It is said that Tolkien travelled through the landscape of Switzerland to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, a deep valley that many people now believe was the direct inspiration for the valley of Rivendell, a place instrumental to events both in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The name Rivendell itself means "Deeply Cloven Valley" and the Lauterbrunnen, with its steep sides and many waterfalls (72 to be exact), certainly fits this description, with the mountains of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau lying beyond.

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom, Color Efex, Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich.

Nikon D800, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED.

Map: 46.6000, 7.9089

My assistant and I recently braced -24°c in the United States. We drove 4516km (2806mi), hit 10 National Parks and crossed 4 States in just 8 days.

In preparation for my trip I closed my eyes, bowed my head and prayed for just one awe-inspiring photograph… and truly this is it - Yosemite National Park

No Photoshop, search @DestinSparks for more.

Phase One IQ3 100MP medium-format camera.

Photo Settings: 45mm, f/16, 1/2 second, ISO 50.

Nukarinkoski, Finland.

Adobe Lightroom 5.5.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6, Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH Power OIS.

Photo Settings: 12mm, f/16, 8 seconds, ISO 160.

A 3-light-year-long pillar, bathed in the glow of light from hot, massive stars to the top of the image. Scorching radiation and fast winds (streams of charged particles) from these stars are sculpting the pillar and causing new stars to form within it. Streamers of gas and dust can be seen flowing off the top of the structure.

Nestled inside this dense structure are fledgling stars. They cannot be seen in this image because they are hidden by a wall of gas and dust. Although the stars themselves are invisible, one of them is providing evidence of its existence. Thin puffs of material can be seen traveling to the left and to the right of a dark notch in the center of the pillar. The matter is part of a jet produced by a young star. Farther away, on the left, the jet is visible as a grouping of small, wispy clouds. A few small clouds are visible at a similar distance on the right side of the jet. Astronomers estimate that the jet is moving at speeds of up to 850,000 miles an hour. The jet's total length is about 10 light-years.

Composed of gas and dust, the pillar resides in a tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Taken at The Oasis, a restaurant on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas.

Adobe Lightroom 5.

Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM.

Photo Settings: 17mm, f/22, 1/30 second, ISO 100.

Mount Rundle is lit by the lights of Banff, Alberta against a starry background reflected in the calm waters of the Second Vermillion Lake. Taken in May 2016 on a late night excursion out into Banff National Park.

Adobe Lightroom CC.

Nikon D800, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.

Map: 51.1805, -115.6062

Bixby Bridge, California.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5, Adobe Photoshop CC.

Nikon D600, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.

Photo Settings: 22mm, f/10, 1/30 second, ISO 100.

Map: 36.3725, -121.9021

Big Sur, California.

Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Nikon D810.

Photo Settings: 24mm, f/22, 1/80 second, ISO 200.

The aurora forecast was low last night, but I took my chances and went out anyway - I was pleasantly surprised!

Taken in Longyearbyen - Svalbard, Norway.

Nikon D610.

Photo Settings: 20mm, f/1, 15 seconds, ISO 1250.

Wallpaper with some nice colors created in Vue Infinite.

Vue Infinite, Adobe Photoshop CC.