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)
42 images found
twitterlinkedinfacebook

Loading ()...

  • The snowy summit of Whiteface Mountain barely pokes above the clouds at dusk. The pink glow in the sky is known as the "Belt of Venus" and is commonly seen on clear days before sunrise and after sunset. It appears 10-20 degrees above the horizon on top of the Earth's dark blue shadow that's found just above the horizon, and the crisp low humidity days of winter seem to make this phenomenon appear stronger than other times of the year. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Island in the Sky
  • The Adirondacks in winter is quite possibly my personal favorite photography subject. In particular,  the gnarled and hardy evergreens that occupy tree line and the beginning of the alpine zone make my heart pound and creativity flow unlike anything else found in nature when they become covered with snow in the depths of winter. After climbing the surprisingly deserted trail to the summit of Cascade, I was greeted with a windchill that approached -30 degrees Fahrenheit, and a fantasy-land of pure winter magic unlike anything I had seen before. The challenging weather conditions only added to the experience and made it that much more memorable, and as the sun dipped below the distant mountains and the most intense post-sunset glow I've ever witnessed emanated through the sky, I raced around like a madman capturing as many photos as I could. After the sky shifted from orange, to pink, to blue, to black, I began my descent down the dark and lonely trail, reveling in the feeling of pure ecstasy that only comes from the wilderness and doing what you love most in the world.
    Ecstasy
  • A wet Pink Lady's Slipper hides out in the forest undergrowth. Spruce Knob Lake, West Virginia.
    Aphrodite
  • Pink Monkeyflower lines a creek in Mount Rainier National Park.
    Our Only Plan Is To Improvise
  • Every June, blooming mountain laurel provides a splash of pink to the already beautiful backcountry of West Virginia's Dolly Sods Wilderness.
    Sweet Smell of Summer
  • Tenacious pink wildflowers (Mountain Pride, I believe) sprout from a crevice in the rock below a granite dome at sunset, in the beautiful backcountry of Yosemite National Park.
    Tenacity
  • A spectacular sunset paints the sky above Peggy's Cove Lighthouse shades of orange and pink.
    Brushstrokes
  • The snowy landscape picks up a brilliant sunset glow high in the Adirondack Mountains.
    Ice in the Veins
  • A rocky little island reflects in a still pond before sunrise on a late-summer morning. Adirondack Park, New York.
    First Blush
  • Hardy, snow-covered trees found high up the mountains are one of my favorite winter photography subjects, but what really drew me to this scene was the blanket of clouds on the distant mountains at dusk. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Insulation
  • A house finch that was busy gathering twigs to build its nest paused just long enough for me to snap this photo.
    Finch Friend
  • Intense sunset light illuminates the snowy mountains on a cold winter day. Light like this is incredibly fleeting, but witnessing the snowy landscape come to life while on a deserted summit makes the time and effort required to experience and photograph these special moments oh so worth it. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Always Worth It
  • Calm, foggy mornings are the perfect time to be out in a canoe, and sometimes the water is so still it feels like you're floating in a giant mirror. Adirondack Park, New York.
    Morning Mirror
  • Snowy evergreens on the summit of Cascade bask in an incredible post-sunset glow. The stunning beauty of the mountains on this frigid winter day was made all the more memorable by the frigid -30 degree windchill that the evergreens and I endured as we took in the most beautiful winter sunset I've ever seen. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Transcendence
  • Beautiful, glowing, and warm sunset light contrasts with snowy evergreens on a frigid winter day. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Floating in Fire
  • Pretty spring flowers on a tree just outside our front window surround a tufted titmouse. The birds that flock to this tree in spring bring us hours of free music, entertainment, and joy.
    Close to Home
  • I was afraid that the high winds on this frigid evening would blow over my camera while taking this self-portrait, which was how my first camera met its demise in Shenandoah National Park in 2014, but thankfully my current set-up made it through this unforgettable sunset unscathed. Adirondack High Peaks, NY.
    Mountain Rules
  • Snowy evergreens on a mountain summit bask in an incredible post-sunset glow. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Frozen in Place
  • Day transitions to night high in the Adirondack Mountains as the final faint glow of sunset yields to the sparking stars.
    Transition
  • Beautiful cheery blossom flowers bloom in Upstate New York.
    Porch Times
  • Warm sunset light contrasts with frigid temperatures and illuminates snow-covered evergreens and distant mountains. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Closing Time
  • A beautiful field of lupines soaks up the last light of the day in New Hampshire's White Mountains. A nearly full moon added a special touch to the already serene scene.
    Catharsis
  • Submerged rocks just below the surface of Georgian Bay stretch out towards the horizon before sunrise. Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario.
    Morning Clarity
  • Surf pours down a hole in the shelf of volcanic rock at Cape Perpetua known as “Thor’s Well” while in the background the next wave rolls in. Getting to this vantage point requires good timing and steady nerves, as approaching the Well at higher tides is more or less a suicide mission, and even at lower tides rogue waves can pose a real danger. On the last morning that I camped in the area, the low tide coincided with sunrise, and I lucked out with some beautiful light. Watching the waves crash and then spill down while standing only a few feet away was an exhilarating and memorable experience.
    Go Ask Alice
  • Vibrant greenery and blooming mountain laurel adorn striking white sandstone boulders that can be found throughout West Virginia's Dolly Sods Wilderness.
    Pleasant Surprise
  • A budding rhododendron signals the arrival of spring along the Oregon coast.
    Arrival
  • A soft pastel sunrise illuminates the sky and ocean surrounding Heceta Head Lighthouse on the Oregon coast.
    Beacon
  • On this unforgettable evening at Giant's Causeway, I was so enraptured by the phenomenal sunset over the ocean (see my photo entitled "Eruption") that I almost completely missed this unbelievable scene that was unfolding behind me. It's not often that conditions such as these coalesce at the perfect moment, and after an exhausting journey across the Atlantic and through most of Ireland to reach here, being able to witness and capture this moment in person felt like the ultimate reward. Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland.
    Momentous
  • When I close my eyes and daydream of past adventures, this is what I see - a beautiful sunset, wilderness all around, and an endless vista that beckons me to keep exploring. Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Daydreams of my Youth
  • Receding waves rush back out to sea at Ruby Beach, as a lone sea stack looks towards the pastel twilight sky. Olympic National Park, Washington.
    Sunken Wizard
  • The Milky Way galaxy shines in the night sky above the jagged Minarets, as seen from the fractured granite bedrock at Iceberg Lake. Ansel Adams Wilderness, California.
    Runway to the Galaxy
  • A beautiful Nootka Rose in Washington's North Cascades.
    Renewal
  • A hiker takes in the view from a clifftop perch in Maine's Acadia National Park.
    So Many Activities
  • Lush vegetation springs to life on the beautiful granite summit of Cadillac Mountain as a colorful sunset lights up the sky. Having watched the sunrise from the rugged ocean shore earlier in the day, this was the perfect way to cap off an incredible day of adventuring in Maine's Acadia National Park.
    What a Day
  • Colorful clouds fill the sky before dawn and reflect in the absolutely still waters of Russel Pond in the backcountry of Maine's Baxter State Park.
    Dawn Dreams
  • An iceberg parked off the shore of Quirpon Island enjoys a beautiful sunset to conclude a perfect June day.
    Just the Beginning
  • On my final morning of camping at Floe Lake, calm winds and a spectacular sunrise finally coincided, allowing for the peaks of the Rockwall and golden larch trees to be perfectly reflected in Floe Lake. Look closely and you'll see the crescent moon poking through the clouds. Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
    Glorious Dawn
  • For one reason or another, it’s just hard to crawl out of bed on some mornings. Or, in the case of the morning this photo was taken, a sleeping bag. It was a damp and chilly dawn on the Washington coast, and I was still feeling weak from a bad stomach bug I’d suffered through the previous week. The thought of rolling over and burrowing deeper into my sleeping bag seemed heavenly, but I knew that I hadn’t traveled here to sleep. I can’t recall when it first happened, but on mornings like this throughout my travels, where the pull of the warmth and comfort of my tent seemed to be stronger than my desire to get out for sunrise, I had begun to recite a mantra of sorts in my head: “if you don’t go, you won’t know.” Maybe the sunrise would be a dud, but if I didn’t get out there to see for myself, I would never know what possibilities I might miss out on. So on this morning, I extracted myself from my cocoon of warmth and comfort, slipped into wet boots and dirty clothes, and struck out for the beach. On summer weekends, Shi Shi Beach can often be lined with hundreds of tents, but on this soggy November morning, the only creatures I shared the beach with were seagulls looking for breakfast. As I wandered about in the dim light of dawn, I could see a faint glow building in the sky to the east, over the forested slopes of the OIympic Peninsula. As the glow intensified, I settled on a composition, and all of a sudden the sky erupted into possibly the most vivid and colorful sunrise that I’ve ever seen. After the show was over, I wandered up and down the beach, admiring the patterns in the sand, the piles of driftwood, and the ceaseless sound of waves heaving against the shore. Eventually I made my way back to my tent, where I joyfully slipped back into my sleeping bag, fully at peace with what I now knew, after I had gone.
    If You Don't Go, You Won't Know
  • Cracks in the ruggedly beautiful granite coast lead the eye along the coastline to the warm light of sunrise. Acadia National Park, Maine.
    Take Me There
  • Mount Desert Island looms in the distance on a cloudy afternoon, as seen from the rugged coast of the Schoodic Peninsula. Acadia National Park, Maine.
    Apparition
  • A halo forms around the sun shortly after sunrise, along the rugged coast of the Schoodic Peninsula. This type of halo is formed by sunlight passing through ice crystals in cirrus clouds in the Earth's atmosphere. Acadia National Park, Maine.
    Halo
  • During stretches of sub-freezing winter weather, the shoreline of Lake Ontario transforms into a fantasyland of ice sheets and towers. As sunset approached one evening while I was exploring the shore, a large sheet of “pancake” ice among the smaller pieces caught my eye. As the large pancake bobbed in the icy water, it got snagged on a submerged boulder, causing the center of the ice sheet to pop out. The pancake was tuned into a glazed donut just as the pastel pinks and blues of sunset began to creep into the sky, and made a perfect foreground for this icy winter shot.
    Glazed Donut