Well, winter is finally upon us (or at it should be) and that means a tad less travel for me. That's okay, though, because it means more time catching up on all the images and experiences I've amassed over the past few months. Without a doubt, this fall was the busiest season of the year for me. A stretch of days were spent in Montana before roaming Colorado, then I raced back to the midwest for three days in Michigan, only to take a short break home after being out and about for two weeks straight. After all of that, I still ended up in Washington a week later, chasing whatever remnants of fall foliage were still present, yet focusing on the unrivaled tones of the PNWs. This is a recap of how my travels went, highlighting some of the most memorable moments of September and October.
To kick off the marathon of travel, myself and two friends - Chris and Ray - traveled to Glacier National Park for four days of exploring as much of the mountains as we could. To all of our surprise, we were welcomed to the park with the most incredible scene of the year: a double rainbow residing over Lake McDonald. This felt like "the" moment that kicked the trip off. From there, it was just jaw-dropping view after jaw-dropping view. The reduced traffic made it easy to soak in the breathtaking views along Going to the Sun Road, from waterfalls cascading down rugged cliffs to valleys of larches and aspen, all while we slowly made our way to Bowman Lake. Upon arrival, the stillness there was unmatched—little to no crowds, just the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional ripple on the lake. The mirror-like reflections were a dream to photograph, offering a perfect balance of peace and visual drama. What made Bowman Lake was a special treat because during my time here, I had a chance to step out of my usual comfort zone of photographing landscapes and photography products.
Prior to my travels, I had some wonderful conversations with Deneen Pottery, a family-owned business based in St. Paul, Minnesota. What intrigued me about their work was not just their culture of being family-owned (and local to the midwest), but also their involvement with the National Park Service. If you've ever been to the NPS gift shops or park headquarters, you've probably seen some beautiful mugs promoting the park you're exploring. Surprise: those are from Deneen Pottery! With this knowledge in mind and following their guide, I challenged myself by taking some shots of Deneen's NPS mugs inside the parks themselves. Bowman Lake presented the perfect opportunity for my goal.
Glacier in the fall feels like a secret meant to be shared cautiously. It’s a place where everything slows down and the park invites you to do the same, reminding you why places like this deserve both our attention and preservation.
From Glacier, it was a quick 3 hour flight to Colorado. Chris parted ways with Ray and I as we set our sights on I-70, hoping for an attempt at peak fall colors, a sunrise at Maroon Bells, and maybe, just maybe, a clear night for some astrophotography. After attempting to catch up on some much needed rest, I met up with my friend Jonah to head into the Rockies. Ray had a head start on us, but not for long, considering we all ended up in the same town of Glenwood Springs. This was our basecamp for the next three days, perfectly within striking distance of Aspen, Telluride, and Maroon Bells.
Without a doubt, the highlight of my time in Colorado was Maroon Bells. Nestled in deep in the Rockies, this iconic spot is renowned for its towering peaks, crystal-clear lake, and vibrant aspen groves. It’s no wonder photographers flock here—but even despite the crowds we had before sunrise, it was worth every second. The early start was entirely necessary, as claiming a spot along the lake’s edge is like camping out on Black Friday. After all, it's no secret that the most magical moment is when the first light spills over the horizon, lighting up the mountains with stunning alpenglow.
The challenge of shooting at Maroon Bells lies in balancing light and shadow. The dramatic contrast between the sunlit peaks and the darker foreground requires thoughtful exposure techniques. Courtesy of my Keygrip tripod from ProMaster, I managed to run longer exposures than what I could if I shot handheld, meaning I could bracket and grab all the shadow detail I wanted, while also shooting darker shots focusing on the highlights and the sky. A wide-angle lens proved essential to capture each valley of the peaks, from the golden aspens at the base to the jagged summits along the sides. When it was all set and done, though, the scene came together and this was the final shot. Proudly, this will be one of my favorites of the year.
After letting the sun bake for some time allowing us to gather more shots than we probably needed, we celebrated our success with breakfast in Aspen. Unfortunately, it wasn't before long that I had the dreaded feeling of my head throbbing, which I realized: I was getting sick.
The next two days were rough. The plans of going to Telluride were eliminated. Sunset at Capitol Peak were put on the backburner. Any hope of shooting another sunrise was kissed goodbye. Jonah made it out for some more shooting, but for me, the rest of my Colorado trip was spent taking advil, sleeping, and hoping that my head didn't explode on my flight back to Madison. A disappointing stretch of days, but not fully empty handed. I was happy to at least muster the strength and continue shooting Deneen Pottery's mugs in the Rocky Mountains.
Once I was back in Madison, I had only a few days to rest up. Round three of travel began the moment my friend Colin picked me up en route to the UP of Michigan. Two days of sleeping in my own bed later, we found ourselves up in Houghton, exploring one of the best-kept secrets of fall foliage photography. Funny enough, however, our timing may have been about one week off. Sure there were patches of yellow, orange and red, but green primarily dominated the landscape... and the night skies.
To our pleasant surprise, every single night we had in the UP brought northern lights. Being as far north as we were, it wasn't a long drive to find views to shoot into the late hours of the evening, marveling at green and red pillars shooting overhead. By night three, we had our plan down to a science. Shoot fall colors, find dinner (Jet's Pizza), eat said dinner (burn my tongue on Jet's Pizza), then race to a shoreline and shoot aurora until our cameras were either out of storage or out of battery. I've been shooting the northern lights since 2019. The majority of my time doing so has been spent alone, so on the lucky occasions I'm with friends for it, I never take it for granted. There's something special about being left speechless with your favorite people. All of these nights in Michigan, Colin and I were left speechless.
This fall was nothing short of an adventure, from the towering peaks of Glacier, to the golden aspen groves of Colorado, the serene shores of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the vibrant tones of the Pacific Northwest. Each destination brought its own challenges and unforgettable moments, from chasing rainbows at Lake McDonald to marveling at northern lights in the UP. Along the way, I not only deepened my love for landscape photography but also found joy in trying something new with products that share the same values as I do.
As winter sets in, I look forward to slowing down and revisiting these moments through the countless images I captured. This season reinforced my love for not just landscape photography, but the memories that go along with it. I’m filled with gratitude for the experiences, the lessons learned, and the stories I can now share as fond memories of what 2024 offered during these past two months.
2025, you've got big shoes to fill. Bring it on.
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