The AI Challenge to Photographic Creativity
March 15, 2026
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Pablo Picasso once said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal." Which was his way of saying that great art builds on the works of our predecessors.
All great artists have studied and initially copied the techniques, the styles, the brilliance of past masters to take them in new directions and create new concepts. This is what they did, this is...
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Travel Photography: Japan
November 26, 2025
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Travel photography in Japan is as simple as ABC, it will Always Be Crowded. Don't let that deter you as it is a marvelous country and an unforgettable experience. When traveling with family, photography is secondary to the shared adventure and memories, so quick response to photographic opportunities is best and accepting that you'll miss some "kee...
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Trading Quality for Compact and Quick
August 23, 2025
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I continue to marvel at the phenomenal level of acuity with the Nikon "Trinity" lenses, 14-24, 24-70, 70-200. For deliberate, carefully framed tripod images, they are exquisite. If an image falls short, that's on me, no excuses. The Z-mount 24-120 paired with the old F-mount 70-300 (crazily, my all-time favorite lens) are perfect for excellent qual...
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The Genius of Fan Ho
May 21, 2025
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It has become clear, over time, that my favorite photographer is Fan Ho. If I need inspiration, energy, or a fresh perspective, I find myself returning to his work. I marvel at what he did so many years ago, and how innovative, contemporary, dynamic and emotional his images continue to be.
His cinematic camera angles, brilliant aspect ratios and c...
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The Uncompromising Clyfford Still
February 25, 2024
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At moments, I found myself smiling, almost laughing out loud at the genius of Clyfford Stills' paintings. Standing in front of some of the greatest works of the Abstract Expressionist movement was simply wondrous. These were a tutorial in non-verbal communication. He could, with a single dab of color in precisely the right place, make an entire can...
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Lower Antelope Canyon - A New Approach
August 10, 2023
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Make no mistake, the canyon is still beautiful and well worth seeing.
When I last photographed Lower Antelope nine years ago, I arrived early, was second in line behind a fellow photographer from France, and we were taken by ATV to the canyon entrance. We had the canyon to ourselves for the first 30 minutes and with full use of tripods. I have two...
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Being At One
December 08, 2022
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Often when we are asking "why", we should be asking "how". Our deductive reasoning nature drives the who, what, when, where, how, why in us all. Science asks "how", whereas religions ask, seek, and configure "why", when a reason neither exists nor is necessary.
Photographing in nature gives us the opportunity to transcend our daily lives with the...
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Aspect Ratio and Perception
November 02, 2021
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Two of my most admired photographers, Michael Kenna and Bruce Percy, photograph in 1x1 aspect ratio, exclusively (no "L" bracket required). They are masterful image makers and the square format is only a small part of their signature styles, but it is their vantage point in seeing the world.
Until recently, I had always felt that if I shot in full...
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Moving Mountains
May 19, 2021
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You can move mountains.....with your feet. Trees, buildings, sea stacks, sun and moon, with ease.
I mostly think of my images as arrangements. At first, I thought I had finally coined an original phrase, but soon learned some very admired photographers hold the same concept. Arranging the elements in your image requires movement, sometimes necessi...
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Housebound Abstracts
January 16, 2021
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As we all navigate the pandemic as best we can, staying positive is one of the greater challenges. To break the insidiously lurking "everyday is Blursday" feeling, I needed a new photographic outlet not involving an international flight. Full disclosure, I stole this idea from the Dutch photographer, Maarten Rots, at maartenrots.nl, and set about t...
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Epic Obsession and Our Personal Guidelines
October 22, 2020
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My favorite composer, Igor Stravinsky, wrote in his Poetics of Music, that before he could begin a new composition, he first had to establish the parameters for the composition. Otherwise, the possibilities were infinite and he could not proceed.
In this digital age of photography, now, anything is possible. Yesterday, when I downloaded the latest...
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Abstracts Informing Landscapes
January 13, 2019
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Since taking an abstract workshop many years ago, my approach to landscape photography has not been the same. Inherently impatient, I have learned to be far more deliberate while striving to concentrate on line, form, space, and color relations. Shooting abstracts as often as possible forces one into increased awareness of composition, simplicity a...
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Just Shi-Shi of Perfection
August 10, 2018
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One of the most beautiful beaches in Washington (and therefore the world, my opinion) is Shi-Shi Beach out of Neah Bay. Broad, sandy beaches nearly 3.5 miles long, with the glorious Point of Arches and numerous beachside camping sites create a spectacular place for photography and peaceful contemplation.
Located in Olympic NP, Shi-Shi is accessed...
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Winter Photography: Japan
March 21, 2018
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After 9+ hours on the excellent All Nippon Airways, I was kneeling on the floor of Narita Airport sorting my gear and heard a woman's voice saying "Could we interview you?". I turned around and a camera and microphone were in my face and I was instantly chatting with the crew from the reality show "Why Did You?" Thus began a wonderful two-week phot...
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Alaska: The Big Browns & Decoding Denali
August 11, 2017
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After the four of us had convened at the airport in Anchorage (2 from Seattle, 2 from Portland) we hailed a cab for the drive to Iliamna Air Taxi which would fly us to, you guessed it, Iliamna on the Alaska Peninsula. Before I could ask our driver, Achmed, how he had arrived in Anchorage from Somalia, he had popped on his shades and turned 80's roc...
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