Looking back on 2022, all I can say is “what a year!” My goal was to make it a photographically productive one with more adventure than ever and I can confidently say that it was a success. This was mostly due to the decision to spend nearly 3 months on a single road trip, driving up to Alaska and back. You can read about part one of that trip here, but for this post I want to focus mostly on images outside of that trip. As I rewind through the images and journeys, it’s clear that it was an outstanding year even aside from the big Alaska experience. That said, I will certainly be sprinkling in a few images from up north! On that trip alone I went through nearly 600 sheets of film, which is typically what I shoot in a full 12 months. The entire year was a focus on hard-to-reach landscapes, with more sustained and intense physical activity to get to these destinations.
Spending so much time shooting meant a major reduction in the number of art shows that I did. You can look forward to seeing me at more events in 2023 as the application season is just getting under way. In the meantime I’d like to thank you all for your continued support through print purchases, ebooks, and my drum scanning service.
I’ve also continued to fine-tune the craft of frame building. I now offer lovely frames that I build entirely by hand out of walnut. The look is rich and goes very well with every image I put inside of it as well as the furniture in most homes. When you get one of these handmade frames it becomes an extension of the artwork within. I’ve now updated the Artist Favorites section of my website with these prints available with walnut as a framing option. Any image you see on my website is available with these frames.
This year was a challenge to select just the best, as I’m quite excited about so many of them! I will include a mix from the wilderness as well as the prairie, a landscape that is truly special to me and one I’m excited to work with more in the coming year. The main criteria for this list is that the image speaks to me on a personal level, but I also hope that they work for you as well. In no particular order, here are my favorites from 2022. Which one do you like most? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!
“Homestead Eclipse” - Weld County, Colorado - May 2022
This one was a particularly interesting experiment. Working with a total of 21 exposures on a single sheet of film, I tracked the progress of the lunar eclipse over an old homestead on the prairie. You can read the full blog post about the creation of this image here. Prints are available for purchase at this link.
“Keyhole” - Sunset bursts through a hole in a sea stack. Pfieffer Beach, California - February 2022. Prints Available.
“Windmill Rainbow” - An intense evening storm casts a rainbow across the prairie as it moves on while strong winds spin a windmill. The thrill of being pelted by hail as this storm rumbled was incredible, making for a memorable evening in a beautiful landscape. Pawnee National Grasslands, Colorado - July 2022. Prints Available.
“Twilight Oak” - A twisted oak stretches out over the ranch lands of rolling mountains, glowing in evening twilight. Spending a couple of nights camped up on this mountain high above the coast was a wonderful experience of pure solitude. San Luis Obispo County, California - February 2022. Prints Available.
“LaSalle Rainbow” - A sunset thunderstorm creates a rainbow over a grain elevator. Weld County, Colorado - June 2022. Prints Available.
Boats lined up on the Lake McDonald dock during a summer sunset. The sound of water gently lapping upon the shore during a calm evening made for a peaceful scene that inspires a float on the lake. Glacier National Park, July 2022. Prints available.
“Rock Pillar Sunrise” - Rock formations at sunrise from the top of a high mountain right at treeline. The reward for a night of backpacking was this lovely sunrise from a special place. Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado - June 2022. Prints available.
“Matanuska Autumn” - The Matanuska Glacier flows out of snow-capped mountains beyond a medley of autumn colors. One of Alaska’s most impressive glaciers, climbing high up onto a nearby mountain provided a stellar view! Near Glacier View, Alaska - September 2022. Prints available.
“Aspen Beams” - Morning sun bursts through the aspen forest, casting beams across a carpet of corn lilies. Kebler Pass, Colorado - June 2022. Prints available.
“Elevator Twilight” - A grain elevator glows in the mixed light of twilight and a nearby local bar during this long ten minute exposure. Northern Montana - July 2022. Prints available.
“Sanford Reflections” - Covered in glaciers and snow, Mount Sanford stands tall above the surrounding landscape. A calm boreal lake makes for a perfect reflection of this grand scene. This was taken on my very last morning in Alaska before moving on, what a treat it was and a great farewell! Wrangell St Elias National Park, Alaska - September 2022. Prints available.
“Ruby Pond Reflection” - Sunrise over the Ruby Range from a small pond in the wilderness. Aspen in peak autumn color frame a calm reflection. Raggeds Wilderness, Colorado - October 2022. Prints available.
“Robson Dawn” - Snow-covered Mount Robson dominates the view above a frozen marshland in transition to spring. It turns out that I spent quite a bit of time in Canada this year! British Columbia - March 2022. Prints available.
“Klondike Gold” - Autumn golds and reds below a towering mountain range. Yukon Territory - September 2022. Prints available.
“Autumn Mist Sunset” - Last but not least on this list! Fog fills a distant valley of vibrant autumn colors at sunset. The medley of hues in the bushes and tundra were extraordinary to see. This was a shot that just materialized while waiting for dinner to cook. The hope was that Denali would come out of the clouds, but 90 degrees to the left this incredible scene was unfolding at sunset. Denali National Park, Alaska - August 2022. Prints available.
I hope you enjoyed this recap of 2022! I’m still working on many of the images from the Alaska trip, so expect to see another blog post soon. I wish you all an excellent 2023!