Holiday Ordering Deadline

As I write this, and glance at my calendar, I find it hard to believe Christmas is just six weeks away. I can say with confidence that this year has been a doozy - for everyone. With Covid cases rising exponentially in Colorado, my mind is on the holidays, but more in terms of thinking about what won’t happen, who we won’t see, and will my family still be well when it arrives.

With all these things in mind, I chose the images currently listed in my Holiday Sale with the goal of spreading happiness. The images, especially the Hummingbirds, make me smile. The warmth and wonder of the outdoors is what I want to share with you this season, giving us all the opportunity to bring the outdoors inside. To keep our minds healthy and happy during the winter months - and beyond.

Metal prints are stunning. I prefer this medium to framed prints, as there is no barrier between you and the subject. When you walk up to view one of my metal prints, you will feel submersed in the scene. There is no glass, no frame and you can touch a metal print - they are easy to clean after. The design provides depth, as the float-mount hanger pushes the print about 1/2 an inch out from the wall. They are lightweight, easy to hang and brighten every space. The only downside to the prints is they take time to make and ship - about two weeks, to be exact.

To ensure Christmas delivery, with my Free Shipping offer, the order cut off is December 10th. I can rush orders after this date, but that will require expedited services, such as 2nd Day and Next Day Air (these services will be available starting December 11th).

I’m grateful to be able to share my work with you, and will be honored to have you as a customer. The love and care nature provided me this year will translate effortlessly into any space with these prints. I believe you’ll feel the love, too.

Please join me in spreading cheer that will last long after Christmas. Shop the Holiday Sale now.

How Will My Print Look On A Wall?

I’m going to tell you a little secret… I’m spatially challenged. I’m a visual person, but throw some math in there and I’m lost.

Typically, before I buy something like furniture or art prints, I will measure my space…then measure it again. I don’t know if you’re like me, but if so, I thought this size comparison would help when you try and visualize my photography on your wall.

I hope this helps when you go to purchase wall art from me, or anyone else!

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Mesa Arch. I went back and forth about photographing this location. For years I researched it, even scouting it once. I vacillated about photographing it because this location has been photographed TO DEATH. I'm not a fan of capturing images that everyone else has already taken, however, I really wanted the Mesa Arch image,  so I decided to tie the experience to something near and dear to my heart: my father.

My dad, who passed away in 1990, was an avid photographer. He introduced me to it when I was a teenager and much of what I learned about the art of photography came from him.  I always smile when I think about today's cameras and corresponding technology (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.). He would have loved all of it, especially after spending hours hunched over his self-made Light Box, pouring over negative after negative. At any rate, I always made a point to photograph something on the anniversary of his death. This summer I realized that was slightly morbid - why not photograph something on his birthday and celebrate his joining the world, not leaving it? And that's why I wound up at Mesa Arch. I photographed it on his birthday and I will never forget the entire experience, or the day I was there, for that very reason.

Now, on to what you really want to know: how crowded was it at the arch and what should one expect? Here is what I can tell you:

1. However crowded I thought it could get, it was that crowded...maybe worse. If you're a tourist going with your iPhone or just to watch sunrise, God speed. We photographers get there about two hours before sunrise to ensure we get a spot right up on the arch. We will block your lovely view and somewhat ruin the experience (and for that I am truly sorry). 

2. People behave badly. Not everyone, but there were moments where I was shaking my head. The worst? A tourist/photographer who walked about eight feet off the trail to take a poop in a bush... when there were bathrooms in the parking lot five minutes back. Ugh. Seriously? Bleh.

3. Sunrise was glorious - truly. The sun breaking from behind the La Sal mountains was incredible. The slight amount of haze in the canyon and the sun hitting it and providing contrast, and then lighting up the underside of the arch, was mind blowing. 

4. Am I glad I went? Yes, absolutely. But it did require my getting up at 4:30 a.m., driving the 45 minutes to the trailhead parking lot, and hiking the one mile to the arch in the dark.  Even though I was at the arch by 5:50 a.m. (and sunrise wasn't until 7:05 a.m.), it was already packed with photographers.

5. The guy who pooped in the bushes? He got to the arch about five minutes after me and tried to set up to my left, I sh*t you not (pun intended). But he was too late, as I got the last viable spot. My Dad would have loved that, and that thought made me smile and laugh to myself, which in turn made it all worthwhile. God certainly works in mysterious ways. 

Solar Eclipse 2017, Wyoming

I was one of the millions of Coloradans that drove to Wyoming to see the total eclipse on Monday, August 21st. My dear friend Brandy found us a last minute camping spot for Sunday night in Jay Em, Wyoming, at the Wyoming Horse Rescue. They were incredible hosts - friendly and well prepared - and it was a perfect spot. 

In the months leading up to the eclipse, I researched the camera gear I'd need to keep my Canon 5D Mark IV safe. I bought a B+W 67mm ND 3.0-1,000X with Single Coating (110) filter from Amazon. It worked like a charm. The second totality began, I took off the filter and started firing away while also trying to take it all in and not miss the moment. The image below was without the filter. My settings were: 200mm, f/4, 1/250 sec, ISO 100. This image has not been edited.

The 220 mile drive from Denver to Jay Em took us 3.5 hours on Sunday, but 9.5 hours on the way home Monday, and we were lucky. After going only 75 miles in 4.5 hours, we found a turn off that took us down back roads of Wyoming and Colorado. Millions of travelers were stuck well beyond what we endured, and I hope they all made it home safe and sound. Still, as exhausting as the drive home was, the eclipse was well worth the hassle. I hope you were able to enjoy it from wherever you were in the US. 

 

so-so sunflower

Right about the time this image came together, I needed to leave the house and get my son, who I lovingly call The Boss. I fired off about five shots and thought, "If they don't work out, I'll recreate this set up tomorrow." Best laid plans. 

When I purchased the sunflowers yesterday, it was 20 degrees outside. Although the trip from the grocery store to my car was brief, as was the trip into my house once home, I think the cold may have zapped the flowers a bit. When I realized last night, during post-processing, that a few things were wrong in my image, I decided to use my backup plan and reshoot. But this morning, when I went to set up, my sunflowers looked limp and really unhappy. Try as I may, I could not recreate my original image. 

Photography can be a fickle mistress. But...I love this image too much not to share it. Even though there are a few technical issues, I still love the duality of beautiful and fierce, and the way the sunflower stem guides the eye. Since it's not destined for my Macro portfolio page, I'll give it life here on the Blog.