Shadowmeld Photography

A beautiful and picturesque trail at Porcupine Mountains State Park, the Little Union Gorge, takes hikers through peaks and valleys of the Little Union River for a diverse display of plant life and water features. For the long exposure photographs pictured here, an adjustable neutral density filter and tripod were used under low light near dusk for vibrant colors, dark contrast, and smooth water - creating a strong urge to revisit in the future.

A hidden gem in the forests of Wisconsin, the Dells of the Eau Claire River, is a great place to hike between road trips through the state. Dense vegetation surrounds the river, giving the feeling of seclusion, without being too closed in during sunset. A neutral density filter and tripod here provide long exposures of the river to create an almost molten appearance to the smooth flowing water wrapping around rocks along the rapids.

Traveling high up in the Grand Teton mountain range at dusk reveals a beautiful hidden gem at Jackson Lake worth a long winding drive through Yellowstone National park. The serene setting places adventurers on a lake before the mountains, great for photographing reflections and sunsets in the crisp air. It's a comforting feeling, like being on top of the world and standing on a landscape dear to artists alike.

At an elevation of over seventy-seven hundred feet, the vast and majestic lake at Yellowstone National park is definitely an experience to visit, especially during a cooler season. On a trip near the end of May, spring melt slowly dissolves the frozen surface of Yellowstone Lake during a sunny day and indicates warmer temperatures are on the way. A dense forest line on the horizon creates a nice contrast between the frozen lake and blue sky above.

When the lighting is just right, the vital supply of water from Lake Michigan takes on an appearance of a more exotic area, with varying shades of blue and teal resembling that of a much warmer climate. However, its location is a fair distance away from natural palm trees and coconuts. Summer months warm the lake enough for swimming and recreation, but winters trigger ice formation and lake-effect snow to the region, which makes way for annual Polar Bear plunge events.

Standing on the shores of Lake Abert in Oregon provides a glimpse into the past, of an ancient body of fresh water that once supported large populations of animal and plant life. Now, over fifteen centuries later, Lake Abert is a shrunken remnant of the giant Lake Chewaucan from the Pleistocene era, or Ice Age. Runoff water from the surrounding escarpment helps the basin retain some water today, though it is highly concentrated with salt as evident in the dried lake bed and rocky shorelines.

Finding quiet ponds, rivers, and small lakes while adventuring is a happy reminder of serenity and bliss in the wild. When the water is calm and light is plentiful, mirrored reflections add a whole new dynamic to nature photography for both symmetric and asymmetric balance. Small, isolated ponds create a mystical feeling as though nature intended for the beauty to be appreciated and discovered.