A new record!

Last week, I told you that my recently completed road trip of the western US was the best trip ever. For once, I wasn't kidding. The journey took me through Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota in that order -- 7,500 miles in all!

Of course, the primary purpose behind the trip was photography. Being that it was the "best trip ever" it shouldn't surprise you that the whole adventure was very productive photography-wise. I came away with what I feel is some of the best work I've done yet. I picked out my favorites and came out with EIGHTEEN pictures to show you. That's a new record for the most photos in a single blog entry, completely decimating my previous record of thirteen.

The highlight of the trip, as expected, was meeting up with renowned photographer Marc Adamus. He and I hit it off immediately and became fast friends. Marc is quite the guy. He's bursting with energy and is a veritable encyclopedia of wilderness trivia, not to mention a gourmet chef. (The meals he can cook in 20 minutes using only a single pot are astounding -- I've paid $40 for entrees at nice restaurants that weren't half as good.) He tears down lonely gravel roads at 90 miles per hour, and on the rare occasion that he misses a turn, he hits the e-brake and does a 180. My kind of guy!

Marc picked out a gorgeous campsite -- very secluded, right next to a babbling stream beneath the rugged Steens Mountain Range in remote southeastern Oregon. The first day, he took me on a seven mile hike, much of it off-trail, with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Needless to say, by the end I was fairly spent. Marc, on the other hand, hadn't even broken a sweat. He later informed me that he often hikes two or three times that amount in a single day, all while carrying a 70 pound pack, sometimes in sub-zero weather. Wow.

As impressive as all that was, it was Marc's knowledge of photography that wowed me the most. He taught me several useful techniques that I was able to start using immediately. He has an uncanny ability to "see" a potential shot. I've always considered that one of my own strong points, yet Marc helped to make it even stronger. Same thing with composition: he helped me improve something which I was already skilled at. Lastly, Marc has a remarkable knack for predicting weather accurately, which is obviously extremely useful for a nature photographer. He helped me understand how he does this, which I know will be a great boon for me in the future.

Best of all, I have gained a new friend, someone I'm proud to know. We're already talking about meeting up again this summer for some more shooting. I'll be sure to post about it here when the time comes.

In closing, I'd like to give a big "THANKS!" to Marc for a fantastic and productive time. Ditto to my assistant Kaelly for helping me greatly throughout the entire journey. And for putting up with me (no small task, I assure you).

And now, without further ado, it's time for the photos. Be sure and click the links below each photo. That will bring up a larger, more detailed version, along with the story behind each image.

The next time you hear from me, I will be in lands far to the south of the US. Until then, take care!

"Skyfire" Click here to see and learn more.

"Steens Mountain Sunrise" Click here to see and learn more.

"Lost Ladybug" Click here to see and learn more.

"Demons In The Sky" Click here to see and learn more.

"Soulmates" Click here to see and learn more.

"Elowah Falls Autumn" Click here to see and learn more.

"First Snow" Click here to see and learn more.

"The Chandelier" Click here to see and learn more.

"Underworld" Click here to see and learn more.

"Struggling Ant" Click here to see and learn more.

"Fall Color Cascade" Click here to see and learn more.

"Cycle Of Life" Click here to see and learn more.

"Lonesome Butterfly" Click here to see and learn more.

"Painted Hills Sunset" Click here to see and learn more.

"A Piece Of The Past" Click here to see and learn more.

"Long Shadow" Click here to see and learn more.

"Desert Grandeur" Click here to see and learn more.

"Desert Thunderstorm"

(This one is not on my site and can only be seen here. Marc taught me how to shoot lightening bolts and, for fun, I thought I'd post the results from my first try. Not bad, but next time, I'll do it much better to be sure, and I'll post the results.)

Best. Trip. EVER.

WOW, what an AWESOME trip!

I did and saw so much stuff, it would take me way too long to tell you everything right now. Because it's the night before Thanksgiving and I've been working on these for many, many days now, I'm just going to give you a quick teaser. Early next week, I will give the story a proper retelling, complete with photos of course.

This is my very favorite image from the entire trip. You can click RIGHT HERE for a larger version and all the details that went into getting this shot. Let's just say it was quite... sandy.

Have a GREAT thanksgiving and I will see you early next week!

Marc my words, this is gonna be good.

Woo-hoo! It's time for a road trip!

Tomorrow morning, I leave on a month long photography-based road trip of the western United States. I will of course be visiting friends and family along the way, but the heart of the trip centers around one very special individual. When I get to Oregon, I will be meeting up with Marc Adamus for a few days of shooting!

Marc is one of the finest landscape photographers in the world. Check out his work and you'll see what I mean -- it's simply incredible. He is renowned for stopping at nothing to get a shot. He will often hike 20, 30, 40 miles deep into the wilderness, in the middle of winter, to get a single photo. He has been published many times and won gobs of awards.

So, why the heck has Marc agreed to meet with the likes of me? Good question. Maybe all that high-altitude hiking has clouded his judgement. Or, maybe he's feeling compassionate and wishes to help the needy. Or, maybe, just maybe, he sees something in me. Whatever the case, I sure am glad he did. He is going to take me to some of his secret spots and I think I'm going to learn a lot. I couldn't be more stoked!!

Before I go, I want to keep with my tradition and post some shots. These are from this year's Renaissance Festival. As always, larger versions can be found here in my Fine Art Galleries. They are the very last photos I had left to edit and process. I am now completely caught up and ready for the trip. When I return, I'll surely have hundreds if not thousands of new shots to work on. It never ends! And, I love it.

See you in a month!

Told ya' so!

See? Even I can come through sometimes. I told you that I'd have the photos from my Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness trip done and posted by the end of the week, and lo and behold here they are. Snowflakes must be fluttering through hell.

Of course, there's a small catch. Not all of the photos below are from the Boundary Waters. The Arrowhead Region of Minnesota has so much to see that I naturally ended up taking some photos outside the BWCAW. Two of those -- the bottom two -- are displayed below. They are images of the famous Split Rock Lighthouse. The other three photos are from the BWCAW.

As always, larger versions of each image complete with detailed information can be found right here in my Fine Art Galleries. Or, you can just click on the link right below each picture.

Click here for larger version.

Click here for larger version.

Click here for larger version.

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Click here for larger version.

I'm back. And with all my limbs!

Whew! I got back from the Boundary Waters a couple days ago and have a new found appreciation for things like refrigerators and roofs. The first two days were harsh: high winds, low temps and heavy rains make things, shall we say, a trifle difficult when camping and traveling by canoe deep in the back country. Throw in my less-than-perfect canoeing acumen and a malfunctioning cook-stove and you have a recipe for... issues.

Fortunately, the weather turned around quite nicely at the end, and I was able to get some very nice photos -- I'm really happy with the way they turned out! I'm currently editing them and should have them posted by the end of the week. (Yeah, I know you're heard that before, but this time I mean it!)

For now, I want to take a quick moment to show you a couple of shots that I took the week prior to my Boundary Waters trip. I was camping on Gull Lake in northern Minnesota and captured these two images while spinning around the lake on a friend's boat. The second one needs a bit of clarification. The shoes were left there by a friend, who walked out along a long, shallow underwater point. If you follow the water into the shot, you will see him standing in the background. (He's even easier to see in the large version.) As always, larger views of both shots are available here in my Fine Art Galleries.

Thanks for looking. I'll have the Boundary Waters photos up soon.

A miracle?

This swan must've been hobnobbing with Jesus lately. Either that or he just likes to show off. Whatever the case, his little manuver sure impressed me. I shot this about a month ago and call it Waterwalking Swan. As usual, the larger version can be found right here in my Animals Gallery.

Incidentally, I could use a little waterwalking magic myself. Tomorrow, I leave for a photography, camping and canoeing excursion into the wild and woolly Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I'm very excited and anticipate getting some great shots, and will be sure to post them here as soon as they're all edited and processed.

Just pray I don't become bear food. That wouldn't be fair to the bear. ^_^

Move over, Picasso.

Abstract art has always been a touchy thing for me. When it's done right, it's great. When it's done wrong, it often leaves me scratching my head and thinking, "huh?" (Of course, I've been stumped by a cell phone menu, too, so there's that.)

So, what constitutes abstract art done "right" exactly? Well, for me simply it comes down to a couple things: aesthetics and recognizability. Aesthetics is pretty straightforward -- it just needs to be pleasing to the eye. It doesn't necessarily have to be beautiful, just harmonious -- all the elements have to work together and compliment one another to create a strong overall image.

It's recognizability that's the trickier of the two. I strongly believe that the viewer has to be able to ultimately ascertain what the piece of art is about. Otherwise, you end up with a "huh?" from the viewer and much of the "oomph" of the art is lost.

This recognition can come in different ways. Sometimes, it's a matter of staring at a piece for a bit until you have that "a-ha!" moment when you realize that it's an extreme close-up photo of a leaf. Other times, such as in Duchamp's Nude Descending A Staircase (a favorite of mine), the title of the piece will help clue you into what you are looking at.

Now that I've shown you what I think makes good abstract art, let me show you some of my attempts at it. I've had several abstract photos in my Fine Art Galleries for some time now, such as Waves, Red Army, and Juicy Gemstones. But now I've got a new one to show you.

This was shot a few weeks ago. Unlike most of my blog posts, this photo can NOT also be found in my Fine Art Galleries -- it's only viewable right here in this post. I call it Crescent Moonwing. Give it a look, can you tell me what it is? First one of you to get it correct will receive $1 million!*

*$1 Million subject to availability.

Oh me, oh my -- a butterfly!

Now that summer's in full swing, it's high time to eye butterflies flying by through the sky -- it's just the thing! My, my, how I like to opine on fine, fine butterfl-- ok... I'll shut up now. Suffice it to say, I like photographing butterflies!

As always, larger versions can be seen here, in my Butterflies Gallery.

Aaaww!

As a photographer, there is one thing I strive for above all else: emotion. The strongest and most impactful photographs are the ones that evoke an emotional response from the viewer. It doesn't really matter what the emotion is -- whether a photo makes you feel happy, sad, angry, scared, repulsed or some other feeling is not the point. The fact that you felt something, and hopefully something strong, is what matters.

That's the number one goal I have with each and every photo I take: I try to elicit an emotion. Many times, I don't succeed and an image turns out to be plain and lacks the magic I'm looking for. But sometimes, when everything goes right, my efforts are rewarded with an image that has that special touch. Recently, I was able to capture one such image. (See? Even I can do something right sometimes!) I've shown it to several people, and right away they all basically said the same thing: "Aaaww! That's so cute!" That's exactly what I felt when I first took the photo, and it is precisely the emotion I was going for. Success!

For me, this image symbolizes warmth and love. Notice how the mighty king of the jungle is scrunching up his face in anticipation of a cuddle from his lioness? Aaaww! Even tough guys can have soft spots in their hearts. Love conquers all, baby.

As always, the larger version can be seen here in my Fine Art Galleries.

Do Over!

That old saying isn't true -- turns out you can teach old dogs new tricks. Recently, I, learned a useful new technique from the great Russell Brown. Armed with this new knowledge, I was able to go back and reprocess a handful of my old images, and really make them shine the way I knew they could. Below is one of those.

This was shot last July in the mountains of Colorado. It's a sunrise over Fairy Trumpets. Previously, the sky was too dull and bright, and try as I might, I wasn't able to make it pop like I wanted. Not anymore. Now, it looks as I always intended it to. Thanks, Russell!

As always, the larger version of this photo can be found right here in my Fine Art Galleries.

The storm is over.

Lately, my world has been quite stormy. That is, stormy in the hectic, I've-got-a-million-things-flying-at-me sort of way. This recent flurry of activity is why I haven't posted anything here in over a month. You could say that the storm of life has rained all over my photography efforts of late. (Ok, that analogy was horrible. I hereby promise not to make anymore storm puns, lest you -- my faithful readers -- storm my office with lightening speed and demand, in a thunderous roar, that I stop flooding this blog with debris.)

Then, just yesterday, a real storm hit Minneapolis. The sky turned an eerie yellow, the winds picked up, heavy rains hit, tornado sirens started wailing -- the whole nine yards. But, just as quickly as it came, the storm was over, leaving behind a beautiful pink hued sunset, pictured below.

Just as the real storm has abated, so has the one in my life. Things are slowing down, returning to normal. Blue skies are on the horizon. Today is the first day of June, and summer is finally here. Therefore, my photography will be picking up quite a bit. You can expect to see more frequent posting from me in the coming months. Perhaps we could call it a hurricane of activity? Ok, we won't.

Happy 420!

Well, after returning to Minnesota, I quickly realized that winter had not left. We had two big snowstorms within two weeks of my return. So, what did I do? Went back to St. Croix, of course.

While I was there, a friend threw a party on the beach. It was, to say the least, fun.

Below is a photo which embodies the very essence of the party. To get this effect, I composed the shot, set the exposure to 1.6 seconds, tripped the shutter, and then moved the camera to the left while the exposure was being taken. The result is the tripped-out, blurred effect that you see. I learned about this nifty technique from world famous nature photographer Jim Brandenburg; he used it on this image. Although I use it very sparingly, when used properly, it can really strengthen an image. I feel that it has done just that here.

I was careful to compose the shot so that it showed a little bit of everything at the scene: there is a little bit of ocean, some moonlight peeking around the foliage at the top, and of course, the party-goers illuminated by firelight. If you look closely, just to the left of the girl's head, you can see some of the moonlight reflecting on the water peeking through the bushes. As usual, the larger version can be seen here.

And, in case you're jealous, don't be. I'm back in Minnesota now. And it's snowing today.

Look Out Below!

I think the Caribbean sun has gotten to my brain. Or, maybe it's the rum. At any rate, something must've addled my already meager senses. How else can I explain such a long delay in getting this blog entry posted? Once again, I apologize for such a long period of silence. Getting my sailboat up to speed has taken a good deal more time than I figured, and has eaten up much of the time I had allocated for photography. Whoever said that boats are money pits wasn't kidding. Every time I turn around, there's something to attend to. I've learned a new saying, one that's pure genius in its simple truth: BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand. Haha. Excuse me while I go cry now.

But all has not been bad. I do have at least a little something to show for my toils.

On one of the occasions that my boat was actually up and running, I was able to capture my favorite photograph since I've arrived here. During our sail someone mentioned that climbing up the mast and jumping into the water is quite fun. Never being one to pass up a chance for fun, I scrambled up the mast and had an exhilarating leap into the water from some 35 feet above. Not to be outdone, a friend followed suit immediately after me. However, his jump differed from mine in that he ended his with a most impressive face-plant into the water. It hurt just watching it.

Below is a photo of that man's jump. Note the crazed look on his face. If you look closely, you'll also see folks on the beach watching intently. How often do you get to watch someone try to tear their own head off? Filling out the composition are some terrific clouds and the moon right next to the guy. Maybe he was trying to jump over it?

I will be back in Minnesota soon. Take care.

Cold enough for ya?

If, like me, you live in Minnesota or any other midwestern state, on a cold winter day you've inevitably heard that dreaded question: Cold enough for ya? And again, if you're like me, you inevitably want to slap the face of the person asking that question. Seriously, what kind of response do they expect? "Gee, now that I think about it, 20 below zero isn't cold enough for me! I'd actually prefer it be 50 below. Thanks for asking!"

I bring this up because I've heard that it's been pretty darn nippy back in Minnesota. The temperature actually was 20 below zero just last week. Add a bit of wind chill in there and you have weather worthy of Antarctica. Of course, you know what's coming next. This is the part where I brag about how blissfully warm it's been down here in the Virgin Islands. I then tell you that I have built up a nice tan, and that's it's been sunny, and between 80 and 85 degrees every single day. But, I'm not gonna do that, because that would just be plain mean.

Nope, instead of telling you that I went sailing the other day, I'm going to talk photography.

I've been quite busy since I got here, and haven't had as much time for photography as I would like. That should change as time goes on. For now though, I do have a shot I'd like to show you. It's of a gecko, one of millions that we have here. The particular gecko was quite fun. He kept peeking out at me from behind a tree. I swear he was playing Peek A Boo with me. After a few shots, I finally got the one I wanted. I like how the composition is balanced by the three trees and the spaces between them. As always, the larger versions of the shot can be seen on my main website here.

I will do my best to report back soon. 'Till then, keep warm!

Better late than never.

I know, I know: I'm late. Not just a wee bit late, but a whole lotta late. I said I'd have the Hawaii photos up "in the next few days". Turns out a "the next few days" actually meant "thirteen days". Oops. Sorry 'bout that. Normally, I'd have something witty to say which would explain the delay while simultaneously making you laugh like you'd just watched President Bush try to solve a math problem. But, today I just don't have it in me.

You see, tomorrow I leave for my winter retreat in the Virgin Islands. Which, as fun as it sounds, is actually a lot of work. (I know, you're probably throwing up now.) I'll be gone for three months, so I've been busy with all the preparations, not to mention the whole New Year's thing. So, that's why these photos were so delayed. 'Tis the truth.

But, hey, at least they're done and posted now, right? Please take a look at them and let me know what you think. I'm pretty happpy with them and I think you will be too. As always, all these photos can be viewed in much larger versions complete with captions on my photography site in the Hawaii Gallery.

I will try and post photos from the Virgin Islands when I can. Internet is spotty there, so it may be awhile. Until then, I thank you for keeping up with me, and hope the best for you and yours.