Journal (South rim)

It has been another great year photographing monsoon storms, rainbows, and light at the Grand Canyon.

Since late July, I have led several photography workshops on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and I've made numerous personal trips to both the South Rim and the North Rim of the park...

This winter has been the kind that photographers dream of. Since December of 2022, much of northern Arizona has been impacted by what seemed like a non-stop wave of winter storms. At my home near Flagstaff, as of March 1st, we have received over 150 inches of snow...

As 2022 begins to wind down, I have come to realize that I am way behind on developing the photographs I have made over the past year. I've been very productive and have lots of new photos to share including these from the Grand Canyon...

What a year 2022 has been for photographing the monsoon season at the Grand Canyon. After several years of weak monsoonal showers, or what some had come to refer to as the “non-soon” the rain has returned and with it came the lightning, rainbows, and dramatic skies...

It's my personal opinion that one of the most memorable times to see and experience the Grand Canyon is during the winter. The sun is lower in the sky, and the golden light lasts long. There are fewer visitors, and if you're up for taking some short walks, it's possible to feel like you almost have the park to yourself...

After two years in a row of experiencing very dry monsoons, also known as a "nonsoon" in which there was little to no storm activity, we finally had a decent season this year in northern Arizona.

I made several trips to both the South Rim and North Rim of the Grand Canyon to lead photography workshops and personal trips to create new photographs for my portfolio...

Having grown up in the plains state of Iowa, I have always been fascinated with thunderstorms and lightning. Every year I would eagerly look forward to the storm season. My mother and I would race to the windows or the front door at the first crack of thunder, eager to see the next lightning bolt rip across the sky...

I've wrapped up a great workshop here at the Grand Canyon. Over the past 5 days we have photographed the canyon from both the South Rim and the North Rim. The group was absolutely fantastic and lots of fun to work with as we chased light, learned new photographic techniques, and made new friends...

Someone once said to me “you sure get lucky with your photography” in reference to some of the spectacular moments I have been “lucky” to have witnessed and photographed. I believe in making your own luck by being prepared, knowing your craft, and by being in the right place when luck presents itself by anticipating what is going to happen...