nicholas.ryan | photography

Happy Sunday with one more view of Delicate Arch and the distant, still snow-capped La Sal Mountains in Utah washed in the last light of the day. This was taken moments after the first image I shared last Sunday looking the other direction. Words cant express what it's like standing on the cliffside at the base of something carved by time and the elements for thousands of years and could be gone at any moment. Appreciate your life and chase your light.

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Love, Nic.

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On our second to last night there, the chances of a beautiful sunset were looking bleak. Heavy clouds and a haze on the western horizon weren't promising and I was feeling discouraged. Time and time again, I've let that stop me from going out on location only to witness a last minute beautiful sunset from some random parking lot. We arrived at Dead Horse Point State Park and I grabbed my gear and headed for the canyon rim, with no real enthusiasm. When time came, the sun defied prediction and did manage to find the tiniest break in clouds and flashed for a split second before dipping below the horizon with no great with no great display. I was about to pack up when I heard excited sounds from other onlookers - I turned around and THIS happened. It was truly one of the most dramatic sunsets I've ever had the privilege to witness. And to think I almost let my negative outlook almost made me miss it.

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Love, Nic

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No trip to Utah is complete without watching the sunrise over the La Sal Mountains and beam through the distant canyon formations while looking through Mesa Arch on the cliff's edge in Canyonlands, National Park. The early morning light sets the rock face before fully illuminating the canyon beyond.

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Love, Nic.

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Happy Monday out there and remember that no matter what uphill climb you're going through right now - don't stop, the view from the top will make the hike a distant afterthought. Taken at Partition Arch, Arches National Park, Utah.

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Love, Nic.

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Finally able to start sharing with you some photographs from my most recent trip to Utah, specifically Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Witnessing the last light of the day light up Delicate Arch and the rock formations beyond its truly a humbling experience. But 30 minutes past this and I had the place completely to myself and the stars above. Here's to the ones who stay for the end credits. :)

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Love, Nic.

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Bringing it back east, while traveling through West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania backroads, I came across a rough, half dirt country road name Covered Bridge Rd. Naturally, I had to investigate and sure enough found this beauty nestled in the fall color after an autumn rain. Hope you enjoy. :)

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Love, Nic.

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I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to decide which I truly prefer: the incredible colors of the canyons or the stark black and white. Which do you prefer?

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Love, Nic.

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Due to the response of making "Monolithic Monday" a thing... Guess I should start us off right. :)

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Love, Nic.

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Is "Monolithic Monday" a thing? Can we make it a thing? :) Taken at the hoodoos in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park in Utah.

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Love, Nic.

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Our world is fascinating in how it forms and changes over time. I love the stark contrast of the hard, chiseled rock and the delicate sweeping lines that give it the appearance of a moldable clay. Looking at this, you might not guess that I was looking straight up.

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Love, Nic.

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Nothing like a brisk morning hike pre-sunrise in the Arizona red rocks that make up Sedona. Made it just in time for the first light to brush the distant formations behind Devil's Bridge.

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Love, Nic.

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Is it just me, or does today feel just right for the haunting chill of the disappearing light in ghost town perched on the edge of Diablo Canyon? Happy Halloween everyone!

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Love, Nic.

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I've always wondered what it felt like to watch the sun kiss the horizon at Horseshoe Bend with my feet right at the edge, feeling the breeze and overlooking the enormity of the gorge. To marvel at the fact the river has no idea that its almost looped back to touch itself... It only moves forward and knows that anyway it flows is a possibility to carve its own path.

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Love, Nic.

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Walking through the Arizona slot canyons, I couldn't help but compare the naturally formed lines of the carved canyon walls with the abstract lines of modern sculpture. Movement and flow are on displace at every angle... perfect recipe for black and white, what do you think?

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Love, Nic

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Every once in a while you get to witness something truly special. I think it's the universe's way of reminding us that we too, are truly special. :)

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Love, Nic

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This year has been so incredible for me to see and do many things I've always hoped to. Antelope Canyon was certainly one of them. Arizona's slot canyons are magnificently sculpted through wind, water and time and to experience them is to follow the path of the elements and decades. I particularly loved the way the light flooded down on this delicate arch that formed inside lower Antelope. I hope you do as well.

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Love, Nic

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Some things you can't possibly wrap your mind around until you see/experience them in person for yourself. The Grand Canyon is one of those things. Possibly the greatest visual spectacle of the beauty raw earth and power of the elements in one place. Waking up at 3:30 in the morning to watch the sun break over the horizon of a scene like this, I'm reminded what a privilege it really is.

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Love, Nic.

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Before I leave somewhere I'm photographing, I take a second, look around and absorb my surroundings one last time and challenge myself to see it in a way I haven't yet or recognize an opportunity I don't want to miss. Seeing how low the sun was getting, I decided to move to the side of the falls and try and catch it peeking through the trees. Turns out I got even more - as the sun moved to a clearing in the trees, it cast the only ray of light this waterfall sees all day on one of the top spills before landing on a moss covered rock on the opposite side. Two quick clicks of the shutter later it was gone.

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Love, Nic.

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I have a fascination with railroad bridges. I honestly can't really put my finger on why, but when I find one, I generally want to photograph it. This one was hiding in WV, waiting on me to find it. :)

Happy Friday and as always, LIKE if you 🖤 and feel free to SHARE if you like. :)

Love, Nic.

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While visiting WV, everyone I had the opportunity to engage with asked if I was going to photograph the bridge - referring to the New River Gorge Bridge, the highest and longest single arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere (up until recently). I did some research and it didn't particularly speak to me, but felt I needed to see it since it was clearly a source of pride for so many. I was so wrong. Once there, I was racing to find my shot as sunset was happening quickly. A quick scurry down a tiny little trail at an overlook pull-off put me here and that was it. :)

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Love, Nic.

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You're never too old to learn and get something right. I took this same photograph several years ago, but wanted to revisit it with different conditions and more knowledge of my medium. Hope you enjoy. :)

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Love, Nic.

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Had the opportunity to revisit the Glade Creek Grist Mill in Babcock State Park, WV, and am so glad I did. Not only was the fall color spectacular, the falls - which is typically a mere trickle at this time of year - was flowing beautifully. For and image that has been photographed a million ways by so many, this one feels special - but I might be a little biased. ;)

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Love, Nic.

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Everyone who knows me, knows that I am absolutely not a portraiture photographer. But how could I say no to those adorable fuzzy bear ears!? 🥰 Taken just outside Roaring Fork Motor Trail, GSMNP.

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Love, Nic.

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Another from my recent trip to West Virginia. I love the golden leaves scattered about the layers of the falls and all around. Reminds me that not all riches are measured in worth. :)

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Love, Nic.

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Introducing the first image of my Fall 2022 collection, Autumn at Blackwater Falls, WV. Peak color surrounds the gorge carved from the falls and dotted with spruce. Color came early this year, and I had a hunch that I had timed it right - all it took was one 8.5 hour drive through the night and a little coffee. :)

As always, LIKE if you 🧡 and feel free to SHARE if you like. :)

Love, Nic.

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