Tuesday, January 31, 2017

The story behind Pahoehoe Lava Flow

Pahoehoe Lava Flow, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

In most national parks, geology is a history lesson. You see a feature of the land and must work to visualize the progression of forces that formed it. In Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, however, the land changes before your eyes.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Best of 2016

Mount Rainier, Fiery Winter Sunrise, Panorama

I was on a “national parks” high in 2016. My Haleakala National Park postage stamp was released. I participated in a series of exhibits to honor the National Park Service centennial. And I released a new book, Our Land, which features my national park photography. But, unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to actually set foot in a national park this year.

The late New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham once said, “He who seeks beauty will find it.” For me, 2016 was about finding beauty wherever I was lucky enough to be, whether it was a city park, a fishing pier or the side of the road. There is a lot of beauty in this world. Here are a few of my favorite images.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The story behind Waterfalls at the Continental Divide

Waterfalls at Continental Divide, Glacier National Park, Montana

Up close, these waterfalls appear to be among the most majestic in North America, but they don’t even have names. That’s because they only flow for a few weeks each year. In the high meadows of Glacier National Park, Montana, timing is everything.

My passion for the wilderness came before my passion for photography. I took up photography as a way of showing others the incredible things — the wonderful shows of dramatic lighting, the special connections with animals — that I experienced in the wild. More than just a pretty picture, this image really illustrates what got me excited about photography in the first place.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

A sight to see: In For The Night

Crows at Roost, Glowing Eyes

There is no one today who has witnessed the spectacular migration of the passenger pigeon. The last bird died more than 100 years ago, but decades earlier their numbers had dwindled so much that they were no longer able to eclipse the sun.

Today, there is a similar spectacle. But just like when the passenger pigeons were in their prime, relatively few people appreciate the show.

Monday, October 31, 2016

The story behind Mount Rainier, Lenticular Cloud

Mount Rainier, Lenticular Cloud

It was the largest lenticular cloud I had ever seen. Lenticular clouds, which look a bit like flying saucers, hover around Mount Rainier several times a year, but this one seemed to be as large as the mountain itself.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Bringing still images to life

Cloud Streaks, Devils Tower, Wyoming

When you take a picture, do you capture or do you express? This question gets right to the heart of the art of photography, and it’s a shift that you have to make as you evolve from taking pretty pictures to crafting images that mean something to someone.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The legend of the Milky Way

Mount Baker, Perseid Meteor and Milky Way, North Cascades, Washington

There have always been stories about the origin of the land and the life that calls it home. Before there was science, those stories came from imagination and spirituality. In this series, I have created contemporary nature photography to illustrate them. Read more about my Legends of the Land series.

It used to be that once the sun went down, the sky was completely black. But that ended one night when the biggest dog ever decided to steal a snack from some farmers.