Southern Arizona Sky Islands

The Nature of Southern Arizona

Southern Arizona Sky Islands

Chapter 3

There’s no better way to usher in a long-distance thru-hike than by entering a National Park Service entity that leads directly into a designated Wilderness Area. Two very well preserved areas rising in a mountain wilderness above an undisturbed desert vastness extending into Mexico. A sky island secretly hiding forests, snow, wildlife, and many others treasures that wouldn’t survive at its base.… Keep reading...

Tourist Visiting Grosvenor Arch

Help Save Our National Monuments

Tourist Visiting Grosvenor Arch

Our National Monuments have recently been described as nothing more than "federal land grabs." This term is as misguided as the people that use it.

Native American tribes banded together to build support in favor of preserving and protecting the area around Bears Ears, which ultimately became Bears Ears National Monument.… Keep reading...

12 Favorite Photos from 2015

January

Pleiades and Comet Lovejoy

My interest in astrophotography in January of 2015 was beginning to hit a high note. I had gotten many of the technical aspects and understandings of the process down, and shortly thereafter, Comet Lovejoy made a pass right by the Pleiades. I was able to capture the shot exactly as I hoped, and was thrilled with the result.… Keep reading...

Returning Horses

Photographing a Rainy Morning in Jackson Hole

Returning Horses

This past summer, much of my inspiration shifted from the Jackson Hole valley floor to much higher elevations found up in the mountains. While the higher elevations had always been significant motivation for me, this past season saw that motivation become much more pronounced, weening my inspiration away from the roadsides.… Keep reading...

Northern Lights and Star Trails

Night Photography Explored: Part 6 – Post-Processing

Northern Lights and Star Trails

Post-processing can be a very tricky, and often subjective, part of the photo creating process. It opens the door to a number of different formulas, styles, and personal tastes. As a result, I’m only going to explain what I would do in the situations I’ll discuss, primarily using Adobe Lightroom. I take advantage of Adobe Photoshop for some more unusual edits, which we’ll discuss.… Keep reading...