I’m happy to share photography and travel tips for my favorite location to take landscape photographs, Yosemite National Park. In the September 2015 issue of Outdoor Photographer I have an article titled “3 Days in Yosemite” that is a guide to getting the most out of a long weekend in Yosemite. In this piece I share tips on how to avoid paralysis by analysis in deciding what to photograph, how to ad
I never thought I’d say it, but it’s been fun dabbling with film again. While I still haven’t resorted to 35mm film in my old SLR I have been enjoying my time with an ONDU pinhole camera. I bought this camera via a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. Turns out ONDU is running a Kickstarter campaign for their 2nd generation pinhole cameras. If this type of photography interests you I highly recommend their
After spending days researching one of my favorite photo locations on Flickr, Instagram and 500px and then tracking down the almost exact location through shared camera GPS data I drove 5 1/2 hours to capture this amazing Yosemite view that is destined to be a centerpiece of my landscape portfolio. Just when I thought I was the only person who might have thought of capturing this unique vantage point I ran into my fr
Sometimes a short break in the clouds is all you need… along with a lot of patience, a nap in your car, and a notion something might develop out of nothing. All that being said the Sun and the clouds do the hard part in these situations. While waiting for conditions to unfold the hardest part is fighting the nagging doubt that you made the wrong call on where to shoot. This self-doubt is particularly potent w
This was taken on a trip a year back atop the peak of Haleakala. While many are lured to this location to see the sunrise one should not miss sunsets either. It’s not everyday you get to sit a top the world and see for up to 30 miles or more in every direction. While driving here with my son he wisely stated, “This volcano is too big!” It is gigantic (10,023 feet above sea level) and amazing even mo
2014 was a very different year for me in that I spent my time in the field focusing nearly 100% on enjoying nature without obsessing on taking photos. My motivation was to give my oldest son (4 years old) the best introduction to the natural world possible. Everything this year was the same as years past in regard to my pre-planning for ideal photography conditions I just happened to intentionally leave my pro gear
My friend Kelly Castro recently challenged me to the 5 Day B&W Photo Challenge on Facebook so I thought I would share my entries. The challenge is merely for fun and an exercise to think creatively. Having been in Dad mode the past several months I thought this would be a good way to get back in the game. The photo above was taken in the Point Reyes National Seashore where I was tuning up and trying out some new
This weekend an interesting OpEd hit the New York Times titled Rethinking the Wild, The Wilderness Act Is Facing a Midlife Crisis. If you haven’t read it I highly recommend you do, as you’ll hear much of this narrative in the coming months and years as various forces continue to try to chip away at it to weaken it if not undo it. The Wilderness Act of 1964 did something amazing, it protected 9.1 million