Moonlight snowshoeing at Blewett Pass

Name: Ben Tilden
Price range: $

Posted Feb 09, 2020

Snow-covered path and small signposts in a forest of tall, snow-laden evergreen trees under a clear blue sky.

Group of hikers in winter gear pause on a snow-covered forest trail at night, tall snow-laden evergreen trees surrounding them.

A person with a backpack is walking on a snow-covered forest trail at night, illuminated by a headlamp, surrounded by tall snow-laden trees.

Snow-covered trail winds through tall evergreen trees at night, moonlit and starry sky above.

Group of hikers in winter gear line a snowy forest trail with snow-covered trees and a distant light source in the background.

Snow-dusted evergreen trees blanketing a mountainous forest under a cloudy sky.

A tall lone pine stands among a forest of bare trees under a starry night sky, with snow covering the ground.

Snow-covered forest with tall pine trees, moonlit ground, and a distant snow-capped peak under a dark blue starry sky.

All photos were shot with an iPhone 11 Pro Max, most using the new Night Mode feature.

Soumaya, Mexico City

Posted Sep 02, 2019

Blue-tinted glass panels with a hexagonal pattern framed by metal strips on a modern building facade.

Soumaya, exterior detail

Sept. 1, 2019

Curved metallic surface covered in hexagonal tiles meets a tall, angular glass skyscraper against a bright blue sky.

Soumaya

Sept. 1, 2019

Curved blue tiled surface with a repeating hexagonal pattern outlined in dark lines.

Soumaya, reflected

Sept. 1, 2019

Roma Norte, Mexico City

Posted Sep 02, 2019

Person walking away with a large cluster of colorful helium balloons in various shapes and characters, in front of a water fountain.

Colorful vertical slats in a gradient rainbow: reds to yellows, greens to blues, with varying textures and edge details.

Person in yellow shirt walks past a bright blue geometric fence, carrying a tote bag and a booklet, with a teal wall and tree in the background.

Street sign for Tepic and Linarejo on a light pole beside a blue building, with a tree trunk in the foreground.

Two pedestrians walk along a tree-lined street past colorful, ornate buildings with a large "149" sign over a black awning.

Bright pink tropical flowers with long white stamens on a vine, set against dark green foliage and blurred background.

Palacio de Bellas Artes and Alameda Central

Posted Sep 01, 2019

Panoramic view of a grand historic building with a yellow-orange dome, surrounding plaza, and bustling street traffic lined with trees on a sunny day.

Panoramic photo of the Palacio de Bellas Artes and adjacent Alameda Central Park

Aug. 31, 2019

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

Posted Sep 01, 2019

The white historic building with a large yellow-gold striped dome is framed by green trees against a clear blue sky.

Facade of a grand neoclassical building with a colorful domed roof, ornate arches, and sculpted statues against a blue sky.

A grand neoclassical building with a colorful domed roof sits at the end of a wide plaza, surrounded by manicured gardens and crowds of people.

Silhouetted pair walks on a glossy checkered floor, reflected light from ornate glass doors creates vertical patterns.

Glass-tiled domed roof with orange, yellow, and reflective strips in foreground; urban buildings and hills in distance under a clear blue sky.

Distant cityscape with a grand domed building featuring a yellow-orange tiled dome, ornate arches, and a dark bird perched in the foreground.

Flower bomb

Posted Jul 28, 2019

Close-up view of vibrant orange-red peony petals with ruffled, layered textures and a dark central area.

In full bloom at the Woodland Park Rose Garden

July 28, 2019

Rainy day at Mount Rainier

Posted Jul 28, 2019

Alpine marmot resting among low green foliage, purple flowers, and small rocks with a blurred forested background.

A friendly marmot

July 27, 2019

Wildflowers in the rain

Posted Jul 27, 2019

Delicate white cluster of tiny flowers with droplets on a curved green stem against a blurred green garden background.

Purple daisy with a yellow center in a green grassy field, dew on petals, another similar bloom blurred in background.

Purple, pink, and blue wildflowers blanket a rocky hillside with tall white globe-like seed heads rising above green foliage.

A dried, white flower cluster hangs from a slender green stem against a blurred green and purple garden background.

Dew-covered white globe thistles stand among rocks and greenery on a misty coastal garden.

Tall green stem with a spherical cluster of tiny white flowers, dew drops on petals, in a misty, grassy meadow with blurred trees in the background.

Moraine Lake

Posted Jul 20, 2019

Turquoise lake reflects snow-dusted jagged mountains under a blue sky, with evergreen trees along rocky shore and a small red kayak on the water.

Early morning at Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada

June 15, 2019

Petra

Posted Apr 14, 2019

Ancient sandstone façade with ornate columns, pediments, and carvings set into a reddish cliff face.

Greetings from the Middle East

Posted Mar 30, 2019

A bearded man in a black suit and hat stands on a balcony in front of a cityscape with the golden Dome of the Rock and a tall minaret in the background.

I’m halfway through my two-week trip to Israel and Jordan. This is my second time to Israel and it’ll be my first time to Jordan. As before, I’ve been based in Tel Aviv, taking day trips to Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea. The food, architecture and history here are all incredible. So many cultures have come together here and blended into something both new and ancient.

This afternoon I’ll be hopping onto a 40 minute flight and then taking a ride through the desert to our next destination, Petra. I can’t wait — this is the thing I’ve been looking forward to most on this trip.

Road to nowhere

Posted Feb 23, 2019

A muddy winding path cuts through a dense forest with tall trees and scattered fallen leaves along the sides.

Scan from negative

Summer 2001

Around the year 2001, I drove down on a whim from Seattle to central Oregon — an area that would later become known for cults and militiamen, but at the time was mostly just a blank space on the map to me. I wanted to explore, take a few photos, and find a place I remembered my grandfather once talking about, called Steens Mountain.

At the end of the second day, barreling down the backside of that mountain toward my motel room and a shower and a bed, a side road flashed into my peripheral vision and then was gone. Something about it grabbed me; I slammed on my brakes and went back to snap this picture.

This remains a favorite photo and a favorite memory — one of those times I ventured out on my own to nowhere in particular, just to see what I could see.

Joshua Tree

Posted Feb 17, 2019

Close-up of a spiky yellow-green yucca plant with long pointed leaves in a desert landscape and a blue sky.

Joshua tree on the Barker Dam Trail, Joshua Tree National Park

Feb. 16, 2019

Joshua Tree National Park

Posted Feb 17, 2019

Desert landscape with Joshua trees, shrubs, and rocky hills under a clear blue sky, distant snow-capped mountains visible.

Desert landscape with tall Joshua trees, rocky outcrops, and dry shrubbery under a clear blue sky.

Desert rocky landscape with large beige boulders, sparse shrubs, and a calm reflective pool mirroring the clear blue sky.

Desert landscape with large weathered granite boulders, a calm blue pond, and sparse desert plants under a clear blue sky.

Single Joshua tree with spiky branches in a desert landscape, rocky hills in the distance under a clear sky.

Desert rocky landscape under a bright sun, with large boulders in the foreground and sparse vegetation across a rugged terrain.

Desert landscape with a prominent Joshua tree in the center, dry brush, and distant mountains under a bright blue sky.

Clustering cholla cactus with spiky golden spines in a dry desert landscape under a clear blue sky.

Joshua Tree has been on my to-visit list for years, and despite the crowds, it did not disappoint.

I arrived early, I thought, on a Saturday morning in February. But when I pulled over the consult my map, I saw a near-constant parade of cars and trucks streaming in right behind me. So much for that.

Still, like most of the national parks I’ve been to, there’s something electric in the air, crowds or no. It makes me think about what the earth must have looked and felt like just a few thousand years and several billion people ago.

The trees at Joshua Tree are cool, of course, but the rock formations created a sense of place that I’ll never forget. I wanted to see more and soak the place up, but by midday the parking lots were annoyingly full of minivans, and I ended up heading back to Palm Springs for nachos and a margarita instead.

On my way back, the line of cars waiting to get in stretched on for more than a miserable mile.

I can’t wait to return someday and explore Joshua Tree properly — maybe on a Tuesday, or a Wednesday.

Saguaro National Park

Posted Jan 22, 2019

Desert trail winds through cacti and scrub as a pink-orange sunset lights the horizon, with hills in the distance and rocky ground underfoot.

Tall saguaro cactus stands upright in a desert landscape with scrubby bushes, prickly pear, and distant mountains under a blue sky.

Tall saguaro cactus with multiple curved arms stands amid desert shrubs, against a distant rocky hillside and clear blue sky.

Desert landscape with tall green cacti and dense shrubs across gently sloped terrain.

Desert silhouette at dusk with dark cacti and shrubs against a gradient pink, purple, and blue sky.

Silhouetted desert shrubs and tall cacti on a rocky hill against a gradient pink to orange sunset sky.

Tall desert hills with numerous cacti silhouette against a blue twilight sky, a bright full moon rising near the hill peak.

Tall saguaro cactus with multiple arms rises over desert shrubs against a sunset sky of pastel purples and oranges.

Tall saguaro cactus stands among desert shrubs with a mountainous backdrop at sunset.