Some of my best pals came up to my cabin to explore peak fall and all its glory. We had amazing adventures, laughed hard, got lost, and created a new collection of stories.
Music: Brian Brown, Promised Land
Brand Testimonial Campaign for Phycoterra
Last summer, our team hit the backroads to produce a series of brand testimonials and an image gallery for an Ag company that is making big strides in the world of microbiomes. Usually, when you start a road trip at any point in the midwest and drive in for 8-10 hours, you end up in a completely different ecosystem than your starting point. On this trip, we drove long distances every day, but never left the cornfields. We covered thousands of miles across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, traveling from one farm to the next. It was strangely therapeutic traveling those distances and never leaving the corn. We delivered a nice collection of multimedia to our client, including a main Brand Testimonial Film, shorter testimonial films focused on individual farmers, a 30 second commercial spot, and a library of images to help them build their brand. The client was stoked with all of the deliverables and we’re looking forward to the next adventure with them.
The client wanted real, authentic images that shared characteristics of their brand identity. We love nothing more than getting out in it and doing our thing. We came back with a portfolio of images that truly show the relationship between farmer and field. Here are some of my favorites from the trip.
Logistics on this one were a little crazy, but I kinda enjoy that! My team handled all of the planning, pre production, and post production on this adventure.
Post Peak
It’s been awhile since I’ve lived in a leaf peeping destination. Nebraska wasn’t the most sought after locations for fall colors. There were some, don’t get me wrong, and it was always my favorite time of year there, but knowing that only 3% of that state has forest coverage, there weren’t people traveling there on purpose for fall splendor. Now, the North Shore, and northern Wisconsin where we spend a lot of time roaming the woods, is a completely different story. Minnesota has something like 34% forest coverage and Wisconsin is closer to 50%. The boreal forrest that exists in the northern part of both of these states has a plethora of conifers that share their beauty year round, but we also have Birch, Aspen, Poplar, Maple, Oak, and Ash, all of which put on a display in Autumn. And let’s not forget one of my favorite trees, the Larch, which is a coniferous deciduous tree that has needles that turn a bright yellow in the fall and then drop.
I follow various groups on social media channels that track fall colors and provide places to share intel and info on where the best places to see fall colors at a particular point in time. It seems like as soon as a week after Labor Day, people are starting to ask when peak colors will be. There is a ton of emphasis put on WHEN the peak will be, as if suggesting that if you miss the peak, you might as turn your vehicle around and head back to Nebraska. I have seen people ask numerous times if it’s worth even making the trip since they missed the peak.
Yes, hiking the Superior Hiking Trail during peak colors is freaking wonderful, without a doubt, but I think the forest really comes alive post peak. I love when the forest starts to open up and breathe. You start to see shapes and forms that are impossible to see in the summer. Boulders pop out. Streams come alive with newly found twists and turns. Whenever we witnessed amazing beauty this fall, we started to make the joke: “well, this can’t really be that pretty, it’s post peak after all.”
So, here are some of my favorite images from post peak this year. I can guarantee that every image represents a moment in time when the forest was beyond beautiful to my eyes. I’m not even fully sure I understand what people mean by peak as every tree species has it’s own cycle when colors start to turn. Maples will usually be the first and Larches will usually be last, but I love every single stage and I look forward to it every year.
Keep Looking
When I was an adjunct photo instructor, I had an assignment for my students that really challenged point of view and perspective. Find the best shot in a given scene, fine tune it until you're satisfied that you have the best shot possible given your surroundings. When you're satisfied that you have the best shot, find three more.
The point I was trying to make is that there are usually other great shots to be obtained if we simply open up our minds and allow the possibility of other shots. Sometimes, it's a micro shift moving slightly one way or another, and other times it might be a dramatic 180 degree swing. Often times, our egos get in the way of allowing the possibility of other shots, and other times it's just pure laziness.
A few years ago, we were adventuring across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming and hit up Yellowstone for a couple of nights. There was a new moon, so I was looking for a great location to do some astro photography. I found this 'perfect' spot in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Everything seemed to line up for a perfect shot. So, we enjoyed our day hiking and then got to the parking lot/trailhead a little after sunset. The nice thing about shooting at this time of day is there are no crowds. Our van was the only vehicle in the lot.
I gathered my gear and hiked down the trail and set up my shot. The stars were amazing, to say the least, and after determining my exposure, I began working on my composition. I worked it for 20 or 30 minutes, experimenting with some panoramic compositions that would be stitched together in post, some light painting of the canyon, and some vertical shots that would include the river raging below. Nothing was really working. The shot that I had previsualized in my head was just not materializing. It's ok. I'm learned a thousand times over that I do what I do not just for the final shot, but for the experience of trying to get the final shot. Being there, alone, at the top of the canyon on an unbelievably gorgeous night, was so valuable. The shot wasn't working and I finally gave in to that and just sat back to enjoy the beauty of my surroundings.
I hiked back down the trail to the van and loaded up my gear. As I was getting ready to go, something right in front of me caught my eye. There was a pair of pine trees with amazing root structures seemingly climbing out of the boulders in front of me. I got out to look at the roots and the trees and the stars and the canyon in the background. This wasn't the shot that I had scouted, but this could be the shot. So, I got my gear back out and got set up, and began exploring.
Every astro shot I have made has the power to transport me back in time to a beautiful night in the wild. This particular one always makes be chuckle because I had worked so hard to get another shot, which didn't work, and this one was created about 5' from the front bumper of my van.
The next morning, I hiked down to the bottom of the canyon at sunrise and got to enjoy another quiet moment before the park came alive with tourists in every direction. Here are two more shots taken from about the same spot, but tell two totally different stories.
There's always another shot- another moment, if you just take the time to open your eyes.
Here's to New Adventures!
Back in 2020, I had a trip planned to Wyoming/MT to do some astro photography. There happened to be a huge storm front over the Rockies at the time of my trip, so there seemed to be little chance of seeing the stars anytime that week. So, I started researching other destinations and randomly came across an image on Instagram with some big waves and an interesting landscape. After some research, I discovered that that image was captured on the North Shore of Lake Superior. I shifted the direction my truck was originally pointed and headed to the North Shore.
That trip did something to me. Something profound. I’ve always been a water dude. Ever since my first rafting trip on the Poudre when I was 11 or 12. Went on to work rivers as a whitewater guide in CO and MT. Moved to California to experience the Ocean. I’ve always loved the water and it has always done good things for my soul. Seeing Lake Superior and the surrounding region for the first time was life-changing. I found elements of some of my favorite places from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Colorado…all somehow stitched together in this amazingly beautiful place. Wild rivers tumble and twist through canyons to join forces with the big lake. The ancient white and red pines, cedars, aspen, larch, and birch of the boreal forest create an ecosystem like no other. A diverse and massive wilderness that holds its beauty no matter the season.
I would end of traveling to the North Shore about 10 times over the course of a year since that first trip. Some were family trips, others were solo trips exploring with my camera, and some were for video projects for new clients, as well as productions for Midwest Food Stories. Simply put, I fell in love with the beauty, the water, the wildness, the people, and the creativity happening everywhere you look.
Every trip I have ever taken since I was a kid, I have always tried to imagine living in that place. Sometimes, I’ve embraced that drive and let that curiosity guide me to new places, like when I moved to Bozeman, Salida, Missoula, Leadville, Ventura, or Denver. Those were all very valuable chapters in my life that I’m incredibly grateful for. The time of Covid taught us a lot of things, with the most important lesson being the value of time and how valuable it is. We all get just one wild and precious life, so we decided to go with it- to go with this love we were all feeling for a new and interesting place. We took a family vote and decided to leave our home and our extended family to head out on a grand adventure and make Duluth our new home. It was hard to imagine leaving all that we had behind and starting over in a new place. It was extremely hard to leave our acreage, our house in the forest, and my studio that we had spent the last five years building. And it was next to impossible to leave behind our community of amazing friends and our family…but in the end, we went big and decided that we needed to embark on this new adventure. We wanted our kids to grow up having amazing access to wild places. We needed to get back to living near water and trails and a community of people that cherish the wild lands.
There are new creative projects that I’m been sketching out since I first visited this region and I’m incredibly excited to start making those projects a reality. And I’m looking forward to collaborating with new clients on the North Shore in many different capacities. The kids have integrated to their new life beautifully and I’m so proud of them for their courage and curiosity and their willingness to embrace adventure. Same goes for Joey who has been our rock in beginning this new chapter. We have loved exploring the trails and beaches and backroads of our new home and are constantly discovering a much as we possibly can.
I will continue to travel wherever and whenever for my clients and I look forward to many more adventures together.
So, here’s to new adventures! Happy new year.
Fat Head Farm for Feast and Field
A few months back, Feast and Field approached me about producing some content for a series about bees and honey making. The project would focus on the honey making process over at Fat Head Farms, a really cool husband and wife duo that have been in the beekeeping game for generations. An editor at Feast and Field had seen some of my work that I produced for my documentary food series, Midwest Food Stories, and hired me to produce some similar content for their project. They needed a 3-5 minute video piece, stills from our fun farm adventure, and then some stills from a recipe shoot that I produced at my studio.
The first leg of this project took place at Brian and Kathy Suchan’s farm located in the rolling hills of Colfax County, Nebraska. We designed it to work in the afternoon/early evening to hopefully cheat some of the harsh midday summer sun. It was definitely a warm one, especially considering we needed to wear long sleeves and pants to keep the bees out of our business. Within minutes of arriving, I knew that these were my people. Super laid back and extremely passionate about what they do. We got a quick tour before we started getting cameras set up. My long-time friend and partner in many photographic crimes, Matt Pekula, was along for the ride on this one to help me get all the goods. After a quick tour of their incredible barn house, which some people now call barndominiums (I refuse to call them that), we checked out the turn-of-the-last-century farm house that is now the headquarters for their bottling, packaging, and shipping processes. The interior design of both their home and the farm house were simply incredible, fusing antiques with rustic woods and modern touches. I loved all of their spaces. Such a great overall vibe on this farm, from the houses, to the great collection of old structures, barns, and gardens.
After a quick interview session for the video component, we hit the road to check out a nearby bee colony. A quick 10 mile drive through the beautiful country side and we arrived at our destination. You could instantly hear the hum of activity in the air. We geared up and silently observed Kathy and Brian as they methodically went through the process of checking the health and status of each of the bee boxes. I quickly realized the quirkiness of trying to focus my lens while looking through a bee keeper’s veil. We didn’t wear any gloves so we could work with our cameras, but the bees didn’t seem to care at all about us. I remember one time I was filming bison from a very close distance on a ranch in the Sandhills and the rancher asked me if I was scared or intimidated to be that close to them. I thought about it for a little bit and then realized that I’ve found myself in very similar situations many times throughout my career and the reality is that I’ve gotten pretty good at reading the body language and demeanor of the people around me that I’m working with. If they are calm and relaxed within an environment, then I am too. If I can read some sort of worry or discomfort within a particular situation, then I’m typically on high alert and ready for action. I always do my best to be aware of everything happening around me and make sure to look away from the camera often so that I don’t miss anything. So, in this situation, my hosts were very relaxed and seemed incredibly happy to be working with the bees, so I was too.
I absolutely love the image of the leather gloved hand holding onto the the hive tool and the antique smoker…on top of the weathered boxes. The light, the textures. A very simple image that tells such a great story. And I love the logo on the smoker. This was handed down to Brian by his father…and I believe it was handed down to him by his father as well. I flew the drone over them working the boxes for a little bit and was so pleased and content with the moment. Everything about it was perfect…the blue sky with perfect clouds diffusing the sun. I always feel at peace on a farm or a ranch or in a field witnessing people work the land. I was at a farm near Duluth, MN last week and I had planned to get there right before sunrise to get some images of the farmers working in the early morning light. There was a lot of fog that morning coming off of Lake Superior and it was simply gorgeous. Not at all what I expected, but that is usually the nature of things. Watching that farmer walk across a pasture into the the fog surrounded by pigs was a beautiful site.
When the work was done, we headed back to the farm. Gathered a few shots around the homestead and then Kathy asked if we wanted a snack and a beer. Best question ever. We went inside the house for an incredible spread of cured meats from my favorite butcher shop, Cure Cooking in Fort Calhoun, local cheeses, honey, of course, and a nice arrangement of sidekicks.
Incredible people. Incredible honey operation. Incredible day. Fat Head Farms is named after their bulldog…actually, they have three bulldogs, so we had some fun hanging with those dudes before we headed home. They wanted to eat the drone, hence the pretty amazing bulldog jumping shots we were able to capture. The light around the property as we were leaving was incredible, so we got a few more images on our way. They have a huge pollinator “garden”. I threw those awesome quotes on there because it’s more like an entire acre + field than a garden. The bee activity around this field of wildflowers was out of this world. Kathy had some great ideas for having pollinator gardens, even if one has a very small yard or even no yard at all. Our conversation inspired me to put more effort into creating pollinator spaces on our property next year.
Back in the studio, I teamed up with Cathy Curtis, a legendary chef/instructor, and Anna Hartman, a skilled writer of all sorts of delicious content. Cathy was hired by Feast and Field to create recipes for a few honey-focused dishes including a salad, salmon dish, and a cocktail. Another fantastic day collaborating with super talented people.
Here’s the video piece that we produced for Feast and Field about the honey making process at Fat Head Farms.
Upper Falls at Gooseberry State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota
First Trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior | MN
I was looking for some clear skies to create some astro images and it seemed like there was one huge cloud hovering over the entire West. Serendipitously, I came across this amazing image of a lighthouse framed perfectly in the center of a barrel wave during golden hour. I saw the image was from the North Shore of Minnesota. Wait, Minnesota? I’ve been to the Twin Cites a bunch of time for work and I have some relatives there that I visited a lot as a kid, but my adventures had never taken me north of there. The skies were forecasted to be clear, so I started geeking out over the map. I was intrigued.
I headed north a couple of days later. Once you hit Duluth and see Lake Superior and the mouth of the Saint Louis River for the fist time, you immediately know you’re in a special place. Duluth seemed really cool at a glance, but I rolled right through and hit Highway 61 (you know, of Bob Dylan fame) and followed the shoreline north.
I found a nice camp spot at Tettegouche State Park and enjoyed some valuable time exploring the area. I got in a couple sunsets and sunrises. Felt peace in the blue hour by some big water. Didn’t really get any amazing astro shots, but went on some great hikes and just spent some solo time exploring the finer details. I think I’m in love.
An astro capture overlooking the mouth of the Baptism River at Tettegouche State Park
Sunrise on Lake Superior
Producing Cooking Videos for YouTube Channel
A project that I worked on a couple of years came up in conversation this week and that got me thinking about the scope of the project and all that we accomplished in the 2 years that we worked on it. The project consisted of producing and launching weekly videos for a chef’s YouTube channel. Sounds pretty straight forward when I type it out, but in reality, the scope of the project was absolutely enormous as I handled all aspects of production plus all of the social media content, marketing, and website design for this project as well. It takes a lot of organization, commitment, and hard work to get a new video and all of the peripherals ready to launch every single week.
The look and feel of the series evolved over the course of 2 years as I played with the lighting and the camera angles (and number of cameras) constantly until I finally arrived at a look that I was very happy with. I wanted this set to look GOOD and I feel that the look that we achieved was one of the best from this genre. For those of you out there that care about such things, I’ve been really really happy with the lighting products from Intellytech. They are making some incredible lights- that have fantastic build quality compared to the rest that I’ve tried and the Kelvin temperature is very accurate and consistent between their different products. The quality of light that they put out is very pleasing and their customer service is some of the best I have ever experienced. I put a 2k LED through a diffusion panel with honeycomb for the key and then filled with another daylight balanced 1x1. I used another 1x1 dialed down for a key on the action shots and then 2 more 1x1s for a little background love. And then for acquisition, the final schematic consisted of a 4 camera setup, which meant we had a lot of data to sort through for every edit and that also meant we needed a lot of storage.
Chef Clayton Chapman on set in the Desoto Hill Studio video production studio in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, which is just a few miles north of Omaha.
There were Lots of logistics to work through for every video release. In addition to the typical things like creating a custom thumbnail, crafting the best title, and preparing show notes, we also created a blog post, social media posts, and misc other copy and assets for every episode. Most of the episodes featured the chef preparing his favorite dishes in front of the camera. We brainstormed on the best ways to film the dishes on a weekly basis, as well as developed a content calendar for releasing seasonally-relevant dishes. This Shake and Bake chicken recipe is one of my favorites and continues to get a lot of views on the channel. We did a still photography shoot for almost every dish that the chef created so that we had a custom thumbnail that was consistent with the brand we created.
Screen shot of Chef Clayton Chapman’s YouTube channel that we produced. Most of the episodes featured the chef preparing his favorite dishes in our studio, but we also produced a variety of content out in the field at ranches, farms, lodges, and on the road.
Most of the videos were produced in my studio in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, but we also did some traveling around Nebraska to film at ranches and visit with some of the producers that the chef sourced his ingredients from. While it’s always a little easier to shoot in the studio, I thrive on traveling and finding solutions to creative problems out in the field. And working on farms, ranches, and remote landscapes brings me a lot of joy, so I feel very blessed whenever I get to work on these types of shoots.
Working with the infamous Dan Morgan of Morgan Ranch, one of the best producers of Wagyu beef in the world. Their ranch consists of over 5000 acres in the Sandhills of Nebraska.
An environmental portrait of Chef Clayton Chapman on location near Valentine, Nebraska.
Working on an episode about pheasant hunting and recipes in the Rainwater Basin region of southern Nebraska. A lot of this footage ended up being used in a short film for Midwest Food Stories, but we also produced a couple of episodes for his channel on this trip.
On one trip out to western Nebraska, we had a few different shoots lined up with different producers and we were expecting gorgeous fall weather. The weather turned, the temperature dropped, and we got a good amount of snow on the ground. I pitched the idea of changing up some of the planned dishes to better reflect cooking over an open fire in cooler temps and these turned out to be some of my favorite episodes. We did manage to do some walleye fishing before the snow hit, but that was a crazy cold day on the water. We made episodes for beer-battered walleye, biscuits and gravy, and chili. So, add a couple of weather-appropriate cocktails and some super fun side by side runs in the snow and absolutely nothing to complain about! Here’s the teaser we produced for that trip…before the snow hit!
Walleye fishing on the Merritt Reservoir near Valentine, Nebraska.
Devil’s Gap battered walleye for an episode of Chef Clayton Chapman’s channel.
In addition to handling all of the production for this series, we also handled all of the marketing and social media for the brand. As episodes were launched each week, we also created custom posts tailored to each social media channel. We created successful contests, marketing campaigns, and also a simple, straightforward, and easy to navigate website for the brand. And, of course, all of the photography and video for all platforms.
While it’s always a hoot reading what all of the haters have to say, it’s way more enjoyable to read comments from folks who love the work that we produced. Here’s a couple of my favorite comments from the channel:
“I’ve watched all of your videos but this is my first comment. The production and quality of your show is superb. The crew you have are doing incredible work. I’m proud to have you and the grey plume in Omaha, to represent us beautifully. I can’t wait for my next birthday to celebrate at your restaurant. Keep up the fabulous content, I can’t wait to see where this channel will go!”
“Wow! Amazing content! Bingeing now!”
And then to keep things balanced, here’s my favorite comment from a hater (perfect name for a hater too). I guess you need to watch those enunciations!!!
“You enunciated “aioli” incorrect. You’re a chef?”
And to kind of give you an idea on where we started, here is the channel teaser that we produced about 3 years ago. We filmed the first few episodes in my kitchen while we were renovating the new studio. All of the footage in this teaser was captured all over the state of Nebraska during multiple filming trips with Clayton. The episode thumbnail features the very first day that we filmed in my new studio.
All in all, this was a very complex and challenging project that required a constant evolution of thinking and implementation of ideas. It required building a solid, repeatable workflow and a team to implement that process. I would definitely welcome a similar project in the future as this one checked all of the boxes. It required constant attention to detail, managing a team to produce the expected results on time, and it required producing beautiful results consistently. If you have an idea for a web series, documentary film, or YouTube channel, hit me up and we can chat ideas and logistics.
Ancient Juniper tree grows our of a canyon wall in the Cache la Poudre river canyon near Fort Collins, CO
Three Images from Cache la Poudre Canyon
On our way back home from adventuring in Utah, my friend Matt and I were hoping to get one more night of astrophotography under our belts, but the weather wasn’t looking good. We decided we’d try our luck at camping in Poudre Canyon as that was en route and a very special place to me. It was in this canyon that I went rafting for the very first time when I was 12. On that same trip, I summited my first mountain, Comanche Peak.
As we entered the canyon, we were a little surprised on how much snow there still was…this for sure would make camping interesting tonight. Didn’t really matter as all of the forest service campgrounds were still closed for the season. We were starting to get a little discouraged when we found one solitary open campground. We were just getting ready to start thinking about hotels and breweries down river in Fort Collins, but there is little in life I wouldn’t trade for a night camping in a tent next to a river in the mountains.
We had a fire and a nice meal and then called it a night so that we could get up to experience one more sunrise on this trip. We headed back up the canyon a few miles to check out a spot we had seen the night before. Matt went one way and I went another. I had just gotten the Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 100 f/2 lens for my Nikon D850 and I had been wanting to test it out for my landscape work. Since I didn’t really get to use it Moab, I didn’t even bring another lens with me that morning.
I worked some long exposures of the river and concentrated on composing the flow in interesting ways around the rocks. I sat on a pile of boulders and really just watched and listened and waited for the light to drift into the canyon. Sunrise probably happened 10 or 15 minutes ago, but it would be a little bit before it started making its way down the steep canyon walls. I skipped a few almost flat rocks across the large eddy near where I was sitting. And then I looked up to see where the light was and I saw light fragments begin to wash over an ancient Juniper that appeared to be twisting its branches to get closer to the light. Ancient. Way older than I could even guess because of where it was growing. I loved the way the rocks it was growing out of were still hiding beneath the light, but the trunk and branches were contrasted so beautifully against the lichen-covered, light-drenched canyon wall. Perfect.
I didn’t really shoot very much that morning- it was more about being in such a special and beautiful place, but I did capture three images that are very meaningful and document my time in Poudre Canyon that April morning.
The Cache la Poudre river at sunrise in April 2021.
Driftwood detail in Cache la Poudre canyon.
Exploring Onion Creek Road Near Moab, Utah
Heading west out of Glenwood Springs towards Grand Junction, CO, you can definitely see and feel the landscape transform from mountains to desert. Make sure you fill your tank near Fruita as things are about to get desolate. We exited I-70 near Cisco, which is a very quiet exit with no services to speak of. No services, but this road is incredibly fun to drive. Recently resurfaced, the road twists and turns and dips and rises rhythmically as you cross the plateaus and dodge the tumbleweed before it joins up with the river. It’s worth noting the intense black color of the road is beautifully contrasted against the multitude of reds surrounding it. The plan was to take County Road 128 and look for some camp spots along the Colorado River that would be close by to our main destination, Onion Creek Road. In the spring, the river is picking up its pace and flows are higher as snow starts to melt up river. You’d probably be able to find some camp spots in the 3 or 4 public campgrounds next to the river earlier in the week this time of year, but we were rolling in on a Thursday and the campgrounds were jammin’. We drove through them all and not a single spot to be found. Looked like really fun time, though!
Country Road 128 runs parallel to the Colorado River east of Moab, Utah.
As you turn onto Onion Creek Road off of CR128, you have a perfect view of the Fisher Towers, which also has a very nice, but very small campground and would be an incredible place to set up camp for a few days. The views from here are other-worldly. Continuing up the road, there is one more campground before entering the canyon. Camping is no longer allowed in the canyon as flash floods and erosion are a concern. And this point quickly becomes very understandable as you arrive at your first creek crossing. Looking at a satellite image, you can see that the creek crosses the road a bunch of times between the Lower Onion Creek campground and the top of the canyon. We counted 28 times. Maybe 29. They are super mellow as creek crossings go. Very shallow, but super fun.
We had two main missions for this trip: test out the new suspension and off-road upgrades I had recently made to my Tundra and test out a couple of lenses for astrophotography. I had scoured Utah maps for weeks and the info I was able to dig up made Onion Creek Road an ideal candidate for both of these missions. In April, the galactic center of the Milky Way doesn’t show its pretty face until about 3am, so we were planning on being up most of the night anyway. We drove up the canyon a few miles and found a spot that we thought would work perfectly for some astro shots, so we did some scouting and then took a little nap as we waited for the stars to do their thing.
Nautical twilight is my absolute favorite time to photograph landscapes.
Lighting up the canyon walls and Onion Creek with some new headlights on the Tundra.
The canyon was perfectly quiet at night. That’s the benefit of no camping in the canyon. Perfectly dark skies and no one around is one of my favorite recipes. We had a waxing crescent moon that night, so in the early stages of the night, we had a lot of fun playing with the moonlight bouncing off of the canyon walls and glistening off of the creek. And then later, as the moon set, the galactic center of the Milky Way rose. This is one thing that I really enjoy about early season astrophotography is that you basically get a twofer, a BOGO of night sky dishes to partake in. And then Milky Way time turns into nautical twilight pretty quickly and before you know it, there’s the sun. We’ll nap at 9am when the light is hideous.
Matt hanging out in the back of the Tundra at one of our astrophotography spots on Onion Creek Road near Moab, Utah.
In April, the Galactic Center of the Milky Way rises pretty late in the night, but still presents some great opportunities for astrophotography- this capture is about 3am on Onion Creek Road.
The next morning, we found a mother load of BLM campspots at the top of the canyon. We were basically nestled on the edge of a massive wall that overlooked the canyon to the west and a great valley to the south. This high Fisher valley is also a great connector to other iconic Utah trails like Rose Garden and Kokopelli. We explored both of these trails briefly, but wanted to concentrate our efforts on Onion Creek Road, which was definitely worth our time. The road proved to be just a pure joy to drive. Not very technical, but enough creek crossings and dips and climbs to keep you on your toes. We found dozens of spots worth pulling over and exploring. It definitely takes a lot of discipline to pull over and get the camera out at some points because the road is so damn fun you just want to keep driving.
This run could easily be done in a few hours if you’re camped nearby or coming out of Moab. It COULD be done in a very short amount of time, but we dedicated a couple of days to it because we wanted to explore the canyon in all of the different lighting conditions. We wanted two nights of exploring the stars and we wanted multiple sunsets and sunrises. We found all of these times to offer incredible photographic opportunities and the middle of the day when the light is the least desirable is when the canyon is the busiest with other explorers. So that was nap time.
Sunset over Onion Creek on Onion Creek Road near Moab, Utah.
The landscape changes and transforms with every twist and turn. There are some incredible spots to get out and hike up the creek to find new features not visible from the road. Onion Creek Road is easily accessible by any vehicle with decent clearance and all wheel drive. The other trails in the area accessible from the high valley will definitely require a more capable vehicle or side by side, but we found Onion Creek to be the perfect combination of drop-dead gorgeous and super fun. We’ve got our future camp spots scouted out and logged for next year. Take your time and enjoy yourself and this road won’t disappoint.
Here’s a short video I produced from our trip to Onion Creek Road near Moab, Utah
Onion Creek Road (Moab, Utah) Photo Gallery
Traveling through the Conata Basin in Badlands National Park on December 16th, 2020.
Badlands and Black Hills Winter Road Trip
Traveling west on I90 across South Dakota is a rather entertaining drive, thanks to the never-ending parade of hand-painted signs for curious attractions like the infamous Wall Drug, which apparently attracts visitors with its five cent coffee and animatronic life-size T-Rex. You’ll also pass by some interesting sculptures, a pretty legit looking 1800s town, a reptile garden, and a corn palace. Yes, a corn palace. While all of these attractions are intriguing, we had a mission to get to our first destination before dark, so onward we went. Similar to when the Colorado Front Range comes into view when driving west across the plains, equally stunning is seeing the Badlands rise from the prairie.
Badlands National Park runs parallel to I90 and makes for a fantastic quick detour on your way to the Black Hills, but I recommend carving out some extra time to spend here if you can. As you drive south towards the park on Highway 240, the prairie literally gives way to a rugged landscape teeming with geologic diversity. Within a short mile or two from the park entrance is the Big Badlands Overlook, which is a definite get-out-and-stretch-your-legs kind of stop as it gifts you some incredible uninterrupted views of the park. Continue down the road a little ways, and you will find the trailheads for Door, Window, Castle, and Notch. All four of these trails offer fantastic little hikes that wind through the hoodoos, as well as an above average opportunity to see wild bighorn sheep. On a recent December trip through the park, we spotted a family group of bighorns ascending up into the hills near the Castle trailhead. I followed them back into the maze of spires, hoping to capture an interesting image of them, but they were nowhere to be found. I took a minute to marvel at my surroundings and the beautiful late afternoon light filtering through the clouds and then I heard some rocks tumbling from above. I turned to see the sheep cresting the top of one of the closest buttes. They paused for a quick photo shoot before continuing on their way. Off to dinner, I presume.
Bighorn sheep traverse a ridge line near the Castle Trail in Badlands National Park.
Crowds are very thin here in the summer compared to a lot of other National Parks, but in the winter, the park is almost entirely void of humans. Sunrise and sunset are definitely my favorite times to witness the grandeur of the park and it usually means more wildlife activity. Plan on some great photo opportunities on Norbeck Pass, White River Valley Overlook, Yellow Mounds, and Pinnacles Overlook. There are less lodging options in the winter, but there are still some pretty good spots in nearby Wall, which is about 8 miles from the Pinnacles Entrance Station. Most recently, I stayed at America’s Best Value Inn and found it to be a really good value for the money. The room was recently remodeled, had a fridge and a microwave, and it took me about 10 minutes to get back to the park for a sunrise photo shoot.
The conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and a crescent moon at Badlands National Park on December 16th, 2020.
Pinnacles Overlook is a great location to take in a sunrise while at Badlands.
The first rays of light dance across the spires near the Pinnacles Overlook.
Sunrise near the Pinnacles Overlook in Badlands National Park.
Add Custer State Park to your list of must-see winter destinations. This is a place where you could spend an afternoon or a week. If you’ve been to Yellowstone and marveled at the convergence of ecosystems, then Custer will not disappoint. It’s massive (71,000 acres) and will constantly surprise you that it’s only a measly state park. Give the state of South Dakota some love for this one as this is a world-class state park that feels as grand as a national park. While a couple of my favorite sections of the park are closed in winter, there is still a long list of must-dos and the best part? No people. I know, I’m sounding like a broken record on the lack of people thing, but these places are just so much better when you have room to breathe.
Curious bison approach our truck near French Creek in Custer State Park.
Herd of bighorn sheep near the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park.
Wildlife Loop Road offers some great opportunities to see bison, wild burros, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, coyote…you get the idea. The 18-mile loop takes you on a journey from rolling prairie to deep canyons and your best bet for seeing some critters is to travel in the morning or evening. We saw a heard of bighorn sheep and some frisky bison that stopped at the back of my truck to do some afternoon tailgate licking. Not sure what the flavor was, but I’m guessing a nice medley of delicious Nebraska silt loam and road salt. All of the park’s lakes are incredible in the winter and are great spots for ice fishing, taking a quick hike, or just admiring the views while enjoying a tailgate sandwich. Make sure to check out Center, Stockade, and Bismark Lakes. The infamous Needles highway up to the Needle’s Eye is closed in the winter, but an alternative drive that won’t disappoint is HWY 87 up to Sylvan Lake. It is hard not to marvel at the engineering of this roadway. Be sure to check out the fantastic trail that wraps around Sylvan Lake- it is amazing regardless of season.
An absolute requirement for lunch or dinner in this area is Black Hills Burger and Bun, located in the quaint town of Custer. They offer a varied selection of epic burgers and delicious shakes. In the summer, plan on waiting in line for a while, but walk right on in during the winter months. Custer has a great market, some interesting shops, a solid outdoor gear shop, and some year-round lodging options. We stayed about 29 miles north of here in a great little cabin near Nemo. Our spot, The Cabin at Green Mountain, was more than big enough for the two of us and could definitely handle 6 guests no problem. It was super cozy, perfectly located, and had an incredible front porch for taking in the views.
The Cabin at Green Mountain near Nemo, South Dakota, is a great place to stay for up to 6 people.
From this location, we were less than an hour away from Terry Peak Ski Area, which offers the best downhill skiing and riding in South Dakota. Lift tickets are very affordable compared to most resorts I’ve been to, and there are some pretty incredible lodging options within a couple minutes of the slopes. The closest towns to the ski area are Lead and Deadwood. Lead is a pretty interesting old mining town that is fun to explore for a little while, but most of the shops and restaurants can be found in nearby historic Deadwood. Next stop, Spearfish Canyon.
A fresh dusting of snow covers the crags and pines in Spearfish Canyon near Spearfish, South Dakota.
As we drove down the canyon, my co-pilot (my father) was eloquently narrating every detail of our journey. Some fresh snow had fallen over night so the pines and crags were covered. The vibrant blue sky was beautifully contrasted by the earth-toned canyon walls. Spearfish Creek flows year round. During the summer months, there is typically a constant stream of traffic heading up and down the canyon. This time of year? You guessed it. Nobody. The road from the Spearfish Canyon Lodge up to Roughlock falls is closed to cars this time of year, so grab some snow shoes and hit the trail from the lodge up to the falls. The lodge even offers a pretty nice winter snowshoe package that includes, well, snowshoes, of course, as well as breakfast AND a free cocktail après hike. The trail from the lodge to the falls is incredible any time of the year with my favorite seasons being fall and winter. Just park in the trailhead parking lot behind the lodge and enjoy one of the most beautiful hikes in the state (it’s about a two mile hike roundtrip with about 500’ of elation gain).
Spearfish Creek rolls through Spearfish Canyon after a dusting of fresh snow.
The town of Spearfish offers up a beautifully-restored historic downtown with a wide range of shops and restaurants. Thirsty? Have a Pile O'Dirt Porter over at Crow Peak. Then, head on over to Spearfish Brewing Company to grab a burger and an Elephant Man. Spearfish is probably my favorite town in the hills and it definitely has different personalities depending on the season. Winter’s personality is welcoming, relaxed, and laid-back. My favorite quote for the day was: “this canyon is so nice, let’s drive it twice.” We did just that and then headed back to the cabin for some beyond-prime New York strips cooked on the grill. The next morning, we got an early start so we could take the long way south through the hills. On our way back east, we drove through the Badlands again and enjoyed one last tailgate sandwich with incredible views before jumping back on the interstate to head home.
Trails converge at the Pinnacles Overlook at Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
Video Footage From Our Recent Badlands and Black Hills Winter Road Trip
Image Gallery for Badlands and Black Hills Winter Road Trip
2020 Images
There were definitely less photo adventures this year than usual, but that just meant that the ones I did have were that much more special. This was a very interesting year to say the least, and there were definitely hard times, but it wasn’t all bad. The increased together time with my quickly growing kids was cherished. We spent more time wandering in the woods and playing games. They can both now legitimately beat me in bags and bocce- at least some of the time. We are a family of gamers and I love to see their competitive spirit and technical skill sets blossoming.
Camping, road trips, and going on adventures is so important to my family. If you ask my 6 year old son what his favorite things is, he will either say Star Wars or going on trips in the adventure van (I’m equally excited about both). We got to spend some time camping together on the Niobrara River with some good family friends, as well as in the Black Hills. I witnessed the glory of the autumnal transformation in the high country of Colorado and experienced the winter solitude of the Badlands with my father. My mother passed away about a month ago which was so devastating to our family, so this trip with my father to South Dakota was beyond special for the two of us. It provided us with peace and solace during a difficult time, but also provided such a beautiful backdrop for us to remember her life with grace and thankfulness. The outpouring of love and kinship from friends and family, near and far, has been overwhelming and so appreciated. She was a very powerful and loving woman that taught me so much about love, devotion, family, life, and being a good parent. She told me a few months ago how proud she was of my children and how much she appreciated the way we were instilling a love of adventure in them. Those words meant so much to me. She was always a force of positivity and kindness. And I will do my best to carry those powerful traits into not only the next year, but the rest of my life.
2020 has been full of heartache, stress, loss, and tension, but it has also been full of growth, creativity, and healing. As I sift through my favorite images that I created in 2020, I am reminded of all of the love and beauty I have in my life and I am thankful for all of you that make my world so wonderful. I am hopeful and optimistic for 2020 and all of the grand adventures it will bring.
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