Five Frames

A Thought I Can’t Shake

I’ve spent the past few days in Fruita, and I’ve been thinking about how silence changes shape depending on where you are.

Out here, it’s not emptiness; it’s presence.
A full silence that makes you pay attention.

It’s not quiet because nothing’s happening.
It’s quiet because everything is.
The wind shifts. Dust dances across the trail. A crow calls once, then disappears.

I took this photo during one of those pauses. The kind where you're not really waiting for anything, you're just there. Present.

And somehow, in all that space, you hear your own thoughts a little more clearly.

Desert Lessons

A few things the desert taught me this week:

– Stillness reveals more than movement.
– Harsh light isn’t always bad. It’s just different.
– Sometimes, the best photo is the one you don’t take.
– You don’t have to go far to feel awe, just be open.
– Letting go of the shot list can lead to better shots (and better days).

Maybe these lessons are about photography.
Maybe they’re about life.

They started as notes for myself,
but maybe one of them is for you, too.

Beyond the Obvious

Sometimes, the most interesting images don’t come from dramatic views but from a shift in how we see.

This is a close-up of a cactus I passed on a hike. At first, I was photographing the entire cactus and the background. But something about the repeating pattern, sharp texture, and geometry made me pause.

By zooming in tight, the cactus becomes something else, almost abstract. You can’t immediately tell what it is; you have to stop and look at it for a minute, and that’s part of the magic.

Try This:
Find something, anything that catches your eye: bark, a cracked sidewalk, a piece of fruit, a rusted railing. Get close. Closer than you think. Fill the frame with texture and pattern until it becomes something new.

Why it works:
It sparks curiosity. It shifts your perspective. It turns something simple into something intriguing.

A Podcast Worth a Listen

Master the Moment - Outdoor Photography Podcast - Episode with Tom Woods

I caught up on a few podcasts during the drive to and from Fruita, and one episode really stuck with me. The main topic was light, but what hit hardest was this reminder:  just get out with your camera - every day.

Lately, I’ve fallen into the habit of looking outside, deciding the conditions aren’t ideal, and talking myself out of going. This episode called that out. You can’t wait for the perfect light or the perfect mood. Most photographers don’t create great work because everything lines up; they create great work because they show up, over and over, regardless of what the conditions are like.

It was a good nudge. Listen here. 

Inspiration Corner

Perseverance Behind the Lens
Thomas Berger is a landscape photographer with a remarkable story: he’s blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other. Yet, he continues to create powerful images of nature, proving that limitations don’t bind creativity; it’s fueled by passion and perspective.

I stumbled upon this feature by Christian Hoiberg, where Thomas shares how he adapts his approach and what keeps him motivated to photograph the world around him.

Read the full story

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