Arava Desert Escape, Israel
The real story behind this shot is that my wife and I escaped from Tel Aviv, Israel, to the Arava Desert for a three-day break from the missiles being fired at us during the second war between Israel and Iran. I took my camera. The Arava Desert is a wild area, filled with beautiful land […]
Caineville Badlands, Hanksville, Utah, USA
Over the years, I had driven past this spot more times than I can count. It was always just “there”—a stretch of gray hills that didn’t seem to demand much of my attention. Compared to other dramatic landscapes in the area, it felt easy to overlook. It was getting late in the day, and I […]
Anza-Borrego Desert Bloom, CA, USA
Anza-Borrego Desert, the largest state park in California, is a two-hour drive from my home. I went there (3/10/26) specifically to shoot what was supposed to be a ten-year super bloom. I have never seen one. While a fair bit short of “super,” the bloom was still lovely. The ground was not covered with a […]
Sinuous Sands, Namib Desert, Namibia
The sands are ever on the move, shaped by wind, gravity, and chance. A wider angle can powerfully capture the immensity and scale of a desert scene, but a tighter focus can pick out attractive, often transitory vignettes: here today, but in all likelihood gone by tomorrow’s wind.
Hickman Bridge Sunrise, Capitol Reef National Park, Wayne County, Utah, USA
Hickman Bridge is a 125 ft tall natural sandstone bridge within Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. This image was shot during a workshop there in the fall of 2022. We hiked to this location in the dark, using our headlamps well before sunrise, to be in position as the sun came up behind […]
Deadvlei Sandstorm, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Shooting in the Namib Desert at the iconic dead acacia trees of Deadvlei, a sandstorm suddenly swept through the region, and I seized the opportunity to capture a series of images while all other tourists and photographers raced back to their vehicles.
Teddy Bear Cholla, Madera Canyon, Arizona, USA
While searching for a shot in the Southern Arizona desert near Madera Canyon, I kept seeing these Teddy Bear cholla cacti around. They create a wonderful reflection as sunlight hits their needles. I was trying to find the perfect composition of the Teddy Bear cholla cacti. I finally found the cactus I was looking for […]
Ancient Trees, Deadvlei, Namibia
The changed course of a river has delivered Dead Vlei wholesale to the surrounding desert. The area is popular and much photographed. Even a wedding party arrived to pose for their photographer while I was there. But the real magic happens in this area of dead, skeletal acacia trees—some more than half a millennium old—a […]
Little Cactus, Madera Canyon, Arizona, USA
I moved to the state of Arizona not too long ago and have been lacking motivation to take any photos recently. I decided it was time to go out and explore the desert. I had heard of a location called Madera Canyon in southern Arizona from friends, so I finally packed my gear and explored […]
Dunes Geometry, Skeleton Coast, Namibia
I had comparatively little experience with the 100–400 lens I took with me to Namibia. I am more used to landscapes, and my rather unthinking assumption was that the lens would be kept in my bag until I encountered the country’s wildlife. But on seeing the country’s impressive and (to someone used to the European […]