Joey Priola Wilderness Photography

  • Prints
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Cabin Services
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
39 images found
twitterlinkedinfacebook

Loading ()...

  • Sometimes a photograph comes to fruition at the spur of the moment, with little to no planning or previsualization. Other times, however, much preparation and just the right circumstances are required for a vision to become reality. This photo of sunset from the snowy alpine zone below the summit of Mount Marcy falls squarely into the latter category, as I had been wanting to make this image for the past three winters before everything came together in early March 2020. After the Adirondacks got covered in 3 feet of snow from possibly the last snow storm of the season, I set off from the Adirondack Loj hopeful that I would finally be able to make the images that I had long sought. The trail conditions were fantastic, as other hikers and skiers had thankfully packed the powder down the previous day. As I gradually crept closer to the summit, my excitement grew as I realized that I'd finally have a chance to capture the photo that I sought for so long. I arrived at the summit area later than I had hoped, as I stopped often en route to the summit to photograph the snowy paradise that I hiked through. The quiet serenity of the forest was abruptly replaced by the howling winds of the alpine zone, and I searched out some compositions while struggling to stay warm. As the sun went down and the landscape was bathed in soft light, the beauty of the scene and the fact that I was capturing the photos that I had sought for so long made me forget about the cold and wind and the long hike out in the darkness. As the sky began to darken and I packed up for the journey down the mountain, I took one last look towards the summit of Marcy, and it dawned on me that in that moment, I was the highest  person in the state. In elevation, as well as spirit. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Above All Else
  • Indian Falls is a beloved spot in the Adirondack High Peaks, and I have fond memories of laying out on the sun-warmed bedrock next to the falls after my dad and I climbed Mount Marcy together years ago. There would be no lounging around on this day, but the view looking out to the MacIntyre Range from Indian Falls might be even more beautiful in winter.
    Remember When
  • The alpine zone of the Adirondack High Peaks turns into a strange, beautiful, and often inhospitable land in winter. After climbing Algonquin Peak on an atypically sunny and calm day, I spent hours on the summit enjoying and photographing the wind-carved snow drifts and evergreens coated in rime ice.
    Top it Off
  • Moonlight illuminates snowy evergreens on a clear and starry winter night. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Signs in the Sky
  • Fresh snow blankets the evergreens along the trail to Mount Marcy. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Powder
  • Snowy evergreens blanket the slopes of Mount Marcy on a perfect winter day. The harsh and challenging conditions, relative solitude, and otherworldly landscape makes winter by far my favorite season to head to the high mountains. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    The Journey Ahead
  • Soft moonlight illuminates snowy evergreens on a clear and starry winter night. There are few moments in nature as peaceful as those spent in the lonely, snowy mountains after dark. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Soothe the Soul
  • A beautiful winter sunset from the windblown slopes of Mount Marcy, looking west towards Algonquin. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Leaders of the Pack
  • There's nothing like exploring the High Peaks after a snowstorm. After photographing the sunset from just below the summit of Marcy, descending into the sanctuary of the forest was a welcome escape from the hostile, wind-raked alpine zone. Soft moonlight illuminated the snowy evergreens with delicate light, and my descent of the mountain took much longer than it should have as I stopped often to attempt to capture the beauty. I passed this stand of evergreens on my way to the summit earlier in the day, and immediately became enraptured by the large tree on the left of this photo, as I had never before seen a tree caked with so much snow. The light from the moon was just strong enough to illuminate the snowy trees, and a slight halo in the thin fog around the moon added a final touch of etherealness. Knowing that I was the only person still out on the mountain made this moment all the more special, and helped to make the experience one of the most memorable ones I've had in these mountains. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    To the Heavens
  • Wind-carved snow and trees covered in rime ice created a magical winter scene near the summit of Algonquin Peak, on one of those rare winter days where the sun shines so bright and the air is so still that it makes you wish that spring would never come. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Euphoria
  • Evergreens covered in rime ice stand like frozen sentinels at dusk keeping guard of the alpine zone of Algonquin Peak. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Summit Sentinels
  • Snowy evergreens frame a distant Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack High Peaks on a pristine winter evening.
    Where All the Fun Is
  • The moon shines in the clear winter sky and illuminates snowy evergreens below the summit of Mount Marcy. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Sanctuary
  • Skiers hoof their way to some backcountry turns in the Adirondacks. Watching them whiz down the mountain as I trudged along made me wish I could replace my snowshoes with some skis!
    Summit Reward
  • Whiteface Mountain rises up from the valley into the clouds, as seen from below the summit of Mount Marcy. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Layers of Whiteface
  • Fresh snow covers towering evergreens along the trail to Mount Marcy. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Snow Ghosts
  • High winds below the summit of Mount Marcy carved the snow into interesting patterns and lines. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Hostility
  • Stars begin to fill the moonlit sky at twilight below the summit of Mount Marcy. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Twilight
  • Wind-carved snow and trees covered in rime ice created a magical winter scene near the summit of Algonquin Peak, on one of those rare winter days where the sun shines so bright and the air is so still that it makes you wish that spring would never come. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Chiseled
  • Warm sunset light illuminates the distant summit of Whiteface on a cold and windy winter evening. Adirondack High Peaks, NY
    Deception
  • A skier works their way towards an Adirondack summit on a rare calm and sunny winter day. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Ascension
  • The alpine zone of the Adirondack High Peaks is one of the most unique geographic zones in New York state. Home to rare and fragile alpine plants, not to mention some unforgettable views, the high mountain summits reward hikers in many ways. While beautiful year-round, there's something extra special about the alpine zone in winter. Constantly evolving based on snow and wind, each trip to this paradise in the sky is filled with surprises in the winter. On this trip to Algonquin, I was intrigued by patterns in the crusty snow that reminded me of the swirling lines of a fingerprint, as if mother nature was leaving her signature on her winter handiwork. Adirondack High Peaks, NY.
    Winter's Fingerprint
  • A beautiful winter sunset along the dramatic coast at Rialto Beach. Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Fireworks
  • The motion of rushing waves seems to mimic the curve of the clouds, during a phenomenal sunset along a deserted stretch of coastline in Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Sunset Swirl
  • Snowy mountains rise from the glacier-scarred landscape exposed by the receding Athabasca Glacier. Jasper National Park. Alberta
    Recession
  • Willow stems poke through the snowy landscape of Alberta’s Jasper National Park in winter. Look closely and you’ll see evidence of a rabbit hopping by in the background.
    Thumper
  • Wind-carved snow and trees covered in rime ice created a magical winter scene near the summit of Algonquin Peak, on one of those rare winter days where the sun shines so bright and the air is so still that it makes you wish that spring would never come. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Mesmerized
  • Beautiful and intricate ice closes in on the Athabasca River in the dead of winter. Jasper National Park, Alberta.
    Jaws of Winter
  • Brilliant winter sunshine contrasts with the frigid and windswept Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield, the largest icefield in the North American Rocky Mountains. Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
    Pins & Needles
  • Towering, whimsical evergreens caked with snow made it feel like I was hiking to Whoville. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Hiking to Whoville
  • Clouds and the sea glow with beautiful light and colors after a phenomenal sunset. Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Afterglow
  • Sunset light illuminates sea stacks and weathered rocks on the beach in Washington's Olympic National Park.
    A Moment in the Sun
  • A boulder protrudes from the icy shore of the Athabasca River as winter slowly cedes to spring. Jasper National park, Alberta.
    Uprising
  • A beautiful winter sunrise from the icy banks of the Athabasca River. Jasper National Park, Alberta.
    Innocent Beginnings
  • Clouds drift over the snowy Canadian Rockies as seen from the icy shores of the Athabasca River. Jasper National Park, Alberta.
    Fissure
  • Quite possibly the most beautiful coastal sunset I’ve ever experienced, taken during one of my all-time favorite backpacking trips (20 miles along the rugged Olympic Coast from Rialto Beach to Ozette Lake). My numb legs from standing in the frigid winter surf to get this perspective were soothed by a driftwood beach fire and some family wine. Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Gods of Olympus
  • The glacier-fed waters of the Athabasca River flow over colorful rocks and boulders in winter. Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
    Flow
  • The post-sunset glow illuminates the ripples of Cedar Creek as it flows towards the Pacific Ocean. Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Dragon Scales
  • An evergreen tree near the summit of Algonquin bows under the weight of snow and ice that accumulated over the course of a long winter in the alpine zone. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Weight of Winter