“Golden Crown” A large Fremont cottonwood showing off its vibrant leaves. Although I set out to make a book of entirely new images, there were a dozen or so “classics” in my portfolio that I felt needed to be included in the end. It’s rare you find a scene like this with such perfectly repeating forms and symmetry. This is from the “Stillness” section of “Space, Stillness, Silence,” which you can pre-order my book on my website.
“Downward” My new book is now available for pre-order! This book focuses on the place I call home: The Southern Utah Desert, and the importance of conserving the few places that remain where we can still find space, stillness, and silence. This image is one of the 8x12 prints I am offering with the book and will exclusively be sold as part of this Collector’s Edition that is only available during this pre-order offer which will end on 10/31. I expect to be shipping books by 11/15. All pre-orders will also be signed and personalized by me at no extra charge.
“Family Portrait” This is another image from my upcoming book, “Space, Stillness, Silence,” and is one of the Collector’s Edition prints that can be purchased with the book. These 5 different limited edition prints are only available for purchase as part of these Collector’s Editions, which will only be sold during this pre-order window. This offer ends on 10/31.
Aspen trees of the Rocky Mountains in the fall and winter. Since they prefer to grow in open, exposed areas without having to share the light with other species, their pale bark helps to keep them cool as it reflects some of the sunlight. Areas of pine forest that are cleared out by fires, landslides, avalanches, or clear cutting will quickly be filled in by aspens. Their winged seeds spread far and wide as they are carried off in the breeze, and as soon as they sprout they grow upwards with breakneck speed. They also have lateral roots that produce shoots—clones that rise up from beneath the ground—so they can populate open terrain in no time.
Starfish from different parts of the world. This is pretty much my entire wildlife portfolio as well. It helps when they can’t run around or attack you.
Scenes from different forests over the years. While I find forests to be the most difficult environments to photograph, they are also my favorite kinds of places to photograph. The constant challenge of trying to organize them in cohesive ways and draw attention to the right areas keeps things interesting and humbling. It’s a subject matter I don’t think one could possibly ever exhaust, as every section of every forest can vary in so many ways.
Some more mountain scenes from over the years in different ranges all over the world, verticals this time. Sometimes the surrounding alpine scenery is so idyllic I can’t help but be a little more obvious and cliche with my compositions. Certain scenes are simply impressive enough just as they are without too much creative interpretation!
Mountain portraits from over the years. One of the funnest subjects to photograph are mountain peaks engulfed in changing atmosphere, illuminated by dappled light. Every single exposure a different moment, even when taken just seconds apart. On days where it’s not as fleeting, I’ll spend hours standing behind my tripod pressing the shutter over and over again, almost in a trance. Later on I’ll consider which frame was the “best,” but while in the moment I’m just enjoying the experience without any regard for the potential resulting image.
Some grand landscape images made while backpacking in magnificent mountain ranges over the years. Even though maybe 80% of my portfolio consists of intimate or abstract scenes, I really don’t have a preference for any kind of photograph. I never go out with any hope or intention to make a certain kind of image, and always handle every composition the same way; what will best complement the subject? Even when using my widest lens or my extreme macro, I still work according to the same principles. The subject matter always dictates the lens, equipment, and techniques I employ. The simple reason I photograph more intimate scenes is because they tend to be the best option for most subjects. It’s not often you find so many other objects, visual elements, and ideas that will help to enhance your subject rather than detract from it. Cohesion is a rare thing to find on large scales. However, when it comes to mountains, I’ve found that since they dwarf everything else in the landscape, most objects can be included without stealing the show because they already feel less significant in comparison. In contrast, when photographing more subtle subjects, even the smallest additions can become overbearing. Despite my love for all kinds of natural scenery, I seem to always get labeled as the small scenes guy. I’m not bothered by this, and I’m thankful my work gets any recognition at all, but I do find it a little funny considering all of the unreleased wide angle scenes I have been making over the last few years. Anyways, be open to whatever nature is generous enough to reveal to you!
