Landscape

Beautiful Views of San Diego La Jolla San Diego

35 Beautiful San Diego City Skyline and Coastal Views

I love photographing San Diego's city skyline and the region's coastal scenes, particularly those that feature panoramas of downtown San Diego and its waterfront as well as long compressed coastal views that layer sea cliffs, beaches, and coastal mountains. I've been photographing San Diego and La Jolla in earnest for…

Phil CollaMarch 10, 2021

California Haiku White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Haiku

Ancient Bristlecone Persisting through the Eons You must be so bored Bristlecone pine displays its characteristic gnarled, twisted form as it rises above the arid, dolomite-rich slopes of the White Mountains at 11000-foot elevation. Patriarch Grove, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.Image ID: 17475Species: Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaevaLocation: White Mountains, Inyo National…

Phil CollaMarch 8, 2020

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah

Hiking Kanarra Creek Falls, Kanarraville, Utah

Kanarra Creek Falls is a beautiful slot canyon, a great spot for a hike and photography in the summer and fall. Also known as Kanarraville Falls, the creek and slot canyon are just north of Zion National Park's Kolob Canyon near Kanarraville, Utah. A 1.5 mile hike takes you from…

Phil CollaMarch 8, 2020

Antelope Canyon Arizona Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyons The American Southwest The Wave Utah White Pocket

The Ultimate Photographer’s Weekend in Page, Arizona

Great photography spots around Page, Arizona, including Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Canyon X, Radio Tower Rock, Rattlesnake Canyon, Stud Horse Point, Little Cut, the Toadstool Hoodoos, and the Wave and White Pocket. What visit to Page, Arizona is complete with a spectacular Horseshoe Bend sunrise? So you…

Phil CollaFebruary 24, 2020

Arizona Slot Canyons The American Southwest

Rattlesnake Canyon and Owl Canyon, Page, Arizona

There are many slot canyons in the area around Page, Arizona. In my opinion, Rattlesnake Canyon is the most sinuous and interesting to traverse. Rattlesnake Canyon is part of the Upper Antelope Canyon wash system, and one passes right by Rattlesnake on the way to Upper Antelope. Photographically, I have…

Phil CollaFebruary 1, 2020

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

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

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

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Island in the Sky is the most accessible and popular of the three "districts" in Canyonlands National Park. I spent a day there earlier this year and photographed a number of viewpoints during late afternoon waiting for the sunset to arrive. Next time I plan to descend into the canyons…

Phil CollaOctober 14, 2012

Canyonlands Panoramas The American Southwest Utah

Sunset at Dead Horse Point Overlook, Utah

Dead Horse Point Overlook, a stunning promontory on the edge of the mesa that is Utah's Dead Horse Point State Park, offers a jaw-dropping view down 2000' to the Colorado River. Canyonlands National Park is visible in the distance. The entire scene is a jumble of convoluted bends in the…

Phil CollaSeptember 30, 2012

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah Zion

Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice: Photographer in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah

Photographer in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah I was fortunate to have three of my photographs receive Highly Honored recognition in this years Windland Smith Rice photography competition sponsored by Nature's Best Photography. 21,000 images were entered in the competition, 500 made it to the final round…

Phil CollaDecember 2, 2011

Arizona The American Southwest White Pocket

Brain Rocks, White Pocket, Arizona

White Pocket Photographs, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona White Pocket is a relatively large area compared to, say, the Wave in nearby North Coyote Buttes. When I was there with some buddies in March, I saw many compositions that looked appealing but was unable to make photos of them in…

Phil CollaMay 9, 2011

Arizona The American Southwest White Pocket

Tortured Landscape, White Pocket, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

White Pocket was the highight of our recent banzai trip to northern Arizona and southern Utah. A remote and spectacular setting in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument that includes such well-known landscapes as the Wave, North Coyote Buttes and Buckskin Gulch (thank you Bill Clinton!), White Pocket lies not far…

Phil CollaApril 25, 2011

Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Palm Canyon Brittlebush

This brittlebush photo, at dawn in Palm Canyon in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, was one of only a handful of desert wildflower photos I made last year. It is raining again, the second bout of rain the coast of Southern California has received this week. This is on the…

Phil CollaFebruary 19, 2011

Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Henderson Canyon Road Dune Evening Primrose

Its raining now. If the deserts to the east of us get some of this moisture, it should bode very well for the wildflower season. We received a lot of rain in November and December. When this occurs, typically all that is needed is another moderate rain or two in…

Phil CollaFebruary 16, 2011

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

Moon and Sandstone Arch, Valley of Fire

Valley of Fire stock photos This is my favorite image from the Valley of Fire. It was incredibly peaceful and quiet with not a speck of wind or noise. The moon was positioned just right to fit nicely into a small cleft in this 10' natural sandstone arch. While the…

Phil CollaFebruary 2, 2011

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

Windstone Arch, Valley of Fire State Park

Windstone Arch, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada An arch within a cave! I've seen this interesting spot in Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park referred to as "Windstone Arch", "Fire Cave", and a few other names. Admittedly, it is more of a curiosity than a grand inspiring landscape view.…

Phil CollaFebruary 1, 2011

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

Sunrise, Sandstone and Shadow, Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire sure lived up to its name on this morning! I was driving along the main road in Valley of Fire State Park at sunrise on Sunday, heading toward the White Domes area when I saw the top of a impressive sandstone wall receiving the first rays…

Phil CollaJanuary 31, 2011

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

The Fire Wave, Valley of Fire State Park

Photo of the Fire Wave in Valley of Fire State Park I recently had a chance to see a sandstone formation often called "The Fire Wave". My daughter and I hiked to this place at sunset, in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, an hour east of Las Vegas.…

Phil CollaJanuary 30, 2011

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah Zion

Fall Colors in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park

The Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park is an incredible slot canyon carved out of the red rock sandstone that characterizes this part of Utah. One can walk upstream on the river bed from the Temple of Sinawava for several miles. I plan to return with my daughter next…

Phil CollaNovember 16, 2010

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Arch Angel Falls, The Subway, Zion National Park, Utah

Archangel Falls is located a few hundred yards before and below the Subway, in Zion National Park, Utah. Our hike to the Subway took us past a number of small cascades. Most of them would be hard to categorize as waterfalls, but Archangel Falls (or is it Arch Angel Falls?)…

Phil CollaNovember 11, 2010

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Fall Colors, The Subway, Zion National Park, Utah

On the approach to The Subway in Zion National Park is this intriguing erosion slot, about 4" wide. Water rushes through it, blurred in this photograph. The maples and cottonwoods were in their full fall color and their fallen leaves were everywhere. Water rushes through a narrow crack, in the…

Phil CollaNovember 10, 2010

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah Zion

Hiking the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah

I recently made a couple of fantastic hikes in Zion National Park: the Subway and the Virgin River Narrows. I am editing photographs now, but here is a short rough video I shot on our hikes. The highlights were Archangel Falls near the Subway, and the Wall Street section of…

Phil CollaNovember 9, 2010

California Sierra Nevada Yosemite

A Return to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp

Photos of Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite National Park Last month I made a brief return trip to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, following my first visit in 2009. This time my father joined me, and we had a chance to spend a few days together in some of the…

Phil CollaSeptember 7, 2010

Arizona Landscape Monument Valley The American Southwest

Monument Valley Panoramic Photo

I just received an inquiry about my Monument Valley panoramic photo. I had forgotten about this image, and when I saw it again I was reminded of the beautiful, warm light that fell on the buttes when I last visited there. I was on my way south from Arches National…

Phil CollaAugust 31, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Infrared National Parks The American Southwest

Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes and the Eureka Valley in Death Valley National Park. One of the goals of our recent Death Valley trip was to reach the wonderful Eureka Valley Sand Dunes. At almost 700' tall, these dunes are some of the tallest in the United…

Phil CollaJune 11, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Flora National Parks The American Southwest Wildflowers

Eureka Valley Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis

Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Dune Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis, in Death Valley National Park. The Eureka Valley Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica eurekensis) is a federally endangered wildflower found only on and near the sand dune habitat of the Eureka Valley, in the far northern reaches of Death…

Phil CollaJune 4, 2010

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflower Update

Brittlebush at sunrise, dawn, springtime bloom, Palm Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24301 Species: Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA I made a sunrise visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, my first visit this spring. By 9am I had seen enough…

Phil CollaMarch 13, 2010

California National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, Yosemite National Park

Photos of Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite National Park Note: I made a return trip to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp with my father in August 2010. I made another banzai speed run up to the Eastern Sierra last weekend, this time to spend two nights at reknowned Vogelsang High…

Phil CollaJuly 23, 2009

Antelope Canyon Arizona Landscape Slot Canyons The American Southwest The Wave Utah Wisdom

Photographing Antelope Canyon, The Wave, Buckskin Gulch and Horseshoe Bend

I have been fortunate to visit and photograph a few of the iconic locations around Page, Arizona: The Wave, Antelope Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, Horseshoe Bend and Monument Valley. Recently, I shared some correspondance about these places with another photographer whom I originally met at Brooks River a few years ago.…

Phil CollaMarch 11, 2009

Arizona Landscape Panoramas The American Southwest The Wave

Panorama of the Wave, North Coyote Buttes

The Wave, that much-photographed geological oddity on the border between Arizona and Utah. I spent some time there on my last visit trying to shoot appealing panoramas, but was not entirely satisfied, it is a tough landscape to capture that way. This was one of panorama photos I was happy…

Phil CollaJanuary 8, 2009

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs / Paria Canyon Wilderness, Arizona

The Wave is such a wonderful place. I am fortunate to have visited the Wave a number of times and several times have had near-perfect conditions to make my hike and take photos. OK, this is last time I post a photo of the Wave! Well, at least until next…

Phil CollaApril 30, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of the Second Wave

The Second Wave is found a few hundred yards from the Wave itself. While the Second Wave is characterized by striated sandstone in the same way that the Wave is, beyond that it is quite different in appearance, having a half-hourglass shape and being somewhat lighter in color. For photography…

Phil CollaApril 28, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of Brain Rocks

Brain Rocks are found in the vicinity around the Wave. Here are some sporting a view across the Navaho sandstone of the North Coyote Buttes: Brain rocks, curious sandstone formations in the North Coyote Buttes. Image ID: 20611 Location: North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona, USA Photos of…

Phil CollaApril 27, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of the “Heart of the Wave”, North Coyote Buttes

Sitting on the rim of the main bowl of the Wave -- right where the photograph below was taken -- I watched a couple of hikers arriving. There reaction was natural: no sooner did they step foot through the entry passage than they looked around at the strange surroundings in…

Phil CollaApril 26, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave in the North Coyote Buttes: The Perfect Skatepark?

Before X-Games and Tony Hawk, nay even before Bahne skateboards, Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels, there was the Wave. Formed in the days before mankind walked erect, indeed before there was a mankind, God created the ultimate skatepark, one that has yet to be improved upon. The Wave has waited…

Phil CollaApril 25, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of Diagenetic Coloration in Sandstone, North Coyote Buttes

Not far from the Second Wave is a broad swatch of sandstone displaying exellent examples of diagenetic coloration, various iron oxides producing different colors in the Navaho sandstone strata, dating from the Jurassic era: Striations in sandstone tell of eons of sedimentary deposits, a visible geologic record of the time…

Phil CollaApril 24, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Hiking the Wave in Arizona’s North Coyote Buttes

Walking around the area surrounding the Wave in Arizona's Paria Canyon / Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, one is certain to find this interesting alcove. During the time of day that it lies in shade, it receives only deep red light reflected from neighboring walls. That, combined with its own coloration, results…

Phil CollaApril 23, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part IV

Once I reached the Wave and got over my initial wonder, I began to wander around and explore the whole area. For a photographer it is hard not to start taking photos as soon as one sets foot inside the Wave. Just like everyone else, I immediately shot some pics,…

Phil CollaApril 22, 2008

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