Photographer, Artist, Author
If the remission of pain is happiness, then the emergence from distraction is aesthetic bliss. I use these terms loosely, for I am not making an argument but rather attempting to describe the pleasure that comes from recognition or rediscovery of certain essences permanently associated with human life. These essences are restored to our consciousness... Continue Reading →
This incessant interplay between cognition and feelings [...] produces what we call consciousness. There obviously is a different feel to a wave of intense emotion versus an abstract thought, but each conscious form is an experience that gives us a unique perception of reality. The pattern in which these various conscious forms come in and... Continue Reading →
In our time it seems entirely appropriate that the widest choice be open to artists. Those using the camera or other photographic means to produce works of artistic merit should seek to exploit their medium in the most adventurous ways. […] The derogatory use of the term artifice is more often than not a bugaboo.... Continue Reading →
Of this there can be no question-creative work requires a loyalty as complete as the loyalty of water to the force of gravity. A person trudging through the wilderness of creation who does not know this—who does not swallow this—is lost. ~Mary Oliver Many thanks to those who sent me ask-me-anything questions in the past... Continue Reading →
Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. ~George Orwell Shortly after inviting readers to ask me anything, two of the first responses inquired about... Continue Reading →
Given the oddity of the times, I'm working to offer additional online content in the coming weeks. After having a great time participating in an "Ask Me Anything" session on Nature Photographers Network recently, I decided to make it a permanent feature of the blog. If you wish to send me a question, please use... Continue Reading →
It is not death or dying that is tragic, but rather to have existed without fully participating in life—that is the deepest personal tragedy. ~ Edward Abbey (quoted by Jack Loeffler in Adventures with Ed) Despite having no known origin, the expression "may you live in interesting times" is considered by some a tongue-in-cheek Chinese curse.... Continue Reading →
My pick for the March, 2020 Print-of-the-Month is titled, Autumn Decadence. The exquisitely patterned mud left along canyon bottoms in the wakes of flash floods generally only lasts for a day or two before it begins to crack as it dries. The night before making this image, I camped on a high ledge above the... Continue Reading →
Note: I am often asked to recommend books and resources related to the topics I write about. Invariably, the list ends up being too long to be useful. In this post I decided to try including links to these resources when possible. If this proves successful, I'll continue to do so in future posts. By way... Continue Reading →
My pick for the February, 2020 Print-of-the-Month is titled, Aspens, Filtered Winter Light. After a glorious display of autumn colors, aspen trees shed their leaves and remain bare during the winter months. As snow covers the high elevations where these trees normally live, the white trunks seem almost contiguous with the predominantly-white backdrop, save for... Continue Reading →