Road Trips

Not every photo expedition starts with a road trip. I've spent many a happy hour shooting pictures in the fields and forests half a block from my house. But I get a great deal of joy in the freedom of the road, as well as the freedom of the hills.

It generally takes a couple of days to get into the rhythm of seeing, stopping, exploring, waiting and shooting. The first attempts are usually not up to snuff, but they serve to shake off the cobwebs and get some mistakes out of the way.

Both of these trips examine some of the culture and heritage of life beyond the 100th Meridian. Having spent a good deal of my life in South Dakota and Oklahoma, I am very much a product of the plains.

 

Twilight at City of RocksSouthwest 2009

I'm in love with the Southwest. From the Anasazi ruins at Canyon de Chelly, to the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, there's a world of beauty in the desert. This is the latest group of select images from my forays into Canyon Country. For a glimpse at a broader group of images, click here.

Fall Fields IIDisappearing Act

The sixteen images that make up the recent PCCA "Disappearing Agrarian Landscape" exhibit are previewed here. These are limited to 50 prints each, on Epson Ultra Smooth Fine Art Paper, double matted and framed under TruVue Conservation Clear UV glass. Some first prints are still available -- call to inquire.

White SandsSouthwest, redux

Again, spent some time in New Mexico and Arizona. Climbed to the top of the Flat Iron, in the Superstition Mountains; spent time in the desert near Alamagordo, discovered a ghost town, drove up to Abiquiu... here is just a taste of those images.

Camelback MorningCamelback

Also scrambled up the popular trail in Phoenix, to the top of Camelback Mountain, and shot the beautiful view across Paradise Valley in the early morning sunshine. This gallery has an interesting panorama, as well as shots of rocks & stone combined with blooming brittlebush. It was a joyful experience to wander around in the early morning light.

AwakeningSpring Blooms

I love shooting wildflowers, both in the mountains and in the desert. So to celebrate spring this year, I've put together a collection of shots that I've taken over the years. There are some beautiful shots from the Superstition Mountains, like this desert poppy, as well as soome shots from Lee's Ferry last year, and shots from the Black Hills. Enjoy!

Ghost Dog

 

Canyon Country

These shots are the first images to come out of a road trip that I took in April, 2007. Following old Route 66 across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, I visited Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley; Page, Arizona and the Glen Canyon Dam; Lee's Ferry, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Arches. Along the way, I camped, hiked and waited out a spring snowstorm for three days at the Purple Sage Motel in Panguitch, Utah. A fine, hospitable place.

Schoolhouse Memories

Nebraska Dakota

Every summer I visit my parents in western South Dakota. Karyn and I hike and climb in the Black Hills and the Cathedral Spires. I went back in August, and spent a day wandering the far southwestern corner of my home state and ventured into Nebraska, on the suggestion of a couple from Oklahoma. I apologize to them for not posting these images sooner -- Mitch, thanks!