There is a saying about the swampy, flood-prone lands where two of the nation’s mightiest rivers, the Ohio and the Mississippi, meet: “Good country for men and dogs, but powerful… Read More
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Former Pevely Dairy Building If you’ve spent any amount of time in the city of St. Louis, it is likely that its built environment has made an impression. As one of America’s pree… Read More
Downtown, from Mound City Chronicle
This essay will attempt to weave together three, seemingly disparate subjects, the history and significance of photography in St. Louis, my practice as… Read More
from my series Manifested
Much like photography itself, the idea of “travel” includes a spectrum of definitions that mean something different to different people. At the root… Read More
Increasingly, we live in an age espousing the end of photography. Whether it be from the smartphone’s market takeover, the rise of artificial intelligence or social media’s deval… Read More
I’ve now been a Fuji shooter since 2018 and during that 5 year period the cameras that I entered the system with, the X-E3 and X-T20, have served me well in almost every scenario I&rsq… Read More
1. Cahokia, Illinois, from Midwestern
What a strange year 2023 has been. I started the year strong with some additional work on my Manifested series, but this soon tapered and I was unab… Read More
Quick edit integrating an AI-generated image of an “obelisk of mysterious origin” into a photo that I shot in the Ozarks.
With the recent deluge of AI image generators upon th… Read More
My opinion: probably.
When I decided to switch camera brands from Nikon to Fujifilm, the decision was predicated on a variety of factors, with cost being high among them. It was clear to… Read More
When I originally bought into the Fuji system back in 2018, I elected to go with the X-E3 and X-T20, which have been excellent cameras and have supported the wide variety of work that I do… Read More
In late Fall of 2022, my first monographic photobook was published through Vedere Press in Indianapolis. Mound City Chronicle, a current exhibition series and the subject of my book, has bee… Read More
All works in series are untitled.One of photography’s inherit and unique properties is its ability to harness the duality of believability and obfuscation. This alone makes it unique a… Read More
1. Historic River Des Peres Sewer Tunnel, from Mound City Chronicle (for Terrain Magazine)
Despite taking a lot of photographs in 2022, very little photography was dedicated to my several… Read More
photo by Harper Gray (my oldest son)
It has been a while since I have shared a true, “what’s in my camera bag?”-style peek into the gear that I use on a regular basis. I am… Read More
STL250 Celebration, from the roof of Saint Louis Art Museum, 2014.Since moving back to St. Louis (my birthplace) in 2009, my creative focus has been the city itself. I photographed to reorie… Read More
The museum where I work may be updating the camera equipment in its photo studio, so Fujifilm USA sent me a GFX 100s and three lenses (GF 24mm f/4, GF 45-100mm f/4, and GF 120mm f/4 Macro) t… Read More
Three years ago, I started sharing a version of the lens and camera stats that I collect every year to observe how I am using or not using my equipment. These public posts are based on the… Read More
1. St. Louis Riverfront, from Mound City ChronicleYou wouldn’t know it from this blog (considering that this is my first post of the year), but 2021 was an opportunity for me to stretc… Read More
Two years ago, I started sharing a version of the lens and camera stats that I collect every year to observe how I am using or not using my equipment. These public posts are based on the im… Read More
1. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
It feels insane to type it, but 2020 was in some ways a more stable year (personally) than those of recent memory, despite the overshadowing o… Read More
Vallerret Ipsoot Photography Gloves
I was recently sent a pair of Ipsoot Photography Gloves by Vallerret, and asked to share my thoughts. This is the Norway-based company that is the winter… Read More
Photography is not all about MTF charts- in fact, it’s not even all about gear. The point of photography is expression, and that is conducted in all manner of ways: with film or digit… Read More
Several years ago, I decided to convert from zoom lenses to prime lenses. This was a pivot designed to benefit my creativity (prime lenses encourage you to move around, which lends to new p… Read More
The Fujinon XF 50mm f/2 R WR Lens is a workhorse lens for me. For portrait work especially, this lens comes out for every single session, and it is most often the lens on my second body for… Read More
The Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR Lens is the most recent Fuji lens that I have purchased, but it has already become my third most used Fuji lens ever (according to my shot count in Lightroom)… Read More
This post is about the significance (forwards and backwards) of Belly’s “Feed the Tree”, which was my introduction to Tanya Donelly (crush).
I was aware of The Bree… Read More
Sometimes, photography is just meant to be fun. Not worrying about being consistent to a body of work, or not worrying about botching a client’s expectations is often the source of th… Read More
One of the core themes in my art, both photographic and in drawing/painting, is figurative work, and I often return to it when I’ve hit a creative standstill in some way. Figure work… Read More
Format change here on Friday Night Music Video. Instead of the random bit of insufferable chaos that you may be used to, I am going to try to shed some light on some of my favorite pieces o… Read More
I am in the camp of those who acquire lenses only to accommodate a variety of purposes. This is partially why I switched predominantly to primes years ago- I recognized that even with a zoo… Read More
Something wicked this way comes….
Some of you may have noticed the site sponsor banner pop up in the menu sidebar for Hours of Idleness (same as below), and this is because online r… Read More
Two years ago, I started sharing a version of the lens and camera stats that I collect every year to observe how I am using or not using my equipment. These public posts are based on the im… Read More
1. Assateague Island National Seashore
2019 was a true ‘Tale of Two Cities’ kind of year. I’ve experienced some of the darkest moments I can ever remember this year, as we… Read More
Lenses, like cameras, are purchased for a variety of reasons, and in the past, I’ve placed lenses into one of three categories: Specialist lenses, Utility lenses, and Passion lenses (… Read More
Boo! And whatever. FNMV Halloween edition Read More
In our modern world, there are precious few places that entertain and enrich the psyche in a way that satisfies wholly, despite whatever wild expectations or seeming familiarity one may hav… Read More
I wanna not be abhorred Read More
Lenses, like cameras, are purchased for a variety of reasons:
1. There are lenses out there that are impeccable, that deliver maximum image quality (loads of sharpness, great contrast, mini… Read More
Lenses, like cameras, are purchased for a variety of reasons:
1. There are lenses out there that are impeccable, that deliver maximum image quality (loads of sharpness, great contrast, mini… Read More
Hello, October. We see you. 2019 has been mostly a wasteland, but you are our salvation, our shining hope, our backwards nod.
Two of my favorite songs revisited: Read More
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I’ve been shooting on Fujifilm now since December, so I figured that’s long enough to begin offering practical reviews of my experiences with that equipment. This artic… Read More
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There are many positive things about my switch from DSLRs to mirrorless, though perhaps chief among them is scale. I can now fit an entire kit into an incredibly small space, which… Read More
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Virginia is a state where the Nation’s history unfolds, but it is also a place of great natural beauty and strong, local community. It is home to saltwater sunrises, cool moun… Read More
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Virginia may be for lovers, but it is also easy to love. The State possesses an incredible diversity of landscape (from the Atlantic Coast, to tidal marshes, historic towns, rolling… Read More
Happy Friday Night Music Video on Thursday. Gotta post ’em when you got ’em. This one’s going to go places, or maybe no place, so buckle in.
I spent years looking… Read More
I restarted the Friday Night Music Video post a couple of months, but just days after my second post, my home was burglarized, and my primary computer, 8 cameras, and my wife’s engage… Read More
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In just a few days, the family and I leave for an eight-day roadtrip to the East Coast. We’ll be visiting friends in Richmond, Virginia (who just had a baby; congrats Katie an… Read More
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It’s receding now, and that’s good news for all the folks affected by the historic Flood of 2019. This year’s event was just feet shy of the record Flood of 1993… Read More
George Shiras and John Hammerin a canoe equipped for jacklighting, Whitefish Lake, Michigan, 1893; © National Geographic Creative Archives
Around the beginning of the 20th Century… Read More
A day late, a buck short.
I had the chance to photograph a performance by the next artist: Read More
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I’ve been shooting on Fujifilm now since December, so I figured that’s long enough to beginning offering practical reviews of my experiences with that equipment. Up fir… Read More
Ages ago on this blog, I used to do a Friday Night Music Video. In celebration of nostalgia, I’m bringing it back indefinitely. Enjoy…
He’s like a young John Cusack in… Read More
Sir Henry Fox Talbot; early 1840’s
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Photography has had a preoccupation with nature almost from the very beginning. In fact, it was probably a preoccupation with nature that le… Read More
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The Mississippi River provides so much recreational diversity throughout its over 2,300 miles, across ten U.S. States. In Missouri, the river bottom is a place that makes all of th… Read More
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I am well aware that much of the country does not think of Missouri first when they think of “outdoor adventure”, and that’s just fine. As a state positioned dead… Read More
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Cool, rainy days are for Netflix, cocoa and the couch, right? Well, sort of. I believe that they also offer some of the most fun hiking around, and some of the best conditions for… Read More
Fuji X-E3 w/Rokinon 12mm f/2
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A couple of months ago, after picking up my new Fuji kit, I decided to test out the system with a leisurely stroll through St. Louis’ largest, an… Read More
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St. Francois State Park is a pleasant park with a surprising variety of landscapes to explore. On our visit, we hiked the shortish Mooner’s Hollow Trail (2.75 miles), but sti… Read More
In May of 2018, the new additions to Cliff Cave County Park, in Oakville, officially opened to the public, including 2 miles of trail extension, connectors and bridges to improve access, an… Read More
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There are some places in nature that you just luckily stumble across. Places that are in the vicinity of your regular spots, that you finally take notice of, and are amazed that yo… Read More
Friends, here are some things (I call them ‘musts’) to do in Denver when you are not dead. I happened to fit them all into a single day, but you could definitely spread them out… Read More
We are fortunate to live in a State with a large number of wonderfully maintained and well apportioned State Parks (did you know that Missouri has more State Parks than Colorado?). With sit… Read More
Ozark National Scenic Riverways Read More
Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) is Missouri’s largest National Park Services property, of which there are twelve, and the first national park in the United States to protect a… Read More
Camp GRITS
Alton, Illinois
Hawaii to Vancouver Read More
Big Muddy Adventures
Toxic Tour
A Cherokee Street Adventure Story
Hanging with the UP in South City Read More
Forest Park 1, 2, 3, 4
Carondelet Park 1, 2
Tower Grove Park
Sister Marie Charles Park Read More
Emmenegger Nature Park (technically, Kirkwood owned)
Lone Elk Park Read More
Possum Woods Read More
Lake of the Ozarks
Onondaga Cave
Castlewood
Elephant Rocks
Hawn Read More
State Parks
Conservation Areas
St. Louis County Parks
St. Louis City Parks Read More
Emmenegger Nature Park, named after Russell Emmenegger, the last private owner of the property that would become the Park, is a 93-acre forested area owned by the City of Kirkwood. It is ad… Read More
Enjoy this tale of how my friend, Chris Naffziger, tried to feed me to C.H.U.D. When you are done, head over to Cherokee Street and enjoy a cold one at Earthbound Beer.
It was cool, but not… Read More
If you can believe it, this blog has been around for ten whole years this month! That’s some craziness on a lot of levels, particularly that I’ve been able to (relatively) maint… Read More
I promise, this blog will get back to focusing on other aspects of photography soon, but my recent camera brand switch has brought so many realizations that I think warrant sharing before I… Read More
New Year, new gear! In fact, it has been many years since I’ve dramatically changed the photography equipment that I use (last one was perhaps my switch from 2.8 zooms to primes in 20… Read More
One of the things that I was not prepared for when I switched to Fuji from Nikon was that my trusty image editor, Adobe Lightroom, sucks at demosaicing Fuji RAF (RAW) files. I did plenty of… Read More
Last year, I started sharing a version of the lens and camera stats that I collect every year to observe how I am using or not using my equipment. These are based on the images from my Best… Read More
16. Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Current River
Part 1 of this year’s Best Of, may have ended a bit sour, and granted, those feelings aren’t gone, but I’d rather at lea… Read More
1. Gravois Park
2018 has been an interesting year- one that, as I write this, I can’t yet define as awesome or a real drag. You could say that, in 2018, I closed a lot of chapters in… Read More
For all of my journey as a photographer, I’ve been a Nikon shooter, and let me just say that that’s no light commitment. The cameras by this manufacturer that I have owned over… Read More
The more you walk down the worn path of art, the more you realize that what’s required of you often goes beyond whatever discipline you’ve elected to pursue. The most successful… Read More
In 2018, digital photography has been the standard for over 15 years, which means that options are vast (we now have both traditional SLR-style cameras and mirrorless options available in m… Read More
Photography, at its root, is two things: 1. the recording of light phenomena (sometimes invisible to the human eye); 2. a means of communication (sometimes for a conversation that we have o… Read More
I am excited to announce that my wife and I will be opening a brick-and-mortar shop (explorer boutique, wanderer goods) called KAMP in St. Louis, Missouri this March. Our motto is “Eq… Read More
a lot of the Island is floodplain, as the levee is on the opposite side as the Mississippi
entrance to Chouteau Island
Chouteau Island is a man-made, three island complex (consisting of… Read More
Understanding what cameras and lenses you use most often provides all sorts of data, and is something that I always think is pretty interesting and can be very helpful. For instance, in the… Read More
Several years ago, I converted over to using f-stop Gear‘s line of products as a solution to the problem of transporting my camera equipment and accessories. These packs are exp… Read More
Quick family hike through one of the Missouri’s best State Parks (and so close to STL!). I’ve written about the Park in the past, including about its remarkable history, s… Read More
20. Tiffany
For the first time, I have divided the annual summary of a year in my photo life into two parts. Check out the first part here.
installation view of “Emily Oliver:… Read More
There is certainly something to be said for having the lucky opportunity to work with the same model on more than one occasion, especially if the model and the photographer operate on the s… Read More
1. former JC Penny Building in Wells Goodfellow for Photo Flood Saint Louis (PFSTL)
As mentioned in my “Best of” post for last year, 2016 pretty much wrecked my life, so it shou… Read More
It was a chilly, Fall day today. My buddy Isaac Richardson (@skiye30 on Insta) and I decided to take advantage, and go for a short stomp through several South City neighborhoods that hug th… Read More
Last Friday, I dropped into the Pulitzer Arts Foundation to check out the opening of their latest exhibition on Japanese drawing and animation. It’s excellent as usual!
Eq… Read More
Alton, Illinois is one of the weirdest cities in the United States (for those friends of mine who live there, that is the highest form of compliment). Alton is a river town, and its f… Read More
One of my favorite parks in St. Louis is one of its least known (perhaps, more than a little responsible for its allure). Sister Marie Charles Park is a sliver of greenspace at the base of… Read More
Lenses, like cameras, are purchased for a variety of reasons:
1. There are lenses out there that are impeccable, that deliver maximum image quality (loads of sharpness, great contrast, mini… Read More
Don’t go into the light, Carol Anne.
LouFest is an annual music festival held in St. Louis’ Forest Park that combines national headlining music acts with local upstarts on three… Read More
Lake of the Ozarks State Park (LOSP) is Missouri’s largest state park. With nearly 18,000 acres to explore, the Park is over twice the size of the State’s second biggest park, w… Read More
Created as a concession to demands for a southern and northern park following the planned establishment of Forest Park, Carondelet Park is the third largest green space in St. Louis, and th… Read More