Great images, Jim. And, another new dimension of the "wise sage from the west."

Darling Harbor, Sydney, AU

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Nice shots Brent. I have said it before and will again, you capture great action surfing shots. Watched the finals yesterday from my home in Telluride with smoke streaming in the windows and through the doors. Remembered my youth surfing and found myself dreaming of being there. They said the water was 75? That is really warm. Maybe that means an El Nino year and big snow in SW Colorado. I sure hope so because last year was terrible. Keep up the good work and I always look forward to your posts. Neil

I live in Telluride. From Durango take Hwy 550 to Ridgway. Get an "off-road" map of the area and take some of the roads between Silverton and Ouray to find old mines nestled into the mountains. See attached photo. I have lived in Colorado, Steamboat Springs, Durango, Telluride for 30 years. The San Juan Mountains are, without a doubt, the best area for fall foliage. Have a great trip and if you are in Telluride, stop by the Mountain Lodge and ask for me. I will buy you a beer. Neil

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Thank you all for your kind comments. Black Bear pass would be to the right of this.

Don't count on it.

Telluride, Colorado on a "normal" summer afternoon, without smoke from fires. Taken in another year.

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WONDERFUL!!! As always. Especially #2.

Don't know where you live but find a pro camera store somewhere and play around with what they have to find the best pack for your needs. You might get lucky over the internet but nothing works like touching, feeling, making sense out of what works for you and your needs. I have learned by experimentation. The backpacks I use are those I tried on first, in a brick and mortar store.

Although I would agree, I was once in Monument Valley which is part of the Navajoes nation. It was spring and I wanted to capture wildflowers blooming. Got out of my car with camera and tripod and was walking out into an open field. Didn't get too far when a pick-up drove up and a Native American got out with rifle in hand and told me to get off the property, that it was his private property and the horses on the land belonged to him and I could not take any pictures. I told him I was only interested in the wildflowers but his menacing attitude along with a rifle pointing at me made a certain impression. I left to go look elsewhere. I don't know that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction on Native American property. Just an aside on this topic.

Know the spot, captured it many times. However, your composition is the best I have seen and against the dark sky, FABULOUS!!! Great job.

I just returned from a NZ/Australia trip. Each day before I went exploring I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for to photograph. If I didn't need my 55-200 or 100-400, leave it in the hotel room. Yes, perhaps you may miss that one image because you didn't have the perfect lens for that particular shot, but for 95% of everything else you were covered. And you didn't kill yourself carrying around a plethora of equipment you would rarely use. Spend some time on the internet before you go, have a plan, know what you are planning on photographing. I know it's a temptation to carry a slew of gear "just in case" but you also want to enjoy your trip. I have been "Down Under" a number of times and you will have a great time. As I get older (71) I sometimes find myself leaving my Fuji equipment (pretty light) at home and just rely on my iphone. Are you selling images to be blown up on a billboard or do you want some good images to look at to remind you of a great trip. Sometimes my iphone is just perfect.

Yea, know what you mean. It's distressing when you live at 9500 ft in the middle of the mountains and can barely see the outline of the peaks from 1/2 a mile away. I would share a picture but, why? Couldn't see anything. Sign of the times.

"Here, here!" I concur with conviction. I live in a very small town of 2500 people in the Mountains of Colorado. I travel to the Philly area every year for business. The nearest camera store to me in Colorado is Denver, 400 miles away. Yes, I am a B&H supporter. But each year when I am in the Philadelphia area, I find a reason to visit Allen's Camera and usually buy something, just because. I found my last two camera bags there and very much appreciated the quality of service.

Could not agree with you more. Camera's and lenses are one thing. The big guys do a wonderful job. Whenever I am in NY or LA or any other big city I find myself going to the "brick and mortar" stores to see and feel. I have more "camera packs" than I know what to do with but it gives me the flexibility to pick the perfect one for each trip or local excursion. Support the home town people.