Colorado River: The setting sun illuminates the cliff formations of the Grand Mesa in Palisade, Colo., as the Colorado River twists and turns as it flows through the area. The last light of day creates a beautiful red color on the cliffs and reflects beautifully in the river. Palisade is known for its rich agriculture and fruit orchards, and more recently, vineyards. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
City Park: This pond sits in a city park in Childress, Texas. The park offers many activities for all ages and even has accommodations for five RVs with hookups. We love finding these parks as they offer a safe, inexpensive site to spend the night, usually in a scenic location. Being close to a water feature such as this pond is a bonus. We enjoyed the sights around the pond during the late afternoon. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
When reviewing photos from our recent trips, one subject caught my eye and continued as I browsed through photos and that was water. Reflections in the water, reflected light, ripples and movement in the water were among the images I reviewed.
We enjoy camping or just overnighting in our RV around water. It may be a river, pond, lake, or even a pool. Water creates interesting images when light reflects across the surface. At other times the water may not be the main focus of the image but is a major factor in the photo as a supporting element.
Water can create a state of relaxation and be very calming and peaceful. The motion of water can also be enjoyed for hours. Movement tends to be ongoing, always creating new patterns and ripples on the surface. We generally try to camp near a stream or body of water when traveling as it can create a restful feeling after a day of driving.
I love photographing the scenic outdoors as well as a wide selection of anything and everything that catches our attention when traveling. Perhaps water is a favorite subject since it is so scarce throughout the west or perhaps it is because water is essential in life and everything that we do during our daily activities. I love how water relates to its environment, such as light, tranquil reflections, or how weather conditions can create chaotic and forceful conditions.
This Post From the Road features a few examples of water images taken during our recent journeys across the western U.S. These images range from a flowing river in Montana to a city park in Texas. I considered including some images of the coast in California and Texas but I chose not to include them as they are a wide open subject within themselves.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Sunflowers: Following a day of driving and touring sites on Route 66 in Oklahoma, we found the El Reno RV Park at Lake El Reno, Okla. This is another site that was part of a city park just outside of town, which offered many activities for locals but also had a nice RV park for visitors. While walking the trails around the lake, I spotted these sunflowers growing on the banks lit brightly by the late afternoon sunlight. I had anticipated photographing the flowers as I looked across the lake, but when I got closer the obvious choice was to look down at the sunflowers with the dark blue water of the lake serving as the background. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Darby Creek: When traveling through eastern Idaho last fall, we camped at a National Forest campground by Darby Creek. The Forest Service road that led us to the campground may have taken us across the border into Wyoming, as we were that close to the border. The creek was a peaceful stop for the night and offered several photo ops before sunset that afternoon. Shown is the creek waters as they flow around the rocky shore. The setting sun reflected the golden light of sunset across the creek creating a colorful scene. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Boulder River: The Boulder River flows through Big Timber, Mont., before joining the Yellowstone River just outside of town. We have been going to Big Timber in June for years. In June the river is topped off with rushing waters that you can view and enjoy or travel down in a canoe or kayak only because of the powerful current in the river waters. Last year we visited in late August and enjoyed the river in a more normal state, which allowed fishermen to wade and fly fish as the waters moved at a more pleasant pace. This is a view of the Boulder River as it gently flows along at a leisurely pace in late August. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Green River: The Green River opens up more like a lake near the southern end of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in Utah. A boat passed by over a quarter mile away, and I viewed the waves it created as they traveled across the river in my direction. By the time the waves reached the shore, they were simply ripples in the water, which created a nice view of the area. The sunlit afternoon and the clear waters of the Green River were an enjoyable stop during our tour of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. It is easy to see why the river is named Green River! Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Reflection Pool: The shallow reflection pool at the Oklahoma City National Memorial is a relaxing and calming feature in an otherwise emotional setting. The pool reflects the memorial walls and surrounding buildings and landscaping in downtown Oklahoma City. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com