This page was created to give my far away friends access to some of my nature photos. I greatly enjoy photography, and wish to become a better photographer. Click on a photo to see a full size version of the photo. These photos are large and may take some time to download. The photos are best viewed at 1024 X 768. I encourage all who view these photos to send comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism to me via email. They also make great wallpaper for your computer.

All photos are © copyright 1997-2002 by Michael Davis and may not be used for any commercial purpose without my consent.

New photos from my trips to the Smoky Mountains in October of 2000 and October of 2001. I timed these trips to hit the peak of the fall colors. I took hundreds of pictures (as usual) but server space limitations only allow me to post a few here.

This is a photo of Abrams Falls. It takes a long hike to get there but it's worth it. It is a very popular hike and it took a lot of tries to get photos without lots of people in them.

Here is another photo of Abrams Falls. The tail head for the hike to the falls is located off the Cades Cove loop road at the West end of the Smoky Mountains National Park.

Continuing with the waterfall theme, This is a photo of Laurel Falls. This waterfall is an easy hike off the main road through the park.

Here I am looking down on 2nd Falls from high up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Fall colors were just amazing. The second week in October is the time to go to the Smokies.

I decided to take a break from the crowds in the smokies and headed North to the less popular but still very beautiful Obed River area.

While hiking along the Obed River I chanced upon his reflective pool with lots of brilliant trees around it. Never without my camera, I got this shot.

Sometimes finding a beautiful spot doesn't require any effort at all. I was driving down a winding road Southwest of the Smokies, following this river through a narrow valley. Many places along the roadside were quite lovely. I stopped here and had a picnic lunch. Not another vehicle came down the road the whole time I was there. Just the sound of the water and the wind could be heard.

This photo was taken on the Little River on a foggy morning in the Tennessee section of the Smokies. It turned out so nice I had an 11 X 14 print made and framed.

This is a photo of a quaint tin-roofed shack amid fog and blazing trees on a back road in Tennessee near Smoky Mountain National Park.

A very tame deer I ran across on a hike in the woods. He let me get very close to him for this shot.

Below are photos from previous vacations in no particular order.

Group 1. The Grand Canyon

This photo was taken on the South Rim near Bright Angel Lodge in the early morning light.

This photo was taken somewhere on the South Rim near midday.

This photo was taken somewhere on the South Rim near midday. Of the hundreds of photos of the Grand Canyon I have taken, this is my favorite.

This photo was taken on the South Rim West of Bright Angel Lodge in the late afternoon light.

Here my good friend and travelling companion Dee Stephens is bravely ignoring her fear of heights for this photo.

Group 2. Monument Valley

This classic shot of the Mittens was taken from the observation deck of the Monument Valley visitor center.

This is a wider angle view of the Mittens. This photo was taken on another trip to Monument Valley. Notice how the colors change under different lighting conditions. This is what they mean when they say, 'This is big sky country.'

This is a close-up photo of Left Mitten. In the background, you can see some of the other spectacular formations in the valley.

This is a photo of Totem Pole Rock. It takes a long bumpy drive into the valley to get there, but it's worth the trip.

Group 3. Mountains

This is a photo of the San Francisco Peaks just north of Flagstaff Arizona. This photo was taken in early June but some roads were still closed because of snow.

This photo was taken in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas

This is another photo taken in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

This is a photo of Superstition Mountain near Apache Junction Arizona. The Dutchman's Gold is somewhere nearby.

This photo was taken in Tucson Mountain Park just West of Tucson Arizona.

This is another photo taken in Tucson Mountain Park.

Yet another photo taken in Tucson Mountain Park. Here the last rays of the setting sun illuminate various types of cacti.

Group 4. Misc.

Just how big is a saguaro cactus? Here Dee Stephens gives scale to one. Dee is not a short woman and this wasn't the biggest cactus around.

This photo of aspen trees was taken at Heart's Prairie in the San Francisco Peaks North of Flagstaff Arizona.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this incredibly pastoral scene in the Jamez Mountains of New Mexico.

This is a rushing stream in the mountains above Santa Fe New Mexico.

To get most of these photos requires getting off the beaten path and taking the roads less travelled.