A few more images from a recent trip to West Virginia…. while I like the green color of a new crop of ferns, this black and white rendering brings out the graphic lines and symmetry of these plants much more effectively. (Thanks  Jennifer K. for recommending this different perspective.)

Below is the unusual scene at a place called Davis Falls. Iron oxide runoff from nearby mines has colored the rocks red which reminds you more of the American Southwest.

Finally, a small group of new flowers provides a counterpoint to the late spring growth of green vegetation.

I visited Backwater Falls State Park near Davis, WV a couple of weeks ago. The streams were full and the waterfalls were magnificent. This is Elakala Falls #2 located near the Blackwater Falls lodge, one of a series of falls along Shays Run.  Capturing this image required standing in Shays Run with a wide angle lens inches away from the flowing water.

Below is an area called Dolly Sods, a high plateau, located in the Monongahela National Forest.  This photograph was taken just after sunrise and shows the sweeping views that Dolly Sods is known for.

Below, colorful reflections are on the water pools and rocks in this scene near the base of Elakala Falls #1.

Valley of Fire, a Nevada state park east of Las Vegas, rivals national parks with its incredible scenery of rock formations and variety of colors.  It offers a huge number of opportunities for the photographer, with its wonderful landscapes and its close-up scenery of graphical lines and shapes within the rocks.

The multitude of colors in these formations is something I have not seen anywhere else.  You can literally spend hours and hours photographing in this park and produce completely different images.

The grand landscapes are just as impressive.  If you are ever in the Las Vegas area, I highly recommend a drive out to Valley of Fire.