Kori James Photography

•THE BOARDWALK•

The mystical fern forest is one of my absolute favorite hikes on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

Walking through on 6 inch planks make you feel as though your tip-toeing through something out of Lord of the Rings. The ferns are amazing and if the clouds cooperate, you get a stunning cliffside view.

•BROOKLYN BRIDGE•

The calm before the storm.

•PINCUSHION PEAK•

Local views + springtime wildflowers makes for a fantastic mini-venture.

Resting above Millerton Lake, Pincushion Peak offers several beautiful vantage points and is one of my favorite local hikes before the simmer heat. It’s a great little exercise kicker.

•GARDENA PASS•

Panoramic of the most picturesque mountain pass I’ve ever seen. This stretch of road connects Val Gardena with Val Badia, in the Italian Dolomites.

Motorcyclist and cyclist from all over the world head to this region during the warmer months for the ride of their lives. I pretty much hung outside the car the entire way.

•D O L O M I T E S•

Climbing into a dream- Via Ferrata Tridentina

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•THE MOUNTAINEER•

Our guide Lucas has hiked these trails thousands of times and as I was following him I could not help but stop, take pictures or just stand in awe at what my eyes were seeing.

Distance between us had grown and once I looked ahead this is the image I saw.
(Cue the angelic music) There he was…. THE MOUNTAINEER,
backlit by the morning sky, forging his way up the trail towards the climb. I was sure I got the next cover of .

At lunch I showed him a quick edited version of this image and said, “Yeah, that’s good.” 😂

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•P I S C I A D U H U T T E•

Resting up at 8,487 ft above sea level, we climbed our way up Via Feratta Tridentina for a wonderful lunch with a view!

This rifugio is a popular stop along high mountain treks Hutte to Hutte in the stunning Dolomites. The landscape was so vivid and at many times felt like I was on the surface of another planet.

We had the BEST GUIDE from .mountainguides. (Shoutout to )
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Morning glory at Morro Rock.

•G L A C I E R P O I N T•

It the kinda place you wanna watch the sunset or the sunrise and just breathe.

•G L A C I E R P O I N T•
The final adventure of 2023 was closing out this beautiful side trip just outside of . The road closes during the winter season but boasts spectacular views and easy hikes. & are worth the walk.

I’ve admired this stretch of road in epic photographs over the years, so I gave it my best effort to be there before sunrise. To my surprise…so did 20 other photographers. I choose to keep the lackluster sky organic even though AI had some epic suggestions. 🤷🏼‍♀️

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S
from our family to yours!
Overwhelmed and beyond grateful for The Lord’s redeeming love. ❤️

Blake, Kori, Morgan & Robert, Marcus, Micah, Kora & Mallory.

📷 Braden Bell Blake James

[CARLTON HILL]

Easy walk to this epic point of view of Edinburghs Princess St.

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[CARLOWRIE CASTLE]

Built in 1852, this stunning castle is one of Europe’s top venues for weddings and events just outside of Edinburgh.

During the autumn months you’re likely to catch this beauty draped in the red foliage of fall.

Carlowrie also owns stunning vineyards and guest cottages in France’s premier Loire Valley called Domaine de la Citardiere. Hospitality is their specialty.

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Autumn path leading to Carlowrie Castle, Scotland.

[HIGHLAND COOS]

Rustic breed of Scottish cattle that have captured the hearts of many tourists.

I found these furry coos at enjoying their breakfast.

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The controversial Edinburgh W Hotel, St. James Quarter has earned the nickname, ‘Walnut Whip’ or ‘Golden Turd’ by locals. 💩

From Calton Hill it definitely stands out across the skyline and caused quite the controversy . What do you think? Modern marvel or design fail?


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[E D I N B U R G H]

Early morning photo walk through old town gave me a great first impression of historical Edinburgh.

The Royal Mile stretches just over a mile from the castle to Holyroodhouse.

Filled with shops, eateries, and the beautiful St. Giles Cathedral. The cobblestones streets are filled with visitors all day long.

Pro tip: when traveling to a new location allow the time difference to help you. Wake up early and wander, it’s amazing to see the streets quiet before the hustle of the day begins.

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•TH E V E N N E L•

If you’re not aware, you might miss this incredible view in Edinburgh.

Tucked away across Haymarket Square, this pathway leads you along the Flodden Wall, circa 1560.

Epic views of Edinburgh Castle as the first light of day arises.

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•The R E D Canoe•

Sunrise at Hume Lake. Something about those red canoes that I love.

•DAWN RISING•
The blue hour before sunrise at Hume Lake, CA.

•Rifugio Auronzo•

Standing on the edge of the clouds I witnessed the most beautiful dance between the sunset, clouds and the mountains peaks. Clouds rolled over the mountains in waves, each second taking on a whole new look. Alone on the mountain, my eyes had never seen something so magnificent if felt spiritual, like a glimpse of heaven.

This series of images were taken as I was walking away from at 10 o’clock in the evening. Edited to capture the deepening of the night sky.

I told my husband…if my time on this earth comes to an end and I have the option to choose the last place to see… bring me here with a camping chair and a bottle of our best wine.

Rifugio Auronzo, Dolomiti

•Golden Glow Over Vernazza•

This little village in The Cinque Terre has my heart.

•Cardini di Misurina•

Aka… MORDOR. Unreal just staring at them. (Included pic of us to verify authenticity)

The cloud movements would changed the depth, lighting and drama. Absolutely stunning!

To see these peaks it’s right across the parking lot of the most visited site in the Dolomites, Tre-Cime.

•TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO•

The best known peaks in the Italian Dolomites, aka Drei Zinnen. At an elevation of over 9,000 ft this extraordinary wonder is easy to access by vehicle.

You could spend hours hiking the trails, eating at several rifugios or staring at the neighboring Cardini di Misurina peaks.

*Pro tip: we came after the crowds, past 5pm knowing that the morning is extremely crowded and sunset was late.

We ended up having the most epic experience watching the sunset and clouds do this heavenly dance on a mountain all to ourselves. We simply couldn’t walk away until 10 pm. My eyes have never seen something so majestic as we did this night. Truly unforgettable!

•Capella degli Alpini•

This little cgaoel@sits at the base of the famous Tre Cime di Lavarado in the Italian Dolomites.

While there, a priest was leading worship and a service to the alpine hikers.

• M O R D O R •

At least that is what they are know as. We couldn’t resist … ➡️ scroll through to the end.

These mountains [Cardini de Misurina] lie in the shadows of Tre Cime di Lavarado but cast a hallowing scene all on their own.

The ragged edges and massive size left me in awe. So of course I had to throw a red coat on my hubby to capture the scale. Can you spot him in the first image?

Lots more to come from this epic evening shoot.

• LAGO DI BRAIES•

Tucked in the northern mountains of the Italian Dolomites, Lago di Braise has quickly become one of the most instagrammed lakes With its turquoise waters and scenic wooden row boats, crowds flock to the shores of this beautiful destination. I admit… I too saw this on a social media post and thought, “ I have to see this lake.”

We went after the crowds, after the boat dock closed, when the sun was setting on the mountains and had the lake to ourselves. Being heer was amazing and trying to get an image that was my own was a welcomed challenge.

I couldn’t help but wonder though, how social media has changed the tourist industry. Travel has always been about exploring new things, and now, I notice that for many it’s about getting a social media picture rather than being present in the newly discovered scene.

There is a lot to be missed when it’s all about ‘The Shot’.

•S E C E D A•

First time I saw a video of this destination it immediately climbed to the top of bucket list photo locations I hoped to explore.

Rising above the town of Ortesei you take a gondola then a cable car to reach the summit at 8200 ft.

Immediately you are greeted with the awe inspiring vista.

Reminded me of that feeling you get the first time you go through tunnel view at . It honestly left me speechless (which is hard to do).

Mountain bikers, picnickers, hikers of all levels and even family pets wander the many trails leading to more beauty and several quaint alpine Huttes to grab some grub.

We stayed at Fermeda Hutte overnight (highly recommend) to attempt sunset and sunrise which never happened due to thunderstorms rolling in. But the adventure was an epic memory to last a lifetime.

It’s all a dream. ✨