Blog
Tales of Power
This is an ongoing project I started working towards the end of 2024. The idea first came to me as I was finishing up a session in my favorite junk pile for Cast Away Decay. I was feeling a little burned out on the subject - or at least with this particular junk pile - and noticed a utility pole above me. I started to play with compositions and geometric shapes I could make in the criss-crossing power lines and metal supports. I was immediately excited with the possibilities and almost limitless supply of subject matter.
It’s been fun seeking out new and unique poles around town and hope to collect more treasures as I travel. Work in progress but for now, I’m really enjoying the graphical/abstract shapes I’m seeing in these structures.
The Best of 2024: My 12 Favorite Images from the Year
I wish I would have thought of this sooner, an end of year reflection on my images. Who knew! It’s probably better this way - firing from the hip rather than a prolonged mental gymnastics routine of trying to choose my favorites.
I wish I would have thought of this sooner, an end of year reflection on my images. Who knew! It’s probably better this way - firing from the hip rather than a prolonged mental gymnastics routine of trying to choose my favorites.
Anyway, here’s what I feel are my best images from the year. As you can see it’s a pretty mixed bag of genre’s but that’s where I was/am creatively (btw, didn’t Bag of Genre’s open for Jane’s Addiction in the 90’s?). Photography has become equal parts meditation, therapy, creative outlet, adventure vehicle, and just plain fun. I don’t expect much will change in 2025, but I’m excited to see where inspiration takes me next!
Thanks as always to anyone who actually stops by here. Happy New Year!
(Click thumbnails to see full image)
Aspiration Rocks
I’d been feeling the urge to do more printing of my photography, which wasn’t really a new feeling but with digital it gets all too easy pass over this critical step in the process. This was also one of many areas of my life where perfect was the enemy of the good. If I’m going to print something, I want it to be big, and then I need a place to hang it, and how many videos to watch on prepping to print, and how much is it going to cost, and on and on.
I’d been feeling the urge to do more printing of my photography, which wasn’t really a new feeling but with digital it gets all too easy pass over this critical step in the process. This was also one of many areas of my life where perfect was the enemy of the good. If I’m going to print something, I want it to be big, and then I need a place to hang it, and how many videos to watch on prepping to print, and how much is it going to cost, and on and on.
So, I came up with a project that would remove all of the analysis paralysis from the equation and put some positive vibes into the world at the same time. Local to me, is a short hiking trail called Aspiration trail. Basically it’s a meandering path on the side of a hill where people have left painted rocks with different aspirational phrases on them…at least most of them are aspirational.
When I first learned of this spot - through instagram, of course - I was actually pretty pissed off because it seemed like people were littering this hillside with their dumb rocks. As I was mentally prepping my strongly worded IG reply, lecturing about leave no trace ethics, I saw that someone else had already beat me to it. Well, it turns out the area is private property and the owner allows and maybe even encourages the activity. Whoops.
Anyway, my project was to simply spend an evening wandering among the rocks and photographing 30 or so of my favorites. I’d do some quick edits, send them all out to be printed at 4x5 and then, the fun part. I’d anonymously leave them on a random car or in a mailbox in hopes of paying forward some positivity and bringing a smile to some stranger’s face.
I’d say it’s largely been a success, although I’ve still yet to give away all 30 images. It’s actually not that easy to leave things on parked cars and go unnoticed.
I hope these bring a bit of visual joy and positivity to brighten your day!
Mammoth Trailfest
Pardon the timeline disruption, I’m working backwards for a bit to post some highlights from the year. Let’s go all the way back to September, 2024 and my participation in the Mammoth Trailfest 50k run in Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Pardon the timeline disruption, I’m working backwards for a bit to post some highlights from the year. Let’s go all the way back to September, 2024 and my participation in the Mammoth Trailfest 50k run in Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Here’s my Instagram post following the race:
Yesterday I completed the Mammoth Trailfest 50k. It’s a race that’s only 3 years old and this year, all the pieces finally fell into place to get me here. Incredibly special day getting to run this giant loop around the lakes basin, MMSA, and including a grueling climb up Dragon’s back to the summit. Growing up coming here to ski and camp with family, climbing and adventuring with college friends, and then sharing with my own kids, so many great times. Loved every second of the 11 hours it took to complete the course and never take for granted that I’m able to run, even if I’m slow af.
I was there to run but more importantly, I was there to enjoy and celebrate every minute of being in this place, and that meant getting outside with my camera as much as possible. I got up for a sunrise, went out for twilights and got an entrance reservation for Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite NP) for Sunday after the race.
Not one to chase iconic scenes or compositions, I’ve been longing for an image of the Minarets for quite a while. And, to cover my bases, I wanted both sunrise and sunset because, why not! With limited time, I’d have to settle for the obvious vantage points offered from Minaret Vista. You always hope for something special in terms of atmospheric conditions, but I was more than happy to “get what you get and don’t throw a fit.” Again, just enjoying the moment and the act of photography.
I arrived about an hour before sunrise - painful but always worth it - and enjoyed the show of puffy clouds dancing around the spires that make up the Minarets. I loved my time out that morning and really do like this image, but wish I had composed a bit wider. Next time!
I don’t really have words, for what I found on my return for sunset. Good thing I have a picture, and hopefully it does some justice for the scene. Again, I arrived about an hour before and drove up to find the situation below unfolding. What a gift to be there at that moment and to make an image that I can’t wait to print and hang in our home.
Post-race, I made the lovely drive up to Tuolumne Meadows to visit my old friends in the many granite domes and to soak my feet in an icy cold Tenaya Lake. It was a truly magical weekend, with everything falling perfectly into place. I can’t wait to run it again in 2025. The experience will undoubtedly be different—perhaps better, perhaps not—either way, it’ll happen exactly as it’s meant to.
Two Nights on the White Rim Trail
View from Dead Horse Point State Park. Beginning of our trip to complete the White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park.
There’s plenty of trip reports documenting the White Rim trail in Canyonlands National Park so this post is mostly about sharing some pretty pictures from our trip. Many thanks to Peter West Carey for handling the planning, logistics, and all of the driving for this adventure. Make sure to check out his pictures as well as fellow photographer Caleb Weston’s. It’s been interesting and a lot of fun to see how each of us captured the trip.
One note on logistics, especially if you’re going into the canyon with photography in mind. There’s so much to see and take in that two nights on the trail really is the bare minimum I’d want for covering this much ground. The trail is physically abusive on your body even though it’s rated as an “easy” non-technical trail. Hop into your washing machine for 6-7 hours and see how that feels. More time for walking excursions would definitely allow for a more enjoyable experience.
Sunrise from Dead Horse Point State Park
Day 1: Deadhorse Point State Park
Our first night was spent at Deadhorse Point State Park, my first time here even with living in Utah for more than 7 years now! Beautiful spot and I can only imagine what the demand is for these sites. Once again, thank you Peter for securing our permits and reservations.
Up early to catch the sunrise from the overlook. It’s an iconic photo location. My pictures aren’t anything that hasn’t been done to death, but they’re mine, I’m pleased with them, and I was happy to be there at sunrise to make them.
Next stop, we enter the canyon via the meandering Shafer trail and make our way to Airport Campground A. Shorter driving day which allowed for more photo opportunities.
Airport camp sunset
Day 2: Airport to Hardscrabble
Up early again for sunrise photos before packing up and heading out for a big day of driving. Doing some quick trail math, we knew it would take most of the day to arrive at Hardscrabble, our next a final campsite of the trip. With that in mind, our stops for photos and site seeing would be limited, save for one side excursion to White Crack campground.
All was going to plan, and then just past Hogsback we managed to explode our front passenger tire. Good teamwork got us back on the trail in good time and now the remaining 25 miles were extra “sporty” knowing we were out of back ups. Oh yeah, there was also the matter of getting up and over Hardscrabble before we could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
If you’re not familiar, do a search and then keep in mind the camera isn’t showing the reality of how steep and narrow this stretch really is. Close to 9 hours of driving, we rolled into Hardscrabble campground with a little time to spare for some therapeutic twilight photography.
Early morning glow on Washer Woman arch
Abstract beauty in a desert wash
More beauty in the details, sandstone and vibrant lichens
Grand views from the White Rim trail
Day 3: Homeward
We took in the the last of the dramatic views, making the climb up Mineral Bottom road before making our return to pavement. Definitely a successful trip, and added to the list of places I’d like to return to with a bit more time and…beefier tires.
Welcome!
I’ve been enamored with the idea of having a blog for quite some time but never felt I could commit the time to do it with any consistency. Also, I’m not much of a writer - hence, why I take pictures. That being said, I do feel like the process of making photographs isn’t quite complete until they’ve been shared with the world. I’m not delusional, I realize the world is not here to see them or otherwise has any awareness of me, so it’s the release into the ether that makes me feel a photograph is complete. Of course, I share on social media as well, but that property belongs to someone else. This space is all mine and will be here for as long as I want it to be.
What about all the advice out there that warns against starting a blog unless you're committed to writing consistently? Well, I’m removing any all expectations from myself to produce anything here. The main purpose for this space is to share my photography if/when I feel the need to share it. I’m stealing the idea from friend and fellow photographer Peter West Carey, who at one point was posting a photo-of-the-day, and now simply does more of a photo-of-the-moment, which is what I’m aiming for here.
Aren’t you an architectural and interior design photographer? Isn’t that your business? I am! It is! Sort of. The reality is, there’s not much interest or demand for it here in Southern Utah…or at least, there’s no interest in paying for the effort these images call for. I’m still open to opportunities and eager to collaborate with anyone looking to showcase their next project through premium-quality images.
Lastly, I don’t want to be limited to any one niche or genre of image making. I want to explore and experiment and be challenged. This past year, I’ve been equally inspired by mountain vistas, desert landscapes, and wastelands of discarded industrial machinery. It’s a practice, and for now, I just follow where my heart and gut point me. Thanks for reading, thanks for being here and thanks for spending any time checking out my photography!
Cheers,
Josh