The summer wildflower season had been a brief one this year. Extreme temperatures, wildfires, and low snowpack in Utah's mountains resulted in drought-like conditions. Still, here and there, pockets of colorful blooms could still be found. It remains to be seen how these harsh conditions may impact the fall colors later this year.

As life sometimes will, with little warning, mine had been a bit demanding this past year. Photography had to take a back seat to a number of other priorities. Now that I can indulge in it again, it feels as though my proverbial "creative muscle" is in dire need of some exercise, which I am all too eager to do. I look forward to the weeks ahead and to autumn - my favorite time of year.

More recently, I went on a road trip to see and experience some new places. The goal was not photography (and from past experience - I rarely make good images on a first visit to a new place), but rather to place myself in new settings, remove myself from the familiar for a bit, and let my thoughts flow without the pressures of daily life. Seeing some of the good and the bad of the American West along my route reaffirmed and reinvigorated me. I met some wonderful people and seen some amazing places I intend to return to in the future.

Alas, I have also seen more of the systematic destruction of wild places, and some of the attitudes and indifference that make such destruction possible. I am grateful that wild beauty is still available to me in my lifetime, but I am sincerely concerned about what will be left for future generations. I am even more concerned that these future generations may not care, preferring instead to limit their world to the artificial and made-up manufactured realities made possible by today's technology. While waiting in line at a diner in Montana, two teenagers behind me were involved in heated discussion about monsters in a video game. I was looking beyond them at a brewing thunderstorm and blades of crepuscular rays over the mountains wishing I were out there to see it up close - a powerful spectacle that was likely unnoticed by the teens. Later, driving through Wyoming, I stopped by a large interpretive sign telling the heartbreaking story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. The story was hard to read not only for the injustice it described, but also since the sign was riddled with bullet holes. How has our collective society become so devoid of emotion and respect? Is it truly too late for those of us who dare to care deeply?

Guy Tal

September Photo Tour is Filling up Fast!

Only a handful of spots are left on our Autumn Color Tour of Northern Utah. Make sure to claim yours before they are gone!

Upping the Ante for Print-of-the-Month

In the past my Print-of-the-Month offerings (posted each month on the Scenic Wild home page) were primarily small-medium size prints of one of my personal favorites. This month I'd like to try a different approach - a large panoramic print for a significantly-reduced price. This month I am offering a recent image of alpine lakes bathed in dawn light, made on the morning of my birthday. The finished image is a result of ten separate exposures stitched together, resulting in magnificent detail and tone that really needs to be appreciated at a large size. The price of $200 for a 16x37 in. print represents a significant saving over my regular price for a print of this size.

You can get a sense for the exquisite detail by reviewing a zoom-able web version. Still, keep in mind that even this version is much smaller than the full size file.

Printing Article in Outdoor Photographer Magazine

My article The Changing Landscape Of Printing is featured in this month's "Landscape Annual" edition of Outdoor Photographer Magazine. I was particularly happy the magazine chose some of my favorite images to accompany the text.

The Reality Gap

A recent trip allowed for a very short visit to the Canadian Rockies, where I had the great pleasure of meeting with local photographers Darwin Wiggett and Samantha Chrysanthou. This was my first visit to the area. Over the years I have seen some incredibly powerful and moving images from this region (including many by Darwin himself, who also authors the excellent pocket guide How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies).

During my visit the sky was mostly bright blue, the long views hazy, and the main attractions full of tourists. Conditions were not as photogenic as these images I had seen previously and, consequently, the camera stayed in the pack. Was I disappointed? Not in the least! I had a wonderful time. What little I was able to see was awe-inspiring: impressive prominent peaks, crystaline lakes, beautiful wildflowers, free-flowing rivers, and abundant wildlife. I was also fortunate to spend time in great company, enjoy good conversation and food, and spend long hours on scenic roads, relaxing and thinking and listening to music. The exprience of being there was, on its own, greatly rewarding.

Some critics decry the gap between beautiful photography and the "normal" views most people will experience at these same places. This seems rather petty and downright silly to me. If I can't show you something you would not be able to see on your own, what good am I as an artist? Moreover, "reality" is really a very fluid and subjective concept. Not only is it subject to constant change, but also to individual interpretation. So-called reality is really the product of random circumstances, and any number of cognitive filters we each apply to make it fit with our beliefs and views of the world.

As photographers and artists we seek to portray more than just the mundane - we wish to create a meaning that transcends what any random visitor to a place may or may not see. Often we rely on rare circumstances of natural elements - light, weather, or random phenomena. We then add our own skill in composing a selection of significant elements, in choosing the appropriate tools to create a unique view, in applying deliberate decisions on what to include in the frame and what to leave out. We do these things whether explicitly or implicitly for the purpose of transcending reality.

The above may seem obvious - an artistic image is not designed to (in fact it cannot) represent a recurring common experience. Why is it then that some people choose to believe that they will find exactly that when they visit the place on any random time and under any random circumstances? Why indeed do so many people choose to believe things that do not stand up to common sense in general? This is perhaps is question better left to theologians. For the narrow purpose of artistic photography it is perhaps best to remember that an image is an independent entity. Nature/landscape photography is a means of creating such entities through the use of natural elements and their inherent emotional and spiritual properties. Once created though, it stands on its own merit. To say that an artistic image is not valid because at the time it was made, conditions were different than they might be at any other time is patently foolish.

A while back, Brooks Jensen, editor of Lenswork Magazine, offered some insight into the importance of special moments in landscape photography: