Outside Beyond the Lens

Every spring, the heartland of America gets hit with severe storms. “Tornado Alley” draws a storm chaser and his twin daughters through the Texas panhandle to see the power of Mother Nature. Beyond the lens, another side of this extreme hobby is revealed as we pass through the dying towns of a forgotten part of America.

The east side of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains is home to high deserts and towering peaks. Each fall, this region’s aspen groves explode in color as winter approaches drawing landscape photographers from around the world. Jeff Aiello explores the eastern Sierra at the peak of the fall color show and discovers why this part of the Golden State is becoming a favorite place to bring a camera.

Home to some of the most incredible landscapes on Earth, the south island of New Zealand is explored by the Beyond The Lens crew in search of the perfect frame. But Jeff, Jon & David quickly realize there’s a lot more to New Zealand than meets the eye. An overnight stay in the amazing lakeside city of Queenstown & a helpful local they meet leads to an unforgettable off-the-beaten path discovery.

About every 10 years, heavy winter rains in California lead to a phenomena called the “Super Bloom.” Mountain ranges and sprawling valley floors erupt in colors that are almost impossible to believe. Jeff Aiello, his son, Jett and David Boomer wander through southern California’s Carrizo Plains National Monument down a long dirt road that leads to discovery.

Southern Utah is home to some of America’s top national parks. Zion, Bryce and Arches National Parks attract millions of visitors each year. But a 50-mile drive through Utah’s remote Cottonwood Canyon delivers curious travelers into a world with landscapes that will rival any national park on Earth but a lonely camper they encounter along the journey becomes the real treasure of this adventure.

In southeastern Colorado, scattered among the small towns and wind-swept plains two National Grasslands areas remain. Open to visitors but rarely seen, these wide open spaces protect a part of America’s heartland frozen in time. Jeff, David and Jon take their cameras into these remote grasslands and discover the remains of a WW2 Japanese internment camp.

It’s been the backdrop for Hollywood films for nearly 100 years. From Hop-Along Cassidy to Iron Man, the Alabama Hills and its unique geologic formations have been the backdrop to more than 100 films. But this is also an amazing place to explore and shoot landscapes like nowhere else on Earth. Jeff, David and Zack set up camp and discover a different side of this movie-making hotspot.

The Beyond The Lens camera crew visits one of the most scenic locations on Earth. Jeff, David and Jon wrap up a year of exploration with their cameras in the heart of the Swiss Alps. A road trip into the green valleys and snow-capped peaks reveals a side of Switzerland that is sometimes overlooked by all the scenic wonders…the people and food.