Reflections 🌿 New Learning Opportunity and an ebook Launch!
Published 2 days ago • 5 min read
Reflections
Musings on Landscapes and the Photographic Life
April 2026
Hello Reader,
It’s been a busy spring for David and I, and we recently returned home after two months of teaching on the road. We spent much of that time in Death Valley, where we led two workshops and participated in the Dark Sky Festival, which was a wonderful event!
Along the way, we took a short break in San Diego and were able to get back underwater for some photography. The cooler ocean air was a welcome contrast to the early-season heat in Death Valley, which had already climbed into the 100s.
From there, we headed to Anza-Borrego for another workshop, arriving just in time to find the cacti in bloom. After that, we made our way home and are now busy planning our workshops for 2027 and 2028. We will be releasing those soon, and I will be sharing more details in a newsletter in the coming weeks. If you'd like to join us this year, we have a spot that recently opened up for our Colorado Wildflowers workshop in July, and we have two openings for our Boulder Mountain Creative Retreat next month. I'm excited to announce a new ebook that I have collaborated with five other colleagues on, The Nature of Place: Personal Narratives in Landscape Photography. We launched the ebook today to subscribers with a special early bird price, and you can find more information on that below, along with an Ask Me Anything that we're running over on the Circle of Light Blog. More info below! I also have a new learning opportunity coming up this week, with an online presentation on photography projects, with the Lehigh Valley Camera Club. They have opened up registration to outside participants, and you can find more information on that below. I hope your spring is off to a wonderful start, and starting next month, I'll return to a more regularly scheduled monthly newsletter. I have much to share next month, including new imagery, new projects and much more! I'll include some snapshots from the road from the last few months below, and I'll see you all next month!
Anza Borrego Sunset
Exploring slot canyons with our group
Playa and sunrise in Anza Borrego with our group
Dappled moonlight in Death Valley with our Backcountry Workshop
Getting underwater on the California Coast
Group photo of one of our workshop groups on the dunes
Upcoming Learning Opportunity
Online Presentation
Beyond the Single Frame: The Power of Photography Projects
Images from my various photography projects I've curated over the years
I’ve been creating photography projects since 2017, and they’ve expanded the way I see and think about my work while keeping me creatively engaged. I’ve always been drawn to storytelling through imagery, and projects offer a meaningful way to explore that.
Next Thursday, April 16th at 7:00 pm ET, I’ll be presenting "Beyond the Single Frame: The Power of Photography Projects” to the Lehigh Valley Photography Club. This will be my second time presenting to this wonderful group, and they’ve kindly opened the event to non-members as well.
For $10, you can join the live Zoom presentation. If you are unable to attend, a recording will be sent so you can watch at your convenience. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite projects from over the years, along with ideas on how to get started creating a project and why creating projects can be such a rewarding part of your photography and open up new opportunities.
I’m excited to finally share a collaborative project and new ebook with you: The Nature of Place: Personal Narratives in Landscape Photography. This project grew out of a collaboration with Anna Morgan, Charlotte Gibb, Claudia Welsh, Michele Sons, and Sarah Marino. This ebook was created and shaped over time with a lot of intention and honest reflection, and it feels good to be able to share it with you! The ebook spans 296 pages and includes six personal essays along with more than 300 photographs. Each of us approaches the landscape in our own way, and these essays speak to how our creative work has evolved alongside our inner lives. For me, and for all of us, those two things are closely connected and continue to influence each other through our experiences in the places we return to. Because this project came together through ongoing conversation, we chose to include those exchanges within the book. You will find moments where we respond to each other’s essays and ideas as they unfold, which adds another layer of depth and openness to the experience of reading them. At its core, this ebook is a quiet and personal exploration of place, connection, and what it means to build a photographic practice that feels honest and grounded. We will be releasing the ebook publicly later this month, but we wanted to share it with our subscribers first, along with a special discount. Through April 22nd, you can use the code SIXVOICES to purchase The Nature of Place for $25 USD.
"The Nature of Place is a unique project born of six wise and talented photographers. Their vision was that collaboration might bring forth something extraordinary. Each contributes an essay and the others respond with their thoughts and questions. It is a refreshing twist that invites the reader to consider their own response to the places they photograph and how they might alter their approach."
- John Barclay
"Their collective is called the Circle of Light, and their ongoing dialogue has produced a profound volume of photographs and essays: The Nature of Place: Personal Narratives in Landscape Photography. Each artist writes in depth about their expressive efforts, offering insight into their lives, artistic motivations, and dialogue with one another.
Reading this book will open your mind to new ideas and fresh images, and inspire you to look deeply into your own creative process and sources of inspiration."
- William Neill
"The Nature of Place is a wonderfully thought-provoking and insightful book about life, the art of seeing and becoming one with nature, and our appreciation of the life of the landscape. Six phenomenal photographers/writers have written deeply perceptive essays about their own ideas on what the nature of place means to them. This is an e-book to be savored like a fine wine, sipped slowly without distractions, and then enjoyed repeatedly."
- Barb Livieri
Ask Us Anything!
To celebrate the release of the ebook on April 26th, we are hosting an "Ask Me Anything" on our blog. Join us over on the Circle of Light website for a day-long Ask Me (Us!) Anything. Sarah, Anna, Charlotte, Michele, Claudia and I will be available that day to answer any questions you might have about the ebook and and our photographic practices, or any other questions you might have. To submit a question, view this blog post, and leave your question in the comments (starting today through April 26th) and the six of us will spend the day responding and sharing our thoughts!
We have recently had a few cancellations on two previously sold-out workshops. See below for the openings we have available. We would love for you to join us to elevate your craft and further explore your creative vision!
We will be releasing our 2027 workshops soon!
Boulder Mountain Creative Retreat
May 13th-17th‚ 2026 - 2 Spots Available (camping at a reduced rate)
Explore the rugged beauty of Utah’s lesser-known landscapes, from the striking rock formations of Capitol Reef National Park to the sweeping vistas of Factory Butte and beyond, while honing in on your creative photographic vision and learning to see these wild places in a more intentional, personal way.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant wildflower spectacle of Crested Butte, the 'Wildflower Capital of Colorado'. This workshop goes beyond the blooms, guiding you to develop your creative vision amidst the stunning high-alpine environment.
