Newfoundland Is Beautiful

The title says it all. Newfoundland is profoundly beautiful. From breathtaking landscapes and wildlife to warm-hearted locals, the province is an absolute treasure. In the summer of 2022, I embarked on what ended up being a 7,000 mi road (and sea) trip from Chicago, Illinois, to St. John’s, Newfoundland, and back again. I covered just about every vehicle-accessible area of the island, and a few that weren’t. From the capital city in the southeast to L’Anse aux Meadows in the extreme northwest, every mile of this place is worth the effort.

Whether you are a photographer or not is irrelevant, it would be impossible to overstate just how achingly gorgeous this place is. Having said that, I was in Newfoundland for photography, and it did not disappoint. Landscapes, lighthouses, birds, whales, moose, and caribou were all plentiful and the light was amazing. You can see many images from this trip spread across my galleries.

While the serious photography was stellar, you don’t need 20 lbs of gear to find the magic here. What you see below are just cellphone pics of the in-between times. A sunset snap from the side of the road, an especially good meal, a seaside park found by accident, these turned out to be some of my favorite moments.

Sandhill Crane Migration - November 2022

The holidays are a busy time for most, but I was excited to add one more celebration to the list this year, the fall sandhill crane migration in Indiana. I’ve been told by a number of people that the migration is an incredible sight, and thanks to my good friend and professional guide, Adam Sell, it didn’t disappoint. Adam set up a full day of birding. We had some close encounters with a few hawk species, a stubborn kingfisher, many cranes, and even a few deer. In between sightings, we had time to sample some smoked duck jerky... it was categorically awful. With most of the day (and that jerky) in the rearview mirror, we headed to Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area for the sandhill finale, joining the crowd and watching the thousands of cranes fly in and gather as the sun set. The DNR estimated that there were 30,000 cranes in the area. I’ll take them at their word. I lost count.

If you are interested in birding in the midwest US or anywhere in North, Central, or South America, you can contact adam@redhillbirding.com .

In a Time Before COVID...

It is hard not to think about Isle Royal NP, Theodore Roosevelt NP, and the handful of other places I planned but didn’t go to this past year… Nevertheless, here is a look back to a kinder time.

July 2019 - Hummingbirds in Western Colorado

I really can’t say enough good things about professional wildlife photographer Mark Smith. Mark is incredibly gifted and hard working. His photography speaks for itself, but if you want to hear him talk all about it and the beautiful animals he encounters, you can check out his YouTube channel as well. I spent five days with Mark in the mountains of far western Colorado shooting these beautiful and tiny creatures, discussing music and life, and appreciating tacos. I also met a few other photographers who were all fantastic people. Below are a few shots from that trip. I don’t know if I really nailed the one gallery-worthy shot, but I have about a thousand like these, and that’s not so bad.

Summer-Fall 2020 - Birds, Squirrels, and Other Backyard Thrills

The season of quarantine gave most people a newfound appreciation for their local parks and preserves. Heck, even back yard bird watching became a national pastime for a few weeks. While I rarely have more than a few robins in my yard, I do have some opportunistic squirrels. Of course, birds weren’t the only reason to watch the skies. Comet NEOWISE came along like some celestial exclamation point to make sure you never forget the summer you stayed within a block of your home. Don’t worry if you missed it. It will be back in 6700 years. I eked out one tortured image in my backyard. The light pollution was as oppressive as the mosquitoes. Also, that nifty shot of the moon was handheld and taken during the day… from my backyard.

Squaw Lake, Minnesota - Bugs, Birds, and Busch Light

Northern Minnesota is beautiful. I had an awesome time hanging out with a good friend and we were lucky to have free lodging on his uncle’s land. I went to Squaw Lake (A town name the Native American population there abhors) to shoot the night time sky and with any luck some wildlife during the day. I’d say we were at least somewhat successful on both accounts and had a few surprises along the way.

I have several star trail compositions in the works, but so far the results are a bit lackluster. We had intermittent cloud cover most nights, and on the night that would have been very clear (for summertime air anyway) a mysterious fog rolled in. We woke in the morning to learn that Canada was on fire and sending her smoke south. This caused air quality issues for the rest of the trip. Consequently, my night time photography looks grungy. We’ll see… (I was in Canada last summer to shoot Banff, Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake and on that trip the US was on fire and sending her smoke north. I just can’t win.)

We had a bit more luck with wildlife during the day. I saw pelicans, osprey, eagles, hawks, and more than a few deer. (My friend Jason also caught a bunch of fish - does that count?) I caught a few great images of the pelicans and a Bald Eagle.

We also (quite by accident) saw a lumberjack skills demonstration on a day trip to Bemidji. It was pretty entertaining.

The bugs of northern Minnesota are nearly unbearable. Mosquitoes are relentless and abundant. So are the ticks. Add to the mix deer and horse flies and you have a situation that can only be made better with copious amounts of bug spray and beer. I applied both.

2600 Miles Later

Maine was equal parts beautiful and frustrating. I met a few kind people, some of them in the pitch black darkness of Acadia’s forests. They were on the same pilgrimage for dark skies I was on. I also had some great seafood and ice cream. I even drank a Moxie, which tastes like root beer and tonic mixed together. It grew on me. The weather, however, did not cooperate. We had overcast skies, rain, and fog for a good portion of the trip. This made for pretty poor conditions for photography. Additionally, my whale and puffin tour was canceled due to rough seas and dense fog. So, Puffins are still on the bucket list. I was able to make a few new images of the night sky at Jordan Pond, so it wasn’t totally fruitless.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Climbing onto these rocks with a pack full of gear was interesting.

Bar Harbor, Maine. Rain and fog. This was the harbor the day my puffin tour was canceled.

Bar Harbor, Maine. A rainy but beautiful evening. Shot on Pixel 3 XL.

The beautiful Margaret Todd Schooner at sunset. Shot on Pixel 3 XL.

Back From DC

Home for a few days to do some laundry and enjoy some down time. I’m still not sure it was worth it to drag 15lbs of gear around Washington DC and WIlliamsburg, especially as I watched my colleague walk around with her highly capable (and pocketable) Sony RX100. In a few days it will be time to do laundry, clean gear, and get ready to pack again before we get on the road to Acadia.

The Washington National Cathedral’s Rose Window Creation.

The dome of the Capitol Building.

Taxis at Lincoln

Lincoln Memorial

Summer Photography

Let’s be honest, if you are reading this, you already know me and likely know what I’m up to. So, do I need a blog? No. Will I be using this blog? Probably not. Having said that, here’s where I’m attempting to make new images. The summer of 2019 is going to be a busy one.

  • Early June - Washington DC & Williamsburg, VA - I am in DC in early June every year for work. This will be this fist time since I was still shooting film that I will be making new images here. (The picture below is a scan from 35mm film)

  • Late June - Acadia National Park in Maine - Landscapes, seascapes, whales, puffins, lighthouses, and the night sky are all on the list here along with eating some lobster. This will be my first visit to Acadia.

  • Early July - Squaw Lake, MN - heading north to find truly dark night skies for some star stacking opportunities and hopefully some birds and wildlife in the day.

  • Late July - Montrose, CO - Spending a week in the mountains photographing hummingbirds and any other beautiful creatures we happen upon with wildlife photographer Mark Smith.

By August I will be catching up on sleep and deleting the thousands of misses I acquired and, hopefully, posting a few keepers.

DC 20 years ago - Shot on Nikon N80 AGFA 100 35mm film

DC 20 years ago - Shot on Nikon N80 AGFA 100 35mm film