From sea to shining sea? Not quite! Everything is west of the Mississippi, quite a bit west. From the ocean to the prairie—that's here. The mountains white with snow are here in the land that I love. The canyons weren't mentioned in the song, but they are here. A few sidelong looks at urban scenes old and new are included. And the dunes, the cloud forms, the rock forms, the trees, the lakes, the fog, snow, running and not-running water...
Over thirty five years of intense outdoor activity carrying a camera has covered a lot of ground. I've hiked, climbed, rafted, snow shoed, rappelled, boated, driven, flown, ridden, backpacked, swam—any means to get to see what's out there, and all with camera on hand. When something striking appears, I try to show in a photograph what it means to me, how it feels to be alive and living. No themes here—although some have emerged from many photographs of particular subjects. No people here either, although artifacts of their presence appear.
The Wheatcountry Project
Open, rolling luminous wheatfields beyond wheatfields. Mesmerizing, repeating, undulating lines of downed bluegrass. Blazing summer heat, relieved by sudden thunderstorms dancing across the land. Bitter cold winter snow dusting fields of contoured drill patterns. The great sweep of sky and chaotic clouds contradicting the man-made order below. Beyond the orderly fields, abandoned farmhouses and barns lean in decay. A difficult land not meant to be inhabited.
The Ancestral Pueblo Project
The Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings in the Four Corners region sheltered and protected this energetic people (originally called the Anasazi) towards the end of their 1500-year (200BC to 1300 AD) presence in the region. Sited high on canyon walls in spectacular alcoves, the ruins seem to radiate the energy and mystery of this vanished people.
This continuing photographic project originated in 1989 with a disappointing photograph of the first ruin encountered, but curiosity was aroused about a culture capable of such achievement. Three years of study led to a growing respect for the energy, perseverance, and artistry of this people. The photographs attempt to express this great respect.
the Grasslands Project
The Grasslands Project started in 2005 as a study of the National Grasslands in the United States, and quickly expanded to include the Sandhills of Nebraska, the Zumwalt Prarie Preserve of Oregon, and probably will expand to include grasslands of ever more diverse nature.