When an alpine lake decides to redecorate for winter and goes full abstract. Just freeze, crack, refreeze… and a little alpine drama. Dream Lake, Colorado

Here are four scenes from Yellowstone: calm forests, steaming ground, and resilient lodgepole pines thriving in winter with fire's help.

New photographs from my recent Yellowstone workshop are now available! I had a blast co-leading this workshop with Kathy Lichtendahl for Muench Workshops - we explored so many amazing locations and really got lucky with frosty and foggy conditions. It was a real treat to say the least!

A black and white infrared photograph of Lake Manly in Death Valley before dawn, showcasing alpenglow and its reflection.

I had the pleasure of talking to @mattpaynephoto.bsky.social on his show. We had an interesting conversation about photography how it can go beyond the artistic and become a lifestyle. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=e44w...

Pretty hard to beat winter arctic light... the soft glow makes minimalistic compositions so enjoyable to pursue. #landscapephotography

Having a blast leading this workshop in Norway this week... great light so far!

A few aspen scenes made during blue hour. Late light softens contrast, drains color, and lets the white bark stand out naturally. One of my favorite times to photograph aspens, right after the obvious moment passes.

Four black and white moments from Death Valley. Without color, form and texture take over. Light defines shape, shadows add weight, and the landscape feels stripped down to essentials. A place that doesn’t need embellishment.

Four different scenes, all shot vertical. Vertical frames make it easier to align elements and emphasize layers. Less wandering side to side, more intentional structure top to bottom. Funny how often a scene clicks once you rotate the frame.

Four very different moments from the Cirque of the Unclimbables. Named by early climbers who thought the peaks were impossible, the Cirque still feels like a place that resists being rushed or simplified. Calm and chaos live very close together here.

Four frames from the exact same spot during one sunset. I didn’t move. Light and clouds did all the work. A good reminder that sometimes staying put is the most productive thing you can do with a camera.

A few moments from Scotland where autumn leaves and water kept crossing paths. Leaves floating, collecting, reflecting. Water slowing the season down just enough to make the color feel intentional. Quiet scenes that were easy to linger with.

A few aspen scenes from Colorado, shot with a telephoto lens and good light. Compression turns a busy forest into pattern, and light does most of the editing. Aspen groves really shine when you let rhythm and contrast take over.

Four scenes, one approach: black and white infrared. Removing color strips away just enough information to pull you in. Shape, light, and texture take over, and the eye has to work a little harder.

A quiet moment with a lynx at Whitehorse Yukon Wildlife Preserve, framed by autumn color. Those blue eyes caught the light just long enough to stop me cold. Alert, curious, completely present. A reminder that some of the most powerful wildlife moments come not from action, but from attention.

Four photos tied together by repetition. Repeating shapes create rhythm and help the eye relax before noticing the differences. One of my favorite ways to bring order to busy scenes without forcing the composition.

Four scenes tied together by edge light. That brief moment when the sun just grazes a surface, isolating lines, texture, and form. It doesn’t last long, but it has a way of simplifying a scene and making details stand out.

Four different scenes, one shared idea: zig zags. Zig zag lines keep the eye moving and slow down how a photo is read. Less direct than straight leading lines, but often more interesting. Funny how often nature offers them once you start looking.

A few abstract frames where water is the main subject. I keep coming back to it because it never behaves the same way twice. Light, motion, and timing do most of the work. It’s one of my favorite ways to slow down and really look.

Four dune images, all shot within about 50 yards of each other just before sunset. Same sand, same light, different perspectives. Black and white infrared helped turn small shifts in angle into entirely different compositions. A good case for slowing down and staying put.

Four scenes with one thing in common: a square frame. Square compositions change the rules. Less movement, more balance, and nowhere to hide distractions. I like how they force simpler, more intentional decisions.

A few examples of using a longer lens to simplify a scene. Compression and bokeh help separate subject from background, turning clutter into texture. It’s often less about blur and more about giving the eye somewhere clear to land.

Two versions of the same pre-sunrise moment on Mount Whitney. One in color, one in infrared. Same alpenglow, different emphasis. I like how changing the translation changes the conversation without changing the place.

Four scenes from southeastern Utah where geology speaks! Layered sandstone, eroded fins, and textures shaped by nature. This region rewards those who slow down and appreciate its beauty. #Utah #Geology #Photography

Along the coast of Spain, where layered rock forms what appear to be flysch formations. Alternating sediments, tilted and exposed over time, turning geology into pattern. Photographing places like this makes it easier to see landscapes as processes, not just scenery.

Moments from Redwood National Park. Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, but their roots stay shallow and spread wide, interlocking with nearby trees for support. Fog provides much of their summer water. A forest built on cooperation.

Hell yeah. Wonderful imagery here from my man @iangaston.bsky.social - did you know I did a podcast episode with him? =)

A few encounters with polar bears. Their fur is transparent, their skin is black, and their sense of smell is powerful enough to find seals beneath thick ice. Mostly solitary, incredibly adapted, and endlessly fascinating once you look past the surface.

Scenes from Chilean Patagonia's lenga forests: twisted trunks, tangled branches, and vibrant colors that defy symmetry. These moments made me slow down and appreciate the beauty of chaos. #Patagonia #NaturePhotography

These four images capture abstraction: just enough detail to hint at reality. Fascinating research shows abstract art triggers dopamine, inviting interpretation. How abstract is too abstract for you? #AbstractArt #Photography

A few moments from the Smoky Mountains. Fog moving through the trees, light coming and going, scenes changing just enough to make stopping worthwhile. I wasn’t chasing anything specific, just paying attention and letting the forest do its thing.

A small collection from the Cirque of the Unclimbables in early summer. The scale is obvious, but it was the stillness that stayed with me. Long light, slow weather, granite walls holding everything in place. A landscape that rewards patience more than urgency.

Autumn walks in Scotland. I was less interested in peak color and more drawn to the transitions. Lichen on branches, thinning leaves, fog moving through the trees. The forest felt like it was preparing for winter, not rushing toward it.

Here are some vertical Colorado fall color images I captured this year. It was a fun year for tighter, more intimate scenes like these. I experimented a lot with my 110mm macro and used it for non-macro work. I hope you enjoy them!

Old Man of Storr, a very familiar viewpoint. I shot this as a long infrared exposure to slow the scene down and strip away the expected tones. The result felt less dramatic and more ancient, like the landscape wasn’t performing at all. Same place, different way of seeing.

Very famous viewpoint, very familiar composition. I went with a long infrared exposure instead, about five minutes. The water smoothed out, the clouds blurred into structure, and the village stayed put. Same place, different sense of time.

A glacier in the Chilean fjords, seen from above. The blue ice shows years of flow and compression, while the dark bands are rock and sediment being carried downhill, actively reshaping the land. Changing perspective doesn’t just change what you see, it changes how you understand it.

I added another image to my New Year's Day Project this morning. These images show the sunrise over Lake Superior from 2018 to 2026. Grand Marais, Minnesota.

These leaning aspens stopped me mid-hike. I wasn’t looking for a photo, I just noticed how none of them stood on their own. Every trunk leaned into another, crossing and depending in a way that felt quietly familiar. That was enough to make me stop.

As we close out 2025, I'll leave you all with a few images I captured while I was in Scotland leading workshops for Muench Workshops. It has been a pleasure traveling the world and capturing these ephemeral moments. Nature is so inspiring. Until next year! Signing off, Matt

From the bow of a sailboat in southern Chile, I felt the biting cold and heard ice cracking in the fjord. The chaotic, fractured glacier, so close yet indifferent, stuck with me more than the obvious moments. It felt alive, pressed against an unexpected forest. One of my fave 15 photos of the year.

Here's another set of images I captured this fall here in Colorado - my favorite season and place to make images - hands down!

Heading back here this week. <3 Desert time is always a good time!

Good morning from Colorado! =)

Freaky Badlands

One of my favorite finds from 2024 - recent snow transformed this desert landscape - when the snow melted, it made the soil wet, completely bringing out all the awesome textures.

Aspen Leaf on bog oil, which is created by iron-oxidizing bacteria in swampy water with organic materials. One of my favorite finds from this year's fall color adventure.

Awesome aspen trees from near my home in Colorado last month.

Just wrapped up an 11-day workshop here in Scotland, photographing some awesome foliage, woodland, and castles. Here's a small collection of images I managed to edit from my 14-day adventure photographing fall color in Colorado a couple of weeks ago.