Best of 2017

I was excited to be able to return to national parks in 2017 after a series of projects had kept me away for a few years. In February, I returned to Yosemite for the first time in four years. And in the fall, I photographed some East Coast parks for the first time.

But an even larger portion of the year was spent photographing, re-photographing and re-re-photographing close to home, working to find new takes on familiar subjects. In no particular order, here are a few of my favorite images from 2017.

From polluted to paradise: Cuyahoga Valley National Park

If you’ve only visited the national parks of the U.S. west coast you have a very specific view of what national parks are: spectacular wonders of nature that were preserved before development had much of a chance to alter them.

But the definition broadens as you head east. A national park isn’t necessarily pristine wilderness. And if you can get past the fact that the water in one used to catch fire, beautiful scenery awaits.

The story behind Shadow on Painted Hills

With many of my favorite images, there’s more to them than immediately meets the eye. And this image of the Painted Hills in Oregon is about more than just its graphic design. In fact, its graphic design illustrates the history of the hills.

In honor of Mountain Light Gallery

While I learned the art of nature photography through independent study, there’s no question that Galen Rowell was my professor. We had never talked and he had likely never seen any of my work. He died 15 years ago, just before I landed my first major publishing credits.

But about 10 years ago I got an opportunity to visit his Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, Calif., which had become a museum for his life’s work. In addition to showing his classic prints, there was even a display case housing one of his lightweight Nikon 35mm cameras. I’m heartbroken on hearing the news that the gallery will close within the next few weeks. Everything — including the last prints bearing his signature — is priced to sell.

To be an artist, it’s imperative that you find your own voice, but you start that journey on a path others have laid.