Favorite Photos – 2019 – Alex Wilson Photography and Video

Here are some photos that I had fun making in 2019. I started out the year with a New Years trip to Rehoboth Beach and Cape Henlopen State Park on the Delaware coast.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park, DE.

Delaware Breakwater East Lighthouse seen from Cape Henlopen State Park in the early morning hours.

View of downtown Pittsburgh from an overpass over I-279 north of the city.

Cold temperatures in February froze Cathedral Falls in Gauley Bridge, WV

The late day sun shines through water droplets at Cathedral Falls in Gauley Bridge, WV creating a rainbow.

In both March and October 2019 I had the amazing opportunity to go to New York City’s financial district with the WVU Chambers College of Business’ Student Managed Investment fund.

WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics students visit the floor of the New York Stock exchange.

WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics students visit 9/11 memorial in downtown Manhattan, NYC.

WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics students visit Bloomberg headquarters.

In April I got to do one of my bucket list trips. I spent a week in Utah and visited all 5 of the state’s national parks (Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon). I have visited several of the parks in Utah before but never all of them in one trip. In total, I hiked about 50 miles, drove 1,591 miles and took 13,110 photos.

Storm approaching over Otter Creek Reservoir near Angle, UT.

Sunset along the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park near Fruita, UT.

Sunrise at the North Cainville Mesa in Upper Blue Hills near Capitol Reef National Park in Cainville, UT.

Sunset over Delicate Arch in Arches National Park near Moab, UT.

Sunrise as seen through Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park Island in the Sky section.

Sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is one of the most sought after photos in the national park system so you have to get there early to get a good spot. I stayed in Moab, UT and got up at 4:15am. It took a little less then an hour to drive to the trail head of the mile long trail to get to the arch. I got to Mesa Arch about 5:25am (about an hour before sunrise) and there was already people there setting up. By the time the sun finally came up it was a circus.

Night photography at the North Window arch, Arches National Park near Moab, UT. The light in this image came from a mini battery powered LED light on 10% power. Exposure: 25 sec at f/2.8.

I’ve always wanted to visit the Fisher Tower area outside Moab, UT, a famous spot for hiking and rock climbing. I hiked the approximately 4 mile Fisher Tower Trail, its an amazing hike that lets you walk at the base of gigantic stone towers. I initially heard about the area because a TV commercial that featured a climb on one of the towers called Ancient Art (I was able to capture a few climbers on Ancient Art as I hiked by).

Approaching storm along the Rim Overlook Trail at Capitol Reef National Park in Fruita, UT.

Temple of the Sun and Moon in Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park, UT. I was staying in Torrey, UT which is about an hour and a half drive from this spot so I had to leave about 4:45am to make sure I could get there and get set up before sunrise.

Yellow beeplant (Cleme lutea) blooming in the Upper Blue Hills near Cainville, UT and Capitol Reef National Park.

Scenic Byway 12 in southern, UT.

Maddie Harvey, Pharm.D./M.B.A Program student. The Pharm.D./M.B.A Program is a joint degree program between the WVU School of Pharmacy and the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics. Photographed at the WVU Health Science Center in Morgantown, WV for the Chambers College of Business and Economics.

Pendleton Creek Falls (middle falls) in Blackwater Falls State Park near Davis, WV. There are several great falls on Pendleton Creek but they are off the beaten path and require some scrambling down steep inclines but if you are adventurous it is well worth the hike

William “Bill” Sheedy, Executive Vice President – Corporate Strategy and M&A and Government Relations of Visa, photographed at Visa’s offices in downtown San Francisco, CA for the WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics’ alumni magazine.

Day in the life of John Chambers , former executive chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems and WVU graduate, at his home office in Palo Alto, CA. Photographed for the WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics’ alumni magazine.

Sunset over the Blackwater River in Canaan Valley Resort State Park in Canaan Valley, WV.

Jason Hubbart, Director of the WVU Institute of Water Security and Science. Photographed for the WV Higher Education Policy Commission’s Science and Research Division at West Run Creek in Morgantown, WV.

I spent July 4th exploring Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, a A true-to-size, 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket was projected onto the 555-foot-tall Washington Monument. A full multimedia presentation was projected to screens on the National Mall in conjunction with the projections on the monument. Washington, D.C.

In September, 2019, I moved to Charleston, WV after spending nearly 10 years in Morgantown, WV. I spent several evenings just walking around downtown and doing photos and videos. One of my favorite spots in town to get good photos is the Southside Bridge looking toward downtown.

I photographed this Leaf at the Sidling Hill rest stop outside of Hancock, MD in September, 2019. It was the first fall color I saw of the upcoming autumn.

Sunset over the Boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, DE. I started out the year at Rehoboth Beach and wanted to go back while there was still people there but without the crowds of mid and late summer. September is a great time to go to the beach, its not as hot and there is much less people.

I have been wanting to photograph the Bartholdi Fountain in Washington, DC for years but every time I have tried it has been shut down for maintenance. I finally got it on a perfect late summer evening.

WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics student Kahdidja Difour. Photographed for the WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics’ alumni magazine.

Stephen He, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics. Photographed for the WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics’ alumni magazine.

Richard Riley, WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics Louis F. Tanner Distinguished Professor of Public Accounting and Master of Forensic and Fraud Examination Program Coordinator. Photographed for the WVU Chambers College of Business and Economics’ alumni magazine.