Favorite Photos.
~mike gradziel.

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Six billion people daily find themselves in stunning visual scenes and make countless pictures to share with the world. Here is my contribution, trying to hold my little piece of webspace high against the flood. These tell of the places I've been, my whole collection reduced to only those photos I would consider framing on my wall.


Click photos for enlargements.



Moss on Burned Ground.
Lassen National Park, 2009.





Joy on the Cinder Fields.
Lassen National Park, 2009.





Spring Flower.
Mt. Tamalpais, March, 2009





Camping in Yosemite.
July, 2009.





Staples in a Utility Pole.
Berkeley, CA, 2009





Flowers and Beach.
Montara, CA, 2009.





Backpacking Dinner.
Yosemite, 2009.





End of Point Reyes.
March, 2009.





Flowers on the Coast.
Pacific Grove, CA, 2009.





Spring Flowers.
Pebble Beach, CA, 2009.





Painted Dunes.
Lassen National Park, 2009.





Top of the Cinder Cone.
Lassen National Park, 2009.





Joy and the Caldera.
Lassen National Park, 2009.





Walking on Cinders.
Lassen National Park, 2009.





Wild Strawberries.
Cheshire, MA, 2009.





Mountain Stream.
Cheshire, MA, 2009.





Poppies on the Coast.
Pebble Beach, CA, 2009.





Green Hills.
Fremont, CA, 2009.





Pocketed Sandstone on the Coast.
Near Jenner, CA, 2009.





Cows Munch March Grass.
Fremont, CA, 2009.




Lee walks the river.
Zion, Utah, 2008.




Virgin River Narrows.
Utah, 2008.




Sunlight in the canyon.
Utah, 2008.




Rio Parana falls at Iguazu.
Argentina, 2007



Red hills and road to Cachi.
Argentina, 2007




Muir Beach wildflower.
California, 2005




Dawn after the metor shower.
Wind River Range, Wyoming. 2005.




The sky in a puddle.
Wind River Range, Wyoming. 2005.




Cattle crossing salt.
Bolivia, 2003.




Corey on slickrock.
Utah, 2008.




The Subway tree.
Zion, Utah, 2008.




The Subway tree.
Utah, 2008.




Low sun in Tuolomne.
Yosemite, California. 2003.




Atlantic blue and gold.
Cape Cod, Massachussetts. 2005.




Misty Catskill Mountains.
New York, 2002.




Rocky Mountain Crest.
Donner Pass, California. 2006.




Extremes of form.
Donner Pass, California. 2006.




Icy tree.
Donner Pass, California. 2006.




Mountain light.
Donner Pass, California. 2006.




Twisted desert pine.
Joshua Tree, California. 2004.




Curly yucca seeks sky.
Joshua Tree, California. 2008.




Ocotillo blooms.
Joshua Tree, California. 2008.




Cold Pacific Surf.
Monterey, California. 2006.




Joy and the sea.
Monterey, California. 2006.




Snow like spilled soapsuds.
San Gabriel Mtns, California, 2007.


Winter afternoon.
San Gabriel Mtns, California, 2007.


San Antonio summit.
San Gabriel Mtns, California, 2007.




Icy Tuesday morning.
San Gabriel Mtns, California, 2007.


Before warm sunshine.
San Gabriel Mtns, California, 2007.

Adirondack Ridgetop.
Mt. Colden, New York. 2001.




Canyon light.
Zion, Utah, 2008.




The Subway.
Zion, Utah, 2008.




Red river rock.
Utah, 2008.



Framed Desert Vista.
Joshua Tree, California. 2001.


Grandpa's Lawn in May.
New York, 2007.


Lunch in Laguna Beach.
California, 2006.




Climbing Mt. Whitney.
California, 2007.


Mawenzi in the mist.
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. 2001.


A slope of boulders.
Southern California, 2008.




Hills with orange linings.
Southern California, 2008.




A dusting of flowers.
Southern California, 2008.


Joy with orange glow.
Southern California, 2008.




Sean and Sierra springtime.
Eastern Sierras, 2005.




Pink in spring.
Eastern Sierras, 2005.


Quartz hills.
Eastern Sierras, 2005.




On Mexican soil.
Baja California. 2001.




Volcanic Crags.
Anacapa Island, California. 2008.


Passing Pelicans.
Anacapa Island, California. 2008.




Reeds in Norwalk.
Connecticut, 2005.


Southern Ocean on black pebbles.
Kaikoura, New Zealand. 2006.


Cold Coastline.
Kaikoura, New Zealand. 2006.




Black Pebbles and sea plants.
Kaikoura, New Zealand. 2006.


Steamed green mussels.
Kaikoura, New Zealand. 2006.


Shellfish with parsley.
Kaikoura, New Zealand. 2006.




Idyllic wild beach.
South New Zealand. 2006.


Wine country by bicycle.
New Zealand. 2006.


Springtime lupines.
New Zealand. 2006.


Golden sandy landing.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.


Green mussels in the sand.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.


Anapai beach sunrise.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.




Anapai beach camp.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.


Anapai beach morning.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.


First tracks in the sand.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.




Lapping waves.
Abel Tasman, New Zealand. 2006.


Stormy southern ocean.
West Coast, New Zealand. 2006.


Poppies and grass.
South Island, New Zealand. 2006.




Colorful lupines.
South Island, New Zealand. 2006.


Rocks and sky.
South Island, New Zealand. 2006.


Beach stones.
Moeraki, New Zealand. 2006.




Giant Concretions.
Moeraki, New Zealand. 2006.


Meet Andy the sheep.
Dunedin, New Zealand. 2006.


Happy sheep.
Dunedin, New Zealand. 2006.




Spring lamb.
Dunedin, New Zealand. 2006.


Sheep and Snow. (by Joy)
South Island, New Zealand. 2006.


Alabama Hills.
Lone Pine, California. 2006.




Autumn aspens.
Big Pine Creek, California. 2006.


Basalt hexagons.
Mammoth Lakes, California.


Cinder cone at sunrise.
Eastern Sierras, California. 2006.




Desert colors.
Eastern Sierras, California. 2006.


Panther gap vista.
Sierra Nevada Mtns, 2006.


Orange morning.
Sierra Nevada Mtns, 2006.




At the top of Trap Dike.
Mt. Colden, New York. 2000.


Algonquin morning mist.
Ontario, Canada. 1997.


Serengeti sunrise.
Tanzania, 2001.




Women, wine, and paintings.
Artiste, California. 2005.


Looking back on a day's climb.
Paslisade Glacier, California. 2005.


Ice on a puddle.
Eastern Sierras, California. 2005.




Blue water astern.
Off San Diego, California. 2006.


Pear Lake at sundown.
Sierra Nevada Mtns, California. 2005.


Evening reflections.
Sierra Nevada Mtns, California. 2005.




Ocean sunrise.
Leo Carillo, California. 2003.


Arctic Landscape.
Pangnirtung, Baffin island. 2004.


Choppy northern ocean.
Pangnirtung, Baffin island. 2004.




Great Wall at Mutianyu.
Northeast China. 2005.


Spices and clay ovens in Kashgar.
Far western China. 2005.


Ancient pagoda with cherry trees.
Urumqi, western China. 2005.




Dry peppers for sale.
Kashgar, western China. 2005.




Kashgar market in winter.
Western China. 2005.

Street food and coal stoves.
Kashgar, western China. 2005.




Jeep amid yellowfields (by Sean).
Antelope Valley, California. 2005.




Desert gone green (by Sean).
Randsburgh, California. 2005.




Catskill Mountains.
New York, 2002.




Adirondack spruce trees.
Algonquin Peak, New York. 2003.




California Poppies.
Antelope Valley. 2006.




Tufa towers at Mono Lake.
California, 2007.




Salty bushes at sundown.
Mono Lake, California. 2007.




Spring flowers in pumice rock.
Mono Lake, California. 2007.




Apple blossoms in May.
New York. 2007.



Geysers on a frigid morning.
Southwest Bolivia, 2003.




Traversing a windy ridge in New Hampshire.
White Mountains. 2001.




Cheshire from The Cobbles.
Home, Massachusetts. 2005.




Green summer and Mt. Greylock.
Massachusetts, 2000.




Huntington Beach pier at sunset.
California, 2005.




Silhouette of a tree.
Western New York. 2007.



Heavy rain falls on the lake.
Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 2000.




Red Rock Canyon sunrise.
Mojave Desert, California. 2001.




Green grass and granite.
Eastern Sierras, California, 2006.




Streaks of snow.
Mt. Baldy, California, 2007.




Falling water.
Iguazu, Argentina. 2007.




Iguazu Falls.
Argentina, 2007.




Green desert in spring (by Sean).
Randsburg, California. 2005.




Restaurant on the jetty.
Miraflores, Peru. 2003.




Joy with shadows.
Stanford, California. 2006.


Saguaro cactus at sunset.
Phoenix, Arizona. 2003.


Joanna atop boulders.
Joshua Tree, California. 2004.


Joy in fresh powder snow.
Donner Pass, California. 2006.

Three sentries.
Donner Pass. 2006.

Stanford graduation.
California. 2006.

Red bark white snow.
Rocky Mtns, Colorado. 2007.

Green mussels meet Joy.
Kaikoura, New Zealand. 2006.


Ellen at Panther Gap.
Sierra Nevada Mtns, 2006.


Adirondack Slide Climb.
Nippletop Mtn, 2000.


Cynthia in the Spruce Trees.
Adirondacks, 2000.


Ice on a puddle.
Sierra Nevada Mtns, 2005.


Withered mountain pine.
Cottonwood Lakes, California. 2006.


Sean atop Mt. Langley.
California. 2001.



Columbine flower.
Pine Creek, California. 2005.




Joanna on red granite.
Joshua Tree, California. 2007.




Owl Mountain in the clouds.
Mt. Katahdin, Maine. 1999.



Snow in the White Mtns.
New Hampshire. 2001.




My snowshoes.
Massachusetts. 2000.




Slickrock.
Utah, 2008.


Sean walks the slot.
Utah, 2008.


Kanarra Canyon.
Zion, Utah, 2008.


Lee and a waterfall.
Utah, 2008.


Kanarra canyon waterfall.
Utah, 2008.



Butterfly on Flower.
Massachusetts, 2009.





Rare Orchid.
In a redwood forest, CA, 2009





Twin Poppies.
Mt Tamalpais, CA, 2009.





Purple flowers, red rock.
Utah, 2008.


High Camp on Citlaltepetl. Climbing in Mexico. 2002.





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