Before our trip to Iceland, we were anxiously watching the weather reports. We knew how bad the winter storms can be, and I'm not exactly a seasoned winter veteran. The week before we left, the weather was perfect. But I didn't put much stock in it, because the locals constantly talk about how fast the weather can change, and that the weather report isn't accurate more than two or three days out. Well, they were right. When I took off from New York, the weather reports looked decent. When I landed in Reykjavik, it looked markedly worse. I opened it up and the ominous headline read: "The Storms Return." Great. The first day was fine, but this photograph is about when it started to turn. Our time at the iconic Reynisfjara black sand beach was not the stuff of fairy tales that most travel blogs would have you believe. 75 mph gusts of wind saturated with entrained sand painfully blasted any exposed skin. I didn't even take out my camera, out of fear the sand would scratch the lens. This photograph is taken from the elevated lookout at Dyrhólaey, where the winds were even worse but at least there was less sand. The white-out blizzard hadn't arrived yet... that was to come tomorrow.

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My title for this photograph is perhaps a bit too abstract, even for me. "Behind The Mask" pays homage to the name of the waterfall in this picture, Phantom Falls. Get it? Like how the phantom wears a mask? Maybe not. Anyway, if you don't see the waterfall in this photo, that's because this vantage is above the falls. Right in the center of the image, where the creek ends, the water plunges over a massive basalt cliff, becoming Phantom Falls. I love how this vantage feels nearly polar opposite compared to when you are looking at the waterfall and cliff. It feels almost like a "behind the scenes" look at the drama of Phantom Falls. While the waterfall is one of the most dramatic I've ever seen, from here it is total peace and tranquility -- a much more accurate representation of the true feel of North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve.

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The name of this photograph comes from the nature of this waterfall. Phantom Falls (in North Table Mountain Ecological Preserve, in the Chico/Oroville area, California) is so named because sometimes you see it, and sometimes you don't. It only appears after prolonged rain, towards the end of the wet season. And it can dry up rather quickly, too, with the hot sun as well as very absorbent volcanic ground. This photo was taken in mid to late spring, with probably only a few weeks of water flow left. But the grass was green and lush, and still hid a few poppy blossoms. The place truly came to life at sunset, when the shadows cast by the dramatic rock formations began to play games with the landscape.

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I've said it in other captions, but I'll say it again here. North Table Mountain is one of the coolest places I've ever been. Located just outside of Chico, California, the preserve protects ancient volcanic basalt rock formations. Phantom Falls, pictured here, is perhaps the main attraction. It's a seasonal waterfall that only appears in the rainy season. I took this photo at the very end of April, which is pretty dry. The waterfall had withered to a mere ribbon of water. In fact, it barely reached the bottom at all, misting into the air as it fell. This photo looks like it could have been taken from a drone, but it was actually just taken from a higher neighboring cliff.

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