Simply Nature

 without planning to, i find myself deeply drawn into this creative photographic process. it's not like i need another career; the healing arts of chinese medicine are very fulfilling. backcountry treks are immensely nourishing on a personal level. body, mind and spirit vibrate with the energy, just being there is enough. why carry around all that photo gear? i do enjoy the creative aspects of camera, editing, printing & frames. there is no compelling need to be known as an artist or a photographer , they seem merely tools. then, tools for what? sitting in the serene quiet of 10,000' staring at immense panoramic landscapes extending hundreds of miles, it becomes very simple and clear: it's about nature.     the deepest call comes to express the beauty, energy, spirit of these places i wander to.  many are off well traveled paths and/or not typically seen, or at times when not easily visited. most of these places are simple, ordinary, what i call backcountry loca...

mandalas are used in a variety of spiritual, religious, creative contexts.  in general, they are an artistic expression meant to focus or inspire us about core principles or truths. mandalas are believed to represent different aspects of the universe and are used as instruments of meditation and symbols of prayer most notably in china, japan, and tibet. often mandalas focus on a specific teaching or healing aspect. a mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in many asian cultures. it can be used in different ways: externally as a visual representation of the universe or internally as a guide for meditation or spiritual practices. some traditions use mandalas as a gateway, entering and proceeding towards its center, you are guided through a cosmic process of transforming the universe from one of suffering into one of joy and happiness. some traditions consider mandalas a path to enlightenment.  in this sense, they may be teachers or guides in the process.   a moment ...

when i first moved to this area i learned about wild horse herds scattered around the region. the idea of wild horses stimulated images of the wild west and this land before settlers. first experiences were in the murderer's creek area of aldrich mountain. forested rugged terrain made tracking and finding these horses challenging and very rewarding with the first photos. they seemed quite wild to me. murderer's creek herd stud and family as treks expanded south into the steens mountains and alvord desert, seeing these horses became more frequent. i got to know them better. after posting some of the first photos online, i received a comment explaining how true wild horses went extinct thousands of years ago and that they were actually feral - domestic horses set loose in the backcountry. after a little research, my romantic image of wild horses began to dissolve. this, combined with seeing them on almost every photo trek, led me to understand they aren't truly wild.  they ar...

taking treks out into backcountry oregon is a great pleasure. there are many benefits: getting out into nature, finding great scenes to photograph, chance encounters with wildlife, seeing star-filled skies without any light pollution, feeling the desert wind scour my spirit, the smell of sage and juniper, the freedom to wander...the list keeps on going. these photos are one way of trying to express these experiences. these journeys aren't a vacation, they are more similar to pilgrimage, native vision quest, or aboriginal walkabout. they have a spiritual quality, are sacred, fill a need for nourishment i don't find in other ways. it didn't start out that way. it just kind of evolved naturally. i've always enjoyed wandering, sometimes aimlessly, sometimes with purpose.  the wide open high desert is very conducive to this. usually i'll leave home with a planned route and series of destinations. it's rare for that plan to be followed very closely. it tends to start ...

 add copy ink runs in my blood, possibly from working in the graphics trades after college, doing calligraphy and chinese brush painting where i learned to grind ink on stone. diving into this photography creative process has allowed me to indulge this fascination with ink on paper in another way. about 10 years ago, digital cameras began to match the quality of film cameras.  similar tech advances happened with digital inkjet printers. that's when my lifelong interest in photography resurfaced. after buying a high quality camera and learning how to use it, it became clear a high quality printer was needed next. i jumped in with both feet by purchasing a canon pro 4000. it's a lot of printer for just one photographer.  to me, it is worth it for several reasons: it produces fine art/gallery quality, large, gorgeous prints i can print as orders are made, reducing overhead and storage to maintain an inventory it allows me to simplify (somewhat) the complex tech communication...

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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...

...nature provides the beauty.   in some ways, nature photography is easy. the beauty that we look for in art is right in front of us: form, lines, color palettes, contrast, composition, texture, flow, balance, movement. these are the basics an artist learns when seeking to create a piece from scratch, starting with a blank canvas, page, stone. whether landscape, wildlife or both, all of these elements are intrinsic to the scene. it is very clear to me that i don't create that, nor could i improve on the natural beauty i find in these places. when first diving deeper into landscape photography, i, rather naively, thought i would get a high quality camera, go to beautiful places all around here, then send photos through a high quality printer to produce beautiful prints.  so much for thinking.  i've learned along the way that is only the front and back end of the creative process. much of the last 6 years has been devoted to learning about all the steps in between photo an...

there is a new design and location for this portfolio and blog at:  www.SimplyNaturePhotos.com .  ~ enjoy ~ in joy ~ kyle