2020 - What a year! For many, 2020 will always be remembered as the year that we were greeted head-on by COVID-19, which disrupted life as we know it in so many ways, both positive and negative. For me, 2020 was to be a break-out year for my landscape photography career. For 2020, I lined up teaching engagements at several photography conferences in order to propel my landscape photography life into a full-time business venture in the future. That journey started out wonderfully in February, where I attended the Out of Yosemite Conference as an instructor. I hosted a live podcast recording there with some of my favorite landscape photographers and was lucky to partake in a magical event with some incredibly talented instructors and students. It was such an amazing start to the year.
Then, in March, the entire country shut down. By the end of Spring, many future conferences were put on hold, significantly reduced, or cancelled altogether. Like many landscape photographers, I was forced to pivot and focus on other aspects of my life and business in order to survive. I felt lucky to have a full-time job where I was able to still contribute and make a reliable income; however, I was still determined to make the most of my time in 2020 with my eyes focused on the future. I dedicated time to learning Adobe Premiere and began recording videos of my photography adventures. I also took up drone photography, which I have long been firmly against; however, I found the compositional and creative opportunities too great to pass up.
I re-focused my efforts in mountain landscape photography and was lucky to be joined by my son on a few of those trips, which I will never forget. I found enjoyment in smaller scenes in nature, and focused on being surprised by what I found instead of forcing myself into making photos that are pre-planned. The result of these efforts are the following twelve images, which I feel take my artwork in new directions. I hope that you enjoy.