quarantine re-edits
Well, here we all are, 6 some-odd weeks into this crazy situation. Not being able to go out into nature and experience the blooming meadows and springtime air is driving me crazy! I’m sure those of you reading this can relate. And to make that situation even worse, I don’t have any new content to work on since I can’t go out to shoot! But I remembered something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now…RE-EDITS!
The photos in the gallery above are 10 of my favorite re-edits out of a batch of around 25 old photos, most from 2018, just about a year after I began shooting. To preface these photos, I took a few trips through the west side of the country between April and July of 2018 and came away with some experiences that I will always remember, along with photos that forever hold the memories of those moments. Here’s a side by side comparison between the original edits I did back in 2018 and the re-edits I made recently, along with some further background on each individual photo:
// phoenix //
Mt. St. Helens, WA — After a chilly night of sleep in the car, I awoke before sunrise and made my way to the viewpoint of Johnston Ridge Observatory. While there were several other photographers present, it was easy to find a spot to myself to await the magical light that was to come. As the morning light slowly crept down the ridges of the caldera, I breathed in the fresh mountain air and reminded myself how lucky I was to see this.
// sand and sky //
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT — After exploring the rim of the canyon, we made our way up to Inspiration Point and the view that awaited us was unlike anything this southern boy had ever laid eyes on. Hoodoos populated the canyon floor in the hundreds along with what seemed to be a dry river bed that lead my eye through the beauty that sprawled out in front of me in every direction.
// ethereal //
Yosemite National Park, CA — As I walked down the short trail to Glacier Point, the full moon shone through the branches overhead, illuminating the path in front of me. Upon arriving at this familiar spot, I set up my gear, focused my camera, and clicked the shutter. After the photo was taken, I stood with my arms on the railing, looking down upon the moonlit valley below me. I watched headlights lazily weave along the winding roads 3000ft below and took in the peaceful silence that comes from being alone in a great wilderness such as Yosemite.
// paramount //
Grand Tetons National Park, WY — The Tetons are one of the most photogenic mountain ranges I have ever laid eyes upon. The way they stretch from left to right for miles reminds me vaguely of The Wall in Game of Thrones. After finding a perfect pull-off, I got out of my car and began sniping compositions with my telephoto lens. The landscape was wide open and provided a completely unobstructed view of the peaks. I even found some wildflowers in bloom not far from the lot. I watched the sun set on one of my new favorite spots.
// weathered //
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT — As I descended the trail from Inspiration Point, this tree caught my eye. Battered and beaten, I thought of just how many seasons he’s seen come and go; but he’s still there, thriving on the precarious ledge of Bryce Canyon. That tree has one of the best views in the world. If you haven’t noticed, I sometimes personify trees in my mind and now that I’m writing it down, it makes me seem kind of crazy.
// the heavens //
North Cascades National Park, WA — This overlook was my first stop in the North Cascades ever and now that I live here, it has become a favorite spot of mine. Even though this is a very popular spot, I somehow had the parking lot all to myself this night, which just made it all the more special. If you can’t tell in the photo, there was also a meteor shower going on, which added to the night even more. My neck began to hurt as I struggled to count each streak of light through the brilliant sky.
// sand and sky II //
Page, AZ — The last night before beginning the 10+ hour trek home, we were very excited for Horseshoe Bend. On our way to the overlook, the wind was gusting to what felt like near hurricane speeds. To further paint a picture, this wasn’t grassy plains or rocky overlooks…this was the desert. Which means that each gust of wind kicked up large amounts of sand that proceeded to pelt us mercilessly. But we came this far and knew there was no way we were turning back. I tried to snap photos in the short windows between wind gusts, but that didn’t stop sand from getting inside my camera, my lens cap, and each and every crevice of my body imaginable. It even got in my ears! But was it worth it?…of course it was.
// louise //
Banff National Park, AB — As one of the most popular lakes in the Canadian Rockies (and even the world), quiet moments alone on the shores of Lake Louise are few and far between. The best time to get some solitude in this location would be after the sun goes down or as it’s coming up. I luckily chose the latter, which gave me the image you see above. Morning light bathes the snow bank in a soft orange glow as the day begins in Banff National Park.
// afternoon adventures //
Northwestern Wyoming — After stopping alongside a dirt road on my way to Grand Teton National Park, I decided to take the drone up to see what I could see. Afternoon light stretched the shadows as the sunset was quickly approaching. Sometimes, you don’t need big mountains and epic views to get a good photo. All you need is good light and a photogenic dirt road.
// daybreak //
Yosemite National Park, CA — Tunnel View is arguably the most breathtaking view in the entire world, which means this spot is very well photographed and is difficult to capture a unique perspective. After sleeping in the parking lot the night before, I opened my trunk with an incredible view. After enjoying the peacefulness of the moment, I forced myself out of bed and setup my gear as first light was breaking around El Capitan.
I’m a very phase-heavy person, and as you can see, that obviously goes for my editing style too. At the time of these photos, I was learning new editing tricks such as using the HSL sliders in Lightroom…and 100% over-edited most of these. Putting editing style into words is difficult, but if I had to pick one word to sum up what I’ve learned since I took these shots, it’d be this: subtlety. I’m not saying that I’m successful in achieving that in every photo I take or edit, but I definitely try for it. And honestly, looking back on these recent re-edits, I probably went overboard on the opposite side of the color spectrum with some of these shots. But that’s okay, we’re all still learning, right?
I hope you enjoyed this look back into where I was a few years ago and I encourage the photographers out there to go back through your own archives and do some re-editing. It has been a very cathartic experience for me and has helped me see where I’ve improved and where I need improvement. I hope everyone stays safe out there and tries their best to not go crazy. Thanks for reading and make sure to leave a comment below! Let me know what image in is your favorite or which editing style you prefer. There are no wrong answers here!
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