Terra Galleria Photography

Archive for the ‘Locations’ Category

Photographing the Annular Solar Eclipse of Oct 14, 2023

The solar eclipse of October 14, 2023, was an “annular eclipse”, which happens when the moon passes entirely in front of the sun, but the lunar disk is too far from the earth to cover the entire sun, leaving a “ring of fire” around the moon. When I photographed such an eclipse in 2012, I […]

Denali Uncomplicated: The Savage Alpine Trail

A single road penetrates Denali National Park. While it is 92 miles long, only the first 15 miles are paved and open to personal vehicles. If I was to hike only one trail along that section, the Alpine Savage Trail would be my clear choice. Until the summer of 2026, it is also the best […]

Five Spots for Photographing Lassen Peak

Established in 1916 on this day, Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the country’s oldest national parks. However, it is one of the least visited, maybe because it is relatively far from major metropolitan areas and other California attractions. This article presents five diverse locations, ranging from roadside to strenuous hikes, from which you […]

Top Ten Less-Crowded National Parks

This article features a supremely diverse mix of ten lesser-visited national parks all around the country. They all offer fantastic scenery and are almost sure to provide you with the quiet experience that you hoped for when you headed to a national park. Having spent more than a quarter century photographing each of the 63 […]

Fort Ord National Monument

Fort Ord National Monument memorializes a former military base and provides an excellent bike recreational trail system. My first visits shortly after its designation in 2012 left me unimpressed, but after multiple return trips, I eventually began to appreciate the subtle but diverse landscape that includes several Central Coast ecosystems. Barack Obama ended up designating […]

Berryessa Snow Mountain Superbloom?

The April trip to Japan and its aftermath made me miss the California wildflower season, which due to the winter’s abundant rains, was a super bloom. In early May, figuring out that Southern California would be long past peak, I went on pursuit of wildflowers in Northern California. The northern part of the state doesn’t […]

Enoshima Island

During a recent stay in Tokyo, I discovered a different side of the metropolis, only an hour away from its urban core. Though popular with the locals, the island of Enoshima would be easy to miss. It just unfamiliar and quirky enough to make a trip here – easily done in a day – feel […]

People’s Park

Earth Day is a global event celebrated every year today, April 22nd. It is a day to raise awareness about environmental issues and take action toward creating a more sustainable future. Since National Park Week is held in conjunction with Earth Day, given my longtime association with public parklands, in past years, I have taken […]

Visiting the National Park of American Samoa: Tuitula

Despite its small size, the National Park of American Samoa is one of the most beautiful parks of the system, graced with stunning white sand beaches, pristine coral reefs, towering sea cliffs, and lush, forested mountains. American Samoa, in the Southern Hemisphere, right in the center of Polynesia, is the southernmost US territory and the […]

Lower Courthouse Wash: Out of the Beaten Path in Arches National Park

Arches National Park is, of course, renowned for its more than 2,000 documented arches, as well as other sandstone rock formations. However, as always, there is more to discover than the main attractions. Follow me along the less-traveled Courthouse Wash route where besides experiencing an unexpected desert river environment, you are sure to get away […]