"UpRooted" | Abstract Landscape Photography

2019 Summer Photo Contest Winner
Theme: National Parks
Photographer: Chris Olivas  

Lassen Volcanic National Park. "This is the Milky Way rising behind the Lassen Volcano peak at Lassen Volcanic National Park. The high elevation, cool crisp air, and miles away from any light pollution made this one of the clearest nights I have ever seen. I spend every single minute of the night shooting the stars rise and fall over the fittingly named reflection pond."

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"The Ram Falls — holding true to it is counterpart in the animal kingdom — it is a powerful and beautiful waterfall located in Alberta, Canada. This well-hidden location requires a 40-mile drive through bendy, bumpy, dusty, narrow roads that are primarily used by the logging industry. I can assure you one thing; these roads were not designed for travelling with small SUVs.

To capture this waterfall during the sunrise, I had to drive to the trail head during the night. I braved the curves and drifts with the full moon as my only source of light; the sense of freedom that came with being entirely disconnected from the world soon turned to apprehension about being completely separated from society and without cellphone service for eventual emergency cases. But all the worries melted away as soon as I arrived at trail head and could see the moonlit waterfall. The water mist falling over my skin made me connect with nature, and the night before capturing this image was filled with anticipation. When morning came and the scene presented itself, I could hardly believe my fortune, the leaves shone bright as gold when lit by the warm rays of sun. Many people believe that beauty should be eternal, but I think beauty comes from the transient nature of life — and for that I say, let it fall."

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"Landscape photography heavily relies on serendipity. A photographer can research locations, plan trips, check weather’s forecast, and drive for miles to capture the perfect image. But unfortunately, all this work can be rendered worthless if nature decides not to cooperate with the photographer. I have lost count of how many of my photography expeditions went wrong due to poor weather. Landscape photographers need to be lucky and hope that all the factors will eventually align perfectly, thus creating the perfect moment.

During a bright sunshine afternoon of summer, I decided to test my luck and drive from Jasper National Park to Crescent Falls. To arrive at this waterfall, I had to cross the Icefields Parkway, probably the most scenic highway in Canada. The drive in itself was worth the trip, the winding roads revealing and hiding the majestic Rocky Mountains like a perfectly written symphony provides moments of magic throughout. If you are really fortunate, as I was on this particular drive, nature may even provide opportunities to stop and observe the bears and mountain goats in their natural habitat.

Arriving at final destination, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the place and quickly started to scout for possible locations to capture the next morning’s sunrise. I kept walking for hours, jumping over the tree logs, sliding down muddy hills, and eventually I stumbled upon this location as the sun started to dip behind the mountains. At that moment, I was feeling extremely lucky to have found the perfect place to capture the most beautiful sunset. As life goes, some of our most memorable and cherished moments are as a result of serendipity."

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