Bill Biggart’s final photograph. He was killed when the second World Trade Center tower collapsed on top of him. He was 53 years old.
September 11th As It Happened
This compilation of news reports captures the essence of that morning better than almost any other video on YouTube.
9/11 Tribute – In the Arms of an Angel
9/11 – Let Us Pray
LET US PRAY
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked and ultimately crashed. Two crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and one crashed into the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in Pennsylvania.
LET US PRAY.
Remembering 9/11
Photo by James Nachtwey for TIME magazine.
I will never forget staring at the screen. I was stunned. It was just a few moments after I got the phone call to turn on the TV. Then the second plane hit.
On this date, twenty-five years ago, we experienced a great national tragedy in the United States. 2,977 lives that were lost in the terrorist attacks. So many families were torn asunder. The way we view ourselves and our world changed. Emergency responders continue to suffer terrible health problems as a result of working at the scene. The way we view ourselves and our world changed too. Over 2,000 first responders have died of health issues related to 9/11.
In remembrance of that day, and to honor the lives that were lost, I am posting some tributes.
Finding GPS Coordinates for Old Photos with Google Earth Pro
Yucca, Organ Mountains, New Mexico. Monday, Jan 8, 1990. Canon AE-1, Fujichrome 50 slide film.
This is one of my favorite images from New Mexico so I decided to see if I could find the GPS coordinates using Google Earth Pro (a free software download). I was staying in Las Cruces New Mexico and I decided to take pictures at sunrise on the east side of the Organ Mountains.
Two Photographers and Eleven Outdoor/Travel Writers Pick the Best National Parks for Fall
Long’s Peak and Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
Fall is a fabulous time of year to visit the national parks. Crowds are usually smaller than in the summer, temperatures are cooler, and some of our national parks have glorious fall colors. With so many to choose from, where should you go? Which national parks will provide the best photographic opportunities in the fall?
The Best National Parks for Fall Photography
Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
What are the best national parks to photograph in the fall? Here are my choices, grouped by state and province from west to east. This list includes the favorites I have been to, plus the ones I most want to see based on the recommendations of the photographers I trust, like Tim Fitzharris and QT Luong. More about them later.
National Wildlife Day!
Snowy Egret feeding, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Fremont California.
Today is National Wildlife Day. Many of the things we do to protect endangered species also protects the environment and therefore benefit us. You can make a difference by supporting high rated charities and organizations that work to protect wildlife and the environment.
Today is National Wilderness Day!
September 3 is National Wilderness Day.
A Guide to One of My Favorite Photo Spots in Rocky Mountain National Park
Bear Lake, Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds.
This is one of my favorite photo spots in Rocky Mountain National Park. Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds are in the background, Bear Lake in the mid-ground, and aspen leaves and boulders in the foreground. Here’s how to get to that spot.
Fall Color Photography Guide to Marshall Pass and O’Haver Lake, Colorado
Marshall Pass is a beautiful fall color drive in southern Colorado, and still pretty much a secret. It does not turn up on most lists of the most beautiful fall color drives in Colorado. It is a beautiful drive with a lot of fall color photo opportunities.
Colorado Fall Color Travel and Photography Guide – 2026
Headed for Colorado this fall (or any other time of year)? Welcome to my complete Colorado fall color photography and travel guide with 133 photos, 18 maps, and over 100 pages of information (if you print it all out). I cover many of the best fall color locations in Colorado, and most of these locations look great any other time of year. This guide gives you options for spending anywhere from a few days to two weeks exploring the beautiful Colorado Rockies at a gorgeous time of year.
Alaska, September 1
Autumn on the Taiga. Denali National Park, Alaska. September 1, 2000.
The colors were outrageous on the taiga. This is a great time of year to go to Denali National Park.
Alaska, August 30
Caribou on the Taiga, Denali National Park, Alaska. August 30, 2000.
A bus load of photographers was on a photo excursion in Denali National Park with George Lepp. He spotted this caribou, told the bus driver to drive down the road a few hundred yards and stop. Then we got out and waited, a lined up in a row. George told us to wait, be quiet, and move as little as possible. If we did what he said, he predicted the caribou would eventually walk right by us. It did. We all got great shots. Then he explained how he knew where the caribou was likely to walk. This image is part of my fall color series.
Alaska, August 29
Bearberry and the Alaska Range, Denali National Park, Alaska. Tuesday, Aug 29, 2000.
On the fall in Denali National Park, Bearberry turns fire red.
Alaska, August 28
Caribou, Alaska Range in the background, Denali National Park, Alaska. Aug 28, 2000.
Autumn comes early in Denali National Park. We were in a bus on the park road when I pointed my camera out the window and grabbed this picture.
How To See and Photograph the Blood Moon Eclipse, August 27-28, 2026
Lunar Eclipse from Lamoni Iowa
Don’t miss it. This nearly total eclipse happens this Thursday-Friday, August 27-28 (depending on where you live). This article will show you how to photograph it. To see it, just grab a lawn chair, a warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and go outside and enjoy the show. A pair of binoculars adds to the show. Continue reading
Happy 110th Birthday to the U.S. National Park Service!
The National Park Service was officially established August 25, 1916. We had national parks long before they were brought together under the umbrella of the newly created NPS. National parks are often referred to as “America’s Best Idea”. I agree. One of my life’s great joys is to visit and photograph our national parks. It began when my brother and I were very small boys and our parents took us camping at Rocky Mountain National Park and Mesa Verde National Park. One of my earliest childhood memories is staying in one of the many NPS white canvas tents erected on a wooden platforms at Mesa Verde.
Stranded for 6 1/2 Hours on an 8 Inch Mountain Ledge
My home on the ledge for 6.5 hours
Written by Andreas Stabno and posted at 14ers.com. August 15, 2022.
Andreas is a friend of mine and I was one of the people praying when his wife put out the word.
I was rescued off a ledge near McHenrys on 8/11/22 and am providing my story so you can learn from my mistakes and from what went well.
Satellite Communicators: The GPS Messaging Devices That Can Save Your Life
Garmin GPS Map 86
You need help. You can barely move. You are far enough from the trail that no one can hear your voice. You have no cell phone signal. What do you do?
Every now and then you hear tragic stories about people who lose their lives simply because they didn’t have a cell phone signal and couldn’t call for help in an unexpected emergency. A basic $400 satellite communicator could have saved their lives.
Get a Quality DSLR and Two Lenses for $650
Yes, you can get a quality, name brand DSLR with two lenses for $650 at Canon USA. I found this particular kit today (August 21, 2026) at the Canon USA web site. You get a quality camera body, an 18-55mm normal focal length zoom lens and a 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens. The link to this deal is here.
August 19 is World Photography Day!
Why today? On August 19, 1839, Louis Daguerre announced the invention of the daguerreotype, the first photographic process of a chemical nature that made an image that remains permanently fixed.
All of the images in these collages were created by me with the exception of half of the last collage.
OSU Photography Workshop
OSU Photo Workshop. August 12, 2012. Click the image to see a larger version.
Stand. Kneel. Sit, Lay Down. Climb a ladder. Do whatever it takes to get the photo. Our OSU photo workshops were based on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie. On this particular day we took a boat to South Bass Island for our field trip.
Solar Eclipse, August 12, 2026
Solar Eclipse – April 8, 2024
There will be a solar eclipse tomorrow, August 12, 2026. It will be a partial eclipse in the northeast United States and Alaska, and not visible in the rest of the U.S.
Beginning 20 Years Ago Today, Sarah Changed My Photography Life
Sarah, The first click of the shutter on our first photo shoot. August 10, 2006.
Today is a red letter day! 20 years ago today I did my first photo shoot with Sarah, a terrific model and a fine photographer. I did not know it 20 years ago, but our artistic relationship and our friendship would dramatically change my life as a portrait photographer.
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day
St. Joseph Lighthouse, Michigan, June 11, 1995.
August 7, 1789, President George Washington signed an act by the U.S. Congress to create and establish lighthouses, beacons, and buoys. The text of the original act is here. “National Lighthouse Day” was created by an act of Congress and signed by Ronald Reagan on November 5, 1988.
Photographic Purists
Kristina, “Fire and Ice”
Although you wouldn’t guess it from the image above, 99% of the time I am pretty much a photographic purist. What you see in my images is what you would see if you were standing right next to me when I clicked the shutter.
Kristina, 10 Years Ago Today
Kristina, August 2, 2016.
Ten years ago today Kristina needed an audition video for a TV role. The script was a conversation between a man and a woman, so I read the part for the man. It took several takes. The photo above is when we finally got it right. She went to my office and sent the video to Hollywood to meet the end of the day deadline. Then we did a photo shoot.
Happy 150th Birthday, Colorado!
Colorado became a state August 1, 1876, 100 years after 1776, hence the nickname “Centennial State”.
I love Colorado. I grew up there. Our family wandered all over the Colorado mountains when my brother and I were growing up. When I got married and children came along, we took them to Colorado on a regular basis when they were growing up. It is my favorite photography getaway state. If I could have a cabin anywhere in the Rocky Mountain West, three of my choices would Estes Park or Ouray or Telluride, all of which are in Colorado.