Brett J Donnelly Photography

Temple of the Gods was captured on an early morning in Utah as the sun was peaking over the La Sal Mountains in the distance. An hour before the sun rose the underside of this amazing arch began to glow a bright red from the warm sunlight slowly illuminating the horizon. It was an unusual experience for Brett as many of his photographs feature such rare light but are unnoticable to the naked eye. Photographing this moment seconds after sunrise allowed Brett to capture the soft glow of the sandstone while maintaining awesome clarity and definition in the distant valley.

Photographed on a clear, calm evening in the soutwest desert of the United States Brett captured Circle of Life.  Sitting high above the canyon below, tucked under an alcove carved into vertical cliffs rests this secret Indian ruin.  The purpose of the site is still debated among archeologists along with the age but one thing is certain… the view from this secluded balcony is breathtaking.  Brett sat patiently by his camera for hours as the light in the distance shifted and slowly illuminated the canyon in warm hues and soft light.

Brett has taken long exposure photography to a new level with Infinity, a rare photograph of famous Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.  “I was patiently watching a magnificent sunset fall upon the arch” recalls Brett.  “But I wasn’t there to photograph a sunset.”  As light turned to dark the stars began to paint the sky.  The Milky Way shifted from left to right as Brett aligned his camera on the sandstone slope below.  Taking only a 30 second exposure and pushing his camera aperture to the limit to reduce the effects of the Earth’s rotation, Brett captured Infinity when the Milky Way was framed by this iconic landmark.

This secluded slot canyon located on sacred Navajo land is rarely photographed.  Brett was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit this incredible wonder of Mother Nature.  Carved by flash floods and relentless wind, the red and purple hues of this tight canyon are only illuminated during the summer solstice and at high noon.  The fleeting light shifted quickly as Brett layed flat on his back underneath his tripod waiting for the moment to capture the perfect light.  The sky above was perfectly clear and creates a rich contrast to the pastel hues of the sandstone.  Brett was nearly one hundred feet underground when he captured Earth and Sky.

Hiking through a narrow slot canyon on sacred Navajo land, Brett and his guide approached a brightly lit section where the sandstone opened to the sky and the sun above illuminated a lonely plant.  “The bush offered such great contrast to the sandstone canyon” recalls Brett.  “It was an easy decision to photograph it.  The light was perfect and the moment was fleeting so I had to act quickly.  I setup my equipment, adjusted my settings and came home with a great shot.”

Early mornings are Brett’s favorite time to photograph and Alpenglow shows why that is.  “The light is simply magical before sunrise” explains Brett.  “I remember framing this shot and watching the rock catch fire with light.  It was a wonderful experience to witness the landscape wake up like that.”  The bare rock illuminated by the rising sun is a perfect contrast to the lush valley below.

Waking up early to photograph this magnificent sandstone Arch, Brett captured Rare Light nearly an hour before sunrise.  His camera, stabilized from wind and vibrations by a heavy tripod, spent over five minutes collecting the faint light refracted off our Earth’s atmosphere and falling upon the desert floor.  Brett has mastered the difficult task of long-exposure photography and Rare Light is one of his greatest achievements.  For years he has wanted to capture the rare purple hues of a desert morning and now he has.

As the sun set upon Monument Valley, a special land to the Navajo people in southern Utah, Brett wanted to capture the simplicity of this vast and amazing landscape.  He first saw Monument Valley as a young child and had come back several times to experience this peaceful place.  Although the nearby town had changed considerably and it has begun to turn into a tourist attraction, Monument Valley is still a place where if you venture off the beaten path there are new landscapes to discover in every direction.

Craftsman captures the rich history of the American spirit.  The barn was built in the early 20th century as a supply shed for the cattle pasture that is still in operation today.  The character and charm of this Appalachian barn caught Brett’s attention as he was hiking the area in late summer.  “It instantly captivated me… I had been looking for the perfect, unspoiled barn for years.” recalls Brett of his experience capturing Rustic.  “The timing was right too… the fall colors had set in offering the perfect backdrop for the image.  I knew I wanted to make the barn’s rustic details the focal point so I spent extra time ensuring proper exposure of the barn itself.”

Limited Edition: 250

Yellow Leaf Road is a look into the mountain roads of Virginia during the peak of fall color. Utilizing a long exposure soon after sunset, Brett was able to capture the intense colors of this lush vegitation.

“We followed a small forest service road for several miles” recalls Brett. “It was a magical place full of colorful trees, waterfalls, valleys and boulders. As the sun was quickly setting behind the mountains in the distance I decided to capture one more image on film for the day. We came upon this cluster of yellow leaved trees with a bend in the road. It was perfect. I setup my tripod and camera, carefully aligned the shot and took about a 45 second exposure. The result is Yellow Leaf Road.”

Limited Edition: 250 // AP: 10

Brett captured Sacred Falls on film in early autumn in the hills of North Carolina.  This beautiful waterfall is relatively quiet during the late summer and early fall which gives it a tranquil feeling surrounded by golden leaves and the debris left over from the floods earlier in the springtime.   “When I came upon this waterfall I was instantly captivated by it’s setting” recalls Brett.  “It was framed on both sides with steep slopes and fallen leaves which gave peace to the chaos of the debris pool below.”

Sacred Falls is part of Brett’s Fall 2010 Collection and is available as both a limited edition print and an exclusive artist proof.

Limited Edition: 250 // Artist Proof: 10

Nestled deep in the Appalachian mountains is a small, one lane forest road.  It has no name and is not marked with any signs.  It winds back and forth from the top of a mountain to the base of a small stream that carves its way through a valley full of colorful trees and large boulders.  Brett was fortunate enough to find this hidden gem and capture the tight corners and lush foliage that is Silent Turn.

“I remember driving down this one lane road as dawn was quickly approaching” recalls Brett. “We had no idea where it went but I wanted to capture the slope and tight turns that made it such a charming little road.” The result is a unique photograph full of adventure and beautiful scenery.

Limited Edition: 250

America the Beautiful captures the true spirit and essence of the American dream. The freedom to roam the open road is both a right and privelege and Brett set out to capture that feeling on film in the Appalacian Mountains of North Carolina. There, along the back roads full of color and grace, he found expansive landscapes, small towns thick with character and the cleanest air imaginable.

“Roaming the Smokey Mountains during the fall has been a dream of mine for many years.” recalls Brett. “We set out with the hopes to capture the true essence of America and came home with a warm appreciation for the beauty and grace of our country.”

America the Beautiful was the defining image of Brett’s journey to depict the heart and soul of America in a single shot.

Limited Edition: 250

Enchanted Forest is a view into the complex, yet elegant structure of the eastern American ecosystem. Captured in the Appalacian Mountains early one autumn morning, Brett came upon this perfect oasis of color while hiking along a stream he was looking to photograph.

“The scene immediately captivated me.” recalls Brett. “It was just too perfect. We had hiked for many miles looking to capture all of the colors we were experiencing and this was the moment that it all came together.”

Enchanted Forest depicts both the grand beauty and intricate details that our amazing environment has to offer. The wide variety of colors and textures are only visible for a few short days before falling to the ground and waiting for winter to come.

Limited Edition: 250

Rustic captures the rich history of the American spirit.  The barn was built in the early 20th century as a supply shed for the cattle pasture that is still in operation today.  The character and charm of this Appalachian barn caught Brett’s attention as he was hiking the area in late summer.  “It instantly captivated me… I had been looking for the perfect, unspoiled barn for years.” recalls Brett of his experience capturing Rustic.  “The timing was right too… the fall colors had set in offering the perfect backdrop for the image.  I knew I wanted to make the barn’s rustic details the focal point so I spent extra time ensuring proper exposure of the barn itself.”

Limited Edition: 250

Wandering through an amazing slot canyon on sacred Navajo land, Brett wanted to capture the artistic shapes of the sandstone that had been carved by flash floods and high winds.  At the enterance to this 100′ deep slot canyon featured a sandstone hallway carved from what resembled broken pottery, carved by thousands of years of Mother Natures flash floods and strong winds.  “I was immediately captivated by the beauty of the forms of this canyon” recalls Brett.  “The sandstone was surreal, as if it were carved by angels.  The surfaces were smooth and the colors were amazing.”  Brett was in a photographers paradise and took advantage every chance he got.  The result of filming the enterance is Pottery and his latest print intoduced to his 2011 Fall Collection.

Limited Edition: 250

he advancing ice of Grey Glacier in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile highlights the extreme elements coupled with the severe and grinding movement of an ice floe. Upon close inspection the reflective blue ice is scarred by the pressure that fractures and moves the ice in its long winding path down the gorge, while simultaneously collecting part of the gorge in its journey towards Grey Glacier Lake.

Limited Edition: 100

High above the 45th parallel, in the shadow of a long sun, a passing rain shower bends an arc of separated light into a beautiful Arctic Rainbow. The curve of the earth in relationship to the sun at this latitude gives rise to an arch of color that makes you want to jump up and touch it.

Limited Edition: 100