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Antelope Canyon, located in northern Arizona within the Navajo Nation right outside the town of Page, is one of the most picturesque slot canyons in the world. Running over 23 miles, it was formed over millennia through consistent erosion, primarily through the actions of flash floods that sculpt the sandstone rock into smooth, undulating forms.
Having traveled to Page numerous times, I had always opted for Buckskin Gulch, another slot canyon in the area that resides on BLM land and does not require a paid tour. My fourth time in the area I decided to partake on a tour and the views did not disappoint. Guided by a local Diné (Navajo) tour guide, I was entreated to various stories of Navajo belief as well as given a private photography tour of the canyons.
The canyons continually conceal and reveal form throughout the day, as the sun follows its path across the sky. My tour followed a relatively short section of the greater Antelope Canyon, and yet I found I could have spent days here and never arrive at the same photo twice. This abstract section reinforces the stunning tonality and color nature creates in the shade of these canyons.
Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.
Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time. Flash floods are what make these strikingly beautiful canyons also some of the most dangerous to hike, with the runoff from a storm ten miles away potentially leading to the canyon on a day with clear skies.
These walls form their own abstract art where light reveals and conceals form, changing each minute with the path of the sun. On my third venture into this slot canyon, the light caught this particular patch of sandstone highlighting its sinuous nature allowing for an eerie contemplation of the form itself.
The Palouse region, located in southeastern Washington and extending into portions of Idaho and Oregon, was originally home to the Palus people, historically known for breeding strong horses, but the U.S. government did not acknowledge them as a distinct tribe in the late 1800s as settlers arrived under the Homestead Act.
Indigenous communities were displaced, and the land was drastically reshaped by agriculture. The region’s deep loess soil and steep terrain led farmers to adopt contour plowing, giving the fields their signature flowing appearance.
I raced the descending sun following a long drive from Seattle, arriving just in time to catch the sunset atop Steptoe Butte, the one elevated area among the farmland. I set up next to a group of amateur photographers taking a class led by a knowledgeable local — which brings me to an interesting detail about the Palouse: I only encountered two types of people there — farmers and photographers. There might not be a better place to learn photography.
Enchanted Valley, dubbed the “Valley of 10,000 Waterfalls” requires a 15 mile hike through the Quinault Rainforest in Olympic National Park. One of the few rainforest in the United States, it receives 140-167 inches of rain per year. The precipitation leaves Olympic National Park with one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the United States.
The Enchanted Valley Chalet at the end of the trail was built in 1931 and was originally meant to be a rustic lodge for hikers, eventually being used during WW2 to monitor potential Pacific Coast enemy threats. After the war it returned to its original purpose for backpackers and rangers.
The area is known for a surplus of black bears, and during our time there over two nights, we were mere visitors in their home. It is not the easiest thing to retire to your tent with a 400 pound black bear scrounging for berries. Camping there required continued awareness while offering stunning moments like this.
The cornfields near Polo, IL follow twists and turns as the land enters the Driftless Area. It is here where the sinuous and hilly terrain begin to take over. This area, and Illinois in general, is a very prominent agricultural hub for a variety of crops.
Previously a historic route to Galena, this picturesque area was rift with natural prairie prior to its transformation for agricultural purposes, but the beauty still remains.
This area is one I have visited often and will eventually be a part of a series when I capture the right fall photo. The composition of this lone tree set against the distant row of trees in the background shows what is possibly an old boundary tree isolated in a crop field.
These naturally occurring abstract patterns, created by the interplay of wind, water, and sediment, decorate the beaches of Manistee, Michigan. The fine-grained sand reminds one of marble, with its dramatic and delicate textures. They’re a quiet, fleeting reminder of nature’s handiwork.
This was my second visit to the Manistee Lighthouse, with both events being particularly cold days. This day just happened to be my birthday. Finding the right frame for these abstractions can take a bit, and on a cold day like this, it is a race against frostbite.
I love the transition of form in this frame, juxtaposing the sinuous form of the snow-covered sand against the solid rock underneath. The variation in nature’s abstract forms has always fascinated me, and become something I keep an eye out for in each location I visit.
The cornfields near Polo, IL follow twists and turns as the land enters the Driftless Area. It is here where the sinuous and hilly terrain begin to take over. This area, and Illinois in general, is a very prominent agricultural hub for a variety of crops.
This particular area is one I have revisited often, and is part of an ongoing seasonal series yet to be published. This specific scene reminded me of something out of the film Fargo, with the delicate blanket of snow covering the fertile soil beneath.
The composition of this lone tree set against the distant row of trees in the background provided the proper depth for the open spaces these farmlands offer. Previously a historic route to Galena, this picturesque area was rift with natural prairie prior to its transformation for agricultural purposes, but the beauty still remains.
Mount Hood is an iconic stratovolcano located just outside Portland, Oregon in the Cascade Range. Standing at 11,240 feet, it is the highest peak in Oregon and one of the most recognizable mountains in the Pacific Northwest.
Visible from miles around, the mountain is often in full view from Portland, Oregon, located about 50 miles to the west, and offers up near perfect symmetry and a towering presence.
Only visiting for a day and having the Japanese Gardens planned for the next morning, I had not planned to photograph this day as a stop in Portland requires me to make the rounds at Powell Books, Blue Moon Camera, and Music Millennium, but I after I got back, I decided to walk up the street from my Airbnb at sunset and found myself in the perfect location to capture this magnificent mountain.
Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.
Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time. Flash floods are what make these strikingly beautiful canyons also some of the most dangerous to hike, with the runoff from a storm ten miles away potentially leading to the canyon on a day with clear skies.
These walls form their own abstract art where light reveals and conceals form, changing each minute with the path of the sun. This patch in particular caught my eye, not only for its abstract nature, but the small patch of life growing along its walls.
Opened in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge is a marvel of modern engineering. Designed by one Joseph Strauss, the bridge was painted orange to help visibility through the common San Francisco fog. The bridge runs 1.7 miles in length and extends to a height of 746 feet.
Seagulls are a familiar presence around the Golden Gate Bridge. These large, intelligent birds are often seen soaring in the updrafts, perched on railings, or scavenging along the nearby shorelines
This shot was another case of being in the right place at the right time. Arriving at my hotel an hour before sunset completely spent from a full day drive along Big Sur, I dropped my bag in my hotel and immediately started walking towards the bridge. Miscalculating the distance it would take to reach the vantage point I had planned, this shot came as a result of randomly being in the right place at the right time.
Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park may be the one of the most scenic stretches of the entire Oregon Coast. Located about 15 miles north of Florence, and only a few miles past Heceta Head Lighthouse (a trail connects the two parks), the surrounding area offers a portal to another world.
The China Creek Trail weaves through coastal forests terminating on the beach, and the picturesque Hobbit Trail, known for its moss-draped trees and old-growth forest, make the hiking here magical.
This photograph was taken moments after sundown, following a chaotic two hours of trying to photography too many areas at once. I used the last remaining daylight to grab this abstract before retiring to my campsite across the main road. The park is a quiet place, unassuming, and it is here that shows Oregon’s true beauty.
Early morning in Yellowstone National Park usually comes with thick fog. This fog is caused by the area’s geothermal activity where the warm moisture arising from the hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles meets the cool air of the early morning.
Orb-weaver spiders, known for their iconic wheel-shaped webs, exist in large numbers in the park, making the temperate geysers their home. Their intricate webs are a work of art, and when glistening in the morning dew, like the one pictured here, they reveal their true beauty.
This one appeared as I strolled the boardwalk of the mud pits in the early morning, and I immediately set up my tripod. This exact imagery is referenced in the allegory of Indra’s Net; the buddhist conception of the world.
The Bisti Badlands are a remote and alien world in northwest New Mexico situated in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, an area protected by the Bureau of Land Management.
The name comes from the Dinë (Navajo) word “Bistahi” translating roughly to “among the adobe formations”. The wind-formed hoodoos in this region are numerous leading to bizarre formations, varied colors, and precariously balanced rocks. The area doubles as a designated dark sky territory providing an unpolluted night sky.
This was my second time visiting this desolate world, and this time I backpacked in at sunset and spent the entire night photographing around camp, using my headlamp to paint the rocks. Finally, late into the night, the Milky Way became visible with the naked eye, and this silhouette of the landscape perfectly framed our beautiful galaxy. It was a stunning sight.
The Manistee North Pier Lighthouse, located in Manistee, Michigan, is about as picturesque as any lighthouse can be.
Constructed in 1870, the wooden lighthouse was changed to steel in 1927, providing an important means of safety guiding ships during the lumber industry of the last 19th century. The lighthouse is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
This photo was taken on a particularly cold evening while heading up to Sleeping Bear Dunes. With a windchill of -4 degrees, waiting for this moment required some patience as well as warm clothing, and even then my fingers were risking frostbite making me immediately turn back after grabbing this shot.
Everglades National Park is a park that doesn’t present itself as grandly as the others, it requires those with patience to see its true beauty.
Known colloquially at the “River of Grass”, the Everglades is one of the only ecosystems to house both alligators and crocodiles. It also contains one of the largest mangrove forests in the world and, due to the diverse ecosystem, all manner of birds make it their home.
I happened to be the lone passenger on as sunset Everglades boat tour and the captain was kind enough to veer off the usual course and tailor it to my photography. At the end of the tour, when he brought me to one of the mangrove rookeries these birds call home, an egret flew into frame and began its landing as I snapped the photo. It was a sunset I’ll never forget.
Everglades National Park is a park that reveals itself slowly, it requires those with patience and keen observation to see its true beauty.
Known colloquially at the “River of Grass”, the Everglades is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in the world. One of the only places in the world in which both alligators and crocodiles coexist, it also contains one of the largest mangrove forests systems in the world. But it’s true beauty is the sanctuary it provides for all manner of birds make it their home or migratory stopping point.
This photo was taken sitting around a fire at my campsite following a long day of kayaking through a mangrove forest strewn with alligators. Requiring the stitching of two photos, this is one of the few images I offer that was not captured in camera due to the nature of how depth of field works in a camera versus our eye, but the light and view was too good to not attempt to emulate what I saw.
Crater Lake, located in Southern Oregon, feels too big for a single frame. I struggled to fathom its size while I stared at it. And the blue reflected by that lake one of the most saturated blues I’ve ever seen in nature.
This deep blue comes a myriad of factors but, two big ones are the fact that the lake’s source is almost entirely snowfall and rainfall leading to very little sediment. The other factor is how deep the lake is. Crater Lake is a whopping 1,943 feet, leading to more pronounced absorption of wavelengths other than blue.
I felt it deserved its own frame.
The land near Savannah, IL marks a change to the typical flatness of Illinois. Known as the Driftless Area, the land becomes more sinuous and roads begin to twist and turn.
During the winter, when these lands turn to a frozen tundra, it reminds one of moods made famous in the film “Fargo” (1996). These lone trees have been thought to have marked boundary lines between properties before modern surveying techniques or to have offered shade during the work day.
There is something about these isolated trees in rural Illinois that continually draws my eye. I always wonder if they wonder where their neighbors went. They remain a beautiful contrast to the endless rows of cornfield, changing seasonal with the crop.
Buckskin Gulch, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area, is the longest and deepest slot canyon in United States and possibly the world.
Marked by their sinuous carved rock, typically sandstone, slot canyons are often formed through water erosion over long periods of time. Flash floods are what make these strikingly beautiful canyons also some of the most dangerous to hike, with the runoff from a storm ten miles away potentially leading to the canyon on a day with clear skies.
These walls form their own abstract art where light reveals and conceals form, changing each minute with the path of the sun. This patch in particular caught my eye, evoking nature’s version of yin and yang.
These naturally occurring abstract patterns, created by the interplay of wind, water, and sediment, decorate the beaches of Manistee, Michigan. The fine-grained sand reminds one of marble, with its dramatic and delicate textures. They’re a quiet, fleeting reminder of nature’s handiwork.
This was my second visit to the Manistee Lighthouse, with both events being particularly cold days. This day just happened to be my birthday. Finding the right frame for these abstractions can take a bit, and on a cold day like this, it is a race against frostbite. This frame, out of all the ones I took, felt like the best representation of the abstract art in the natural world.
Haystack Rock near Pacific City, also known as Chief Kiwanda Rock, is an enormous sea stack located just offshore from Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, Oregon.
Standing approximately 327 feet, it is one of the tallest sea stacks on the Oregon coast, even taller than the more famous Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.
This was taken during a bustling evening near the Pelican Brewing Company, where patrons dined as the light broke through at golden hour, giving way to these stunning clouds behind the sea stack, casting its true form in silhouette. And if you look closely you’ll see the staggering amount of birds which call it home.
Cumberland Island National Seashore is a pristine 18 mile stretch of undeveloped wilderness unique to the East Coast.
The island has a long history, and was once owned by the Carnegie Family who then dedicated the island to the National Park Service in 1972. The island has faced various threats to its wilderness status and has been defended through the continued efforts of Carol Ruckdeschel, one of the few persons allowed to live on the island.
I had visited the wild protected beaches of both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean in the same calendar year when I took this photo, and I cannot divide my love for both. The sunrise peaked through the clouds this particular morning, while I photographed on an empty beach. It is a peaceful memory I recall often.
In the Midwest, nuclear power plants are a vital part of the energy infrastructure, and many of them are surrounded by sprawling cornfields. This unusual pairing is more practical than it might seem. Nuclear plants require large safety buffer zones, which makes rural farmland an ideal setting.
At the same time, the actual footprint of a nuclear facility is relatively small, allowing the surrounding land to continue being used for agriculture. Illinois, in particular, stands out as the top nuclear-generating state in the country, with 11 reactors at six sites, most of them nestled in farming regions.
Having just finished photographing these monoliths from the other side, I was stunned by the scene developing in my rear view mirror as I sped down the country road. With someone tailgating me, I signaled at the next service road, parked in front of a farm, and quickly set up my tripod to grab this shot.
The Palouse region, located in southeastern Washington, extending into Idaho and Oregon was originally home to the Palus people. The area was transformed in the 1800s as settlers arrived under the Homestead Act.
Indigenous communities were displaced, and the land was reshaped by agriculture. The region’s deep loess soil and steep terrain led farmers to adopt contour plowing, giving the fields their signature flowing appearance.
Traveling through the Palouse region was an out of body experience. The word space takes on a new meaning as you meander through its rolling hills. The vibrant colors and different stages of tilling make each turn unique. Finding the form and color of this hillside fascinating, I decided it was worthy of its own frame.
The fall colors of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore are one of the marvels of the Upper Peninsula, especially in the early morning. Pictured here is the Au Sable Light, a lighthouse that was built in 1874 to prevent shipwrecks on Lake Superior.
The shoreline in this area is considered one of North America's most beautiful, but was once considered the most deadly areas for ships due to rocks under the shallow surface, violent storms, and frequent fog.
Requiring an early wakeup call, this photo involved positioning myself precariously on the shifting sands of the Grand Sable dunes before the sunrise. The changing color over the next hour was an amazing sight to behold as well as the moment the light broke across this stretch of coast.
Harris Beach State Park, located just north of Brookings, Oregon, is a coastal haven renowned for its dramatic scenery, diverse wildlife, and rich marine ecosystems.
The park's centerpiece is Goat Island (also known as Bird Island), the largest offshore island along the Oregon Coast. This National Wildlife Refuge is a breeding ground for over 100,000 seabirds, including tufted puffins and Leach’s storm-petrels, making it a prime spot for birdwatching.
This photo was taken during a quiet moment alone on the beach as the last vestiges of light began to disappear. Harris Beach is one of my favorite places on the Oregon Coast, offering endless photographic opportunities and true tranquility.
Originally covered by oceans and rivers, Monument Valley is a testament to time. Located on the Colorado Plateau near the Arizona-Utah Border, the valley displays the wondrous effects of weathering and erosion.
With the softer rock being eaten away over time by the elements, the harder rock is left exposed in curious and awe-inspiring formations that have religious significance for the Diné (Navajo) People and iconic significance for the American West.
Pictured here is “Sentinel Rock” profiled with an edge light from the setting sun. I was able to capture this photo right from my campsite, one of the most beautiful I’ve ever camped at, which also sits facing The Mittens.
“The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-
On my drives across the corn belt, I’ve always been enamored with the lone trees among the endless fields.
Some say they are for markers for property boundaries, others that they were once a primary source of shade for farmers from a bygone era. Whatever the case, their air of mystery sits majestic among the expansive cornfields of the Midwest.
The South Coast Wilderness Trail is a stunning, rugged, and truly wild 17 mile one-way hike through Olympic National Park. One of the last undeveloped coastlines in the contiguous United States, Olympic’s protection status ensures native species like sea otters, bald eagles, bears, and migrating whales will continue to thrive in this pristine wilderness.
Switching between stretches of picturesque coast and dense rainforest, the trek (which is at sea level) entails 2,000 feet in elevation change, due to the use of ladders and ropes to maneuver up and down coastal embankments.
After setting up camp, I descended a very steep sand embankment via a rope wrapped around a tree to reach this secluded beach. It was a peaceful moment photographing these majestic sea stacks at sunset alone on this pristine beach.
The Toadstool Hoodoos, located outside of Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona, are part of the greater Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The trail is unassuming, located at a small turnoff on Highway 89. The trail to the hoodoos meanders through the valleys of small eroded plateaus with large amounts of scree covering the area.
These unique formations find their creation from the Dakota Sandstone boulders that sit atop the Entrada Sandstone pedestals. Once the softer Entrada Sandstone erodes, the Dakota Sandstone resides leaving a cap, like a mushroom, on top.
This photo was taken after a group of friends and I decided to stop off here for sunset following a particularly exhausting 8 mile hike through Buckskin Gulch. With the setting sun providing enough darkness for me to use my off camera flash, I channeled my inner studio photographer and directed my friend where to hold the flash to best reveal its form, giving rise to magnificent colors and striations against the purple hue of the setting sun.