Mountains, Valleys, and High Plains Photography Gallery, Nature Revealed Photography - Tours Workshops and Fine Art by Jeff Jessing

The 14-thousand footer, Mt. Sneffels, dominates the landscape in this region of southwest Colorado. The aspens provide a nice foreground to this majestic mountain.

Valley of the Aspens

This photograph was made while I was leading a workshop in North America’s gem of national parks, Glacier. This particular morning yielded incredible light upon the mountainous landscapes. This is a winning photograph in the prestigious 2009 North American Nature Photographers Association Annual Contest.

Window of Light

This long exposure (about 3 hours), at the top of the La Plata Mountains, was made after an hour long drive on a four-wheeled drive road and an additional hour long hike, both in complete darkness.

The Midnight Dance

This photograph was crafted while leading a photo tour in the Oregon Cascades. I was drawn to the strong geometry of the pond weed that stood out in the cloudless-sky reflection on the surface of the cold water.

Oregon Dreams

The form and color palette of the stones under the water was mesmerizing to me. This was one of those moments in time that I was compelled to make a photograph.

Revealed

This photograph was made during a “once in a decade” sunrise at a well-known overlook of Upper St. Mary Lake. From this overlook you can enjoy the magnificent landscape of one of the true gems of the USA, Glacier National Park.

Upper Saint Mary Lake

While waiting for the meadow to come out of the shadow of a nearby mountain, I enjoyed the unique aroma of the Bear Grass on a perfect morning in Glacier. Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax) with Mt. Oberlin and Clements Mtn. in the background.

Glacier Bear Grass

This photograph of Mt. Moran was crafted in the cover of darkness. A very sturdy tripod was used to enable a sharp image during the long exposure. Notice the ghostly reflection of the mountain compliments of the illumination from the moon. This is an award-winning photograph from the 2006 Nature’s Best Photography Magazine Annual Contest.

Moonlit Mt. Moran

I was overwhelmed by a “rush” of tranquility while experiencing this magical morning near the Tetons.

Tranquility Abounds

This is one of a few standing weathered barns on “Mormon Row” with the Teton Range in the background.

Teton Barn

Fisher Towers reflected in the Colorado River with the La Sal Mountains in the background.

Fisher Towers and the La Sal Mountains

This image was crafted during a winter storm in the Valley. I was fortunate to be in a position to capitalize off the unique slither of light that broke through the clouds to illuminate El Capitan.

Smiling Upon You

A break in the overcast skies allowed me to capture the selective lighting on this grove of trees within the valley.

Natural Selection

When I came across this unique waterfall it was midday and there was no ice present. I knew from the forecast that the next morning was going to be well below freezing so I came back early the next morning to make this photograph in icy conditions. The combination of the upward movement of water and the ice formations gave this falls a unique floral effect.

"Flower" Falls

The evening glow of El Capitan fills the ice-covered valley with a rich golden hue.

El Cap and Ice

I crafted this photograph to maximize the surreal and alien landscape of this wondrous location. This photograph is a winner in the 2009 North American Nature Photographer Association Annual Contest.

Of this World

A grove of aspens and a big mountain…what more could I ask for?

Aspens and North Twilight

An unchanged pine is a sea of changing Aspens, thanks to Autumn.

Unchanged

The setting moon is captured at dusk next to the silhouette of a grand Sugar Pine (Pimus lambertiana).

Moonset over Lassen

Summer in the La Plata Mountains just Northwest of Durango is an alpine-lovers playground. I made this photograph while hiking with my two sons, Landen and Kasen. There are few places I would rather be then with my children in a peaceful natural environment.

The Boulder

This is one of my favorite areas on the face of our planet. The combination of the giant sand dunes with the surrounding fourteen thousand foot peaks provide a beautiful setting that will not be forgotten.

Sandy Base

An important component of quality photography is timing! This was certainly true for this photograph where the setting moon over the beautiful Hermosa Cliffs crested with fall aspens trees all came together in one moment of time.

Moonset over Hermosa Cliffs

Late afternoon casts long shadows revealing the beautifully textured farm country in the Palouse region of Eastern Washington. This photograph was an award-winner at the 2007 North American Nature Photographers Association Annual Contest.

Fertile Land

This photo was taken from deep within Cimarron Canyon. The vertical cropping helps emphasize the height of the vertical canyon walls.

Vertical Rise

The setting sun is basking this magical valley with a warm glow.

San Luis Valley

For a brief period, the last rays of light of the day broke through the thick clouds to illuminate the landscape.

The Last Ray

Natural Framing

This iconic scene made famous by Ansel Adams provides a breathtaking view of the Tetons with the Snake River winding in the foreground.

Snake River Overlook

This photograph was crafted on a foggy morning. The subtle changes in the blue hues from layer-to-layer give this a peaceful feel.

Moody Blues

While standing in the middle of this stream, I made this photograph of Mt. Clement during a stormy morning.

From the Mountain

This image was crafted at a location that required wading through intensely cold water. The payoff was a view of the blue water flowing through this beautiful gorge.

Oneonta Gorge

The majesty of Mt. Hood over the northwestern landscape is readily apparent on countless mornings and evenings throughout the year. This photograph was crafted on one such morning showcasing the alpenglow of the mountain with the strong flow of the river in the foreground.

Alpenflow

A tree helps frame the beauty of the South Falls.

South Falls

The golden grass and the layered clouds provide an ionic image of the Tetons.

Frosty Fence

The rich aqua green-colored creeks in glacier are due, in large part, to the glacial slit that is suspended in the water.

McDonald Creek

This photograph was made while teaching waterfall techniques to a group of students. One the lessons learned with this type of shot is how to avoid becoming drenched by the splash-pool spray!

Glacial Runoff

Glacier’s floral palette compliments the dramatic mountains in the distance.

Montana's Praire

Simplicity is often the best choice for a composition. I certainly felt that way when I photographed this scene in Glacier National Park.

Wild Goose Island

This shot was made during a spectacular morning in Glacier. This is an example of using an interesting foreground to draw the viewer into the photograph.

Swiftcurrent Lake

These warmly lit peaks with the drama of the clouds in itself makes for a great photograph, however, when I saw the strong graphics of the sticks I new I had to make the photograph.

Watersticks

Rain, wind, and spray made this a particularly challenging photograph to make. Although it may not be evident, this shot was taking in fairly harsh conditions. I was drawn to the strong lines that lead the viewer into the image. This is one of many places within Glacier National Park that I take the people on my tours.

Glacial Forces

This photograph was made while leading a weekend photography workshop in one of the Jewels of Oregon, Opal Creek Wilderness. The lush, dense forest

From the Forest

This is one of many fantastic waterfalls in the Oregon Cascade Range.

Koosah Falls

This location offers so much for photographers that it is overwhelming. I could literally spend the entire day at this one spot with endless opportunities from the wide-angle to intimate details.

Valley of the Waters

Using the natural framing provided by the trees, Mt. Washington looms gallantly over Central Oregon.

Beyond the Forest

When possible, I seek out the striking contrast found between the cool snow and the warmly lit rock formations of the Colorado plateau. Fisher Towers is one prime place where this contrast can often be observed.

Winter's Glow

This photograph was made in a thick swarm of mosquitos, which is all too common during the late spring/early summer in the Cascades. Here Mt. Bachelor dominates the landscape in both actual and reflected form.

Nature's Way

Put simply, I love this falls and this region of Central Oregon. The unique aspect to this falls is that it's iocated within the caudron of an extinct volcano. The waters from nearby Lake Paulina form these stunningly beautiful falls.

Paulina Falls

From a high vantage point, this shot of Mt. Jefferson was made from afar.

Out of Bounds

Along with Mt. Bachelor, South Sisters, and Broken Top, many cinder cones are scattered within the murky foreground during a breathtakenly beautiful sunset.

Fields of Peaks

In the relatively tight quarters of this gorge, an extremely wide-angle lens was used to frame in the entire expanse of this beautiful location.

The Rift

This is one of my favorite waterfalls in the stunning Columbia River Gorge. It is hard to imagine a more ideal setting for Wahclella Falls.

Valley of the Falls

Every once and a while nature gives up it's treasures. This particular evening it gave it up for us.

Crown Point

This photograph was made on the first morning of my 2009 Oregon Cascades workshop. This was one of several spectacular shots made on that morning.

The Gorge

This photograph was made at one of my favorite little lakes in the Cascade Mountain Range.

Cascade's Flora

The Newberry Volcanic National Monument is a treasure trove of photographic subjects. This shot was captured underneath Paulina Falls.

Cross Over

2009 was a particularly good year for Beargrass in many parts of Glacier National Park. This photograph was crafted under the majesty Garden Wall.

The Garden Wall

After a short hike at the top of Logan Pass, Hidden Lake comes into view as shown here.

Hidden Lake

This photograph was made at Running Eagle Falls (aka Trick Falls) in the Two Medicine area of Glacier.

Running Eagle Reflection

A cloudless morning sky and simplicity are the order of this photograph.

Bifold Symmetry

The difficulty in obtaining this photograph is not obvious. The upper falls that you see here only rarely occurred due to the pulsating nature of the upstream water. Patience was the key ingredient for this shot.

The Pulse of the Rockies

This shot epitomizes the term "soft light". The wonderfully rich palette of colors are the compliment of the lighting conditions.

Soft Light

Taken high up on Kennebec Pass, this photograph showcases the soft but rapidly fading glow of the final light of the day.

Fading Color

From atop the La Plata Mountains, the view of the San Juan Mountains are impressive. I am fortunate to live within twenty mile of this location.

Down the Valley

I love spending time in the beautiful La Plata mountains near Durango, Colorado. The combination of beautiful scenery, soft-light and crystal-clear atmosphere work in unison to make this photograph come to life.

Cumberland Basin

Alpine flora and the beautiful La Plata Mountains of southwest Colorado, what a wonderful combination to witness.

Lake Taylor

The last moments of illumination from a brief clearing to the West on this cloudy evening provided both peaks of Cumberland and Snowstorm with a deep fiery red glow.

Summits on Fire

Peak 18, Windom, and Jupiter Mountains loom over Chicago Basin deep within the Weminuche Wilderness.

18 Windom Jupiter!

Flowers, a high elevation stream and sweet light....what more do you need!

Columbus Basin

Near Durango Mountain Resort (aka Purgatory), Engineer Mountain's striking form and color makes for a fine photographic subject especially in the fall when the aspens begin to turn color.

Storm over Engineer

The intense red layer over the Mesa Verde National Park was photographed many miles away up in the La Plata Mountains.

Mesa Red

Grand Turk Mountain was once part of the cone of a giant volcanic caldera that spanned from the Lake City area to the Silverton area. The fall aspen trees in the valley leading up to the mountain attracted me to this scene.

Grand Turk Mountain

Groves of Aspens are the largest living organisms on the planet due to their interconnected and vast root network. The sounds of shimmering aspen leaves is one of those “must experience” moments I wish all people could have.

Autumn's Glory

This striking scene of an old mine structure with the fall aspens behind it provide a perfect visual balance to Red Mountain.

Red Mountain Mine

The serene reflection of Red Mountain in this small pond provided a nice subject while Jeff was leading one of his photo tours.

Red Mountain Pass

From the shores of Molas Lake, a photographer has a commanding view of the Grenadier Mountain range near Silverton, Colorado. The alpenglow on the peaks were particularly good on this evening.

Grenadier Reflection

An approaching storm to the San Luis Valley signals the beginning of a sand storm in the Great Sand Dunes

The Sand Storm

This is arguably the most stunning sky that I have ever witnessed. I was fortunate to be in a place where I could try to capture the intensity of the stormy sky.

Storm over the La Platas

Engineer Peak

This is one of hundreds of waterfalls in Glacier. This particular falls has two out-flows, one higher and one lower, which makes it one of the most unusual in the area. Historically it was also known as Trick Falls.

Running Eagle Falls

While hiking around this scenic lake, I stumbled upon this interesting driftwood that had beached itself. Later, as the sun was rising, I made this photograph in typical but magical “Glacier light”.

Into the Lake

This photograph was crafted in the early morning on the shores of Two Medicine Lake. My feet were very cold as I was standing in the middle of a creek while getting this shot.

Glacier Light

Mountains, Valleys, and High Plains Photography Gallery, Nature Revealed Photography - Tours Workshops and Fine Art by Jeff Jessing

MountainScapes by Jeff Jessing

Mountains, Valleys, and High Plains