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I’m That Far Below Sea Level! (Death Valley National Park) by Mark Stevens

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A Raven and a Backdrop of Mountains. Wide-Angle, Panoramic Feel (Banff National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the southwest while taking in view of a raven and a backdrop to more distant peaks and ridges with Hilda Peak and the Columbia Icefield (Mount Athabasca and Mount Andromeda). This is at the Parker Ridge Trailhead area along the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park.

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Mountains as a Backdrop for the City of Durango by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting of urban exploration in Durango, Colorado, one early afternoon while walking along Main Ave. My thought in composing this image was to capture a view looking across the street intersection, using the hotel building front and cars present, along with the mountain and blue skies backdrop.

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Making a Splash into Today (Shenandoah National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the southeast and downstream while taking in views of Mill Prong along the namesake trail. This is located in Shenandoah National Park. I decided to use the creek as the waters flowed by with the lichen covered rocks and tree stumps scattered about as a leading line into the image. The forest of trees and blue skies would be the backdrop for this setting. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in DxO PhotoLab 7. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 7 where I added a Polarization, Foliage, and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.

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Getting My Steps in Outside (Lassen Volcanic National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While hiking along the Cinder Cone Trail with a view looking to the south-southwest. This is in Lassen Volcanic National Park. My thought on composing this image had been to zoom in with the focal length and have this mountainside fill the image from edge to edge. I wanted the viewer to seemingly be emerged in this national park setting. The rest of the image composition was aligning myself with the lone evergreen pine tree to my front and having that curve of the hiking trail leading up the mountain across the image somewhat balance the tree.

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A 5-Star Mountain Day n Jasper National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the southwest while taking in views across a nearby forest of evergreens to more distant ridges and peaks with Whirlpool Mountain. This is at the Athabasca Pass Lookout along the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park.

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Three Crows in Flight (Shenandoah National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While at the Stony Man Summit and overlook area with a view looking to the northeast and up at some crows flying about and seemingly enjoying an afternoon of aerial acrobatics. This is in Shenandoah National Park. I captured this with my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera using subject detection with autofocus.

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The Sign May Be at Sea Level But I’m Looking at Mountains! (Death Valley National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: At a roadside pullout around the The Inn at Death Valley with a view looking to the southwest to a sea level elevation sign in Death Valley National Park. My thought on composing this image was to pull back on the focal length to include more of the surrounding landscape while also including the mountain backdrop with the Panamint Range.

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Navigating the Wonders of Mesa Verde National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While on the 700 Years Tour in the Pithouse area of Mesa Verde National Park. The setting is looking at one of the ruins with a view to the northwest and an orientation on where fresh air would be brought into the main pithouse on the far side.

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Only a Little Bit Further to the Summit Area! (Lassen Volcanic National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A view looking to the north and up a mountainside from the Cinder Cone Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The summit area is to my front on the trail that I was hiking. What drew me into the setting was just the openness of the setting with few plants present, other than one lone evergreen pine tree and a much older one. The rest was just volcanic scree and rock fragments from eruptions a long time ago. I like how the blue skies were that color contrast to complement the image with earth-tones present in the lower portion.

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Finding My Next Adventure in Shenandoah National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the southwest while taking in views across the ridges and mountains present of the Northern Blue Ridge at a Bearfence Mountain overlook. This is in Shenandoah National Park. One can see a slight outline of the Skyline Drive as it weaves its way through the mountainsides and gaps.

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Ridges and Peaks of the Columbia Icefield Area (Jasper National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While at a roadside pullout along the Icefields Parkway with a view looking to the southeast to ridges and peaks around the Columbia Icefield area. This is in Jasper National Park.

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Remembering a Tuesday in Monument Valley by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: At a roadside pullout along U.S. Route 163 with a view looking to the south-southwest to sandstone and mesa formations off in the distance in Monument Valley. My thought on composing this to capture a leveled on view with the horizon. I took advantage of some high ground I was located on to create a sweeping view leading up to the formations off in the distance of the image. The PeakVisor app on my iPhone identified Brighams Tomb, Stagecoach, and King-on-his-Throne.

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I Am Off to Find Epic Places to Hike, Chill and Repeat...As Often As I Can! (Lassen Volcanic National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While hiking the Lassen Peak Trail, I set out on a morning hike to the summit of the namesake peak. This is in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Although the summit itself was obscured by the ridge, the distinctive volcanic formation, known as the Vulcan’s Eye, was clearly visible. To enhance the composition, I zoomed in, ensuring that the mountainside dominated the frame while utilizing the hiking trail as a leading line.

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My Time for a Getaway in Shenandoah National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the north while taking in views to a nearby Flowering Dogwood. This location is at Swift Run Overlook in Shenandoah National Park. In composing this image, I wanted to minimize what I felt was the negative space of the overcast skies and have the tree to my front fill as much of the image, while still including some backdrop of the distant mountainside and ridges. Because of the nearness of the rock wall, I was forced to include a little bit of that but attempted to figure out a way have it add to the setting of foreground interest. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in DxO PhotoLab 7. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 7 where I added a Polarization, Foliage, and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.

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Looking Across River Waters to the Canadian Rockies (Jasper National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While at Goats and Glacier Lookout along the Icefields Parkway with a view looking to the south-southeast across this glacial valley with the Athabasca River flowing by with a backdrop of mountains from the Hooker Icefield range (Mount Brussels-Brussels Peak and Mount Christie). This is in Jasper National Park.

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Mountain Paradise in Lassen Volcanic National Park by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While walking around the summit of Lassen Peak with a view looking to the north-northwest. This is in Lassen Volcanic National Park. What drew me into this setting was the layers present. Obviously there was Mount Shasta which stood tall and high off in the distance. But nearby there was the volcanic remnants, which I used as foreground interest. There was then the view beyond and the ridges with wind turbines. I decided to angle my Nikon Z8 Mirrorless Camera slightly downward, so that I could bring the horizon a little higher into the image. I felt that would add a sense of grandeur to all the ridges and peaks present.