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A friend reached out last week. She'd been feeling the need to get out of the house and was interested in going to the Holi celebration at Seattle Center on Saturday. Would I like to go too?
I very much did. I've been going through a rough patch lately, and getting out of the house to attend something lively and colorful felt like a great plan. So I said yes.
Holi celebrations happen here every year in mid March, and it's a Hindu celebration of spring, love, forgiveness, and the triumph of good over evil. I was aware of the Redmond event, but hadn't ever made it out, and shouldn't have been surprised that there was another in Seattle Center. There's a whole slate of cultural events there throughout the year, and the few I've managed to get to have always been great.
My friend and I met at the Armoury, had the requisite caffeine, catching up, and lunch, and then wandered into the courtyard next door. There was a DJ, loud, lively music, dancing, and color. So much color!
I'm glad I went. I think we could all use some celebrating the triumph of good over evil right about now.
Cross-posted from my site, where there are additional photos: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/03/25/march-25th-2025-a-colorful-holi-day/
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
I shoot in RAW and, as part of my editing process, I'll usually convert a shot to monochrome mode to do the initial tone adjustments, going back to color after. Sometimes bringing the color back makes me like the shot less, and those end up staying black & white.
I had a few shots recently that worked best without color, so here we are: Two-Tone Tuesday. Enjoy!
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
Full post, with additional photos, on my site: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/03/11/march-11th-2025-two-tone-tuesday/
Wrapping up the end of day two in Grand Teton National Park.
(Full post, with additional photos, on my site: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/03/07/march-7th-2025-a-bird-in-the-bend/)
After being awed by the ghosts of the Tetons, I pulled my jaw up off the ground and hopped back in the Jeep. I figured that I'd finish the day where it started, in the Oxbow Bend area. I'd noticed in the morning that there was a road going around to the the other side of the Bend, a place the map labeled "Cattleman's Bridge Site". There was no signage off the main road for it, but it looked promising. So after grabbing a last shot of Mount Moran for the day, down I went.
(Cross-posted from my site, where there's an additional photo: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/03/03/march-3rd-2025-world-wildlife-day/)
A couple of wildlife photos, in honor of World Wildlife Day.
Wildlife should matter to everyone, and does whether they realize it or not. Our environment is a system of systems, and those natural systems interact with human built ones in a multitude of ways large and small. Wildlife are the ambassadors for those systems. Healthy abundant wildlife means healthy wilderness, which makes those points of contact with human systems healthy. If you like clean air and clean water and the things that rely on them (hint: it's everything), wildlife and wilderness play a big role in those things existing. Defending them is self-defense. We're not separate from them in any meaningful way except physical distance.
Frequently not even that! The photos in today's post were taken in a town park (the elk), and on an afternoon whale watching tour.
Wildlife is closer than you think. Go see some! You'll enjoy it.
Gear: Nikon D750, Nikon Z 7II, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3, Sigma 1.4 Teleconverter
(Cross-posted from my site, where you can see the uncropped Ghosts of the Tetons: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/02/28/february-28th-2025-ghosts-of-the-tetons/)
After exploring Unexpected Ghost Town the weather finally turned rainy, so I headed back to camp and took a nap. When I woke up the sun was shining and I thought "Hey, good chance of rainbows? Let's go look!"
So I hopped in the Jeep and went looking. Sure enough, there was a rainbow. A double, at that!
And then I rounded a corner of the road and saw something that took my breath away.
In the late afternoon light, with the sun above and behind them, the glowing air still filled with mist and rain, there were the ghosts of the Tetons, marching away along the horizon.
A Ghost Town and a Ghost Range, in the same day.
I almost forgot to take photos. Almost.
(If you're supporting small businesses today, I'd like to take this moment to remind you that I am a one-person business and have a fine selection of photos available as prints in my site's store. From my eyes to your walls! :) )
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
(Cross-posted from my site, where there are additional photos: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/02/21/february-21st-2025-ghost-town/)
As promised last Friday, today is Unexpected Ghost town.
As I posted before (almost exactly a year ago, cripes!), I was looking for a way down to the Snake River to get some shots of early fall foliage. I came across a dirt road going in the general direction I wanted, and followed it until it ended at a wooden gate. The road continued beyond the gate, going downhill towards the river, and someone else was walking down that way with fishing gear. So I grabbed the cameras and followed.
Around the gate and down the road was a treat: the ruins of the Bar B C Dude Ranch, founded over a century ago in 1912. The buildings are somewhat preserved by the park, which is why you can see newer roofs on some buildings, but have mostly been left to the elements for decades now.
The post I made last year has even more photos, if you want to go and check it out, and one of them is for sale in my site's print store. :)
Next Friday: From ghost towns to ghost mountains.
Gear used in these shots: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
(Cross-posted from my site: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/02/11/february-11th-2025-si-ing-about-winter/)
In addition to taking a walk in the park after last week's snow, I took a drive down to North Bend. The intent was to see if I could find some of the elk that live down that way and get some elk-in-the-snow shots. Alas, I did not see them.
So I stopped by one of my favorite views of Mount Si, figuring it would look very nice with a fresh coat of snow.
It did. :)
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
(Cross-posted from my site, where there are additional photos: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/02/07/february-7th-2025-marshmallow-fluff/ )
I woke up to beeping yesterday.
My UPS was informing me that the power was out, and could I kindly make sure everything plugged into it was turned off?
So I did, and then turned off the UPS to give myself some relief from the beeps.
Peeking outside in the predawn light the reason for the outage was pretty clear: inches of snow. Clearly a branch somewhere had broken off under the weight and taken a power line with it.
Which, obviously, meant my next course of action was clear: get the cameras ready, wait for daylight, put on warm clothes, and then get out into it.
It was that wet, sticky snow that covers everything, and all the trees looked like they were coated in marshmallow fluff. I went for a walk to a nearby park and had a good time seeing and shooting; I hope you enjoy what I brought back.
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S, Nikon 105mm f2.8 VR Micro
Another shot from my drive up to the North Cascades two weeks ago. I used the longer Sigma lens to get up close with the peak, which lets the details and texture take center stage.
I love how, even though there's no direct light and therefor no shadows, there's still a sense of depth.
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 + 1.4 Teleconverter
Cross-posted from my site: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/02/04/february-4th-2025-peaking-a-peak/
More photos from the afternoon of day one at Grand Teton National Park in September of 2023.
Mount Moran gets some more love, as it should, and Grand Teton itself makes an appearance, along with the rest of the Cathedral Group, and Cascade Canon in black & white.
And finally a shot I got because I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the sliver of moon rising over the range behind me.
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3
Cross-posted from my site, where there are additional photos: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/01/31/january-31st-2025-grand-teton-more-day-1/
After Glacier, my next stop was Grand Teton National Park. I arrived at the Colter Bay campground late in the afternoon, set up, and relaxed after the long drive.
The next morning I got up just before dawn and walked down to Jackson Lake, taking in the sights. And wow, were there ever some sights!
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3
Cross-posted from my site, where there are additional photos: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/01/24/january-24th-2025-grand-teton-day-1/
One more shot from my final day at Glacier National Park in 2023, in the early morning at Bowman Lake.
This one's all about contrasts. It was almost monochrome as-shot, so taking it the rest of the way to black & white felt right.
The following day I woke up before dawn again. I made coffee & breakfast, packed up camp, and then drove nine hours to get to my next destination: Grand Teton National Park. During that drive, somewhere in the middle of Montana, I got to see something pretty rare: a wild mountain lion! It ran across the road in front of me and my first thought was "That's a weird looking dog". Nope! Cougar! :D
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3
Cross-posted from my site: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/01/17/january-17th-2025-a-line-on-the-water/
Shots from day three of my trip to Glacier National Park in September 2023.
I'd gotten up before dawn so that I could be on the shore of Bowman Lake for sunrise, a trip that involved 20 miles of unpaved roads. Most of that was along the North Fork Flathead River, outside the park. There are lots of farms along that stretch of road and they have *stunning* views, of which I am very envious. :D
I was well rewarded for getting up early. It was incredibly peaceful to watch the mist rise from the lake, clouds pooling in the far end of the valley, as the sun came up and touched them with fire.
When I got back to my campsite at Apgar late in the day I was rewarded again with one of my favorite things: backlit leaves.
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8, Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3
Cross-posted from my site, where there are additional photos: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/01/09/january-9th-2025-glacier-day-3/
Welcome to 2025!
2024 was rough, and 2025 isn't looking any less so, but muddied or not there's still game to play.
Let's hit it.
Gear: Nikon Z 7II, Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S
Cross-posted from my site, where there's an additional photo: https://andrewflenniken.com/2025/01/02/january-2nd-2025-new-year-same-game/