Sometimes it happens... I really liked this image the second I made the exposure.  But even today, I'm not sure exactly why I like it so much, I just do.  We have a large framed print of it hanging in the upstairs hallway of our house.  The photography magazine "Elements"  contacted me after seeing this image posted in their online group and they are going to publish it in their next issue. 

I walked toward the pastel colored rock formations and made this image within twenty minutes of arriving.  The harsh sunlight of yesterday was gone and a pale blue colored the surface of the white rocks.  It was amazing how soft and different everything looked.  I made this image and then kept walking and exploring, making more images along the way. 

In May, my friend Rich and I made another pilgrimage to Utah for some hiking and photography.  This is the seventh time I've been to Utah to hike and there are still so many things I haven't seen.  There are five National Parks in the state, but you could make an argument that the entire southern half of the state should be a national park.

Today marks ten years to the day that I sent out my first photography blog post!  On December 4, 2013 I created my (then) new website and sent out the first blog post from a trip I did to Joshua Tree National Park.  I didn't have any grand aspirations.  I wasn't looking to build an audience of thousands.  I just wanted a better way of sending out occasional photographs to a handful of friends.

We awoke to a perfectly sunny, clear autumn day outside Glacier National Park.  This was the first day of our trip and I couldn't wait to get up into the mountains.  I could see the majestic peaks rise up quickly in the distance and they got even more impressive as we drove toward the park.  But I noticed something else too... some clouds in the middle of the peaks.  Probably nothing to worry about.

Sometimes you are simply at the right place at the right time.  All the planning in the world is of no help.  When weather changes as frequently as it does in Newfoundland, it is hard to conceive of an image in advance and then go try to make that image.  Sometimes you need luck... and you need to be at the right place at the right time.

Twelve days and not a single clear morning for sunrise photography.  Twelve days and very few clear evenings for sunset photography.  The weather in Newfoundland was very changeable and rendered all advanced planning almost useless. 

I've always been fascinated by extremes.  If a place is described by a word ending in "est" it grabs my attention and almost begs me to see it!  Tallest, driest, hottest, furthest, highest... these are some of the words that describe places that appeal to me.

Equally momentous is the fact that I was out in the landscape with my camera for the first time in a very long time.  I spent a couple days on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay near the Blackwater area.  I have been here several times and it is one of my favorite places to visit... flat, wide open, marshy areas with lots of wildlife... and hardly any people.

Why not? I had never been to a real live auction in my life. I’ve heard the stories and I had a good idea of what I thought it would be like, but I had never been to one. So when the sign went up on the property of a local farm saying the auction was next Wednesday at 9am, I thought… why not?

"Just another sunset"... that was the reaction I got from a friend when I previewed this image.  Now I know he was joking, but it really got me thinking.  Are we that jaded with images showing special moments in nature that we don't even appreciate them anymore?  Jaded means "lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something". 

I've often noticed how street lights and parking lot lights illuminate the bare trees of winter.  The light source seems to change the physical shape of the trees by revealing some branches while others remain obscured by the dark of night.  As you drive by in a car, the shapes change as your perspective changes.

That’s a curious title… isn’t this a picture of three trees?  At first glance it is.  And in our fast paced world, that is all most people will give this picture and even the real scene.  A quick glance… “Oh, that’s nice”… and then move on.  But when you slow down and let the picture sink in a little, you notice the larger gap between two of the trees.  And once you see it, you cannot “un-see it”.  It very clearly changes to a picture of two trees and one tree.  

One excursion was a trip to Page Arizona to visit the slot canyons... Antelope Canyon to be exact. These slot canyons are incredible things to see. They are areas of Navajo sandstone eroded by flash floods and wind into twisted, multi-colored shapes. As the sun passes overhead, the light changes and the eroded canyons change constantly.

If you have followed this blog for awhile, you'll know I have a weakness for certain recurring themes... lone trees, rocks, desert canyon landscapes, etc. It's no surprise then that I couldn't pass up this image of a lone tree, in a desert canyon, surrounded by rocks! This image was made in Bryce Canyon at the end of a sunrise morning photo walk.

We arrived to magnificent late evening light, partially blocked by constantly changing clouds of snow squalls. First you could see all the way up the valley, then that view closed and El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls would magically appear. It changed every ten minutes. I knew instantly that my friend Bill had no chance of getting back for dinner! I finally settled on a composition where you could see the granite face of El Cap and Bridalveil Falls, with snow squalls opening just enough to show the golden light on Half Dome far up the valley.

Three years ago a group of our closest friends suggested we all go on a two week National Park hiking trip out west. Never one to turn down a chance to visit the National Parks, I said as fast as I could... "We're in!". And so began a lot of planning, and then a two year delay due to the pandemic. But, finally the day of departure arrived and the trip was on!

Spring is my absolute favorite season of all. After being forced to live and eat indoors for what seems like an eternity during the winter, Spring holds the promise of endless days living outside, eating outside, sitting outside... just being outside!

Whenever weather conditions are special but won't last long, I make my way to the Unami Creek for some photography and solitude. It's only a fifteen minute drive from my home, but it feels like it is in a different world. The suburban Philadelphia sprawl is replaced with mountainous terrain, trees, large boulders, water, and almost no inhabitants. It truly is a small escape from the normal world.

We hadn’t had an ice storm in years, so I excitedly peaked through the blinds when I woke up... only to be disappointed. Instead of ice covered trees gleaming in early morning light, I saw another dreary day. Sure, the trees were covered in ice… but it was just so dark and dreary. I decided to go out with the camera anyway, and made my way to a local woodland.

It was one of those calm winter mornings where you feel the warmth of the sun on your face and the air is tolerably cold. There was absolutely no wind... it was just completely still and quiet. Soft sunlight filtered through a thin layer of white clouds and there was some leftover snow from the small storm two weeks ago.

I created my photography website and this monthly Photo Blog eight years ago in December 2013 and I've published an image and story at least once each month since then, and sometimes more. This is the 118th blog post I've created and I enjoy it even more now, than when I started.

We spent the day exploring a dirt and sand 4WD road called Henry Mountains Road - named for the Henry Mountains that are ever-present on the horizon. It is probably the most scenic road I have ever been on. Around every bend, over every crest of the desert floor - was a view more impressive than the last.

I have been photographing this old friend of a tree for more than eight years. I've seen it in all seasons and all kinds of light. Many days it blends into the background - but in those dramatically lit October evenings, with the brooding clouds and setting sun, it calls out to be noticed.

Yet, the very first image I processed from the entire trip when I returned home was this simple, quiet image of a vibrant desert shrub growing seemingly out of nothing but sheer rock. This captures some of the feeling I had while in the desert of Utah... the beauty of the harsh desert landscape… and the determination of life to thrive, even in those harsh conditions.

On the last day of my trip to Capitol Reef, I was given what felt like a parting gift and a call to return to this magical place where the light glows in the sky and on the rocks. It felt like the land was telling me that I just scratched the surface during these five days and that I should come back because there is much more to see for those who are patient and look closely.

Fifteen minutes away from the bustle, noise, and traffic of Tysons Corner, VA and just thirty minutes from our nation's Capitol is a small but grand spectacle where the Potomac River thunders through Mather Gorge. This is Great Falls of the Potomac and it provided some beautiful light and clouds one May evening, earlier this year.

We thought we were done for the day, when I slammed on the brakes as we crossed over a stream, glowing red with the last light of the setting sun. I pulled over and rapidly worked to find something interesting to go with the incredible sky. The image above seemed to capture that last "flash" of light at the end of a great day.

I have been to Acadia four times now, but this was the first time I have been there in fifteen years. As I write this, I’m still shocked that so much time has passed - it just doesn’t seem possible it has been that long.

Most of that Sunday afternoon was cloudy with a featureless grey sky - not exactly great for photography. I was debating back and forth in my head about whether I should stay out in the landscape or pack it in and go home. Going home was the easy choice... staying out in boring light was the right choice!