Varina Patel's photostream

Website and Blog: www.photographybyvarina.com

eBooks: Visual Wilderness

There is nothing more remarkable to me than the power of nature. It is both cataclysmic and subtle. Slow and continuous erosion by water and wind can create landscapes every bit as astonishing as those shaped by catastrophic earthquakes or volcanic eruption. Nature is incredibly diverse – quiet streams and roaring waterfalls, burning desert sands and mossy riverbanks, silent snowfall and raging summer storms… this fantastic variety insures that I can never photograph the same scene twice in the same way.

Landscape photography is demanding. It is not unusual to climb a steep trail and wait several hours for sunset – despite intense heat or numbing cold – only to climb back down in the dark without getting the shot because the light wasn’t right. I am more than willing to return to a location many times if necessary. I don’t mind cold hands, wet feet, muddy clothes, or aching muscles – if in the end, the photograph makes an impression. I love hiking long trails through wilderness, crossing rivers on slippery stones, and climbing sand dunes by the light of the moon. I thrive on rising before the sun in order to capture those first rays of sun on the mountain. I am irresistibly drawn to the challenge of finding the right light, in the right place, at the right time. For me, photography is a passion that will last a lifetime.

Thanks very much for taking the time to look at my work. Your comments and critiques are always welcome.

More of my images are available for viewing at www.photographybyvarina.com.

Thanks very much,
Varina Patel