Well, here we are, the closing minutes of 2019 and true to form I’m scrambling to finish up a project before “deadline.” I’m not going to sugarcoat it… 2019 has been a rough year. And I know that there are many of you out there who feel the same. One thing that has always managed to sustain me, through good times and bad, is photography. It’s my therapy. I don’t know if it’s the familiarity, the chance to lose myself in the natural world, or the feeling of peace I get when answering what feels like a calling of my heart, but few things allow me to be truly present and in the moment as when I’m out taking pictures. It’s just me, my surroundings, and the click of the shutter. A moments respite to let the weight of life lift away, a moment to simply be.
I turned to photography a lot in recent months, and the good news in that is it has allowed me to experience and remember the beauty to be found every day of life, which I encountered in both familiar old places and new. The not so great news is I am currently sitting on literally THOUSANDS of unprocessed images, still waiting to see the light of day. I’ll catch up eventually, but 2020 will definitely have its work cut out for me! That said, I don’t think it’s fair to say that these are my “Best” photos from 2019, because I believe sitting in those archives might be some real gems. These are just some of the favorites that I’ve edited so far. Some special moments that I am thankful for from 2019.
Red Haw State Park, IA
Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
Family Farm, Tipton, IA
Rock Creek Timber, Cedar County, IA
Bears Ears National Monument, UT
Red Haw State Park, IA
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, IA
Sequoia National Park, CA
220th Street, Tipton, IA
Tonto National Forest, AZ
Red Haw State Park, IA
Bisti Badlands, NM
Bears Ears National Monument, UT
So… About the future and everything…
I also want to let everybody know that this will be one of my final posts on this blog. Soon I will be launching a new website, which will include an integrated blog of its own, and with that I am eager to start writing again, sharing new photos, and reestablishing my online presence. My focus as we enter 2020 is to create the best content that I possibly can, in both photography and prose, and to dedicate my work to increasing peoples appreciation of nature and inspiring everyone to get out and explore. My website (and new blog) will be the central platform for this, and while I’ll continue to share on social media the main focus will be on my own site. (As opposed to hitting everyone over the head with repetitive posts and pleading for likes and shares.) With that in mind, I’ve also decided to start publishing a free subscriber only bi-weekly email newsletter. This isn’t a marketing ploy, it’s simply going to be an email that I send out every other Friday with sneak peaks at new work, a list of links to recent blog posts (curated in one place so you can go through and read at your leisure) and some additional stories and behind the scenes commentary. Simple as that. And the mailing list, as far as signing up and unsubscribing if you should ever so wish, is totally automated. Like I say, I’m just doing this to make it easy for those who have a genuine desire to follow my work, and I certainly appreciate those of you who do. Just CLICK HERE and enter your name and email address, and you’re all set!
Oh…and after you do you might want to check your junk mail- sometimes the first email will land in there, and this will send a welcome letter out immediately, so please dig it up and mark it as safe! And no spam. I promise. Like I say, this is just a new way for me to share my photos and stories. I won’t ever pass your information along to anyone, or use this as a marketing gimmick. I sincerely appreciate your interest in following my work.
And all the best to everyone for a happy, healthy, and adventurous 2020, full of plenty of special moments, and lots of laughter and joy!
Another song, Another mile... 