My title may be overblown. What I mean is, over four or five years I've tried scrambling up a scrubby ravine three times, always to arrive at these incredible rock formations just as the sky becomes a whitish overcast which does not do justice to the rocks at all. (To get an idea of just how steep the terrain is, see #5).

These views may seem to come from the middle of nowhere, but the rock columns are visible from the highway and in a few spots the highway is visible from the rocks, and always within earshot. Still, with every element of that hillside either blocking my way or shifting under my feet, it took me a good hour to climb up level with and around those amazing formations to get their portraits from the opposite side, though only twenty minutes to get back down to the car. I worked hard to make these images, literally climbing with all four limbs, and my body is still telling me about it. But up high among the tops of those columns, following a bear trail (and a large bear at that from the size and amount of its poop), often on my hands and knees, I had several prolonged moments of something even better than the anticipation of nice photos: a sense of peace and freshness and achievement, some of the key ingredients for feeling alive.

The last photo is a departure for me with its shallow depth of field. I liked the brightly lit rocks and the darker but still colorful forest background, but the wind was whipping the grass in the left foreground, so I opted for shallow depth and a higher shutter speed. I'm sure no one actually cares about that detail. Anyway, I hope you find as much beauty in these scenes as I did, and I hope they make you too feel alive.

I am a self taught "photographer" and use a Nikon 7100 with an 18-300 AF-S DX Nikkor lens. I love taking pictures of landscapes, architecture, people, actually anything. I love this camera and lens. Unfortunately, due to a recent medical issue with my arms, the camera and lens are too heavy for me to use any more. I'm looking to buy a lighter camera. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should look at? What about mirror-less cameras? I've done some research but haven't found a replacement yet. Thanks.