James Mead Photography

06/08/2025

"From the Ashes," the Milky Way over Mount Saint Helens, Washington

I've been coming to Mount St Helens my entire life, witnessing the rebirth of the mountain as it changes each year. It's been amazing to see the mountain heal over all these decades, but perhaps one of my most favorite things up there is to see the Milky Way core rising out from the crater. It's a sight than never gets old!!

Canon 5DMKIII, EF 24-70 f/2.8 L II. Stack of 8 exposures at 24mm, 6400 ISO 25 seconds.

01/25/2024

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎 Helena French

01/24/2024

"Valley of Light," Rising moonlight over Yosemite Falls, the Merced River and snow covered Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

The rising moon in the east illuminates the granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Falls tumbles 2545 feet over the cliffs towards the snow covered valley below as the scene reflects in the cold, still waters of the Merced River.

There's something about a moonlit winter scene which always captures my imagination. Even the slightest moonlight provides enough light to bring a landscape alive. The moon was slightly below full here, and as the moon rose just a few degrees above the horizon the golden hue from the rising moon began to illuminate the cliffs around Yosemite Falls high above the cold snow in Yosemite Valley below. I stood in amazement at the beauty of the moonlit cliffs above the marvelous snow covered valley, as Yosemite Falls tumbled through the moonlight towards the valley below. I've always been one to take what nature provides when it comes to photography, and nature put on quite a show this night. It's a beautiful mix of winter, the rising moonlight and beautiful reflections in the still waters of the Merced River. The stars in the night sky still shine brightly above since the Moon is still low on the horizon as they shine through the wispy clouds just above the granite cliffs. The light came together perfectly here. It was a beautiful moment of serenity, a beautiful reminder to pay attention to the little details and to always look for the beauty in front of you.

Fine Art Prints available on my website. Link in Bio. This release is in the James Mead Collection and the in the Winter in Yosemite Valley sub-gallery of the Yosemite National Park Gallery

Details: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II. Single Exposure at 24mm, f/2.8, 6400ISO, 25 seconds.

01/21/2024

"Eternity," Sunset reflections over a meadow in the Winter, Yosemite National Park, California

Sunset brings colors to the skies over a snow covered meadow as the scene reflects in an ephemeral creek surrounded by snow.

John Muir repeatedly referred to Yosemite as a mountain cathedral, and it’s easy to see why. In the winter when it snows, Yosemite Valley transforms into a wondrous winter cathedral. It's among the most beautiful places I have ever laid eyes on. I went snowshoeing in the valley and meadows looking for the hidden beauty, and this ephemeral stream cutting a channel through the snow was simply magical against the backdrop of the granite cliffs and sunset in the sky. Muir once said “going to the mountains is going home,” and for me that’s the feeling I get every time I return to Yosemite. It's such a wonderous place of incredible beauty, and every time I'm there I'm so very thankful John Muir spent his life protecting it, so that the rest of us are able to enjoy it from here to Eternity.

Fine Art Prints available on my website. Link in Bio. This release is in the James Mead Collection and the Winter in Yosemite Valley sub-gallery of the Yosemite National Park Gallery.

EXIF: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II. 24mm, f/11, 100ISO, 1/8 second

01/11/2024

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Jo Hamilton, Helena French, Cathy Peterson Bowlds, Jean Murray, Sharon Gerhardt

01/01/2024

Bioluminescence on the Oregon Coast is always one of my favorite things every summer. It's one of those things that always excites you whether it's your first time or 10th time experiencing it 🙂

"Mastery of Water," Bioluminescence, the Milky Way, Jupiter and Saturn over the Pacific Ocean, Oregon Coast

The Milky Way, Jupiter and Saturn reflect off shallow water in the Pacific Ocean as they rise high into the sky above. Bioluminescence illuminates the waves of the ocean blue as they roll towards the shore along the Oregon Coast.

This night was one of the more vivid displays of Bioluminescence I've ever seen on the Oregon Coast. My wife and son joined me on this trip, and it was certainly memorable for all of us. I live 90 minutes from this spot, so we're all here quite a bit. But there's nothing quite like seeing the sand light up with faint blue sparkles as you walk across the wet sand. For this one, I walked out towards the tide line so I could get the reflection of the Milky Way in the wet sand just right. You have to be careful and keep a careful eye on things when doing that (especially at night) since the tide can come in hard and fast. It's always serene, being near the ocean. At night it's an entirely different experience. The lack of light really allows you to listen and take in the rhythmic sound of the Waves rolling ashore. Throw in some bioluminescence, stars in the Milky Way and it's one of those experiences were you just get lost in the beauty of nature. There's so much more to the beauty of nature than what we can see, and experiences like this are a beautiful reminder of that. Everything came together perfectly, and experiences like this are a reminder of just amazing our planet truly is.

🖼️ Fine Art Prints available on my website. Link in Bio.

This release is in the James Mead Collection linked in my Bio. You can also find it in the Oregon Coast Gallery on my website.

📷 Details: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II. Single Exposure, 24mm, f/2.8, 6400ISO, 25 seconds.

01/01/2024

There's nothing quite like seeing Yosemite Falls in all its glory 🙂

"Classic Beauty," Yosemite Falls through the Trees, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

This is one of those quintessential, classic views of Yosemite. I used the trees frame the falls, pulling together two classic elements of the valley to create the feeling of viewing the falls from the forest below. I love the depth this view creates, as you look through the layers of the forest towards the falls. This was taken during the Golden Hour a little before sunset, and you can see the warm glow of the sun cast a glow on the granite slope high above. At 2425 feet tall it's the highest waterfall in North America. The thundering roar of Yosemite Falls in the springtime can be quite a relaxing. It's one of those sights where time seems to stand still as you stand in awe, marveling at the beauty of nature. Waterfalls are always relaxing, but it's especially relaxing to witness a sight such as this in the springtime, when the snow melt transforms things to a whole different level of beauty.

Details: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II. Single exposure: 57mm, f/11, 200ISO, 30 seconds

Fine Art Prints available for my website. Link in Bio. This release is in the James Mead Collection and the Yosemite Valley Sub-Gallery of the Yosemite National Park Gallery. You can also get to it by entering "Classic Beauty" on the search page.

Thank you for viewing and have a great day!!

01/01/2024

2023 has been an amazing year. It started out tough, as I was in the hospital with kidney failure unsure and the doctors I would ever recover. I spent close to 3 weeks there before I recovered enough to be released. Thankfully, the biopsy later showed best case scenario and I made a full and complete recovery. Things like that really put life in perspective, and show you what's truly important. Last year was spent in the hospital instead of with family, and I'm so very grateful that this year I get to spend the holidays and new years with family and friends. I've been fortunate enough this year since I recovered to spend lots of time with my family, and lots of time out in nature exploring and capturing it's wondrous beauty with my camera. As 2023 draws to a close, I wanted to share 12 of my favorite photos that I've released this year. I've seen too many beautiful things to share in one single post, but these 12 are some of my favorite moments. I've seen some absolutely beautiful thing during my career, and I'm so very grateful that I'm still here to continue to be able to do so.

Thank you to everyone for following along with me on my journeys, I wish you all a Happy New Year and an amazing 2024!! 🙂

01/01/2024

Still one of the best sunsets I've ever witnessed

"Tranquility," Half Dome Sunset, Yosemite National Park

Sunset lights the skies as Alpenglow illuminates Half Dome and the Yosemite High Country.

This was a true moment of tranquility where time seems to stand still, one I'll never forget. I actually had to desaturate the sky it was so vivid. It was absolutely incredible, one of the most vivid sunsets I've ever seen. The colors seemingly hung on forever, lasting well past dusk as the light of day slowly faded out. It was true Alpenglow at its finest. Nature really put on a show. From before Sunset until past dusk, the Alpenglow illuminated Half Dome while the colors reflected off the cloud cover in the sky. I've always been a big fan of cloud cover; the most vivid sunsets are always when the clouds are able to let the light through and trap it. The colors illuminating Half Dome are sublime, and the haze on the mountain ridges in the distance really ties the scene together. Tranquil moments like this are why I walked away from my career a decade ago and went into landscape photography full-time. At the end of the day, memories are what you take with you and my what an amazing memory this was.

Fine Art Prints available on my website. Link in Bio. This photo is in the James Mead Collection and the Yosemite High Country sub-gallery of my Yosemite National Park Gallery.

Photo Details: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L IS II USM + EF 2X III extender. Single Exposure: 310, f/11, 100ISO, 2.5 seconds

09/16/2023

Celebrating my 10th year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉

09/16/2023

Bioluminescence on the Oregon Coast has long been one of my favorite things. Our eyes can't see color very well at night, but thankfully that's not a problem camera sensors have. On this particular night, the bioluminescence was so strong you could actually see a hint of blue with your eyes (which is rare).

"Mastery of Water," Bioluminescence, the Milky Way, Jupiter and Saturn over the Pacific Ocean, Oregon Coast

The Milky Way, Jupiter and Saturn reflect off shallow water in the Pacific Ocean as they rise high into the sky above. Bioluminescence illuminates the waves of the ocean blue as they roll towards the shore along the Oregon Coast.

This night was one of the more vivid displays of Bioluminescence I've ever seen on the Oregon Coast. My wife and son joined me on this trip, and it was certainly memorable for all of us. I live 90 minutes from this spot, so we're all here quite a bit. But there's nothing quite like seeing the sand light up with faint blue sparkles as you walk across the wet sand. For this one, I walked out towards the tide line so I could get the reflection of the Milky Way in the wet sand just right. You have to be careful and keep a careful eye on things when doing that (especially at night) since the tide can come in hard and fast. It's always serene, being near the ocean. At night it's an entirely different experience. The lack of light really allows you to listen and take in the rhythmic sound of the Waves rolling ashore. Throw in some bioluminescence, stars in the Milky Way and it's one of those experiences were you just get lost in the beauty of nature. There's so much more to the beauty of nature than what we can see, and experiences like this are a beautiful reminder of that. Everything came together perfectly, and experiences like this are a reminder of just amazing our planet truly is.

🖼️ Fine Art Prints available on my website. Link in Bio.

This release is in the James Mead Collection linked in my Bio. You can also find it in the Oregon Coast Gallery on my website.

📷 Details: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II. Single Exposure, 24mm, f/2.8, 6400ISO, 25 seconds.

09/16/2023

Is you've never seen Yosemite Falls in all it's glory in the spring, you're missing out. It's simply stunning.

"Classic Beauty," Yosemite Falls through the Trees, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

This is one of those quintessential, classic views of Yosemite. I used the trees frame the falls, pulling together two classic elements of the valley to create the feeling of viewing the falls from the forest below. I love the depth this view creates, as you look through the layers of the forest towards the falls. This was taken during the Golden Hour a little before sunset, and you can see the warm glow of the sun cast a glow on the granite slope high above. At 2425 feet tall it's the highest waterfall in North America. The thundering roar of Yosemite Falls in the springtime can be quite a relaxing. It's one of those sights where time seems to stand still as you stand in awe, marveling at the beauty of nature. Waterfalls are always relaxing, but it's especially relaxing to witness a sight such as this in the springtime, when the snow melt transforms things to a whole different level of beauty.

Details: Canon 5DMKIII, Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II. Single exposure: 57mm, f/11, 200ISO, 30 seconds

Fine Art Prints available for my website. Link in Bio. This release is in the James Mead Collection and the Yosemite Valley Sub-Gallery of the Yosemite National Park Gallery. You can also get to it by entering "Classic Beauty" on the search page.

Thank you for viewing and have a great day!!