Photo Journal and Blog Posts

Our blog features our new photos, stories from our travels, and educational posts for nature photographers. If you would like to receive each post in your inbox, you can sign up here.

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Spring in Grand Teton National Park — Spring in Grand Teton National Park

June 21, 2026

Ron shares his photos from a quick trip to Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park for spring landscape photography.

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Three Recent Articles (On Landscape and Nature Vision) — Three Recent Articles (On Landscape and Nature Vision)

June 19, 2026

Previews of three new articles from Sarah: what to do when things are not working out, composition, and what keeps her coming back to nature photography.

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Announcing Tweet Sheet! A New Resource for Birders — Announcing Tweet Sheet! A New Resource for Birders

May 8, 2026

Ron shares information about his new free website app, Tweet Sheet, for people who like birds.

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Interpretations #1: There Are No Right Answers in Art — Interpretations #1: There Are No Right Answers in Art

April 30, 2026

Sarah shares her first post in a new occasional series about interpreting the meaning of photography terms and concepts for ourselves.

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Desert Rain — Desert Rain

April 15, 2026

Ron shares his photos from the 2025-2026 winter season in Death Valley National Park, including a wildflower bloom and other special conditions.

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One Year of Plants — One Year of Plants

April 10, 2026

Sarah shares her full plant and flower photography portfolio from 2025, including some of her favorite individual photos here.

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Plants + Flower: 15 Photography Lessons (New Free Ebook) — Plants + Flower: 15 Photography Lessons (New Free Ebook)

April 6, 2026

Sarah shares information about her new free educational ebook about photographing plants and flowers in both wild landscapes and cultivated gardens.

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Phoning it In — Phoning it In

January 9, 2026

Ron shares some of his old and new iPhone photos from all sorts of different places.

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Sarah's 2025 Year in Review — Sarah's 2025 Year in Review

January 1, 2026

Sarah shares some reflections on her photography experiences in 2025 along with a small collection of favorite photos from the year.

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Ron's 2025 Year In Review — Ron's 2025 Year In Review

January 1, 2026

Ron shares some of his favorite photos from 2025, featuring landscapes in California, Colorado, and New Zealand.

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Mud Ecstasy: Playing with Dirt in Death Valley — Mud Ecstasy: Playing with Dirt in Death Valley

December 27, 2025

Ron shares his photos from a week in Death Valley, photographing mud, dirt, and sand.

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Spring in New Zealand — Spring in New Zealand

December 18, 2025

Ron shares his photos from our month spent on New Zealand's South Island.

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A Few Wintery Days in Yosemite National Park — A Few Wintery Days in Yosemite National Park

December 2, 2025

Sarah shares her photos from a quick winter trip to California's Yosemite Valley.

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Summer Wildflowers (and More) in Crested Butte, Colorado — Summer Wildflowers (and More) in Crested Butte, Colorado

October 23, 2025

Sarah shares her photos of summer wildflowers and other smaller scenes from Crested Butte, Colorado.

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Fall Colors in Colorado — Fall Colors in Colorado

October 13, 2025

Ron shares some of his favorite photos from autumn in southwestern Colorado, including aspens, oaks, birches, and willows.

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How To Use SmallScenes.Info for Weather Information — How To Use SmallScenes.Info for Weather Information

September 16, 2025

Ron shares how we use smallscenes.info to get weather and travel information for our favorite locations. You're welcome to use this free resource, too.

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Making the Most of Autumn: Some Essential Lessons — Making the Most of Autumn: Some Essential Lessons

September 10, 2025

Sarah shares some lessons for making the most of autumn, with a focus on the mindset you bring into the field with you.

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Camera Gear We Use for Nature Photography — Camera Gear We Use for Nature Photography

September 7, 2025

Since we are frequently asked about the gear we use for our photography, we maintain a current list of our cameras, lenses, and accessories here.

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The Death Valley Landscape and Nature Photography Guide — The Death Valley Landscape and Nature Photography Guide

September 1, 2025 | Death Valley

Sarah shares our advice for planning a landscape photography trip to California's Death Valley National Park, including a 3-day itinerary.

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Photographing Twilight: The Blue Hour and Beyond — Photographing Twilight: The Blue Hour and Beyond

June 8, 2025

Sarah shares helpful tips on photographing during twilight, including examples of how the light progresses before sunrise and after sunset.

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Light: Observation and Open-Mindedness — Light: Observation and Open-Mindedness

June 4, 2025

Sarah discusses important practices related to working with light: building observation skills, being adaptable, and cultivating open-mindedness.

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Seaside Wandering: Photos from the California Coast — Seaside Wandering: Photos from the California Coast

May 9, 2025 | California Coast

Sarah shares some thoughts on photographing an iconic location like California's Big Sur coast, along with new photos.

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Monochromatic Wasteland: Ron's Photos from Death Valley — Monochromatic Wasteland: Ron's Photos from Death Valley

April 25, 2025 | Death Valley

Ron shares a portfolio featuring his two most recent winter trips to Death Valley, along with an essay about the diversity of the park's landscapes.

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Milestones: Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park — Milestones: Winter in Rocky Mountain National Park

March 18, 2025 | Rocky Mountain National Park

Sarah shares her experiences returning to and photographing Rocky Mountain National Park in winter, along with new photos.

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Deep Freeze: Revisiting Backyard Winter Ice Abstracts — Deep Freeze: Revisiting Backyard Winter Ice Abstracts

January 31, 2025

Sarah shares photos from an extended deep winter freeze when we created and photographed intricate ice details in our yard.

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2024 in Review #3 - Color Nature Photos — 2024 in Review #3 - Color Nature Photos

January 24, 2025

Sarah's third and final year-in-review post, featuring her favorite color photos from 2024 along with a review of some of our favorite travel experiences.

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2024 in Review #2: Portraits of Plants and Flowers — 2024 in Review #2: Portraits of Plants and Flowers

January 21, 2025

Sarah's second year-in-review post, featuring her favorite color plant photos from 2024, plus thoughts on including plants in her portfolio.

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2024 in Review #1 - Black and White Photos — 2024 in Review #1 - Black and White Photos

January 17, 2025

Sarah's first year-in-review post, featuring a diverse collection of her black and white photos from 2024, along with some thoughts about the year.

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Zion National Park: Two Perspectives and Two Portfolios — Zion National Park: Two Perspectives and Two Portfolios

December 6, 2024 | Zion National Park

In a new portfolio, Sarah and Ron share two ways of connecting with and interpreting Zion National Park's landscape.

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Constraints and Connections in White Sands National Park — Constraints and Connections in White Sands National Park

September 19, 2024 | White Sands National Park

Sarah shares a portfolio from White Sands NP, plus thoughts about photographing a challenging landscape in a park with many limitations.

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Do Not Delete: 4 Reasons to Keep Your Photo Files — Do Not Delete: 4 Reasons to Keep Your Photo Files

August 30, 2024

Sarah shares four reasons why you should keep your older photo files, with examples from her time photographing Crested Butte, Colorado.

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It’ll Be Prettier Soon: Eclipse Trip Recap and Photos — It’ll Be Prettier Soon: Eclipse Trip Recap and Photos

May 16, 2024 | Central US

Sarah recaps our trip to see the 2024 total solar eclipse in Oklahoma, with some other fun stops along the way in Oklahoma and Kansas.

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Death Valley in Winter: Just Rocks (Part 3 of 3) — Death Valley in Winter: Just Rocks (Part 3 of 3)

July 16, 2024 | Death Valley

Ron shares the third and final post about a wet winter in Death Valley, this time focusing on something less ephemeral: rocks!

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Death Valley in Winter: Ephemeral Lake Manly (Part 2 of 3) — Death Valley in Winter: Ephemeral Lake Manly (Part 2 of 3)

June 16, 2024 | Death Valley

Ron shares the second of two posts about a wet winter in Death Valley National Park including the ephemeral Lake Manly

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Death Valley in Winter: The Diverse Desert (Part 1 of 3) — Death Valley in Winter: The Diverse Desert (Part 1 of 3)

June 9, 2024 | Death Valley

Ron shares the first of three posts about a diverse winter season of photography in California's Death Valley National Park.

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Backyard Abstracts: Photos From My Ice Farming Operation — Backyard Abstracts: Photos From My Ice Farming Operation

January 21, 2024

Sarah shares photos from an extended deep winter freeze when we created and photographed intricate ice details in our yard.

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Entering a Photo Competition? Consider This Advice — Entering a Photo Competition? Consider This Advice

January 7, 2024

Sarah shares advice about entering photo competitions, including some tips for helping your entries to stand out for judges.

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Sarah's 2023 Photography Year-In-Review — Sarah's 2023 Photography Year-In-Review

January 1, 2024

Sarah shares her reflections on her photography practice during 2023, along with some favorite photos from the year and travel highlights.

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Sharing Your Photos in a PDF Ebook Portfolio: Why and How — Sharing Your Photos in a PDF Ebook Portfolio: Why and How

December 17, 2023

Sarah reviews our reasons for sometimes sharing our photos in free PDF ebooks, along with some tips on creating an ebook of your own.

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Integrating Gratitude Practices Into Nature Photography — Integrating Gratitude Practices Into Nature Photography

November 26, 2023

Sarah shares how cultivating a practice of gratitude can enrich your life and help support your photographic practice.

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Alaska Wildlife From a Landscape Photographer's Perspective — Alaska Wildlife From a Landscape Photographer's Perspective

October 23, 2023 | Alaska

Sarah shares her experience in seriously trying wildlife photography for the first time during an autumn trip to Alaska.

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Black and White: Learning to See Opportunities in Nature — Black and White: Learning to See Opportunities in Nature

October 23, 2023

Sarah shares lessons for learning to see more opportunities for black and white photography while outside.

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Beauty is Everywhere: A Lesson from Female Birds and Ground Squirrels — Beauty is Everywhere: A Lesson from Female Birds and Ground Squirrels

October 19, 2023

Sarah discusses the benefits of seeing beauty in all facets of the natural world and how this practice can benefit your photography.

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Death Valley: Notes from an Over-Photographed Landscape — Death Valley: Notes from an Over-Photographed Landscape

September 22, 2022 | Death Valley

Sarah shares work from Death Valley and responds to the idea that photographing a popular place like the Mesquite Dunes is devoid of creative opportunity.

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More Than Pretty Pictures: An Intentional Approach — More Than Pretty Pictures: An Intentional Approach

July 5, 2017

Ron discusses his approach to nature and landscape photography, and how he finds more meaning looking beyond just "pretty pictures."

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Photographing Silhouettes in Nature: Treasure Lurking in the Shadows — Photographing Silhouettes in Nature: Treasure Lurking in the Shadows

March 1, 2017

Ron shares lessons for finding and photographing silhouettes in nature, starting with learning to love dark shadows.

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Photographing Botanical Gardens: 5 Tips For Nature Photographers — Photographing Botanical Gardens: 5 Tips For Nature Photographers

February 17, 2017

Ron shares five tips for photographing plants and flowers in botanical gardens, including a list of our favorite gardens.

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Winterizing Your Airstream Trailer — Winterizing Your Airstream Trailer

From Our Archives

An article from our RV blog archives about the steps you can take to winterize an Airstream trailer.

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Choosing a Tow Vehicle for an RV Trailer — Choosing a Tow Vehicle for an RV Trailer

From Our Archives

An article from our RV blog archives about the steps you can take to choose a tow vehicle.

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