Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
A delicate underexposure of the sunrise through geyser basin steam in the heart of Yellowstone creates a hopeful, meditative image of light through the darkness, of clarity amidst the chaos. This is my answer to those who ask why I walk in the woods.
ARTIST STATEMENT: LISTEN TO THE WILD
Listen to the Wild is about slowing down and noticing beauty in the world, especially that which is in danger of being lost or taken for granted. I strive for simple, subtle images that capture the intimate experience of nature, not just the striking colors or scenic vistas. I try to pull you into the image, to re-create the essential human experience of being in awe of and in rhythm with the heartbeat of the natural landscape—a fading heartbeat that we must preserve, if not for the planet, then for the soul. Most of all, I want my work to remind you to leave the computer, turn off the television, open a window, and smile at the warm gift of sunlight on your face.
The message of my work also applies to its creation. For every exposure I make, I spend many more days in the field just observing, waiting for that rare moment when season, time, and weather add up to just the right light.
I rely on creative vision, practice, patience, and luck—not digital processing or other gimmicks. I use “old-fashioned” large-format film cameras without electronics. These cameras are much larger, slower, and more difficult to operate than 35mm or digital cameras, but produce incredibly detailed, nuanced images unattainable by any other means. While the world of photography is changing, my goal will always be the same: to inspire people to slow down and appreciate the world around them.
San Juan National Forest, Colorado
This image evokes the feeling of complete immersion in the wilderness, surrounded by trees as far as the eye can see. It makes me want to fill my lungs with cool, crisp autumn air in the Colorado mountains. I used a long lens on my 4x5 view camera to flatten the perspective and emphasize the density of the aspens.
Zion National Park, Utah
I hiked the Virgin River narrows many times in the fall, with a heavy large-format camera and frigid water up to my waist at times, before finally finding a shot that I thought conveyed the spirit of this famous hike through a dark, narrow, sinuous sandstone canyon, filled with the echoes of rushing water, where the walls sometimes glow with reflected light for a half-hour or so when the angle of the sun is just right.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona
In the Southwest, a little moisture and elevation change can make all the difference, as shown by the sandstone and juniper of the canyon rim contrasted with the golden cottonwoods along the meandering wash below. On the high sandstone, wildlife look for rainwater trapped in pockets. Early inhabitants and pioneers also relied on them. This canyon has sustained people for thousands of years, from ancient cliff-dwellers to the current Navajo residents.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
Morning sunlight illuminates the trunks of saguaro and organ pipe cacti from behind, reflecting from one to the other, creating variations on the theme of green.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
This nearly abstract study of the trunks of an organ pipe cactus showcases a phenomenon I call reverberant lighting, whereby sunlight is reflected off of nearby surfaces in varying degrees of hue and intensity. This effect depends on a precise alignment of the sun and is therefore only reproducible for a few minutes of the day, on certain days of the year. The needles of the organ pipe cactus transmit some light and appear red when backlit, similar to a hand held over a flashlight in the dark.