Landscapes

Please note all images on this page are a (3:2) aspect ratio, however some of these photographs can be cropped to make a Panorama. Please inquire through my Contact page for further information. Hover over an image for additional information. Click it, for full screen.

Bear Grass_2

The large white flowers are Bear Grass. To compose this image I was very low to the ground with the tripod legs splayed as flat as they would go. I used a wide angle lens which allowed me to include the flowers but also to see the Mountain in the background. I chose to limit the depth of field so that the flowers are more emphasized. Sometimes depth of field is a creative choice, sometimes it's a practical choice. If this image had been shot at f 22 it would have needed a much longer exposure time than at f 5.6. Longer exposures mean that foregound objects,like flowers, are much more likely to blur from movement.
Avalanche Creek

I just love the turquoise blue of this glacial fed stream in Glacier National Park. I shot Avalanche Creek while it was in the shade. Direct sunlight is very seldom the best light for photographs due to the extreme range of tones. Full sunlight images often have blown out highlights and a lack of detail in the shadows. I used a long shutter time of about 30 seconds which makes the water soften.
Logan Pass Sunset

This is the time of day that I named my business after. "Sweetlight" means that small window of time between when the sun sets but before it gets dark. It was complete serendipity that my trip to Glacier National Park coincided with peak wildflowers. I shot this image with a 20mm wide angle lens focusing only on the strange green flower in the foreground.
Lake McDonald_2

Here is an image taken at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park that I made the evening of the 2nd day of my trip. It rained... then stopped...then started....then stopped. It was an adventure trying keep my gear dry particularly the front of my lens.
Mount Clements and Asters

Great flowers...great mountain...nice light. I can still feel myself being there!
"Lone Tree"

Here's the full image of one you may have seen on the Panorama page. I shot this in near white-out conditions up in the Red River Valley near Climax, MN. Lonely and yet resolute.
Burntside Lake Morning

I made this photograph early one morning while canoeing with my dear friend and partner Kris. We paddled across Burntside Lake in Ely, Mn and followed one of the channels. The lake was calm, the fog was very heavy and we really didn't know where we were going. For a variety of reasons, it was one of the most sublime, memorable times in my life . It was the start of an adventure that has continued to this day!
Cascade River falls

I didn't want to shoot the same image that everyone else has of Cascade River State Park's most dramatic waterfall so I climbed down to the river's edge. I decided to frame the photo by including the log in the foregound. I felt like it anchored the image and gave some perspective to the shot.
Sundogs

This sundog was begging to be photographed early one frigid winter morning near Climax, MN. Shooting an image like this presents numerous problems such as how do I compose the photo while staring directly at the sun, tricky metering, sub-zero temps and wind. Does the wind ever stop blowing in the Red River Valley?
"Companions"

About 12 years ago I flew out to Olympic National Park for a photo seminar with Art Wolf. When the seminar concluded, I stayed for a few extra days to explore more of what Olympic had to offer. I went into the Hoh Rainforest on a perfect day. Soft, on and off rain was ideal. The giant, fallen Douglas Fir is referred to as a nurse log. When one goes down it opens up a hole in the canopy and new trees often start their lives on the trunk of an ancestor. I also love how the 2 new tree's roots are intertwined.
Coyote Buttes Sunset

Coyote Buttes is this impossibly beautiful area in southern Utah right on the border of Arizona. The type of rock deposits in the area is called Navajo Sandstone and has been wind and water sculpted over thousands of years. The Coyote Buttes is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and only 5 permits per day are issued to the public.
Bear Grass

The large white flowers are Bear Grass. To compose this image I was lying on the ground with the tripod legs splayed as flat as they would go. I used a wide angle lens which allowed me to include the flowers but also to see Mount Reynolds in the background. I chose to limit the depth of field so that the flowers are more emphasized. Sometimes depth of field is a creative choice, sometimes it's a practical choice. If this image had been shot at f 22 it would have needed a much longer exposure time than at f 5.6. Longer exposures mean that foregound objects,like flowers, are much more likely to blur from movement.
"Winter on the Prairie"

This is a wind break that I shot during a blizzard up in the Red River Valley of Minnesota just south of Crookston. This is the most fertile and productive farmland in the US.
Mt. Reynolds

Mount Reynolds in Glacier National Park is one of the more prominent beauties that is visible near Logan Pass. This shot was taken on my first morning in Glacier. We slept in my friends van the night before and got up at sunrise hiking just a short distance before the camera gear came out. What a day!
"Crimson Blaze"

The irony of this photograph is that it was a really lousy year for color when I shot it. I went to the Upper Peninsula to shoot some fall images and due to it being so dry that summer most of the Maples were all in tones of very muted yellows. It was a real snoozer, however way up at the top of the Keweenaw Penninsula I found a vivid little pocket of color on the edge of a slough. The one crimson colored Maple was almost unbelievable and the dead standing pines framed it beautifully.
Fort Walton Beach

I made this photograph at Fort Walton Beach, Florida just off the city pier. The ocean was rolling in a fairly normal way however by using a very long shutter speed the waves just seem to melt into each other.
"Kadunce Jungle"

As many of you know the Kadunce River (it's really just a creek with a Napolean complex) is one of my absolute favorite places in Minnesota. In the middle of normal moisture summers, it is so lush and inviting. The one mystery I've yet to solve about the place...almost no mosquitos during the many times I've explored there.
Grand Oak in Winter

This grand old Oak tree stands just off Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. I made this image on a mornng that was heavy with hoarfrost.
Lake McDonald

Here is an image taken at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. I made this photograph the evening of the 2nd day of my trip. It rained... then stopped...then started....then stopped. It was an adventure trying to keep my gear dry particularly the front of my lens.
Tamaracks

I made this image last fall in Bemidji State Park. I believe Tamaracks are the only member of the Pine family that aren't truly "evergreen". Their needles turn yellow then fall off.
Upper Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo land near Page, AZ. I was there in February so the tourist traffic was very low and I got to spend a few hours enjoying this wind and water sculpted slot canyon.
Oberg Mtn. #3

Oberg Mountain overlook(s) up on the northshore of Lake Superior is almost a required trip if you are a native Minnesotan. You can have your state citizenship revoked if you haven't been there. There are 6 or 7 various overlooks along the 1 mile loop. On good color years it's hard to beat.
Prairie Sunset

This image was made the day after the blizzard described in the above photo "Winter on the Prairie". I was driving around on gravel roads at the end of the day when I came across an area where the snow was windswept into waves like the ocean. The small tuft of grass in foreground gave me that little bit of perspective that I wanted.
Mount. Reynolds_H

HDR or High Dynamic Range photography has kind of exploded on to the scene in the last few years. In the past and especially when shooting slide film, I always had to make a choice about holding detail in the brightest part of the scene or the darkest part of the scene. Even to this day, film and digital cameras cannot come close to seeing the range of tones that the human eye can see. HDR can take parts from numerous exposures and blend them (sometime in really bad ways) together into an image that would be closer to what you could have seen had you been there.
Split Rock Lighthouse

I shot this image of Split Rock Lighthouse very early one morning in the fall. The fog was very heavy and the lighthouse would come in and out of view. In this photo and the previous, the blue color is very obvious. It's not from a filter or photoshop. The human eye does not perceive ultra-violet light so fog to us looks gray however film does pick up the UV part of the light spectrum and records it as blue. I rarely use any filters to try to correct this so as a result the image on film takes on the bluish UV color. When a photo lab does your printing for you they generally take the blue out, assuming you didn't want it there.
"Red Rock"

I was struck by the color of this one red rock in amongst the standard issue grays and blacks of the northshore. I'm kneeling in the stream with my camera about 8 inches above the water surface. I used my 20mm lens to compose the shot.
Spanish Moss

This is on the grounds of the Alfred B. Maclay State Garden in Tallahassee, Fl. The spanish moss clinging to the majestic Live Oaks along the walkway was enchanting. I was there in the winter and I can only imagine how lush it would be during the rainy season.
Oberg #1

Another image from Oberg Mountain. This was a different year from previous image and is by far the best I've ever seen in all my trips there.
Presque Isle River_3

The Preque Isle River in Michigan's Upper Penninsula is where this shot was made. Rainy,overcast conditions helped shape the mood of this image. I had to use about a 60 second exposure. The water color of the Presque Isle is almost rootbeer like.
"Blue Bush"

While exploring in the south unit of Coyote Buttes my friend Jim found an alcove perched on top of a rather tall sandstone formation. I shot in that area for several hours. This image features a creasote bush stubbornly making a place for itself in the rock. When you look closely you'll see the blue color of it's bark.
Split Rock Winter (H)

I always swore I would never feature a photograph of Split Rock Lighthouse unless it looked nothing like the 4 billion postcard images of this northshore icon.I shot this image in March while it was snowing. I love the subtleness of the lighthouse in the background and the blue of the fog.
Sunset_Curacao

This image was made during a scuba diving/vacation in Curacao. Where the hell is Curacao you say? About 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela in the caribbean.
Grand Marais Sunrise

Here's a mind bender for you. You can see the sun rise and set over the same body of water without flying or even moving. How you ask? Take a trip to Grand Marais,MN in late February or early March. This is the sun rising from along the shore with Artist Point to the right.
Sunset_Grand Marais

Here's a mind bender for you. You can see the sun rise and set over the same body of water without flying or even moving. How you ask? Take a trip to Grand Marais,MN in late February or early March. This is the sun setting from the breakwater.
Texas Stream

I participated in a couple of art fairs in Texas in 2009. Between shows I was able to explore the beautiful hill country near Austin. I made this image about 15 miles up a sort of one lane ranch road. It was there that I learned about the phenomenon of a push gate. Push gates are very heavy steel cattle gates with a substantial piece of wood running across them at roughly bumper height. The idea is that you tap the gate with your front bumper and it swings open. Then you drive like hell to get back out of it's way before it swings back into the side of your car. It's a bit hard on your bumper paint but very functional.
Logan Pass Sunset_V

This is the time of day that I named my business after. "Sweetlight" means that small window of time between when the sun sets but before it gets dark. It was complete serendipity that my trip to Glacier National Park coincided with peak wildflowers. I shot this image with a 20mm wide angle lens focusing only on the strange green flower in the forground.
South Coyote Buttes

This is the view from the top of the alcove mentioned in the above photo "Blue Bush". This is the last light of the day caressing the rock.
Father Baraga's Cross

I made this image while heading back to the cities from the northshore. This cross is a memorial to Father Baraga who was known as the snowshoe priest. A quick web search and you can read more about this interesting character.

Here is an image taken at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park that I made the evening of the 2nd day of my trip. It rained... then stopped...then started....then stopped. It was an adventure trying keep my gear dry particularly the front of my lens.

Great flowers...great mountain...nice light. I can still feel myself being there!

Here's the full image of one you may have seen on the Panorama page. I shot this in near white-out conditions up in the Red River Valley near Climax, MN. Lonely and yet resolute.

I didn't want to shoot the same image that everyone else has of Cascade River State Park's most dramatic waterfall so I climbed down to the river's edge. I decided to frame the photo by including the log in the foregound. I felt like it anchored the image and gave some perspective to the shot.

This is a wind break that I shot during a blizzard up in the Red River Valley of Minnesota just south of Crookston. This is the most fertile and productive farmland in the US.

I made this photograph at Fort Walton Beach, Florida just off the city pier. The ocean was rolling in a fairly normal way however by using a very long shutter speed the waves just seem to melt into each other.

This grand old Oak tree stands just off Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. I made this image on a mornng that was heavy with hoarfrost.

Here is an image taken at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. I made this photograph the evening of the 2nd day of my trip. It rained... then stopped...then started....then stopped. It was an adventure trying to keep my gear dry particularly the front of my lens.

I made this image last fall in Bemidji State Park. I believe Tamaracks are the only member of the Pine family that aren't truly "evergreen". Their needles turn yellow then fall off.

Upper Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo land near Page, AZ. I was there in February so the tourist traffic was very low and I got to spend a few hours enjoying this wind and water sculpted slot canyon.

Oberg Mountain overlook(s) up on the northshore of Lake Superior is almost a required trip if you are a native Minnesotan. You can have your state citizenship revoked if you haven't been there. There are 6 or 7 various overlooks along the 1 mile loop. On good color years it's hard to beat.

I was struck by the color of this one red rock in amongst the standard issue grays and blacks of the northshore. I'm kneeling in the stream with my camera about 8 inches above the water surface. I used my 20mm lens to compose the shot.

This is on the grounds of the Alfred B. Maclay State Garden in Tallahassee, Fl. The spanish moss clinging to the majestic Live Oaks along the walkway was enchanting. I was there in the winter and I can only imagine how lush it would be during the rainy season.

Another image from Oberg Mountain. This was a different year from previous image and is by far the best I've ever seen in all my trips there.

The Preque Isle River in Michigan's Upper Penninsula is where this shot was made. Rainy,overcast conditions helped shape the mood of this image. I had to use about a 60 second exposure. The water color of the Presque Isle is almost rootbeer like.

I always swore I would never feature a photograph of Split Rock Lighthouse unless it looked nothing like the 4 billion postcard images of this northshore icon.I shot this image in March while it was snowing. I love the subtleness of the lighthouse in the background and the blue of the fog.

This image was made during a scuba diving/vacation in Curacao. Where the hell is Curacao you say? About 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela in the caribbean.

Here's a mind bender for you. You can see the sun rise and set over the same body of water without flying or even moving. How you ask? Take a trip to Grand Marais,MN in late February or early March. This is the sun rising from along the shore with Artist Point to the right.

Here's a mind bender for you. You can see the sun rise and set over the same body of water without flying or even moving. How you ask? Take a trip to Grand Marais,MN in late February or early March. This is the sun setting from the breakwater.

This is the view from the top of the alcove mentioned in the above photo "Blue Bush". This is the last light of the day caressing the rock.

I made this image while heading back to the cities from the northshore. This cross is a memorial to Father Baraga who was known as the snowshoe priest. A quick web search and you can read more about this interesting character.