Journal

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...

Hey, everyone! It has been several months since my last post here in the Journal, and if you haven't guessed, I've been staying busy with several projects lately. I've also been leading lots of private photography workshops, and I've spent time volunteering with the Parks in Focus program during their outings to the Grand Canyon...

The rain has just stopped, and the sun is slowly breaking through the clouds, illuminating the sublimity of the ever-changing landscape of the Grand Canyon. The air is crisp and fresh, and the scent of wet earth and trees fills your senses...

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...

I have been doing landscape photography for over 20 years, and I have traveled with some great photographers as guides. In all that time, I have never met a photo instructor who has taught me so much about getting high resolution, low noise, good color depth, and great composition in landscape photography like Adam Schallau. He has taught me an efficient workflow to get the most out of my equipment in fast-changing light.

I'm excited to announce that I will be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming 2023 Nature Photography Summit hosted by the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA). This in-person Nature Photography Summit runs May 4-6, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona...

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...

When we think of Arizona, our mind wanders to visions of flat deserts populated by the Saguaro cactus and the occasional roadrunner. What may not come to mind is rolling terrain and dense forests with numerous types of trees, but the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is just such a place...

This past August, I spent some time in the Tuweep District of Grand Canyon National Park. My primary goal was to photograph from Toroweap overlook which has a commanding view of the Colorado River. I couldn't help but be a bit distracted as, thanks to a very rainy monsoon season, the surrounding desert was full of Sacred Datura flowers...

I'm excited to share that one of my Grand Canyon photographs was selected for the cover of the November 2022 issue of Arizona Highways Magazine! The November issue celebrates Phantom Ranch which is turning 100 in November...

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...

I recently returned from a camping trip during which I visited several remote locations in Grand Canyon National Park. One of those locations was the Toroweap overlook which is only accessible by driving a 55-mile-long dirt road in the middle of nowhere in the Tuweep district of the park...

Did you know that June 15th is Nature Photography Day? The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA, @nanpapix) created the day in 2006 to "promote the enjoyment of nature photography, and to explain how images are used to advance the cause of conservation and protect plants, wildlife, and landscapes both locally and globally...

On this date in 1869, the explorer John Wesley Powell and his team set out on an epic journey into "The Great Unknown," a large blank space on the maps of the day, including the Grand Canyon and much of the American Southwest...

The American Southwest is home to some amazing landscapes, from wide-open desert vistas to the more intimate vignettes found across the canyon-country of the Colorado Plateau of the Four Corners region...

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...

Happy New Year from my home in Flagstaff, Arizona! I hope 2022 is off to a great start for you and yours.

I'm excited to share that one of my Grand Canyon photographs was selected to grace the cover of the January 2022 issue of Arizona Highways Magazine! In addition to the cover photo, I have several additional photographs in the magazine, which can see on pages 20 & 21, 23, 27, and 32...

I've been spending a lot of time lately going through the photographs I made this year, and I have discovered that I made many more panoramic compositions than I have in years past. For whatever reason, the panoramic format was top-of-mind nearly every time I found myself in the field...

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...

Two years ago today, I was on day 9 of an 18-day expedition rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon when the raft I was riding in flipped in a major rapid. The flip resulted in me spending time trapped below the raft when a strap or line wrapped around one of my legs...

Earlier this year I was the photography guide & instructor on a photography expedition rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Our group was composed of 12 photographers, plus myself and Sally, along with 4 river guides...

In the far reaches of northern Arizona is one of the most scenic and visually stunning landscapes in the world. It's a landscape of sandstone cliffs and sweeping lines with brilliant colors in a multitude of red, orange, and yellow hues...

The January 2021 issue of Arizona Highways magazine is out, and the cover features my photograph Clearing Winter Storm at Hopi Point depicting a winter scene at the Grand Canyon. I made this photograph on New Years Day 2015 as a snowstorm was clearing from the canyon...

Fall color in Colorado's mountains must be seen in person to appreciate what a treat it is for your senses truly. The air is crisp, and the aroma of autumn in the forest is everywhere. As the wind blows, the leaves dance on the branches until they finally let go, falling gently to the forest floor...

In late September of this year, I returned to Colorado to spend time amongst the mountains and the aspen trees. For me, it's a return to home, as I had lived in the small town of Gothic, on the bank of the East River, during the summers of 1991 and '92 when I worked at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory...

I'm excited to announce that my second book on Grand Canyon National Park has been released! This is my first book published by Arizona Highways! Grand Canyon: Earth and Sky celebrates the beauty and diversity of the canyon with more than 20 stunning photographs...

Late last week I was at home, in my office, preparing for upcoming photography workshops at the Grand Canyon when I heard (and felt) the rumble of distant thunder. Storms aren't unusual during the summer months here in Arizona as it is our monsoon season, but what was a bit unusual was how early the storms were starting on this day...

I've been using circular polarizer (CPL) filters almost since day 1 of my photographic journey, and since that day, I have been searching the best filter possible. After years of being frustrated with CPL filters, I may have finally found a new favorite, the X4 Circular Polarizer made by Breakthrough Photography...

Over the past couple of weeks, Sally and I have received many emails, instant messages, and phone calls asking, "is the Grand Canyon going to be open, and are you planning to run your monsoon workshops?" We want to take a few minutes to address these questions and provide some additional information on how I will be running my monsoon workshops and what is being done to provide a safe and healthy workshop environment...

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...

Earlier this month I was leading my annual winter photography workshop at Grand Canyon National Park. One of the techniques we work on during the time in the field is creating panoramic images by capturing multiple photos and later assembling them together to create the completed panorama...

As many of my readers have probably figured out, Grand Canyon is a special place for me. I've been spending years now exploring the canyon from the rim to the river. I photograph the canyon because I love it, it's really as simple as that...

When Fujifilm asked if I would like to take their newest medium format camera, the GFX 100, on my Grand Canyon river trip, I immediately said, "Yes!" One of the first things that came to mind when I began to imagine how I could take advantage of this camera was shooting in-camera panoramic photos...

We just got our first snowfall of the season here in Flagstaff, and as I sit here in the comfort of my home, watching the snow gently fall through the tall Ponderosa pine trees, I'm reminded that I have two spots open in my upcoming winter workshop at Grand Canyon National Park...

A rafting trip on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon is a transformative experience for many people. One of the participants on my most recent trip said it's probably the last real, great adventure in North America...

Howdy folks, it's been some time since I've been able to write anything for my website. I've been on the go non-stop since mid-July running workshops, giving presentations, working on several photography projects, and I spent 18 days below the rim of Grand Canyon rafting 225 miles of the Colorado River on a photography expedition...

The view from Cape Royal on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring vistas in the park. Under the moonlight, it takes on a mystical and other-worldly feeling, especially as the first light of the dawn breaks over the horizon behind you painting Wotans Throne in subtle light...

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...

I visit the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park several times every year, and when I make the 4-hour return trip home to Flagstaff, I almost always make a side-trip to Lees Ferry to spend time near the Vermilion Cliffs and Colorado River...

I had the opportunity to work with a great group of kids yesterday at the Grand Canyon. Together we hiked along the rim searching for opportunities to frame the canyon through the trees. They invited me to join them for dinner (the quesadillas were awesome!), and afterwards, we went back out to the rim to photograph the sunset...

Last month I got an email from the Director of Photography at National Geographic Traveler magazine asking if I would be interested in sharing some tips for photographing the Grand Canyon. They had just published one of my photos of the canyon in the magazine, and they were becoming more familiar with my work...

Last month I did a private 2-day workshop for a woman named Shari from Florida who was visiting Grand Canyon, and wanted to get some great photos along with expanding her photographic knowledge. Shari is exactly the type of person that I love to work with...

I'm excited to share that my photo of the 'Super Blue Blood Moon' at Grand Canyon has been published in the current issue of the National Geographic Traveler magazine!

This scene was captured from Desert View on January 31st, 2018...

The May 2019 issue of Arizona Highways is out and I can't hide it, I'm pretty excited about this. My work is on both the cover and back cover of the magazine!!! In addition to the covers, my work was also used for the table of contents page, and five more images in a portfolio within the magazine...

Happy Earth Day!

Are you a photographer? Are you concerned about your impact on the natural world? Then I encourage you to join the alliance for responsible nature photography.

THE NATURE FIRST PRINCIPLES

Sunrise this morning at Grand Canyon National Park was on fire! It was as if there were 100 birthday candles burning brightly in the sky in celebration of Grand Canyon National Park turning 100 today...

I'm thrilled to announce that the new book celebrating the centennial of Grand Canyon National Park features my work on the cover, and an additional 11 images inside. The book titled Grand Canyon National Park: 100 Views is published by the Grand Canyon Conservancy, it features the work of thirty-one photographers, and is written by Scott Thybony...

The February 2019 issue of Arizona Highways is out and it celebrates centennial of Grand Canyon National Park which became a park on February 26, 1919. The staff at the magazine selected 8 of my photographs for this issue including one for the back cover...

The November/December 2018 issue of Colorado Life magazine features my image of Chimney Rock on the cover! Chimney Rock is near Cortez, Colorado in the Four Corners region. This issue also features stories about winter wildlife hikes, Front Range sandstone landscapes, Denver's Vance Kirkland Museum...

My latest fine art print installation, this time at the Residence Inn by Marriott in downtown Flagstaff. It’s a beautiful hotel with a great staff, and the prints really compliment the space nicely...

If you haven't figured it out already, I'm in love with the Grand Canyon and photographing it. I'm also into the history of the canyon and the early pioneers that came here, including Kolb brothers...

How cool is this?

Sally and I had been in Flagstaff this morning running a few errands and we stopped at a gas station that we almost never use. As we were waiting to pull out into traffic, a truck pulling a dory (a wooden boat used in river trips) went by us...

If you're a fan of beautiful books with photos of amazing places, then be sure to pick up a copy of The Mighty Colorado River ~ From the Glaciers to the Gulf by Jim Turner. The photo on the cover is one of mine and it depicts the river as it flows through Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona...

I'm excited to have my photo of the Rio Grande Gorge on the cover of the July 2015 issue of New Mexico Magazine!

I lived in Taos for over 10 years and it's where I got my start as a professional photographer...

This past August, my wife Sally and I had the privilege of photographing a very special event.

Just down the street from us here in Flagstaff, Arizona, is an 8-year old boy named A.J., who has spinal muscular atrophy...

The July 2014 issue of Arizona Highways Magazine is now on the newsstands and the cover features one of my photos of Grand Canyon National Park. This is actually my first cover with Arizona Highways Magazine! I’m beyond excited and honored to be part of this proud Arizona institution...

Here’s a sneak peek at the August 2011 edition of New Mexico Magazine. In addition to the cover image of Troy Becenti, a 28-year-old member of the Diné (Navajo) tribe, in this issue I have a portfolio of photos of ancient Native American dwellings and rock art paired with the poetry of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer N...