Chris Kayler Photography

Dolly Sods Winter Backpacking Trip Video, West Virginia

Chris Kayler — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:29:10 +0000

I just got back from another awesome backpacking trip to West Virginia. My friend Mauricio and I snowshoed up a forest road to the top of Dolly Sods. Little did I know, it would turn out to be the most physically demanding trip I had ever taken. While only 5 miles each way, it was 5 miles uphill in 3 - 5 feet of fresh powder. After 6 and a half hours, we finally made it to just below treeline as the last of bits of daylight faded away. To the sounds of gusting winds several hundred feet higher, we pitched our tarps and tents and easily fell asleep for the night. Upon waking up in the morning, we made the short trip to the very top, where we were greeted by sustained 40mph winds and an otherworldly environment coated in ice. Needless to say, it made the whole exhausting trip worthwhile!

While I didn’t take any photos this trip, I did take this video with my iPod. It’s a little hard to make out, but in the end I’m actually leaning very far forward and being help up by the wind. I hope you enjoy it and can experience a bit of what I was able to … without the -1F wind chill temperature!

Dolly Sods Winter Backpacking Trip, Bear Rocks Nature Preserve, Dolly Sods North, West Virginia from Chris Kayler on Vimeo.

Blob-like Ice Patterns, Oneida Lake, Upstate NY

Chris Kayler — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:35:39 +0000

Moving back to my Upstate New York trip, here is an image of some cool ice formations found on the surface of Oneida Lake. They didn’t look too special from afar, but when “zoomed in” with the lens, these unique patterns took on a whole new appeal.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Tufted Titmouse on a Perch During a Snow Storm, Bull Run Mountain Nature Preserve, Virginia

Chris Kayler — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:04:57 +0000

Here is another one from my morning trip to the feeders at Bull Run Mountain Nature Preserve. This one, as with the Northern Cardinal before it, was shot with a 500 f/4. I really liked the ease of getting a clean, snowy, gray background when using this lens, and the slight bit of falling snow just added to the overall winter feel.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Adult Female Northern Cardinal on a Pine Branch during a Snow Storm, Bull Run Mountain Nature Preserve, Virginia

Chris Kayler — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:25:30 +0000

I went out the day before “the big storm” here in Northern Virginia to photograph some feeder birds. Will light snow falling, and a borrowed 500 f/4 super-telephoto lens in hand, I was happy when this brightly colored female Northern Cardinal landed on my perch. I need to get a larger lens of my own - bird photography is so much easier with it!

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Melted and Refrozen Blocks of Ice Piled up Along Oneida Lake, Upstate New York

Chris Kayler — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:43:30 +0000

Here’s another one from my trip to Upstate New York. This image is a closeup look at a large pile of ice that had accumulated on the shore of the lake due to the wind. With the mild temperatures New York had been getting, they then began to melt into rounded shapes, only to refreeze during the night. I quite liked the smooth curves and abstract nature of it all.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Black-capped Chickadee Perched on a Branch Covered in Lichen, Upstate New York

Chris Kayler — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:03:03 +0000

Just got back a few days ago from a weeklong trip to Upstate New York to photograph the local areas and hang out with family and my friend (who I brought with me) Alex Mody. We mostly shot feeder birds and ice, but overall it was a very productive and fun trip.

Here is one of many images of the common but beautiful Black-capped Chickadee I managed to obtain while up there.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Bubbles Under Ice, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Virginia

Chris Kayler — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:18:25 +0000

Here’s another one from my trip to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park a few weeks ago. I converted this image to black and white, and gave it a slight blue tint. I really like the irregularly shaped large bubbles contrasted against the dark background and smaller bubbles within that background.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Frozen Zen Ice Closeup, Northern Virginia

Chris Kayler — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:07:17 +0000

I’m currently at home with a little cold, but two mornings ago I made the most of the cold temperatures and visited a small stream in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Virginia to hopefully photograph some ice. Sure enough, there were some interesting ice formations in the stream, and I spent several hours in a small area photographing them. Here, I zoomed in quite close on a portion of ice with a curvy line in it. The pattern reminded me of a yin-yang type of thing!

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Winter Camper Unzipping a Pyramid Tarp after a Fresh Snowfall, Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, West Virginia

Chris Kayler — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:23:05 +0000

Here’s another one from my trip up Red Creek. Same deal as the previous post - completely staged! I want to try and get more photos of people enjoying nature for my collection, so hopefully this will be the first of many.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Winter Camper Enjoying a Fresh Snowfall, Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, West Virginia

Chris Kayler — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:28:55 +0000

Photography has been a bit slow lately, though I did just return from my first real winter backpacking trip. A friend and I headed out to the Dolly Sods Wilderness for some cold weather camping. We got plenty of cold weather, with the first night being 5 degrees, and plenty of snow as well, with about 3/4 of a foot falling during the course of our trip. With my warm jacket and sleeping bag, I was never once cold during the whole trip. Instead, the experience was just absolutely awesome, and I look forward to getting out in the deep winter even more in the future. One morning, when my friend was still sleeping, I headed out into the snow to get some self portraits of myself. Here, I composed the photo and then ran into the frame as my self timer counted down.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Adult White-breasted Nuthatch Clinging to a Tree Trunk in Winter, Sandia Crest, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:54:49 +0000

Here’s another one from atop Sandia Crest. This White-breasted Nuthatch would stage in this exact same spot on the tree trunk every time before going into the feeder to get a sunflower seed. In this image, I really like the hint of hoar-frost covered trees in the background.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Adult Steller’s Jay Backlit on a Perch, Sandia Crest, Cibola National Forest, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:25:05 +0000

Here’s another one from the top of Sandia Crest. As the day was winding down, this beautiful Steller’s Jay landed on this branch as the evening light shown upon it from behind. Using a little bit of fill flash, I managed to show some detail in the bird while still retaining the backlit feeling.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Black Rosy-Finch Perched on a Snowy Evergreen, Sandia Crest, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:27:16 +0000

Towards the end of our trip, and just miles from the Albuquerque “Sunport” we ended our days atop Sandia Crest in Cibola National Forest. At 10,000+ ft, with cold temeratures, and winds whipping after a snow storm had moved out, it was a real test of clothing. Of course, the visitor’s center with it’s balmy 85F interior made it pretty easy. Our goal on the crest was simple - to photograph various high elevation birds, namely three different species of Rosy-finches coming to a feeder on the top.

In this image, my favorite of the three is shown, the Black Rosy-Finch. The backgrounds and light were difficult to work with, but I managed to come away with a few that I am happy with.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Shiprock During a Pink Pastel Sunrise, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:35:28 +0000

I’m a little on the fence with this image, but would like to hear others opinions on it. On one hand, I like the slightly cooler look and color in the sky, but on the other I wonder if it is a compelling enough image to hold someone’s attention, especially when compared to my first Shiprock image. Opinions definitely welcome!

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) Eating Seeds in a Ponderosa Pine Forest, Sandia Crest, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:38:36 +0000

Continuing, of course, with images from my trip out west, is an image that, oddly, was one of my most exciting to capture. Ever since seeing my first Abert’s Squirrel cross the road in front of me, I knew I had to get a decent photo of this large, goofy black squirrel. Luckily, on the last day, and on the way back to the airport, Alex and I found a group of rather tame squirrels in a campground full of Ponderosa Pine. After working with the squirrels for about an hour, this was the best image I was able to come away with.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Shiprock Glowing Red Before an Incoming Storm, Shiprock, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:53:57 +0000

Here’s another photo from my travels. On this morning we had planned to head into the Bisti Badlands again for sunrise, but upon arrival, with no moon, and no gps, found it a little too daunting. Instead, we made a quick trip over to Shiprock. This prominent formation is the core of an extinct volcano. Rising 1,800 ft. from the desert floor, it is the most prominent feature in the whole area. We lucked out with the light, as a sliver of strong sunlight hit the rock as the dark clouds of an incoming snow storm loomed in the background.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Bisti Badlands / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area by Moonlight, New Mexico

Chris Kayler — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:45:41 +0000

I’m back! What an amazing trip this was. Being my first trip “out west”, I was so amazed at all of the sights we encountered within just 5 days. Putting over 1,600 miles on our rental Ford Escape, we traveled all across the state, from Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, to the 4 corners area, to the cold and snowy San Juan mountains of Colorado and back again. I’m sure I’ll have new images to show for some time to come, but to start things off here is an image from the Bisti Badlands. An area of strange hoodoos and petrified wood, this place was really magical as it glowed brightly in the moonlight with crisp winter air filling my lungs. Easily one of my favorite moments of the trip.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

Juvenile Hooded Merganser Portrait While Swimming, Upstate New York

Chris Kayler — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:36:01 +0000

A few bits of news today. I spoke to a friend who knew some people who spent a week at Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge recently, and he warned that this year was going to be nothing like previous years. Apparently the refuge management did not plant any corn (which is what attracts and brings the Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes in close) this year, and also have not been regulating the water levels, leaving stubble from last years crops poking above the surface of the water. Not exactly picturesque! At first bummed about this news, Alex and I quickly began hashing out a new plan. At this point, we are going to skip Bosque entirely and either head north to the Four Corners area and San Juan mountains of southern Colorado, or head south to the White Sands and some other relatively unphotographed mountain ranges depending on the weather forecast. I’m actually more excited now than I was before! Just one short week until takeoff.

Continuing with the theme of my previous post, here is an image that I just processed a few minutes ago for my website. This juvenile Hooded Merganser was one of three “hoodies” that were born in a small beaver pond near my grandparent’s house in Upstate New York. The year this image was taken, I was pretty much living up there for the summer, and left my kayak near the pond to photograph them whenever possible. I spent many hours with them, and it is still to this day one of my favorite experiences while out photographing nature. Combined with their natural juvenile lack of fear for humans, they grew very accustomed to me and would swim within feet of my kayak on a regular basis.

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

To view more bird / wildlife photos of Hooded Mergansers please click here.

To view more bird photos please click here.

Adult Black Skimmer Standing on the Beach, Cape May State Park, New Jersey

Chris Kayler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:28:05 +0000

I’ve been going through older RAW images lately, and processing them for my website. I found this simple image of a Black Skimmer standing on the sand near the Atlantic Ocean in Cape May State Park, NJ, and sort of liked it!

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

To view more bird / wildlife photos of Black Skimmers please click here.

To view more bird photos please click here.

Vibrant Fall Foliage, Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont

Chris Kayler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:39:23 +0000

Wow guys, it’s been a while. But … it’s that time of year again - the winter blues. Once the snow starts to fly, I’ll get excited about going out some more, but for now we are just in that awkward phase when most of the fall color is gone and it’s still relatively warm. As such, I’m finding it hard to sit back and process or write blog entries … but, in an effort to keep this at least a bit current, here is a photo from my trip to Vermont a month and a half ago. This particular section of trees had pretty nice spacing on the trunks, and the color was among the best found during the whole trip.

In other news, I am VERY excited to say that I am heading to Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas in New Mexico with my good friend Alex Mody for a 5 day trip. We are leaving behind our families to travel out on Thanksgiving morning, and I couldn’t be more excited about eating a burrito or something similar for Thanksgiving dinner!

To order this print or purchase stock rights please contact me. To view additional photos for sale please visit my website at www.chriskaylerphotography.com

To view more landscape photos of Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont please click here.

To view more landscape photos of forests and woodlands please click here.

To view more landscape photos of Vermont please click here.