The Grand Tetons are some of the most iconic sunrise-worthy mountains in existence. This is because of how steeply they rise from the flat plains below. They basically providing a billboard on which the sun can display its colors. And of course, the natural beauty of the mountains themselves doesn't hurt. Photos of these mountains at sunrise are usually framed by either the Oxbow Bend (Snake River), or the famous abandoned barn. I decided to go a more natural route, and feature the flora of the plains. After all, they play a large part in making the Tetons so iconic. It takes two to tango.

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For some of my photographs, I record and post the entire Photoshop editing process from start to finish. This is one of those photos, and you can see watch the recording here: "The Grandest Sunrise - Grand Tetons, Wyoming" editing procedure on Youtube

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As this image was buried for a while, I'm writing this caption almost ten years after I took this photograph. And yet, the magic of this moment is still crystal clear in my mind. My friend and I went to Glacier National Park in mid summer, so there wasn't exactly much snow around. In fact, snow wasn't even on our mind at all. As we drove up Going-to-the-Sun Road, we were awestruck by the panoramic beauty that surrounded us. But then when we got to the top and rounded a bend to take us into Logan Pass, we seemed to go back in time... but only by about three months. Instead of being in the throes of summer, it was more like late winter or early spring. There was lots of snow cover, and spring wildflowers trying to burst through everywhere. Adding to the magic was the fact that wild mountain goats and Dall sheep were all over the place, presumably congregating into the little remaining snowpack. Hiking on the snow was also great fun for us Florida boys... with several comedic wipe-outs along the trek.

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There are so many hot springs and geysers in Yellowstone that it's hard to keep track of them all. I recall this one being named Crystal Geyser, but I can't seem to confirm that online. I can't even recall for sure whether it was even a geyser. There are certain iconic places that everyone remembers the name of: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Mammoth Hot Springs. And while those places are incredibly beautiful, sometimes the quieter, more remote features were more special. This small, perhaps unnamed thermal spring (or geyser?) is a perfect example. The beautiful turquoise waters seemed to journey to the center of the earth, while the thick steam rising from the spring seemed to shroud it in mystery. And I had it all to myself.

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In this piece you can see the rolling gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, with the beautiful Sacramento Mountains in the background. This photograph plays a bit of a trick on you. The moderate brightness of the dunes, coupled with the dark sky, seem to convince the viewer that this is likely a nighttime photograph. But in reality, it's not. It's the only photograph where the title is intentionally misleading, in order to further the ambiance of the image. In reality, this photograph was taken at near midday, with the sun almost directly overhead. The gypsum is so reflective, that the dunes were far brighter than even the desert sky. Thus, exposing for the sand yielded a dark sky. You can tell orientation of the sun by looking at the dunes, where the shadows are only present on the vertical wall of sand.

Higher resolutions of this image are available (the maximum resolution for this image is 6321x278). For usages that require a resolution higher than 3000px, or are otherwise beyond the standard terms and conditions, please email me directly at matt@matttilghman.com to discuss use-specific pricing.

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I arrived in Park City relatively late, so decided to postpone my photography until the next morning. When I awoke and began hiking, I was delighted to see some snow still on the mountains. This being my first stay in the Rocky Mountains of Utah during the summer, I had not known what to expect. I only learned later that night that most of the snow had actually been gone for a week or so already, and that it was only just replenished by a storm that night. The clouds lingered longer than the snow, and gave me some great conditions all day. Here they helped me by marbling the sunlight, and giving this strand of aspen trees some of their fabled glow.

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Glacier National Park, Montana, is one of my favorite places I've been. The sweeping vistas there are truly stunning, as everyone is well aware, but the intimate scenes are no less stunning. It seems like the majority of the streams have carved themselves intricate canyons that would qualify as national treasures in their own right, if they were anywhere less spectacular. St Mary Falls, pictured here, is one such example. The canyon walls and turquoise glacial waters are hard to beat for beauty. But what actually drew me into this scene were the plants that grew on the rocky banks. It is them - the sparse flowers and stunted evergreen trees - that made this place feel like an idyllic oasis to me.

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This peaceful scene is from a Rocky Mountain forest near Park City, Utah. The stream was actually roaring quite powerfully, what with all the snowmelt of spring. The beautiful aspen trees were also adding to the cacophony, rustling loudly in the afternoon wind. Even the sunlight felt loud, casting harsh shadows that moved as chaotically as aspen leaves. But despite the assault on all of my senses, this lovely glen made me feel totally serene and peaceful. Sometimes it seems like the noises of nature can actually add to the tranquility, drowning out all the world's artificialities.

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This scene at Avalanche Lake was the magical end to one of the more magical hikes I've taken. We started the hike up Avalanche Creek (located in Glacier National Park, Montana) well before sunrise so that it would still be early morning once we arrived. The forest, creek, and lake were achingly beautiful during the hike. And once we got to the end, it was like a scene straight out of Bambi. Several chipmunks, and this deer, all wandered up to us to say hi and wish us good morning.

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At the time I was taking this photograph, I had not yet learned the weather patterns of the Chihuahuan Desert. Actually, I hadn't learned much about Albuquerque at all. All I knew was that a storm was brewing, and bad weather is the time for good photographs. Albuquerque turned out to prove this mantra even more than usual. As I was racing to find a location, a famed New Mexico summer monsoon outpaced me overhead. Most of the precipitation did not even reach the ground, but rather evaporated in middair -- a phenomenon known as virga. As sunset neared, the sunlight reached just the right angle to be filtered by the virga, creating a bright desert double rainbow while simultaneously lighting up the clouds and the dramatic Sandia Mountains bright gold. It was one of the most stunning light displays I've ever seen.

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Believe it or not, you can find this beautiful scene of a dense aspen grove and blooming wildflowers only a few hours outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you never make it out of southern New Mexico, it's easy to believe the entire state is desert. However, just a bit to the north it becomes remarkably lush. The area pictured here is near the Valles Caldera National Preserve, an ancient volcanic landscape. Unlike the desert to the south, the volcanic soil here is quite fertile, and the landscape refreshingly green. Valles Caldera is a place I recommend to anyone visiting New Mexico. It's unlike any place I've ever been. In addition to being an ancient active volcano, there is still volcanic activity bubbling under the surface. In fact, it's classified as a "super-volcano" -- along with Yellowstone, one of only two in the USA. However, unlike Yellowstone, the shape of the volcano is still evident. A massive ridge from a previous explosion surrounds the entire park (the "caldera" which gives the park its name).

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