Ian Gaston Photography

This image was taken at a favorite local park of mine along the San Lorenzo River. The wind picked up just enough to create these interesting patterns.

Rocks within rocks

Photographed last winter, the mix of a recent rainstorm and beautifully diffused light allowed the colors of this small patch of tafoni to take center stage.

Stargazing the middle of the afternoon.

I am so fascinated with these spotted sandstone patterns and how they formed. I believe the spots are iron oxide and are much harder than the surrounding stone which is why it retains its shape and rich rust color. I’m sure the consistent wetting and drying cycles also play a large part…anywho …

Wading through my local river getting lost in the reflections.

Gravitational time dilation. I may have extended my life by a couple of nanoseconds shooting this scene.

Spring forest painted by snow

Creek wading, attempting to harness that blue sky midday light magic.

Ocean water sitting inside honeycomb pockets of coastal tafoni. At first glance, the liquid appears to be tight spherical droplets. When viewed upside down though, it’s easier to decipher that the droplets are in fact concave. A fun little optical illusion:)

Rooted in Granite, Yosemite #photo #photography #photographer #photoOfTheDay #lensCulture #landscapePhotography #photographyLovers #naturePhotography #fineArtPhotography

Some of the prettiest mud tiles I’ve come across on the edge of a southern Utah gulch.

My kinda super bloom 🤪 Photographed very close to home, these turkey tails seemed to love this decaying oak stump. Happy birthday Earth, you don’t look a day over 4.54 billion! 🎉🎊🍰

A small beautifully colored piece of sandstone resembling a mountainscape.

The complex interaction between physical and chemical weathering.

Wanted to do some more exploring during low tide at unfamiliar coastlines and stumbled across some beautiful conglomerate fossils.

An busy section of coastal tafoni shot during a stormy day. I felt that rotating the image had more of a visual impact.

Breath the Alps… captured at the Mt Pelvoux, France

Some light breaking through in Yosemite Valley

This sandstone was beautiful enough on its own but I wanted to wait for the tide to come in to tell more of a story of how it was formed. After about 150 exposures, I landed on this one.

3 limpets caught in a swirling sandstone vortex

A beautifully weathered Eucalyptus stump with some very unique grain structure. I’ve revisited this particular stump a handful of times and there is always something new to discover.

I’ve photographed this one particular section of coastal tafoni many times before, but loved the added dimensionality that the rain gave this scene.

The annual shedding of a Blue Gum Eucalyptus showcasing the vibrant chlorophyll rich inner bark.

The clearing of a storm.

It took me more than 4 years to capture a scene I could only dream of. A magnificent Condor soars above the peaks of Argentina's Mount Fitz Roy, as they are spot lit in beautiful morning light. #bluesky #photography #landscape #birds #nature #art #landscapephotography #naturephotography #sunrise

Lost in the lines

Came across a very interesting ice pattern that caught my interest immediately.

A granite monolith still easily recognizable regardless of lack of context.

After spending some time in the Eastern Sierras, I made a quick stop to an iconically unique and special place.

A wonderful display of concretion and am guessing there’s a fossil hidden inside.

Reflected golden light of a mountain peak dancing off the water of an alpine lake. Unfortunately the details get a bit lost being viewed on a mobile device.

I was immediately drawn to the way this small stone fit beautifully inside this larger sandstone cavity.

Some clues to Earth’s complex history.

The last bit of evening light hitting a fascinating section of sandstone along the California coast.

A small but wonderful section of colorful coastal tafoni.

Small pockets of water catching some reflected light from the coastal bluffs.

A whole new world recently exposed by heavy rains and extreme low tides.

The mystery of coastal tafoni.

A double exposure showing the juxtaposition between soft and hard.

The fascinating geology of the California coast. No matter how many times I photograph the same location, there is always something new to be found.

An ocean canopy. Bull kelp thriving in the beautiful blue waters of the Monterey Bay. The kelp’s pneumatocyst, a gas filled bladder, helps it stay afloat on the ocean’s surface aiding in photosynthesis process.

I’m excited to have come first place in the Woodlands category in the @natural-landscapes.bsky.social awards with this photo ‘Remnant of time’. It was taken on an exceptionally cold morning with a thick frost encrusting the Caledonian forest. Congrats to other winners, organisers and judges. #nlpa

An image from my recent small collection titled “Spessartine” which showcases this unique colored sand. The manganese garnet found along the coastal bluffs break down into tiny vibrant particles that resemble glitter.

A tiny piece of giant kelp washed up during low tide.

A colorful array of stones just below the surface of a creek.

A macro image of the shedding phase of a mature Manzanita tree. If you look closely on the upper right portion you can see an ant wedging herself between the bark.

Some very unique sedimentary sandstone with remaining pockets of water from the receding tide along the California coast

The beautiful geology of the desert

Enjoying the way the light plays in this small section of tafoni