Light in a Box

This list debuted in the first-ever 10 lists of 10 back in 2018. In the two years since my photographic eye has developed dramatically. My work has begun a transformation toward the abstract and contemporary side of photography. Due to the maturing that has been made since 2018, I thought it would be a good time to update the list. The advancement of my work put a lot of new members on the list but the way certain photos have aged has also led to a rearranging of the few remaining photos from 2018. Only 4 members of that original 2018 list remain in my top 10 entering 2020. If you would like to reference the 2018 list you can do so here , but to show how much things have changed, 2018’s #1 is down to #7. 10. Solar Eclipse Photographing the solar eclipse in 2017 was a highlight of my career. I researched as much as I could leading up to the event but still wasn't confident I would succeed in capturing it. I set up a couple of time-lapse videos and had my main camera to s

There's never enough time to see and do everything. It's been a consistent occurrence in my travels that a location or two get missed. Whether it's time management issues, weather, or simple proximity I've missed out on some incredible locations over the years. For this list of 10, I'm going back through my travels and finding the 10 locations that are calling me back to the places I've already been to. 10. Thor's Well, Oregon This first location can be chalked up to overbooking. I completely underestimated how much I could see in Oregon. It didn't help that the state is full of beautiful locations to photograph. Ultimately the planned day trip cruise down the coast got cut and the oddity of Thor's Well with it. The hole in the ocean has been photographed plenty of times but my interest was seeing the natural wonder in person. Eventually, I'll return to Oregon and check this off the list along with a handful of waterfalls that could have made

I've always felt like this particular episode you find in the majority of television series is where the writers ran out of ideas. Think back through your favorite series and you can probably recall the episode that just consists of clips from previous episodes. It's not too different from what I do with this list though. Traveling back through the previous year, I'm looking for the ten moments that stand out above the rest. Unlike on TV, however, you haven't read all of this before. This list shows up every year in my 10 lists of 10 but every year it has 10 new items and the 2019 list is packed with amazing memories. 10. Exploring the Mayan Ruins in Belize Initially, Sarah and I had planned on going to Belize for our second wedding anniversary trip in 2018. A late summer hail storm put the kibosh on that in the form of a new roof. Without any financial setbacks last year, we were able to visit the Central American paradise. As part of the trip, we traveled deep

Here's the scenario, someone approaches me with an all-expenses-paid trip to the location of my choosing with the lone stipulation that I'm not allowed to bring a camera. Sounds too good to be true right? That's because I made it up. Having always traveled with a camera around my neck I tasked myself with finding 10 locations I would go if I wasn't allowed to bring it. With all expenses paid, do I use the opportunity to go for a big-budget trip or do I preserve my unbiased eye and play it safe? A lot of scenarios ran through my head for this list and ultimately I came to this conclusion, I hope I never have to make this decision. 10. Antelope Canyon Let's start by playing it safe. I've never been to Antelope Canyon and the first time I saw pictures of this natural wonder in Arizona it jumped to the top of my list. Unfortunately, this location has been shot up, down and sideways to the extent that I don't think I could shoot those smooth walls without exte

The "Sands Study" is easily my best work to date in my opinion and it sort of materialized on its own. The dunes provided so much inspiration that a series became the logical route to take. While the study will continue to grow, as I won't be retiring from dune photography, the Long Shutter Project will also continue to expand. Another series may materialize like the "Sands Study" but I've also been developing some ideas as well. For this list of 10, I'm looking at 10 photo series you could see in the future. 10. Clouds When it comes to the idea this series is barely a seed at this point. My head tends to be up in the clouds more often than not but I haven't experimented with cloud photography very much. When it came to filling out this list I ran out of series that I've actually been developing and had to look for subject matter that could potentially warrant one. Clouds vary widely in shapes and colors and their movement also offers some cr

A mountain laid before me in 2019 with years of travel yet to be edited. Determined, the goal was to level that mountain by 2020. I didn't get close! But I did manage to put a solid dent in that massive pile of photos. Some of these trips have been collecting dust for years and some were taken a few months ago. To give a quick sample of all the long hours of editing throughout last year my next list of 10 is my favorite photos edited during 2019. (The list doesn't contain photos on or coming to the gallery) 10. Manarola In the spring of 2018, I spent the better part of two weeks sprinting around Italy. From Milan to Venice, Tuscany and the Cinque Terre to the Amalfi Coast the wheels kept moving. By the end of the trip, there were thousands of photos to edit. Finally, last year I closed the folder on that epic journey and was left craving cliff side pesto and wine. Coming in at #10 on the list is this photo of Manarola, one of the Cinque Terre. This photo is perfect for a

As a traveling photographer with a travel agent for a wife, there is no shortage of trips in the works. Between my interest in jam-packed road trips and her love for jet setting vacations, the two of us have to make a lot of decisions every year. To give you an idea of what could be in store for the coming year I've made my 10 possible photo excursion list a staple of my 10 lists of 10. As usual, we countdown from least to most likely to occur. So without further ado let's see where the camera could be heading in 2020. 10. Oregon You can never rule out a spontaneous trip to the Pacific Northwest. Sarah has been dying for a return to the Oregon coast so much that we've discussed a month-long vacation. With that on the back burner for another year, a brief refresh of the lush Oregon wilderness may still be in order. When you find a place you love, it's hard to fight the urge to go back. 9. Yellowstone National Park One of my 10 road trips from last year, Yello

This list has been part of every 10 lists of 10 and it's only fair to keep the tradition going in 2020. My goals for the coming year can range from personal aspirations to professional wishes. This year's list is primarily photography related with high hopes for 2020. To accomplish all of the goals on this year's list would be a huge boost to my photography career even though some items aren't personally appealing as you will find with the first goal on the list. 10. Come to Terms with Social Media Some of you may have noticed my absence from Instagram and Facebook to close out 2019. I have a poor relationship with social media, always have. As it's morphed into a narcissistic landscape of attention-seekers I've wanted even less to do with it. Unfortunately, after months of neglecting my accounts, I still don't feel any desire to be active. However, there are hundreds of you that have clicked my follow button in order to keep up with my whereabouts, even

The best thing about artists is we all see the world differently. Half the fun of shooting with another photographer is seeing how they compose their images. I've been on photo walks before where the other photographer and I shot back to back most of the day just because our eyes led us in different directions. My eye loves details, lines, and textures whereas others may love a wider crop to show the grand scene. Over the years of traveling, there are specific places that personally stand out for their photographic inspiration. Here are my 10 favorite places to photograph. 10. New Places I know, cop-out! I love traveling to new places and as a photographer, I try to approach them with fresh eyes. It's so easy to research new locations and enter with unconscious inspiration. I prefer to enter a new location as blind as possible and let my eye guide me. After an initial visit, the temptation to recreate a shot is always there and the depth of observation is reduced having seen