Welcome to my first Blog

I feel most at home in the natural world. Photography is a way to deepen my exploration of it and a means of sharing my deep connection to it. Since I live in Brandon Manitoba, Canada, it gets rather cold in winter and each January I spend time indoors reviewing and organizing past work as well as planning for the coming year.

This image was taken at Red Rock Coulee in southern Alberta. It is one of my favourites from 2023. Red Rock Coulee is known for its large round rocks that are small vehicle sized and sit on the hills and the surrounding coulee valleys. Here native prairie meets badlands.

After scouting the hill tops for potential foregrounds for milky way photography later that night, there was still time before sunset for a hike. The shape of the hills and the badlands that could be seen to the west called for a closer look. It was a long but easy hike down the coulee. Each step revealed something to explore.

As I walked, I began to absorb the colours, shapes, and feel of the place. Coming around a small hill, this scene epitomized the feeling of prairie, badlands, and solitude. It had been an interesting and productive trip, but it wasn’t until seeing this that I truly felt in the zone, that place of beautiful balance between the technical and artistic aspects of photography that occurs without thought or intention when I am truly aware and in a wild place with my camera.

Technical details: Nikon Z6ii camera, 14-30mm lens at 14mm, ISO 100, f16, 1/40sec.