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"Light Travel" book images 1981-2009

207 images Created 15 Jan 2011

The images in the gallery below are published in the book "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. The book's 207 images highlight Tom's photography from 1981-2009.
This textbook teaches and inspires outdoor photography by revealing the magic of portable digital cameras. Learn how to pick a camera, compose, edit, and capture evocative images worldwide. Master digital jargon from the proficient glossary and index.
Buy any image downloads, prints or products with the "Add to Cart" button. Or obtain prints of all images at once by ordering the book directly from Tom (PhotoSeek Publishing, ISBN #978-0-578-03918-3, not available in stores).

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  • Downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains at sunset, on July 4, 2007. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. (Panorama stitched from 4 images; photographed by Tom Dempsey from the 33rd floor of First Hill Plaza, 1301 Spring Street, Seattle, Washington.)
    0707FIR-021-24pan_Seattle-downtown-s...jpg
  • Downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains at sunset, on July 4, 2007. Panorama stitched from 4 images photographed by Tom Dempsey from the 33rd floor of First Hill Plaza, 1301 Spring Street, Seattle, Washington. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    0707FIR-021-24pan_Seattle-downtown-s...jpg
  • Downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains at sunset, on July 4, 2007. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Photographed by Tom Dempsey from the 33rd floor of First Hill Plaza, 1301 Spring Street, Seattle, Washington.
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  • Spectacular fireworks explode over Gasworks Park, witnessed by a large audience of boats in Union Bay, at dusk July 4, 2007 in Seattle, Washington, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Tiger Lily or Columbia lily (Lilium columbianum) is native to western North America. Photo from Granite Mountain Trail, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Washington, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    0707GRA-19_Tiger-Lily.jpg
  • Trees reflect in Mason Lake, on Ira Spring Memorial Trail #1038, in Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area (Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest), near Interstate 90, Washington, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    0708DEF-085-Mason-Lake-reflects-tree...jpg
  • Billion-year-old sedimentary rock erodes into yellow and blue patterns in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976).
    07GLA-0164.jpg
  • Billion-year-old seabed ripples are fossilized in a blue rock pattern on broken yellow and purple rocks above Logan Pass, in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976).
    07GLA-0182.jpg
  • Sinopah Mountain (8271 feet or 2521 meters) reflects in Pray Lake at sunrise in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. (Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping images.) Since 1932, Canada and USA have shared Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site (1995) containing two Biosphere Reserves (1976). Rocks in the park are primarily sedimentary layers deposited in shallow seas over 1.6 billion to 800 million years ago. During the tectonic formation of the Rocky Mountains 170 million years ago, the Lewis Overthrust displaced these old rocks over newer Cretaceous age rocks. Glaciers carved spectacular U-shaped valleys and pyramidal peaks as recently as the Last Glacial Maximum (the last "Ice Age" 25,000 to 13,000 years ago). Of the 150 glaciers existing in the mid 1800s, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park as of 2010, and all may disappear by 2020, say climate scientists.
    07GLA-1293-96pan-Two-Medicine-Lake-s...jpg
  • Kathesimbhu is very peaceful in this sunset photograph. Kathesimbhu means "Kathmandu Swayambhu". This 17th century stupa (bell-shaped Buddhist monument) in Kathmandu, Nepal, is a smaller version of the more famous "Monkey Temple" at Swayambhu. A walk around the Kathesimbhu stupa promises the old and lame the same blessings as a pilgrimage to Swayambhunath's hill. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Hindu holy men (sadhus), in Kathmandu, Nepal, Asia. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-1089.jpg
  • The big golden mask of Seto Bhairab (or White Demon) dates from 1794 in the time of Rana Bahadur Shah, the third king of the Shah Dynasty, in Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepal Airlines uses this mask in their winged symbol. By the way, "Royal Nepal Airlines" dropped the "Royal" word in 2006, to be consistent with Nepal's interim parliament rejecting the Monarchy. In Newar mythology, Seto Bhairab showed disrespect towards the important goddess Mahakali, tempting her terrible retribution. When Seto Bhairab later offered a cock as an offering of respect, Mahakali first refused the rooster, then suddenly bit the head off as a bloody warning to Seto Bhairab: "Don't upset the hierarchy of the gods". For ten days once a year during the Indra Jatra festival (and the coinciding festival of the Living Goddess) in September, this Seto Bhairab mask is uncaged, and devotees shower him with rice and flower petals, while rice beer is poured through his fearsomely fanged mouth. Men struggle with each other to drink from the sacred brew, which is blessed by the rain god Indra, the ancient Vedic god who came with the Aryan forefathers from Persia to India, many centuries before Christ. The rest of the year, terrifying Seto Bhairab is kept safely caged behind a wooden grille,  on the Deotali Mandir royal temple. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-1258.jpg
  • Rugged Yellow Balsam, or Scabby Balsam, (Impatiens scabrida, or Impatiens cristata; Family: Balsaminaceae, Balsam family) blooms near Chomrong, Nepal at 7000 feet in the Annapurna Himalaya in October. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-1780.jpg
  • Prayer flags express compassion at this monument to fallen climbers, at Annapurna South Base Camp (ABC, at 13,550 feet elevation) in the Annapurna Range of Nepal. Annapurna I (center right; 26,545 feet elevation) is the world’s 10th highest peak. On the left, Annapurna South (also known as Annapurna Dakshin, or Moditse; 23,684 feet / 7219 meters) misleadingly appears higher due to proximity. Annapurna South was first climbed in 1964 by a Japanese expedition, via the North Ridge. Annapurna is Sanskrit for "Goddess of the Harvests." In Hinduism, Annapurna is a goddess of fertility and agriculture and an avatar of Durga. The panorama was stitched from three images. Published in Wilderness Travel 2010 Catalog of Adventures. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-2470-72pan_Annapurna-South.jpg
  • Machhapuchhre (or Machhapuchhare), the Fish Tail Mountain (22,943 feet / 6997 meters elevation) is a sacred peak, illegal to climb, in the Annapurna mountains (part of the Himalaya range), in Nepal. Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags fly from a monument at Annapurna South Base Camp (ABC, at 13,550 feet elevation) in the Annapurna Sanctuary. Published in Wilderness Travel Catalog of Adventures in 2023, in 2016, and as double page spread inside the cover of  2009, and in 2009 on the Swedish travel outfitter web site www.adventurelovers.se. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-2497_Machhapuchhre-flags.jpg
  • Moonlight strikes Annapurna I (on the right, 26,545 feet), the world’s 10th highest peak, seen from Annapurna South Base Camp (ABC, at 13,550 feet elevation) in the Annapurna Range of Nepal. On the left is Annapurna South, which appears higher in this perspective because it is closer.  Stars streak the sky, and the headlamps of motel residents make wavy lines of light as they pass by in the 3+minute time exposure. Panorama stitched from 2 images captured at 6:50pm October 27, 2007. Published in 2009 on Swedish trekking company site www.adventurelovers.se. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-2512-13pan-Annapurna_PRINT-sou...jpg
  • The moon sets at sunrise over Annapurna South, seen from Annapurna South Base Camp (ABC, at 13,550 feet elevation), in the Himalaya mountain range of Nepal. Annapurna South (also known as Annapurna Dakshin, or Moditse; 23,684 feet / 7219 meters) was first climbed in 1964 by a Japanese expedition. Annapurna is Sanskrit for “Goddess of the Harvests.” In Hinduism, Annapurna is a goddess of fertility and agriculture and an avatar of Durga. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-2542.jpg
  • A farmer contemplates rice terraces near Kimche, along the trail to Annapurna Sanctuary in Nepal, Asia. In Nepal, humans have worked the land for thousands of years by stripping forests for firewood, terracing fields for agriculture (to grow grains, rice, potatoes, etc), and grazing yaks as high as 15,000 feet elevation. Farmers work every patch of arable land to support a dense population of people, who often push aside or destroy native species. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • In the Everest Area of Nepal, Asia: A prayer wheel (called mani chos-'khor or Mani wheel by the Tibetans) is a wheel on a spindle made from metal, wood, leather, or coarse cotton. On the wheel are written or encapsulated prayers or mantras. According to the Tibetan Buddhist belief, spinning such a wheel will have much the same effect as orally reciting the prayers. A prayer wheel symbolizes "turning the wheel of Dharma," which describes the way in which the Buddha taught. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-3139.jpg
  • An iridescent blue, orange and green Danfe (or Danphe) Pheasant, the national bird of Nepal, was photographed north of Namche Bazaar in Sagarmatha National Park. To make bigger prints of wildlife or birds, use a lens focal length of at least 300mm on a APS-C size sensor DSLR camera (Nikon DX format), which has the equivalent field of view of a 450mm lens on a 35mm-film or 35mm-sensor camera. That telephoto creates a field of view of 8 degrees 15 minutes, measured diagonally, to better magnify birds and small animals. This pheasant, 70 feet away in the fog, would have been much sharper if I had used a telephoto lens longer than 200mm on my Nikon D40X camera (10 megapixel, APS-C sensor). I cropped to one tenth of the original area (from 3872 by 2592 pixels down to 858 by 1002 pixels), enough resolution for a print up to 4 x 6 inches (but larger prints would look unfocused at reading distance). Sagarmatha National Park (created 1976) was honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-3302.jpg
  • In Nepal, Buddhist prayers have been inscribed in the rocks of Sagarmatha National park, a World Heritage Site. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-3344_Buddhist-prayers.jpg
  • Porters walk with a yak pack train beneath the mountain of Lhotse (27,940 feet), the world's fourth highest peak, in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal. The south face of Lhotse rises 3.2 km (1.98 mi) in only 2.25 km (1.4 mi) of horizontal distance (averaging a 55 degree angle slope). Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-3567.jpg
  • Sagarmatha National Park: This is the north side of Ama Dablam, a beautiful mountain in the Himalaya range of eastern Nepal, in the Khumbu District. This was photographed between Dingboche and Chhukhung, in the Imja Khola river valley. Ama Dablam was first climbed in 1961. The main peak is 22,349 feet (or 6,812 meters) tall, and the lower western peak is 18,251 feet (or 5,563 meters). Ama Dablam means "Mother and Pearl Necklace" (the pearl being the perennial hanging glacier). Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-3712.jpg
  • A woman turns a Mani Thungkyur (a large prayer wheel, which may contain religious books) while a girl looks out the door, at Pangboche Gompa (temple), Nepal. Buddhism became firmly established in Nepal's Khumbu District (home of the Sherpa people) about 350 years ago by the power and influence of Lama Sangwa Dorje. He established the oldest monastery in Khumbu at Pangboche (plus many other small hermitages). Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-3836_Pangboche-Gompa.jpg
  • Atop Gokyo Ri, admire Mount Everest, Himalayan peaks, and prayer flags. Mount Everest (center left; 29,029 feet / 8848 meters), the highest mountain on Earth, has the older name of Chomolungma or Qomolangma ("Goddess Mother of the Earth" in Tibetan). To the right are Lhotse and Makalu (both higher than 8000 meters). In 1865, Andrew Waugh, the British surveyor-general of India named the mountain for his chief and predecessor, Colonel Sir George Everest. In the 1960s, the Government of Nepal named the mountain Sagarmatha, meaning "Goddess of the Sky". The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in High Asia, is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. These colorful Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags invoke compassion. Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-4340.jpg
  • Prayer flags fly from the trekkers' peak of Gokyo Ri (17,575 feet / 5357 meters elevation). See Mount Everest (center left), adjacent Lhotse, and the distant pyramid of Makalu. The largest glacier in Nepal, Ngozumpa Glacier, flows down the valley floor covered in gray rocks. Its lateral moraine dams several lakes. To the left of Third Gokyo Lake is Gokyo village (15,583 feet / 4750 meters), a small cluster of teahouses for trekkers and climbers. Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Panorama stitched from 5 images. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-4482-86pan-Gokyo-Ri_Everest.jpg
  • School children walk towards Khumjung, in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal, beneath Mount Everest (29,035 feet / 8850 meters elevation above sea level), the highest mountain on Earth. Mount Everest was first called Chomolungma or Qomolangma ("Goddess Mother of the Earth" in Tibetan). In 1865, Andrew Waugh, the British surveyor-general of India named the mountain for his chief and predecessor, Colonel Sir George Everest. In the 1960s, the Government of Nepal named the mountain Sagarmatha, meaning "Goddess of the Sky". The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in High Asia, is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-5043.jpg
  • A porter carries a huge load of empty recyclable bottles over Larja Bridge (strung with Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags), over Dudh Koshi (Kosi=river) below the town of Namche Bazaar, Nepal. Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-5089.jpg
  • Tibetan Buddhists believe that speaking, viewing, spinning or thinking the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment or Buddha of compassion. In the lands influenced by Tibetan Buddhismh, this prayer is often carved into public stones and spinnable Mani wheels (or prayer wheels). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-5119_Buddhist-prayer.jpg
  • Visitors stroll in Patan's Durbar Square, in Nepal, Asia. Patan was probably founded by King Veer Deva in 299 AD from a much older settlement. Patan, officially called Lalitpur, the oldest city in the Kathmandu Valley, is separated from Kathmandu and Bhaktapur by rivers. Patan (population 190,000 in 2006) is the fourth largest city of Nepal, after Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Pokhara. The Newar people, the earliest known natives of the Kathmandu Valley, call Patan by the name "Yala"  (from King Yalamber) in their Nepal Bhasa language. UNESCO honored Patan's Durbar Square (Palace Square) as one of the seven monument zones of Kathmandu Valley on their World Heritage List in 1979. All sites are protected under Nepal's Monuments Preservation Act of 1956. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NEP-5497.jpg
  • Hikers are rewarded with a spectacular ice bowl at Crucible Lake (1172 meters or 3844 feet elevation). Crucible Lake still floats big ice bergs in late summer, in Mount Aspiring National Park, Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand. Hiking to Crucible Lake takes at least 8 hours round trip (10 hours with my photography), from Siberia Hut, on a very steep and rooty trail (2300 feet or 700 meters vertical gain). In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    07NZ_1007-08pan_Crucible-Lake_flower...jpg
  • Purakaunui Falls, in the Catlins District, South Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_2042_Purakaunui-Falls.jpg
  • Sea stacks and a rock arch make a pretty sight in the South Pacific Ocean at Nugget Point, the Catlins, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_2077_Nugget-Point.jpg
  • See forest wilderness on the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track, in Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_2155_Fiordland-NP_Lake-Poterite...jpg
  • Sunrise illuminates the curious tors and tarns (crags and ponds) on Hump Ridge, a track (trail) for trampers (hikers and trekkers) in Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 5 overlapping images.
    07NZ_2212-16pan-tors-tarns-sunrise.jpg
  • The last rays of sunset brighten lenticular clouds with pink and magenta color over Aoraki / Mount Cook, (12,218 feet) in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, South Island, New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_3245-Mt-Cook.jpg
  • Tree ferns, Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_4231_tree-ferns_Abel-Tasman-NP.jpg
  • Mutton Cove, Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_4244_Mutton-Cove_Abel-Tasman-NP.jpg
  • Cicada insect, Queen Charlotte Track, South Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_5159_cicada-insect.jpg
  • Tararua Wind Farm is the largest wind power installation in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located 10 kilometres northeast of the city of Palmerston North, on a 5 kilometre long ridge in the Tararua Ranges, on the North Island of New Zealand. Humans have migrated to the ends of the earth to cut farms from virgin forests and compete for new resources, such as here in the South Pacific. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_6095_Tararua-Wind-farm.jpg
  • Mount Egmont or Taranaki (2518 meters / 8261 feet) in Mount Egmont National Park, New Zealand, North Island. Featured as a stand-in for Mount Fuji in the Tom Cruise motion picture, "The Last Samurai". Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_7019_Mt-Egmont_Taranaki.jpg
  • Trampers hike the 10-mile Tongariro Crossing beneath Mount Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand. The volcanoes in this image are: Mount Ruapehu (with snow at far left, 2797 meters or 9177 feet, last erupted in 2006), Mount Ngauruhoe (upper middle, 2291 meters or 7516 feet elevation, last erupted in 1975), and Red Crater (foreground right, 1886 meters, last erupted 1926). Geologically speaking, both Mount Ngauruhoe and Red Crater are vents of Mount Tongariro. In 1990 and 1993, UNESCO honored Tongariro National Park as a World Heritage Area and Cultural Landscape. Tongariro National Park served as a location for fictional Mordor and Mount Doom in the "Lord of the Rings" Motion Pictures. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_7237-Red-Crater-1886m.jpg
  • Trees frame Lake Waikaremoana along the Panekiri Bluff trail in Te Urewera National Park, North Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_8152-Lake-Waikaremoana.jpg
  • Champagne Pool, at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, North Island, New Zealand. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZ_8239-Wai-O-Tapu-TW.jpg
  • The mischievous kea (Nestor notabilis), the world's only alpine parrot, is native to South Island, New Zealand. The bird is mostly olive-green with brilliant orange under its wings. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07NZT_009_Kea.jpg
  • A Maori woman blows a conch horn to signal villagers at Tamaki Maori Village, an evocative cultural re-creation near Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand. Published in Mountain Travel Sobek 2010 trip catalog. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. For licensing options, please inquire.
    07NZT_490.jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake Creek in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. Grass swirls in patterns in the water. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    07SAW-0475.jpg
  • Ripples on the water surface distorts this view of an orange and red sea anemone at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. At the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, the Art Committee selected this 17x22 inch print for display in the Jones Pavilion Level 11 Orthopedic Inpatient unit art collection, 2011.
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  • Snow Geese are typically seen in large flocks up to 55,000 in winter in western Washington, USA. Most gather in the Skagit River Delta (Skagit County) between the towns of Mount Vernon and La Conner (near Fir Island Road and Best Road) from mid-October to early May. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A flock of geese flies over the International Fountain below the Space Needle. The International Fountain was built for the 1962 World's Fair at Seattle Center, Washington, USA, as a modernist water sculpture. With over 20 spouts, the musical fountain goes through programmed cycles of shooting water patterns, accompanied by recorded world music. The music is changed every month, and chosen to coordinate with the water patterns. The Space Needle (605 feet tall) annually hosts more than 1 million visitors, making it the number one tourist attraction in the Pacific Northwest. When the Space Needle was built in 1962 for the World's Fair, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. The entire Space Needle saucer does not rotate, only a 14-foot ring next tthe windows rotates on the SkyCity restaurant level. The 100 foot, or SkyLine, level was built in 1982. The original name of the Space Needle was "The Space Cage." The original name of the restaurant was "Eye of the Needle."  Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A composite flower with purple petals and yellow center, blooms in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. The aster, daisy, or sunflower family (Asteraceae or Compositae) is the largest family of vascular plants. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08CAN-1684_aster-flower.jpg
  • Berg Glacier and Berg Lake are a wonderful backpacking destination in Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. Mount Robson (3954 meters or 12,972 feet) is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies, and is part of the Rainbow Range. Mount Robson is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site honored by UNESCO in 1984. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08CAN-1696_Mt-Robson.jpg
  • Ancient orange and blue rocks form patterns in Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. Mount Robson is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site honored by UNESCO in 1984. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08CAN-2225_Mt-Robson-rock-pattern.jpg
  • A yellow canoe plies blue-green Moraine Lake in Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Banff is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 1984. Panorama stitched from 5 images. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08CAN-3072-3076pan_Moraine-Lake.jpg
  • Look across miles of autumn orange and red foliage at Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes County, North Carolina, USA. The eroded quartzite knob called Hanging Rock rises to 2150 feet elevation. The park is 30 miles (48 km) north of Winston-Salem, and approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) from Danbury. Hanging Rock State Park is located in the Sauratown Mountain Range, which is made up of monadnocks (or inselbergs, isolated hills) that are separated from the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. Prominent peaks in the Sauratown range rise from 1,700 feet (520 m) to more than 2,500 feet (760 m) in elevation and stand in contrast to the surrounding countryside, which averages only 800 feet (240 m) in elevation. Named for the Saura Native Americans who were early inhabitants of the region, the Sauratown Mountains are the erosion-resistant quartzite remnants of mountains pushed up between 250 and 500 million years ago. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08NC-2192_Hanging-Rock-SP_NC.jpg
  • The pounding Pacific Ocean has eroded a bluff to create Haystack Rock, a 235-foot (72-meter) tall monolith (or sea stack), on Cannon Beach, on the Oregon coast. Haystack Rock is part of the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site and is managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation below the mean high water (MHW) level, and above the MHW level by the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-097.jpg
  • Pacific sea nettle, or Ortiga de mar (Chrysaora fuscescens), Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon, USA. Although commonly named "jellyfish," jellies are plankton, not fish. Jellies (class Scyphozoa) lack the backbone (vertebral column) found in fish. Jellies have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. A sea nettle hunts by trailing long tentacles covered with stinging cells to paralyze tiny plankton and other prey. Stung prey is moved to the frilly mouth-arms and on to the jelly's mouth. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    08ORC-330_Sea-Nettle_Chrysaora.jpg
  • The pounding Pacific Ocean has eroded these sea stack rocks from bluffs at Cannon Beach, Oregon. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The last wave of high tide left brown algae foam swirls resembling a Hokusai art work or fractal pattern on the beach sand at Seaside, on the Oregon coast, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Stalactites hang from the cave ceiling. Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a large commercial cave just west of Luray, Virginia, USA. Discovered in 1878, the Caverns are in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Allegheny Range of the Appalachian Mountains. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc). The caverns are celebrated for performances of the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The last orange and yellow leaves drop in early November at the unique Natural Tunnel State Park, near Duffield, Virginia, where both a train and a river share the same natural limestone cave, measuring 850 feet (255 meters) long. The railroad has used this tunnel since 1890. Natural Tunnel began forming during the early Pleistocene Epoch and was fully formed by about one million years ago. The Glenita fault line running through the tunnel, combined with moving water and naturally forming carbonic acid may have formed Natural Tunnel through the surrounding limestone and dolomitic bedrock. After the tunnel formed and the regional water table lowered, Stock Creek diverted underground, then later took the path of least resistance through the Natural Tunnel, through Purchase Ridge, flowing south to join the Clinch River. Daniel Boone is believed to have been the first white man to see it. William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) dubbed it the "Eighth Wonder of the World"; and the tunnel has been a tourist attraction for more than a century. Natural Tunnel State Park was created in 1967, and opened to the public in 1971. For a time, a passenger train line ran through Natural Tunnel, and today, the railroad still carries coal through it to the southeast USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The White Avalanche Lily is a member of the lily family native to coastal British Columbia and the alpine and subalpine Olympic and Cascade Ranges of the Pacific Northwest of North America. Its flower blooms as snow melts in late spring, in damp subalpine woodlands and alpine meadows, often in extensive patches. In the central Cascades, it often grows mixed with Clintonia uniflora and Trillium ovatum at the lower elevations of its range, and with Anemone occidentalis at higher elevations. Spray Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Larch tree needles turn yellow in the first half of October on Blue Lake Trail #314, Okanagon National Forest, North Cascades Highway 20, Washington, USA. Liberty Bell Mountain (center left, 7790 feet), Early Winters Spires (center right, 7807 feet). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 8 overlapping images.
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  • Sunrise illuminates clouds with orange light at Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. This is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 1984. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 6 overlapping images.
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  • The Basilica of the National Vow (Spanish: Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church, neo-Gothic in style, located a few blocks away from Plaza de la Independencia in Quito, Ecuador, South America. Construction began in 1892. Pope John Paul II blessed the Basilica on January 30th, 1985 and in 1988 it was declared immaculate. Although the church was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically "unfinished." The Basilica is 150 meters long, 35 meters wide, 35 meters high in the sanctuary and 15 meters in the votive chapels. Its towers are 78.23 meters high, 73 meters in the dome, 16 meters by 45 meters on the base of its towers. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito (elevation 9350 feet), is the capital city of Ecuador. UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 8 overlapping images.
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  • A woman with purple head covering sells a cow at the bustling Saturday animal market in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A moth (order Lepidoptera) is attracted to night lights at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A moth with blue wings and orange head contrasts with red and orange window drapes at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Tom Dempsey photographed this male White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora; or Great Jacobin; or Collared Hummingbird) hummingbird at the lower elevations (about 1400 meters) of Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This large and attractive hummingbird ranges from Mexico south to Peru, Bolivia and south Brazil. The approximately 12 cm long male White-necked Jacobin is unmistakable with its white belly and tail, a white band on the nape and a dark blue hood. Immature males have less white in the tail and a conspicuous rufous patch in the malar region. Females are highly variable, and may resemble adult or immature males, have green upperparts, white belly, white-scaled green or blue throat, and white-scaled dark blue crissum, or have intermediate plumages, though retain the white-scaled dark blue crissum. Females are potentially confusing, but the pattern on the crissum is distinctive and not shared by superficially similar species. These birds usually visit flowers of tall trees and epiphytes for nectar, and also hawk for insects. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South. Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping images.
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  • The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Photo is from Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A lava lizard rests on the toothy grinning head of a dead Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) carcass drying on Punta (Point) Espinoza on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Collectively known as lava lizards, seven ground lizard species of the reptile genus Tropidurus are endemic to the Galápagos Islands (and commonly placed in the genus Microlophus). All seven most likely evolved from a single ancestral species, demonstrating the principal of adaptive radiation that is typical of the inhabitants of the Galapagos archipelago. One lava lizard species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. Males and females of all Tropidurus species are marked differently. The male is usually much larger than the female, and its body is more brightly colored and distinctly patterned. Markings vary considerably, even within an individual species. Animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones which live in lighter, sandy environments. Like many lizards, they show changes of color with mood and temperature. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts a fountain of lava creating a red river flowing into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) rest in a tide pool at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Sally Lightfoot or red lava crab (Grapsus grapsus) at Puerto Egas on Santiago (or San Salvador, or James) Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America, and can also be seen along the entire coast of Central America and Mexico and nearby islands. This crab has five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching down. The crab's round, flat carapace is just over 8 cm (3 inches) in length. Young crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are muted brownish-red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow. The ones seen on photographs of tropical island fauna are often bright orange or red with stripes or spots dorsally, blue and green ventrally, and sporting red claws and pink or blue eyes. This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the seaspray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch, but not considered very edible by humans. It is used as bait by fishermen. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • This Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is at Puerto Egas, visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The orange sun sets in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in Martin Dawe Design company calendar 2013, UK. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The famous tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock juts like a knife from Bartolomé Island in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after a Lieutenant of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos Islands, just off the east coast of Santiago (or James) Island seen in the background. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (Official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other names: Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are grouped along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. Panorama stitched from five images. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
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  • A Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests with two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • Yellow boat bumpers reflect in rippled water of the Pacific Ocean. Puerto Ayora is capitol of Santa Cruz Island, and the largest town in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) preens feathers at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A pair of male and female Blue-footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii) do a sky pointing mating dance at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Blue-footed Booby is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-5151_Galapagos.jpg
  • The endemic Galápagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis, Columbidae family) lives at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Galápagos Dove habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry shrubland. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A girl rides a tortoise sculpture in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), which is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. Ecuador, South America. The Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly called Geochelone elephantopus) can grow a shell up to about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long (smaller than this supersized sculpture). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) grazes underwater at Tagus Cove, on Isabela (Albemarle) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The "green sea turtle" name comes from its greenish fat and flesh. The hues of its shell range from olive-brown to black in Eastern Pacific green turtles. The green turtle belongs to the family Cheloniidae and is the only species in the genus Chelonia. The species lives in tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It has a flattened body covered by a large, teardrop-shaped carapace and a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. Unlike other members of its family such as the hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, Chelonia mydas is mostly herbivorous (plant eating). The adults are commonly found in shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of seagrass. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • On Mount Rainier (14,411 feet elevation or 4392 meters), a climber at 12,000 feet ascends Emmons Glacier, which terminates 7,000 feet below in the White River which flows northwest into Puget Sound. Watersheds in the upper right flow south into the Columbia River. Little Tahoma (11,138 feet) rises at right.  Permitted climbers can ascend Mount Rainier via the Camp Sherman route starting at White River Campground, in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • The Matterhorn (4478 meters or 14,980 feet, Monte Cervino in Italian, Mont Cervin in French) catches sunrise light, seen from Zermatt, Switzerland. Small electric taxis serve Zermatt, which bars combustion-engine cars to help preserve small village atmosphere and prevent air pollution. The famous mountaineering and ski resort of Zermatt lies at 1620 meters or 5310 feet elevation at the head of Mattertal (Matter Valley) in Valais canton, Switzerland, the Pennine Alps, Europe. The German word matten means "alpine meadows." Most visitors reach Zermatt by cog railway train from the nearby town of Täsch (Zermatt shuttle). Trains also depart for Zermatt from farther down the valley at Visp and Brig on the main Swiss rail network. Hike the High Route (Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route) for exceptional mountain scenery. Published in Wilderness Travel 1992 Catalog of Adventures. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
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  • A ferry cruises by a waterfall on Geirangerfjord, the epitome of Norwegian fjords. Geirangerfjorden (the Geiranger fjord) is a stunningly beautiful 15-kilometer (9.3-mile) long branch of Storfjord (Great Fjord, the fifth longest in Norway). Geirangerfjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Take the car ferry for an impressive sightseeing trip between Geiranger and Hellesylt, in Stranda municipality, Sunnmøre region, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Published on the cover of Wells Fargo Lifescapes magazine August 2012. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    81NOR-06-23_Geirangerfjord-ferry-wat...jpg
  • A solo hiker walks atop the Pulpit Rock (Prekestolen) 1959 feet above a car ferry on Lysefjord, Forsand municipality, Rogaland county, Ryfylke traditional district, Norway, Europe. The nearest city is Jørpeland, in Strand municipality. Published in Wilderness Travel Catalog of Adventures 1998, 1996, 1988. Winner of "Honorable Mention, Photo Travel Division" in Photographic Society of America (PSA) Inter-Club Slide Competition May 1988. Published 2009 on a commercial web site in Amsterdam. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    81NOR-08-14-The-Pulpit_Prekestolen.jpg
  • Viking stave church at Lom, rebuilt 1300 AD, Norway, Europe. Published in Wilderness Travel 1988 Trip Schedule. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    81NOR-16-03_Viking-Stave-Church_Lom.jpg
  • A gray whale touching humans. San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California, Mexico. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    89BAJ-05-X1-16_Gray-whale_people_boa...jpg
  • Waves crash at sunset on Kalalau Beach, Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    95HAW-12-24_Na-Pali-Coast_Kauai.jpg
  • A rare silversword plant (Argyroxiphium genus) blooms in Haleakala National Park, Maui, State of Hawaii, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    87HAW-12-14-silversword-flower-stalk.jpg
  • Sailboat silhouette. July 11, 1991 partial solar eclipse over Puget Sound, seen from Sunset Hill Viewpoint Park, Seattle, Washington, USA. Captured on Kodachrome 64 film. Published on the cover of "The Mountaineer" September 1996 (monthly magazine of The Mountaineers club). Winner of Best Scenic in their 1996 cover photo contest. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    91ECL-Partial-solar-eclipse_Puget-So...jpg
  • A fall storm threatens rain over larch forest, in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada. This is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 1984. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    95CAN-08-29-Rainstorm-Yoho-NP.jpg
  • Cathedral Peak reflects in Cathedral Lake, Yosemite National Park, California, USA. Cathedral Peak is the highest summit of the Cathedral Range, an offshoot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain in south-central Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County. The sharp cathedral-shaped top of the peak was left uneroded as Pleistocene glaciers scraped its flanks smooth. The west peak (left side) of Cathedral Peak is called Eichorn Pinnacle, after Jules Eichorn, who first ascended a route (difficulty = YDS 5.4 ) in 1931. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    96CAL-06-05_Cathedral-Peak-Lake-Yose...jpg
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