseid meteor shower, and many people including myself were viewing the show from Yosemite's Glacier Point all evening long. However, because the moon was nearly new and it was late summer, I knew there…

Phil CollaAugust 13, 2013

Mount Rainier Panoramas

Mount Rainier and Reflection Lake Panorama, Sunrise

Mount Rainier is reflected in the perfectly still, calm waters of Reflection Lake, in the southern part of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. This enormous panoramic photo will print up to 6' tall by 15' wide at full resolution. If you think this image would look good on the wall…

Phil CollaAugust 8, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Natural Bridges The American Southwest Utah

Owachomo Bridge and Milky Way at Night, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Night Photo of Owachomo Bridge and the Milky Way After making the long drive to Natural Bridges National Monument, we arrived in time to enjoy a colorful sunset and eat some dinner while waiting for the sky to become dark enough for us to begin our photography. The weather was…

Phil CollaJuly 22, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah Zion

Milky Way and Star Trails Over the Watchman, Zion National Park

The Watchman is one of the iconic landmarks in Zion National Park, such that throngs of photographers line the bridge each fall at sunset to photograph the Watchman with the Virgin River and autumn trees in front of it. We elected for a much different image, one with the Milky…

Phil CollaJune 23, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Live Oak and Rocks, Milky Way Galaxy, Joshua Tree National Park

Milky Way Galaxy, Live Oak and Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park at Night I have spent many evenings photographing the landscape and night sky at Joshua Tree National Park. The terrain is harsh and there are few trees other than Yucca and Joshua Tree. I did find one attractive live…

Phil CollaMay 9, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree Panoramas The American Southwest

Milky Way and Moon at Night, Shooting Star, Comet Panstarrs, Panorama, Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park, Milky Way and Moon, Shooting Star, Comet Panstarrs, Impending Dawn. This panorama of Joshua Tree National Park was made at astronomical twilight during International Dark Sky Week recently (last week). Some slight blue color from the impending dawn appears behind and to the left of the…

Phil CollaApril 18, 2013

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest

Shooting Star over Delicate Arch at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

This image is also featured on my Landscape Astrophotography website: Delicate Arch at Night, Milky Way and Shooting Star, Arches National Park, Utah This is spectacular Delicate Arch, the most iconic and popular of the arches in Arches National Park in Utah. Looking back on 2012 I realize I made…

Phil CollaJanuary 13, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

False Kiva at Sunset, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

False Kiva Photo, Sunset Canyonlands National Park, Utah One afternoon in Canyonlands National Park I came up with an ambitious plan: to hike to False Kiva on the edge of the Island in the Sky mesa, photograph the dusk and early evening there, hike out and then shoot Mesa Arch…

Phil CollaOctober 16, 2012

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