Upcoming Free Webinar, End of Year Blog Post and December Updates 🎄
Published 21 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader,
As we reach the end of 2024, I hope everyone had a peaceful and joyful holiday season. Thank you for joining me on this year’s journey. I’m deeply grateful for your support and look forward to sharing many new and exciting experiences with you in 2025!
I’m currently home in Denver, taking a little time to recharge before our winter workshop kicks off in Yellowstone next month. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be busy processing photos, updating my long-overdue website (five years—yikes!), and diving into a few new projects that I can’t wait to share.
On December 30th, I’ll teach a free webinar on sparking your creativity with a 365 project. Alongside that, I’ll also be releasing my 365 Project ebook (one month at a time) for those who wish to sign up to receive it. You’ll find all the details for both events below.
Additionally, I’ve written a blog post reflecting on 2024, where I’ve shared my favorite images from the year. While it wasn’t my most prolific year photographically, the moments I captured hold deep meaning for me, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.
Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, and prosperous New Year. May your passion and creativity behind the lens continue to inspire and thrive in the year ahead! Happy New Year! 🎊
Upcoming Free Webinar
Inspire Your Creativity with a 365 Photography Project
Join me for a free webinar where I’ll dive into the transformative journey of completing a 365 photography project. Together, we’ll explore why embarking on a year-long daily photography practice can ignite your creativity, push your boundaries, and reveal insights into your photography. Back in 2022, I completed a 365 project, and I’ll share the goals I set, the challenges I faced, and how the process profoundly shaped my perspective as a nature photographer. Whether you want to enhance your skills, develop a more mindful approach, or reignite your passion, I’ll guide you through practical tips and ideas to help you start your own 365 project for the coming year.
I recently wrote about my photography journey from the past year and shared my favorite photos that I captured. There were many new experiences, and I'm very grateful for all that 2024 gifted me. You can read about my year and view the images by clicking below.
My 365 Photography Project ebook Will Be Available on 1/1/25!
I'm thrilled to finally announce the upcoming release of this long-awaited ebook, 'Captured Moments,' chronicling my photographic journey through every day of 2022. I held off on releasing it for many personal reasons (soon to be shared in an upcoming blog post), but now I'm ready!
Instead of a one-time release, I've decided to offer a unique, immersive experience. Starting January 1st, 2025, if you sign up below, you'll receive a month's worth of inspiring images and thoughtful essays directly in your inbox as a PDF on the first day of each month. (Starting on 1/1/25 and emailed out on the first of each month thereafter until 12/1/25)
These ebooks will be completely free, as I want to share my creative journey and inspire yours.
Thank you for your continued support, and I can't wait to share this journey with you!
Where curiosity bridges the gap between observation and the art of photography
A Festive Plant: The Desert Holly
As I wandered the desert last month, I encountered many desert holly shrubs and figured it would be a festive addition to this month's Naturalist's Nook.
A desert holly bush
The desert holly (Atriplex hymenelytra) is a botanical marvel that embodies the spirit of resilience in harsh desert environments. Native to arid regions of the American Southwest, including Death Valley and the Mojave Desert, this unassuming shrub thrives where few others take root. This plant's leaves have a distinctive silver sheen, and this plant is one of the most drought-tolerant species in its range. But how does this plant survive such harsh desert conditions, especially when it has a tendency to grow in saltier environments? The answer lies in its leaves.
Close-up of salt excreted on desert holly leaves
Red flowers on a female desert holly
Desert holly absorbs excess salt from the soil and excretes it through specialized salt glands onto its leaf surfaces. This reflective coating prevents toxic salt buildup, regulates temperature by deflecting sunlight, and minimizes water loss in the harsh desert heat. Additionally, the silvery sheen reduces heat absorption and provides camouflage, helping the plant survive in extreme conditions while deterring herbivores. The desert holly's salt-coated leaves are a crucial adaptation for thriving in arid, saline environments. Desert holly plants are either male or female, and the female plant will produce red flowers resembling red berries. These perennial shrubs bloom from January to April in the desert and can go dormant during the hottest summer months.
The desert holly earned its name due to its striking resemblance to the traditional holly plant. While adapted for desert survival, its rounded, spiny-edged leaves and small red flowers (resembling berries) are similar to the foliage of true holly (genus Ilex), commonly associated with Christmas decorations. Despite the resemblance, desert holly is not related to true holly.
The fun and distinctive leaves can make fun smaller scenes and abstract photos.
These plants can make for excellent photo subjects, especially when using a shallow depth of field to focus on the many captivating details. Next time you're in the desert, see if you can spot these hardy yet beautiful plants growing among the desert landscape.
The Collective Lens
Other items of interest from my colleagues and the world of Nature Photography
Zion National Park: Two Perspectives
Sarah Marino and Ron Coscorrosa have released a beautiful free ebook sharing their two unique perspectives of their beautiful imagery in a new free ebook.
Michael Frye shares his experience photographing ice in Yosemite National Park, focusing on the beauty of patterns and explaining the technical challenges of capturing icy scenes.
All of our 2025 workshops are sold out except for one open space!
All sold-out workshops have waitlists, so if you're interested in joining a waitlist, you can do so by visiting hereand choosing what workshop you're interested in.
