Recently in This Beautiful Earth Category

Thor's Hammer & The Pope In Reflected Morning Light
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One of the magical things about Bryce Canyon is the way the morning sun will reflect off of the plateau's edge and light up the rock formations from behind. This image features the hoodoo's Thor's Hammer and The Pope taken from the upper portion of the Navajo Loop Trail about 30 minutes after sunrise.

One of many cascades that can be found along Paradise River as it snakes its way from the summit of Mount Rainier. The river's primary source is from Paradise Glacier on the southwest flank of this massive dormant volcano in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park.

To capture the soft look of flowing water requires a slow exposure. In this image I used a 1/4 second exposure, my 17-40mm Canon lens set at an aperture of f/22, and, because of the  bright skies, used an ISO setting of 50 in order to obtain the desired "look."

First Light: Mount Edith Cavell

For this first edition of Serendipity Saturday I've chosen one my all time favorite scenic photos. Mount Edith Cavell is in Canada's Jasper National Park and is named for a British nurse executed by the Germans in World War I. I finally made this image on the fourth attempt, rising early each time only to be thwarted by clouds and rain. On this morning it all came together with the Sun's rays shining on the top of this 11,033 ft/3,363 meter peak in the Canadian Rockies at sunrise, the entire scene reflected in the still waters of Cavell Lake.

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