ViewBug community member mattpayne is passionate and obsessed about landscape photography and you can truly see the result of his passion on his images. Enjoy a hand-picked selection from his profile and get inspired.

Whenever I can, I head out into our amazing world to take photos. I feel most connected to wilderness and the outdoors; however, I also enjoy exploring urban environments for unique perspectives and powerful imagery. I specialize in landscape photography, especially photos of mountain vistas, nightscapes, sunsets, sunrises and other natural wonders. I love to climb mountains and take photos of those journeys.

I began and refined my craft on the slopes of Colorado's most difficult mountain climbs and have since honed my vision and skills and am working diligently to bring myself to new levels. I've recently re-located to Portland, Oregon and have taken to obsessing over all of the wonders that Oregon has to offer, including waterfalls, rainforests, mountains, lakes and beaches!

I took this photo at Independence Pass, near Aspen, Colorado at 11pm at night. A thunderstorm had just passed through the area and added some interesting effects on the horizon and I think increased the amount of airglow. I used my Nikon D800, Nikon 14-24, and a Gitzo tripod. I've been inspired by other artists like David Kingham to take Milky Way panoramas for a long time.

Head over to mattpayne's profile to see more inspiring shots!