Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. The crisp air and shorter days stimulate the senses, and the light takes on a magical quality. Throughout the country the deciduous trees from aspen to maple are a visual reminder that summer has passed and that winter is not far off. And for the photographer, this transition is literally a golden opportunity to capture the landscape in its finest hour.

When many people think of fall color the hardwood forests of the eastern United States immediately come to mind, but the aspen groves of the western states and the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California in particular can rival even the sugar maples of Vermont. Photographing aspens is often best on overcast days when the light is soft and harsh shadows are minimized or late in the day when the sky is clear and the warm back-light makes them glow from within. This image was made along Rush Creek near June Lake just moments before the sun dropped behind the Sierra peaks.

This image was made on a recent backcountry ski trip through the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park.  A storm had just passed in the night and although we were anxious to reach our destination, I knew the fresh snow in the trees wouldn’t last. As I wandered through the grove scene after scene unfolded before my lens, but after only an hour or so the delicate flocking was already beginning to melt.

It’s always a humbling experience to walk among these stately giants – to ponder the fact that they’ve been here long before us and will be here long after we’re gone. But the winter season adds a heightened sense of clarity to the scene and these magnificent trees seem to peer out from their cloaks of white as if to say, “I am wise”.

March 22nd is World Water Day. It’s hard to believe that we share the planet with nearly 1 billion people who don’t have access to clean drinking water. So enjoy that drink (but don’t forget to turn off the faucet).

Light painting is a photographic technique where artificial light is combined with ambient light (typically at dusk or after dark) to enhance the features of a foreground subject and add a sense of mystery. It is often used on Indian ruins, unique rock formations, or trees to enhance the dramatic qualities already present in the scene.

This image of an ancient Bristlecone Pine in the Patriarch Grove in California’s White Mountains was made at dusk when the stars were just starting to shine and the sky still held some color. A Maglite flashlight with a directional snout and an amber gel was used to paint the tree during the 2 minute exposure, and a wide-angle 17mm lens allowed me to fill the frame with the large tree and still include plenty of sky.

These images are fun to create because, as Forrest Gump would say, “you never really know what you’re gonna get”. Fortunately with the advent of digital the wait is considerably shorter than the old days of film and any mistakes can be corrected before leaving the scene.

A recent article in the Washington Post illustrated an interesting trend that is occurring in the medical profession these days and perhaps the timing couldn’t be better. Just when health insurance is the hot topic, doctors across the country are increasingly telling their patients to “take a hike” to fix what ails them.

No, they’re not trying to lose customers, but instead are medicating their patients with nature to treat everything from heart disease to attention deficit disorder. Detailed prescriptions are often written to include park or preserve locations,  specific trails and mileage. In many ways, as Ken Burns recently pointed out, our national park system can and should be an integral part of our health care system.

As a nature photographer, I spend a great deal of time on and off the trail and I feel fortunate that my work not only helps to protect these special places, but promotes my health in the process.

Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. Everything in the natural world is in a state of flux and the woods of both coasts are a patchwork of color. Mention fall color though and many people naturally think only of New England and its glowing maples, but the quaking aspen of the west are equally vibrant especially when back lit.

This image was made in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado shortly before an early snow fall blanketed the landscape. A 180mm lens compressed the scene across this narrow valley and emphasized the contrast of aspen and evergreens.