Andante
Peaceful and Moody
This music that is slow, peaceful, thoughtful, and sometimes solemn or even melancholy. Images here tend to be more subtle and less showy, sometimes with lower contrast, obscurity of fog or mist, soft focus, or muted tones. These places invite you to sit mindfully and observe.
Sunset with Tree Silhouette, Sierra Nevada Mountains, 2019
by Carin Piraino
Blue oak trees, some over 100 years old, dot the landscape in the Sierra foothills. We spent hours photographing their interesting irregular shapes, which are especially attractive at sunrise or sunset. The name comes from the slightly blue color of the leaves.
Music: “6 in the Morning,” Jake Shimabukuro
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Sun, Bird and Trees with Wildfire Smoke
by Michael Piraino
We went out, all masked up, to walk the dog, when we saw the smoke playing with the sun. I ran back home to grab a few shots. The smoke was awful, but it also created some amazing sights. Making the best of the situation.
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Mist Rising, Merced Wild and Scenic River, 2020
By Michael Piraino
The Merced flows from its source at Mount Lyell, adorning the meadows of Yosemite Valley on its way to this stretch of the river in a glacially carved canyon just west of Yosemite. We walked its banks repeatedly in this area, but the fog made this January day the most memorable of our visits.
Music: “Paru River,” Uakti
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Footsteps on Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, 2016
By Michael Piraino
Sunrise on the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is magical, with interesting shadows and newly formed ripples on the dunes. It is often a time to photograph the dunes without footsteps, but on this morning, this path suggested that someone had gone over the dune and then disappeared. I found no other evidence of a human presence.
Music: “Dancing in the Dust,: Medwyn Goodall
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Sunset Reflections, Kalaloch Beach Olympic National Park, 2005
By Michael Piraino
Low tide reveals these gently sculpted curves which seem to mimic the ripples in the water. This area at the mouth of the Queets River is part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The name is from the Quinault word meaning “a good place to land.”
I wrote a simple poem for this photo:
Early hours
He dreamed a dream
Silent Reminder
The wisdom of the world
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Moon, Sunset and Hills, Death Valley National Park, 2023
By Michael Piraino
An almost full moon peaks out between cloud layers beyond the hills of the badlands. We had photographed this moon in the morning at Dante’s View, but finding it hanging over the sunset was a pleasant surprise as we hiked in 20 Mule Team Canyon.
Music: “Arioso,: Richard Stoltzman
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Shadow Play at Sunrise, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, 2016
By Michael Piraino
Taken from a high ridge in the dunes, this photo shows Star Dune spotlighted by the morning sun. The mountains of the Amargosa Range in the background have only just started to pick up the sunlight, leaving the dunes surrounded by deep shadows. These are one of five areas of dunes in the park. Just after sunrise is a great time to be out on the sand.
Music: “Deer,” Gabrielle Roth
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Sunrise After Winter Storm Merced River Yosemite Valley 2020
By Michael Piraino
We awoke to an overnight snowfall in Yosemite Valley, and I was out before there were any human tracks in the snow, though I could tell a coyote had passed this way very recently. The early morning sun began to lighten up the snow-covered trees. Moments of enchantment.
Music: “Alone on an Island,” Ottmar Liebert
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Rising Fog, Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, 2019
By Michael Piraino
The Veil Lifts. Swirling mists in the valley on this December day began rising and shredding at mid-day, giving glimpses of iconic spots in the park. I watched the S-curve of the mist as it stretched, reformed, and finally rose and disappeared.
Music: “Comfort Me,” The Audreys
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Descending Storm, Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, 2018
By Michael Piraino
Dark storm clouds roll over the Sierra crest and descend towards the Owens Valley. This storm swirled and rumbled for miles along both the eastern Sierra and the Inyo Mountains, while warm sun beams kept breaking through holes torn in the clouds by the high peaks. The valley, one of the deepest in the US, sits in the rain shadow of the Sierra, and though the storm threatened, it never rained in the valley.
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Moonlight Snowstorm, Bainbridge Island, Washington, 2019
By Michael Piraino
The moon hangs in the clouds, while the snow accumulates on the fir trees in the predawn hours.
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Dusk, Joshua Tree National Park, 2017 (infrared)
By Michael Piraino
Joshua Tree National Park is the meeting place of the Mojave and Colorado deserts. The area has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years, and it is still the home of descendants of the Chemehuevi people who lived in the Oasis of Mara (Mar’rah). The trees, which are actually a form of yucca, are very photogenic, but also endangered by climate change and fires. The rock formations in this photo are a good example of the shapes that form this desert landscape. Climbing around the rocks in moody lighting like this is an ethereal experience.
I liked the way the monochrome format accented the mysterious atmosphere of the scene.
Music: “A Call to Rhythm,” Jessie Cook
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Cliffs in Fog and Clouds in Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park, 2017
By Michael Piraino
In mid to late February, large groups of photographers gather in Yosemite Valley to photograph the somewhat elusive Horsetail Falls at sunset. I, though, was content with the moody fog draping itself around the cliffs and mountains. The curves of the rock formations are intriguing in such an atmosphere.
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Mountains and Storm Clouds, Eastern Fjords of Iceland, 2019
By Michael Piraino
I spotted this scene from the car, pulled over and slid down a rocky slope to catch the pone in the foreground and the misty moody mountain in the distance. A moody day in eastern Iceland, full of mist, rain, wind – and beauty.
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Winter Storm, Mount Whitney (Tumanguya, Old Man or Guardian Spirit)
By Michael Piraino
In the early morning, we sat among the ice covered lowlands and watched this scene unfold. The fog had been shifting around all morning, sometimes obscuring the mountains and sometimes framing them like this. To see Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, during a weather like this is unforgettable and thrilling.
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Fog in Yosemite Valley, 2015
By Michael Piraino
I used infrared for this shot to bring out the brightness of the manzanita leaves in the foreground while subduing the brightness of the blue sky in the distance. My favorite spot at Tunnel View is up the hillside and away from the crowds.
Music: “10 Miles to Sakenia,” Hennie Bekker
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Takayna/Tarkine Coast (namuruwatim), Tasmania, 2017
By Michael Piraino
The intriguing, moody, wild and little-known Takayna/Tarkine. Behind you as you look at this view of the Southern Ocean is a huge rainforest, the second largest in the world, with many unique plants and animals, many of them endangered. It was the home of the Tarkiner people and remains a very spiritual place.
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Tower Butte, Great Basin Desert, Navajo Nation, 2018
By Michael Piraino
Tower Butte stands by itself on Navajo land about seven miles from this viewpoint above Lake Powell. I love the butte’s sense of isolation, even though plenty of helicopter tours land there. Fortunately, this late afternoon was peaceful all around, allowing the land to speak for itself. I was happy to be listening. Black and white infrared, taken at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, April, 2018.
Music: “Panorama,” Daniel Lanois
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Mojave Desert, 2008
By Michael Piraino
Although the sandstone in this area is vivid red, I thought black and white conveyed the somewhat somber mood at the time of my visit. A group of wild burros greeting me as I left the area.
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Merced River with Fall Colors, Yosemite Valley, 2008
By MIchael Piraino
Nature’s Poetry. At a bend in the Merced River, an early snowstorm helped show off the orange and yellow colors of the fall leaves. I was fortunate to be in the valley for this early November storm, which only lasted a few hours. Almost no one else was around–an unusual experience in Yosemite Valley.
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Remnants of Autumn, Yosemite, 2020
By Michael Piraino
These few red remnants of fall color were still clinging to the maple tree in Yosemite Valley in January. A shaft of sunlight lit them just as we were passing by.
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Sunrise, Puget Sound, 2020
By Michael Piraino
A peaceful morning over Puget Sound. The eagle was soaring slowly while the sailboat below barely seemed to move.
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Fall Color Reflected in Merced River, Yosemite Valley, 2012
By Michael Piraino
An early November snowstorm enlivened the fall foliage along the Merced River in the valley. The only other person I saw out in the snow that morning was a photographer from Japan, who was a little lost. We managed to have a fun conversation while I got him back on track.
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Storm Clouds, North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland, 2019
By Michael Piraino
We stopped here for a rest and a chance to see the coastline near Berufjörður. But the wind was howling and I was the only one to get out of the car. Which I might not have done were it not for the fascinating lighting and storm clouds.
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