Leaf Peeping Among the Sequoias

Visiting Sequoia National Park during the autumn season - or fall, as we call it here -, I was greeted by a breathtaking display of vibrant foliage. At this time of year, the landscape transforms into a painter’s palette, with hues of red, orange, and yellow splashed across the bushes and trees. The contrast between the evergreen giants and the vivid autumn leaves created a picturesque scene that felt straight out of a postcard. Although it is not a popular destination in the autumn, the coloured foliage we did find made for some really lovely images.

A Stop on the Road

We were lucky enough to catch a captivating sunset at the Generals Highway Scenic Overlook on our drive out of Sequoia National Park. This location was a welcome surprise on our travels, as we hadn’t really planned anywhere in particular for sunset and did not have particularly high hopes for it, given that the park is set in a valley. The viewpoint provides an elevated position to witness the sun descending below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow across the surrounding landscapes and submerging the hillsides gradually in darkness. As day transitions into night, the rolling foothills, lush forests, and towering sequoias become immersed in the serene and enchanting colors of dusk.

A Journey Through Meadows

Join me on a peaceful walk through two lovely meadows in Sequoia National Park: Crescent Meadow and Log Meadow. These enchanting landscapes offer a serene escape amidst the towering sequoia trees.

Crescent Meadow, also known as "Meadow of the Little Baldy," was named by early visitors who noticed its crescent moon shape. This picturesque meadow has a rich history, as it served as a campsite for the Kaweah Colony, a short-lived utopian community in the late 1800s. Today, Crescent Meadow remains a popular destination for visitors to enjoy leisurely walks and spot some local wildlife.

Log Meadow, on the other hand, gets its name from the fallen sequoia logs scattered across the meadow. These logs are remnants of past natural processes, such as wildfires and the life cycle of the giant sequoias. They serve as a testament to the dynamic nature of the park and provide unique photographic opportunities.

End of Day at Moro Rock

Another visit to Moro Rock at Sequoia National Park this weekend, this time in the late afternoon as the haze and the falling sun transformed the skies into a beautiful mixture of oranges and yellows. There was a beautiful lateral light there as well which left half of the valley in light and the other half in shadow. Here, I made full use of my whole photography kit - from wide lenses to capture the expansive valley below, to a telephoto lens aimed at the few trees hugging the mountain ridges. The most incredible thing is that this wasn’t even quite sunset: we still made it down the valley and caught sunset at a different location afterwards.

Scaling New Heights

Moro Rock offers a very different perspective on Sequoia National Park. This towering granite dome offers panoramic views over the whole park - finally placing you above the gigantic trees and changing the whole perspective of the landscape. As you ascend the winding staircase, the world below transforms into a tapestry of lush forests and rugged peaks, and the sprawling landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see. It was really mind-boggling to go from feeling like a tiny ant standing at the feet of the forest giants to seeing them from above, surrounded by the local ravens gliding in the skies.

Hall of Golden Light

Few landscapes leave me completely speechless, but this stunning sunset at the Joshua Tree National Park’s Hall of Horrors did just that. This place is named after its eerie rock formations, which resemble dungeons and other creepy structures. (Can you spot a skull-shaped rock in the images below?) It is also a popular hiking and climbing spot, and boasts the best sunset views in the entire park - or at least, I think it does!

Enjoy these images of a stunning clear day over the Joshua trees and rocky scenery surrounding them, under the changing lights and tones of an autumn sunset.

Turquoise Spring Waters

Continuing along our travels through Florida, we paid a short visit to Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park. This state park is home to several springs, including Peacock, Ginnie, and Little River Springs, which flow into the Suwannee River. It is a popular spot for underwater cave diving, with over 14,000 feet of cave passages open to visitors. Although we stayed entirely above the water during our visit, we did have the rare opportunity of taking photos from the skies for an even more unusual view of this location: the skies! The drone flight did not disappoint, showing just how stunning the clear turquoise waters of the spring are from all angles.

Views from the Observation Tower

Time for my last “swampy” blog post in a little while! The Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area in Valdosta is a 7,000 acre area which serves as a refuge for local wildlife. It includes both wetlands (swamp) habitats and forest habitats, which you can view from designated boardwalks and hiking trails. We made a short stop here to climb up the observation tower for an aerial view of the surrounding land. Here are some of my favourite images from high above the bald cypress trees.

A Morning with the Cypress Trees

I have shared quite a few images of this place throughout my last few blog posts. For those of you who are just itching to see something other than Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge: I promise this is the last one, and there will be a new location featured next week! But if you are enjoying seeing this stunning swamp through my lens, in all sorts of different lights, then you may enjoy this final post. Following a spectacular golden sunrise over the lake, we watched the sun climb a little higher in the horizon and peep through the cypress trees. I hope that these images of clear blue skies and early morning light will brighten up your day!

The Swamp Awakens

It was an early start to get to Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge in time for sunrise. I loved this place so much the night before that we just had to come back for more. I certainly did not expect it to get even better than it was in the previous visit - and for several reptilian visitors to adorn the landscape. This was one of those incredible golden mornings that you don’t see very often. Sometimes nature puts on a real show.

Night Falls over Banks Lake

In my previous blog post, I hinted that I would be sharing quite a few more images from Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. This week’s blog post continues on to a peaceful evening at the lake, featuring a little bit of astrophotography. The last two photos are star trail images: compilations of tens or hundreds of images of the night sky, merged together to show the movement of the stars over time. With a clear and unpolluted sky, you can really see how the milky way shifts around across the frames. In this particular place, the brightest stars are also reflected in the still waters, creating mirrored star trails on the surface of the lake.

A Hidden Treasure in South Georgia

We arrived in Valdosta, a small city in south Georgia, with absolutely no expectations of what we would find there. On a spare evening, we opened up Google Maps and searched for “things to see” in the area. Apparently there was a somewhat interesting swamp visible from a boardwalk, so we packed up our camera gear and went to see the sunset. Little did we know what we were about to encounter!

The Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is truly a hidden gem and was an absolute surprise. We loved it so much that we just kept coming back for more! So be prepared for a few more blog posts featuring this amazing place.