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DSKWanders, Phoenix, AZ (2026)

06/19/2026

• The (non)Land of Blues •

What are some of the most interesting places you have flown over? I love flying over mountains, ice fields, canyons, and well, pretty much anywhere with some amount of texture or color to the surface. Normally I would say oceans are some of the most boring parts to fly over. So when I flew from Miami to Panama on a business trip I wasn't expecting the display I saw.

This pic is of a place that doesn't exist! Really! Well, let's just say it doesn't have a name (that I can find). Maybe on a marine chart, but not on Google maps. It's a reef line so thin and shallow that there is barely any land. On Gmaps in regular view it doesn't show up, but if you switch to satellite it's obvious.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tnZ3hNuEPwSj3Q279

But interesting colors and textures can also depend on the exact route of any flight as well as the time of day, not to mention the weather. So while some places like this were still picturesque, most of the flight back wasn't. I didn't take near so many higher quality pics.

I'll also say once again that it usually pays off to anticipate which way the sun will be shining for the trip and plan which side my seats are on accordingly. You don't want to face the sun. Besides pics - it's just cooler than having the sun shine in on you!

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• Dec '23

• Nikon D610 | f18, 1/1250s, ISO-3200, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

06/13/2026

• Old Fashioned Meal •

Do you long for a good old fashioned meal at home? Maybe that's why (or part of why) we romanticize or enjoy Thanksgiving dinners.

The other day I say something on the internet (so of course we can believe it) that we don't find formal dish settings, "the good china" in American homes anymore. For us that's true. I grew up where that was a thing, but now I don't see it. It's interesting what comes and goes that you thought was normal. Perhaps in reality, nothing is as "normal" as we think.

I got this pic while visiting the Joel Lane Museum House in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a nice and appropriate way to spend a July 4th - visiting a bit of American history. They were also doing various live historic demonstrations like looming, revolution style drum and fife, musket demonstration, and quill writing. All quite interesting for the history buff. I'm not a huge history person, but I appreciate it and enjoy learning about it.

I see a lot of things in today's world that I think a lot of people would be better off if they learned more about history instead of them trying to repeat the failures. We humans seem to always think that "we" know better, and have come so far to know how to make it work. But time and time again - history wins.

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• Jul '22

• Nikon D610 | f2.8, 1/30s, ISO-1250, 36mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

06/09/2026

• The Red Bridge •

Today I'm continuing to remember my journey through the southern USA a few years ago. I made this stop at the Magnolia Plantation outside of Charleston, South Carolina. They have "The White Bridge" and "The Red Bridge". I bet / hope you know which one this is.

This scene capture the general sense I remember wandering the paths and gardens. A warm summer morning enjoying the quiet beauty they have there. And at least I didn't see any alligators in this pond.

I was having a conversation with a friend not long ago about color grading images. It makes a huge difference. I had to work to get the red looking the way I wanted. Mainly to get the red to stand out with such thin lines in the overall picture. The catch is, you probably see it different than me since every display shows slightly differently. Some favor certain colors compared to others. Even each of our eyes are different. So I make my best effort to make it look good to me and hope it relates to you.

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• Jul '22

• Nikon D610 | f4, 1/60s, ISO-400, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

06/02/2026

• The Art of Perception: Enhancing Reality •

Another example of my photo-art today. I snapped this one pic (among many) while staying at the Lime Tree Bay Resort in the Florida Keys. I think the calmness of the gulf (that evening) surprised me, but it reminded me of how the ocean is definitely different depending on the depth of the water and the shielding of islands and reefs. Not having a lot of experience with the ocean beyond the Pacific USA coast, these were new revelations to me over the past decade or so. Let's just say it became really real when I got sea sick on the open seas but enjoyed snorkeling inside a reef protected space - but that's another story.

This was one of the most restful spots on my road-trip from Seattle to Miami a few years ago. The turn-around point after a wonderfully peaceful evening and night. And the serene sunset perfectly topped it off.

So photographically - same pic, just different treatment in Adobe LightRoom. Neither is what I really saw but the lighter one is a lot closer. But we like what we like in art. I present both to show how a lot of the spectacular pics we love aren't reality but our preferred view of it. Or maybe not - that's the beauty of art - it's in the eye of the beholder.

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• Jun '22

• Nikon D610 | f8, 1/250s, ISO-80, 24mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

05/21/2026

• How Much Longer in the Wilderness? •

Today I decided to share one of my black & white pics. This was another one of those times where I was taking a bunch of pictures out the window as we drove along. One of my daughters was needing to drive to Nashville and so I went along. It let me get more photography time while she drove (which she did most of).

After a very quick stop at Wall Drug (had to say we've been there even if we didn't get out of the car) we swung down through Badlands National Park. The scenery was amazing, the wildlife didn't disappoint, and it was a great, if not a long day with over 600 miles on the road (Montana to Sioux Falls Falls. It didn't help that I was getting sick this day - but it didn't manifest until the next.

I've driven / ridden across the USA several times and flown a couple more. Each method has its advantages but I think the times of driving with family are something extra special. I attribute my love of the journey of travel, to doing so in my youth with parents and siblings. I'm glad I've been able to share that with my kids - "are we there yet" and all.

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• Jun '22

• Nikon D610 | f5.6, 1/4000s, ISO-2000, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

05/14/2026

• Ending the Day in Warmth •

As I look at this picture of "Hole in the Rock" (an apt if not too imaginative name) my mind started wandering and like if you look at clouds, what do you see? I think I see the eye in the rock. Or maybe it looks like the eye of a dragon? Too bad this feature (though close to) isn't part of Camelback mountain or it could be the Camel's eye. But it's not so it's just Hole in the Rock.

This is part of Papago (PAH-puh-goh /ˈpɑːpəɡoʊ/) Park which is at the Phoenix, Arizona zoo. The "hike" up to the hole (from the back side from this shot) is quite easy hence all the people enjoying being in the alcove.

And as I remember, this was a rather pleasant evening in the Valley of the Sun. It had "only" gotten up to 108 deg F (42.2C). But once the sun goes down it starts to feel so much cooler (like only 100) and a bit of breeze starts up (like using a hair drier in your face). But honestly, the evenings do feel much better and it's the time to enjoy such activities.

I had actually tried to get over to the Superstitions this evening to see what scenes might come but was running late so stopped here. It turned out to be a very nice stop for the day. It had been some long weeks before and I was glad to just be outside cherishing what time we had - and remembering my brother-in-law.

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• Jun '22

• Nikon D610 | f7.1, 1/250s, ISO-1250, 310mm | Sigma 150-600, f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

05/07/2026

• Alaska by Air •

In this day of drone pics (which I like but I don't have) I think many would expect this to be one. But even though I may some day get a drone, I like to fly (even when it makes me motion sick). And so I would rather being flying myself to get my aerial shots. To see first hand what I can see.

Besides, drones are notoriously relatively short fly time and therefore range. Go up in an airplane and you've got more of an experience. But then, drones are a lot cheaper than airplane rides. So I guess it all depends.

But if you're going to fly for pics, then the tour flights over scenic places are pretty great. Much larger windows to be able to get pics through. Though the smaller planes are prone to more bounce and turbulence. The main thing I learned while taking these pics was to move a little slower and keep yourself oriented to not get motion sick. I caught myself just in time from being really bad, but the 2nd half of the flight I was a LOT more still and breathing fresh air.

This is the coastline along the Alaskan Inside Passage near Ketchikan on our way to the Misty Fjords National Monument. I was so grateful to be able to tag along on a tour flight as we were early in the season and there weren't that many flights. I can't afford these tour flights very often (almost never), but I do like them when I can and the perspective is great! Being able to fly over the park, far less time than a boat tour, and a landing on a lake with some time on an island. A great experience!

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• Jun '21

• Nikon D610 | f5.6, 1/80s, ISO-50, 120mm | Nikkor 24-120mm, 3.5-5.6 ED AF
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements | Topaz AI Sharpening

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

05/04/2026

• May the 4th •

May the 4th be with you. Of course I had to share a Star Wars pic on Star Wars day.

Last year I went to California for a business trip so one of the evenings I took the time (and spent too much money) to visit Disney - mostly because I hadn't been to Disneyland in quite a few years and hadn't been since the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, let alone the Rise of the Resistance ride had been built.

It was worth it!

If you're a Star Wars fan, you already know anything I could tell you. If you're not, then I will say that despite the crowds at Disney which means long lines of waiting, this ride is an immersive adventure. Galaxy's Edge, the area of the park lets you feel like you're in a Star Wars movie. Even much of the line to get in the ride gives many props that the fans can geek out over, but you might appreciate the detail they went to. And the ride has multiple stages which prolongs the experience with sights, sounds, movement, acting, and well, just total immersion. I agree that this is certainly the best theme park "ride" in so many ways.

For taking these pics from a moving "car" in rather low light I love the detail, color, and overall image of my full frame camera and f2.8 lens.

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• Sept '25

• Nikon z6iii | f2.8, 1/160s, ISO-22800, 24mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

04/30/2026

• Where to Stop & See •

How would you like to crash land here? Though it's picturesque, if you hadn't planned on falling from the sky (or space) and found yourself here I'm not sure I would enjoy the rugged beauty. Of course, where I actually took this pic isn't far from civilization (a mile or two at the most), but as this lake is almost 200 miles (300 km) long, depending on where, you could find yourself rather lost and alone.

The reason I asked the question is because this lake has been used as a backdrop for various movies including 3 that used it as the crash site for astronauts returning to earth under less than ideal conditions (Planet of the Apes 1968 & 2001 and Gravity 2013). Though none were at this exact part. The texture of the area just lends itself to great images - which is why I took my pics! This isn't very far from Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend (I bet you've seen pics of both even if you don't know it). Beyond that, you can go hundreds of miles and see lots of magnificent terrain. Though this is a somewhat isolated part of the USA, it's also one of the most scenic. So next time you're in the area, don't stay on the interstate (that doesn't go through here) but plan some extra days, get onto the old highways, and enjoy the journey.

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• Jan '21

• Nikon D610 | f13, 1/2000s, ISO-800, 120mm | Nikkor 24-120mm, 3.5-5.6 ED AF
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

04/27/2026

• Gateway to a Winter Lining •

One of the days I spent at Bryce Canyon National Park a few winters ago started with snow and freezing weather. At about 6,600 ft (2000 m) at the upper rim of Bryce and it goes up from there, they certainly do get winter conditions - sometimes closing the southern stretch of the park. I wasn't too sure how far I could get this morning, but it turned out the whole main road was open - though travel with caution.

And so I was able to get to the Natural Bridge where I saw this. The Hoarfrost on so many trees was amazing and I was glad to be able to capture it in this scene. Way back soon after this visit I shared a pic of the frost on some pines that won first place in my local fare last year.

I will say the ice did cause some driving issues such as coming down the rather icy slope just above this parking area which is at 8600 ft (2600 m). Slow and steady. As I came back up that slope I saw a car stopped at the top debating whether to attempt it or not. I stopped and gave my perspective, but as always, be safe and don't try something you're not comfortable driving.

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• Jan '21

• Nikon D610 | f16, 1/100s, ISO-320, 50mm | Nikon 50mm, 4.5 AF
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

DSKWanders

06/19/2026

06/13/2026

06/09/2026

06/02/2026

05/21/2026

05/14/2026

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