Simply Nature

location: owyhee canyonlands                season: spring                                       backstory: when i first moved to this area i began exploring around john day: strawberry mountains, john day fossil beds, aldrich and dixie mountains, and the john day river. it felt like a whole new world to explore. as i talked with more locals, the steens were often mentioned. heading south of burns, oregon extended my range significantly. then, a few people talked about the owyhee. the owyhee canyonlands extend from south of the oregon/nevada state line north along the eastern oregon border almost to ontario. it's isolated, rugged and it takes something extra to get there. just my kind of place. the owyhee river flows this entire distance to the 50 mile long reservoir at the north end. this scene is at leslie gulch at the southern end of the reservoir. cresting a ridge and descending down 7 miles through this gulch to the reservoir provides a fascinating view of canyons and rock spi

tree spirit skyline ridge (click on image for larger size) location: strawberry mountain wilderness season: winter backstory: i'm quite fond of tree snags, of which there are many in the forested mountains around the region. there's something about them that draws my attention like a magnet. it's almost as if they have a personality, an aura that calls out, maybe ghostly. when i see one in the distance i'll ski way out of my way to go meet it. i have hundreds of photos of tree snags, which when reviewed at home, simply look like dead trees. somehow the subtle energy felt in the moment doesn't transfer thru camera to ink and paper. this one is different. i do a lot of cross country skiing in and around the strawberry mountain wilderness area where i draw much inspiration for the winter photos in this portfolio; see al piste , road's end , winter solstice at allen creek. skiing here is not like developed ski areas in other areas. i call it back road skiing. the sn

just in this moment virgin valley   (click on image for larger size) location: sheldon wildlife refuge   season: summer   backstory: whether film or digital, photography is primarily about light; how light affects the chemical process of film or the pixels of sensors. nature photographers prize the light available at dawn and sunset for the subtle qualities illuminating a scene. i find myself mostly drawn to the hours around dawn. this scene is a good example of the impact of dawn light. the low angle of sun rays provide shadow, depth and texture.  diffuse light allows for richer and more varied colors.  even the clouds have a little more dimension with dawn light. in a short while the heat of a summer day will wash out all these lovely qualities. photographers refer to it as the golden hour. one of the joys of the photographic/creative process at dawn is when all of these elements appear, briefly, combined like an intricate dance. muted pre-dawn light gives way to golden sun. a light

if you've wandered around this website, seen some of the photos and read some of the words, it is probably obvious: i love this place. that could be the title of the website, portfolio and every photo. it's a big surprise to me.  this isn't the place i thought i would live in and love.  i've traveled extensively around the world and lived in many beautiful places: forested mountains bordering wilderness, foothills of the himalayan mountains, small town oregon coast, thailand, small villages in china, remote sub tropical mountains of taiwan, colorado mountains, rural appalachia. and more. i've had the option to choose where i wanted to be and move. i did it frequently. i lived out of a backpack for many years. those moves and places were influenced by many variables: wanderlust, education in healing, meditation and martial arts, escaping, running, seeking...something else. ultimately not satisfying, no matter the beauty of the place. finding home in eastern oregon wa

winter brilliance cathedral rock john day fossil beds (click on image for larger size) location: kimberly, oregon season: late winter backstory: cathedral rock was one of my initial photography muses in this area. that first drive down hiway 19 thru condon, fossil & spray felt like entering another dimension.  when i came around the curve and saw cathedral rock it felt like a gong reverberating in my head. it hasn't stopped since. the popular name may be cathedral, it is a temple to me. this muse inspired, pushed, teased & demanded i embrace the photographic creative process, if only to create one image that did this place honor. it took awhile. during a six year process i made over three dozen pilgrimages here, thru each of the seasons. kayaking down, then wading thru the river. at dawn, at sunset.  wandering under a summer full moon. scampering up hillsides & across scree. bushwacking thru 10' tall weeds. looking at each angle.  listening to the wind, river and d

nourishment osprey family   (click on image for larger size) location: kimberly, oregon season: early summer backstory: osprey seem to tolerate humans a little more than other raptors. their nests can be easier to see, possibly because they prefer being close to a river. i've found several nests while kayaking down the north fork john day river from 20 miles east of dale to kimberly (about 60 river miles) where it joins the main stem of the river. this scene was after spending a lovely day kayaking, then returning by rig with camera gear. i don't take the expensive gear in the kayak. with this, and the other osprey photos, i often spend several days at the nests, watching their daily life, the comings and goings.  sometimes they tolerate me, other times they don't. this opportunity unfolded after a lovely early summer day.  spring green and growth transitioning to summer.  pleasantly warm into the evening sunset. watching a nest like this can be a very meditative process: