Bayou Sunset

Sunset on the Bayou. It's been a really interesting few days exploring New Orleans and cajun country. It's a region that surely doesn't lack in character and soul. We visited some of the wealthiest areas in the Garden District to the areas hit hardest by Katrina in Lower 9th Ward. We visited the touristy spots such as Bourbon Street and also found ourselves deep in the swampy rural areas filled with eye opening poverty. We drove along the Mississippi amazed by the number of refineries and chemical planets. We walked the plantations and felt a bit sick of the thought that people used to be 'owned.' We merely scratched the surface as we often do via travel, but we were able to open a new chapter in the book of life of understanding that was left unwritten before. Travel is such a critical tool...especially within our own country...even if it's just in our figurative backyard. If we want to understand ourselves and each other a bit better, we have to put ourselves out there.

Forest Minutiae

Forest Minutiae. Frequently, the grandest shots 'stem' from the smallest wonders. With a certain intensity of commitment and penchant for observation, you receive abundance of gratitude. Nature photography continues to truly teach me how freezing a moment reveals how truly stunning our world is. It's not about getting Instagram likes or checking off bucket lists, it's about feeling the world around you. Here, clovers give new life to a fallen ancient tree in Fern Canyon, Redwoods National Park.

Grand Falls

Grand Falls, Arizona. A desert waterfall that comes alive only a few months out of the year during snowmelt.

Dawn Patrol

Spectators taking in the magic of the dawn patrol ascension at the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10-14-17. Thousands look up in pure sensory overload. There's no way to capture the magnitude or all of the balloons filling the skies. My views were akin to a specific window seat on a train or in a car. It's my fleeting window that only I experienced. Each person who attended will have their own vantage point. Chasing their own moments and stories...all in awe.

Black Friday.

The best way to spend Black Friday. Narrowsburg, New York.

Cornhusker State

Remnants of a recent corn harvest in the fields of Nebraska

Teton Spring

Spring Flowers blooming among the Grand Tetons.

Shoshone

Niagara of the west. Spring flow and golden hour at Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho. The sheer power of water is literally and figuratively moving. Canyon walls carved out over millions of years makes you feel like a blip on the radar.

Enchanting Yellowstone

Sunset at the painted pots (5/28/17) in Yellowstone National Park. Just stunning to see the pools and steaming vents in the background as the sun fell behind the horizon. Thanks to my dad for patiently waiting for a few hours, so I could capture those fleeting moments.

Supervisors of Selma

Selma, Alabama . A center of the Civil Rights movement. Such a powerful place to be. These two brothers were sitting outside one afternoon just watching the day go by and according to them, 'supervising' as their buddies washed clients cars at an auto shop. They were salt of the earth men who spoke to my soul. Gregarious, amicable and present. They shared a bit of history with us and smiled ear to ear when they chatted about when President Obama visited. It's people like this when traveling that make an experience all the richer. This is what true wealth looks like. Thank you gentleman, and keep on supervising.

Red Willow

On a recent visit to Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, I had a wonderful conversation with Red Willow. He served in the United States Navy for many years in the Pacific with pride and dignity. He now focuses much of his energy on crafting drums and traditional artwork. A self-proclaimed "Jack-of-all-trades." We chatted about indigenous spirituality, connection with the land, and the recent passing of my dog. I referenced several parallels to my experiences with cultures in the high Andes in Peru and Bolivia. It was fascinating to see the same symbols in his artwork and worldviews that reflected the same ideologies found thousands of miles away. Red Willow stoically yet affirmatively stated...."We're all connected. We share the same soil." I wanted to capture a certain intimacy in this photo that illustrates this man's humble yet cogent personality. This is a man who's fellow native people have too often been cast aside in the United States...yet he still fought for our country. He is a man connected deeply to the earth and offered continual words of wisdom and optimism that I needed to hear. Here lies the true beauty of using my photography to engage with the world and its people. True, change isn't made from this image or story alone, but it reinvigorates my inner flame to get out there and learn, listen and observe. In the end this awareness will foster real change and meaningful conversations and respect for each and every one of us.

Spring In The Tetons

Spring in the Tetons. I waited for sunset at this pond just enjoying the solitude. A beaver swam across multiple times, baby ducks learned to navigate the waters, birds chirped, the grass rustled, the clouds were dynamic creating all sorts of lighting...it was beautiful to just stop and soak it all up. One of my favorite parts of landscape photography is the patience necessary. You end up really appreciating a place more and notice the complexities of the ecosystem going on every moment.

Cadillac Ranch

Outside of Amarillo, Texas sits a unique art installation. Cadillac Ranch was built by a group called Ant Farm from San Francisco. Stanley, Marsh, a local billionaire commissioned the art and wanted to create something that would confuse the local and attract a certain attention. Ten Cadillacs ordered in the year they were built were brought to the fields and dug nose deep into the Texas soil in 1974. Over the years, the cars were de-faced and painted and eventually moved 2 miles down the road. Today, the smell of spray paint smacks your nostrils from 100 yards away as you approach the cars. People are encouraged to paint them as part of the fun that keeps these cars from rusting away.

Ancient Sedona

Ancient trees, ancient rocks, ancient soil. Amazing the masterpieces mother nature creates over millions of years.

Taughannok Falls

I see why the adage Ithaca is Gorges exists. Taughannok Falls.

Hemingway

The unassuming grave of the great Ernest Hemingway in Ketchum, Idaho. Fans have adorned with some of his favorite hobbies.

Sedona Spring

Sunset in Sedona in Spring creates a beautiful color pallete

Elko

Sunset outside of Elko, Nevada. Even when covering lots of mileage on the road in a day, I make sure to stop and enjoy the splendid sunsets wherever I am.

Chimayo

Beads decorate an alter at the El Santuario de Chimayo, New Mexico. The sanctuary receives over 300,000 visitors a year and is one of the most famous sites of Catholic pilgrimage in the United States.

Morning Feed

Cows in rural Nebraska on a frigid morning chowing down on breakfast

Webs

"When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion."- Ethiopian Proverb In the Bayou of southern Louisiana.

Cairo

Cairo, Illinois. Pronounced K-aro. One of the more interesting river towns I have ever been too. Near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, this town essentially sits on an island flood plain. I would recommend checking out the documentary Between Two Rivers to hear the story of this once thriving town.

Breaking it Down

Breaking it down in 'Nawlins. No city matches The Big Easy for flavor and soul.

Blue Door

Rich turquoise deposits are found throughout New Mexico. The natives adorn their pueblos, art and clothing with these brilliant hues. Juxtaposed with the warm earth tones of the desert and clay adobe walls, these complimentary clashes beautifully craft their way into the cultural and physical landscape and overall artistic imagination. It's no wonder they call this The Land Of Enchantment. Interestingly, it was blue doors that started my venture into photography. My first photo that I took with intention that I really liked, albeit on a cell phone...was of 3 blue doors on a historic street in San Blas barrio in Cusco, Peru. While thousands of miles apart, it's strikingly powerful to see so many commonalities between the two, and it's no wonder I am drawn to these areas nestled in the mountains, deeply rooted in history, vibrancy and a particular genuineness that speaks to me.