Photography is an amazing way to capture moments in time. Through this medium, I try to capture the beauty of natural landscapes and amazing wildlife encounters.
My Nikon Z8 and Z9 cameras are my constant companions, always ready for the next shot, and with my iPhone—essentially a camera that doubles as a phone—I’m never without a way to freeze time and capture the world around me.
This website presents my recent adventures through the lens of what a friend called ‘photography with intent.’ Each image aims to convey the emotions I experienced when I pressed the shutter. Here, I invite you to see the world as I did in these fleeting moments.
Wild Scotland
Edinburgh to Aberdeen and the Scottish Isles
This was our first time in Scotland, and after just a few days in Edinburgh, my only thought was, "What took us so long?!" Our trip was an epic mix of rich history, deep culture, and incredible landscapes, taking us from the capital through the islands and back.
Here is how our Scottish adventure unfolded:
The Voyage
We decided to join Aurora Expeditions (for the 5th time) on the MS Sylvia Earle to see Scotland as part of this exploratory trip. After a few days in Edinburgh to shake off the jet lag, and more importantly to explore the capital, we met up with some of the expedition team and other guests and hopped on a bus to Troon to set sail.
The Hebrides: We sailed around the Inner and Outer Hebrides, and landed on the Isles of Iona, Staffa, and Eigg, plus the mind-blowing St. Kilda archipelago.
Orkney Islands: Next up were the Orkneys, where we explored Callanish, Little Bernera, Papa Westray, and the capital, Kirkwall.
Shetland Islands: Before heading to the mainland at Aberdeen, we stopped in the Shetlands to explore Fair Isle, Lerwick (Shetland’s northernmost major settlement), and the Isle of Mousa.
The Road
Once we disembarked the ship, we spent a few more days on the road. On our way back to Edinburgh, we stopped by Dunnottor Castle and St. Andrews.
Once in the area, we also checked out:
Forth Bridges
The Kelpies in Helix Park
The Falkirk Wheel (an engineering marvel)
Stirling Castle
The National Wallace Monument
Callander: Where we finally tracked down the most photogenic cattle on the planet (Highland cows)!
Darwin, The Ghan, & Adelaide
Northern Territory & South Australia
It has been a long trip, but this phase, Phase IV, was the cornerstone of all the planning building up to this point in time. It centered on The Ghan, a 4 day train adventure from Darwin to Adelaide. Phase I was halfway(ish) to Australia in French Polynesia. Phase II in Western Australia was meeting up with our Aussie traveling buddies Judy and Anthony and hunting for Orcinus Orca - the greatest mammal hunters of the sea. Then Phase III began with our travel to Broome and the voyage through The Kimberly - a fantastical geological region in NW Australia. That sailing ended in Darwin, the beginning of this phase.
Darwin is a remote and special city. We spent one day birding throughout the region including a great lunch at the Humpty Doo Hotel and another day in Litchfield National Park. We also spent a short time exploring the city itself, enjoying local cuisine, perusing the street art, and learning about the attack by the Japanese in WWII.
But the reason for being there was to travel on The Ghan for a trip through the outback and the heart of Australia. It was 1,851 miles to Adelaide. Accommodations were great, food was superb, staff was excellent. We had excursions off the train in Katherine / Nitmiluk National Park, Alice Springs / Standley Chasm, and Coober Pedy / Opal mines.
After 4 days of luxury, we disembarked in Adelaide, home to Judy and Anthony, where we spent our final 2 days on this epic adventure. We spent these last days exploring this wonderful city , the Capital of South Australia. The zoo was great, the beaches were awesome, and relaxing in our traveling buddies home for a few nights was a perfect finish to this trip.
I can’t rave enough about each location we visited along the way. We spent 2 months on the road and every minute was a joy. I hope you enjoy these last of my images from this amazing journey.
Broome & The Kimberley
Western Australia & Northern Territory
Phase III of this adventure began in Broome (see below sections for Phase I and II highlights). I knew Broome from photos of ‘The Staircase to the Moon.’ However, the landscape comprised of red cliffs and iron-rich sands of Roebuck Bay meeting the bright turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean presented a fantastic contrast of color. That, along with the Broome Bird Observatory and Roebuck Bay dolphins made the beginning of this phase so memorable.
After a fun week exploring Broome, we boarded the Coral Expedition Adventurer for an exploration of The Kimberley. I don’t typically add links, but there is so much to see in this region, I thought this site was worth checking out: https://www.australia.com/en-us/places/broome-and-surrounds/guide-to-the-kimberley.html. As for our continuing adventure, we departed Broome, ended in Darwin, and stopped along the way at spectacular locations. These included Talbot Bay to experience the Horizontal Falls, Montgomery Reef that emerges from the sea as the tide lowers presenting the illusion of a rising land mass in the ocean, and Prince Regent River to view, and have a shower under, King Cascades. We then visited Prince Frederick Harbor and Bigge Island to take in aboriginal wall art that dates back thousands of years, and Mitchell Falls - accessible only by helicopter unless traveling overland by 4 wheel drive vehicle. We finished in Vensittart Bay followed by a trip up King George River to take in the majestic Oomari Falls.
We disembarked in Darwin, but that discussion will be saved for another story . . . in the meantime, I hope you can get a taste of Phase III through these images below and on their dedicated pages within.
Note that the aboriginal rock art depicted in the embedded pages has deep meaning to the local tribes and custodians of the land we visited. Hence, when viewing these images, we acknowledge the Gwion Gwion and Wandjina Peoples, and all Traditional Custodians of the land on which this artwork is displayed, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.
Freo, Perth & Bremer Bay
Western Australia
We started our Phase II adventure in Fremantle, or Freo as the locals call it. (Read about Phase I in my previous post below ☺️.) We spent a few days exploring the city, took a day trip to Rottnest Island, and met up with our Aussie traveling buddies Judy and Anthony. Freo is a place I would recommend visiting. It’s a vibrant little city with plenty of outdoor activities and several little pockets for nighttime diversions.
Following our few days in Freo, we rented a car and drove 5 ½ hours south to Bremer Bay to search for Orcas. Bremer Bay is home to the Southern Hemisphere's largest known orca congregation. Between December and April, over 150 individuals gather about 30 NM offshore in the nutrient-rich Bremer Canyon. We joined Naturaliste Charters (https://naturalistecharters.com.au/) and were lucky enough to spot 1 pod of about a dozen and had a great time watching their interactions and photographing them.
We finished this part of our Phase II adventure in Perth before flying to Broome to continue with Phase III (to be continued).
French Polynesia
Marquesas, Tuamotu and Society Islands
We embarked on the Ponant M/S Paul Gauguin in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, to start our 15 day adventure through the islands of French Polynesia. Renee and I affectionately refer to this as Phase 1 since this trip had 4 distinctly different segments. The below provides a very brief accounting of how and why we put this itinerary together.
We initially booked our trip to Western Australia and Northern Territory with our Aussie traveling buddies Judy and Anthony (more on that later) and were looking for a midpoint destination to ease the jet-lag pain. But timing was critical to ensure we were in Darwin for a train ride on The Ghan, and prior to that in Broome for an expedition cruise through The Kimberley aboard Coral Expeditions M/S Adventurer, and prior to that in Bremer Bay to spot the resident Orcas. So, Tahiti seemed a good starting point. We booked the Paul Gauguin cruise around French Polynesia and included additional days in Mo’orea before flying to Perth in Western Australia.
And what a fantastic adventure Phase 1 became. I cannot praise enough about the ship, the crew, the destinations, the activities . . . it was all extraordinary and far exceeded our expectations. In the Marquesas Islands, we visited Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Tahuata and Nuku Hiva. In the Tuamotu Islands, we stopped at Fakarava and Rangiroa. And in the Society Islands, we explored Huahine, Motu Mahana, Bora Bora and Mo’orea.
Each island chain had is own unique culture and geography, its own vibe. I hope I’ve done well enough with my images here to show the differences and provide a little introduction to these beautiful cultures and magnificent sets of islands.
Adventure Across North Borneo
Coral Expeditions
We travelled to Manila Philippines to join our traveling friends from Adelaide - Judy and Anthony - onboard the MV Geographer for a Christmas trip through Philippines and Borneo Malaysia, ending in Singapore. Our primary reason to go on this trip was for one specific opportunity: photographing orangutans at 2 locations in Borneo.
These locations were rescue, recovery and rehabilitation centers in Sandakan and Kuching, Malaysia. And although these centers provide food and any necessary veterinary facilities, they are both based on maintaining a true wild and open environment and the healthy orangutans can come and go on their own volition. In other words, these were not to be staged or caged primate photos. They are indeed wild encounters with these magnificent great apes.
And although these ‘People of the Forest’ only showed up in Sandakan, we still had amazing encounters with the local populations in the Philippines and Malasia, and had ample opportunity to explore many towns and villages within this region, and took in a few snorkeling opportunities along the way.
In the Philippines, we visted Manila, Harka Piloto and Silonay Island, Balthazar Island and Marinduque, Culion (the last known leprosy colony), Palawan, and Onok Island. In Malaysia, we visited Sandakan, Kudat, and Kota Kinabalu before a day in Banda Seri Begawan, Brunei. We then sailed back to Miri and Kuching Malaysia before ending our trip in Singapore.
Maui Hawaii
Our last time in Hawaii was 2013 - a long time ago. So, while this trip was primarily to start a Coral Expedition cruise in the Philippines (more on that later), we decided to stop in Maui as a half way point to get somewhat acclimated to the time change. We spent a very chill week with a little hiking and little snorkeling and it was wonderful.
Kenya & The Great Migration
The Great Migration entered our long-term plans after we first went to Botswana in 2023. We just needed to determine whether it would be in Kenya or Tanzania. Our chosen August travel dates dictated that we should do Kenya, as the migration normally rotates south from Kenya back into Tanzania by mid-October—although there are never any guarantees with Mother Nature.
We contacted Pangolin Photo Safaris to plan the trip. Note that we'd joined Pangolin on a trip in Botswana last year and absolutely loved the experience, enjoyed the staff at the Pangolin Chobe Hotel, and especially enjoyed being with Janine Krayer, our photo host at Pangolin. And it just so happened that Janine would be one of four photo hosts on the Maasai Mara National Reserve safari to witness the migration.
Before traveling to the Maasai Mara, we visited Amboseli National Park for a four-day safari. Amboseli is just north of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is typically a key landmark in iconic safari pictures, capturing images of elephants, zebras, or lions in the foreground with Mount Kilimanjaro lurking in the distance. What I came to realize, though, is that getting that perfect shot was way more weather-dependent than I anticipated, and the "right place at the right time" was a grand understatement. Regardless, it was fantastic being there, and as can be seen in some of these photos, I did get more than a few iconic photos that I can be darn proud of.
We then traveled to the Maasai Mara with Pangolin to begin our Great Migration photo workshop. We were 12 guests along with the four photo hosts: Janine (@janine_wildlife_photography); Guts (Pangolin co-founder); Will (@williamsteelphotography); and Andreas (@andreas_knausenberge). These professional photographers shared insights and tips, and got us in fantastic positions to capture the best possible images of the wildlife. We went to the Mara River our first afternoon and were rewarded with a crossing. A wildebeest herd with zebras mixed in crossed just before sunset—an amazing sight and one none of us will ever forget. It also happened to be the only crossing we saw, as most of the huge herds had already crossed heading toward Tanzania. But there were plenty of other sightings of large wildebeest and zebra herds, big cats, elephants, and all other wildlife we could hope for on a photo safari. These photos only scratch the surface of what we were honored to witness.
Our last wildlife park on this almost three-week journey in Kenya was Samburu National Reserve. The wildlife in the north is quite different from that in the more southern reserves that participate in the migration. Reticulated giraffes, Grevy's zebras, gerenuks, and Somali ostriches are just a few of the unique animals found in Samburu. We spent our last five days awestruck at the unique wildlife photo opportunities in this absolutely marvelous environment.
This safari trip is one I’d recommend to both the novice and the pro when planning your next wildlife adventure in Africa!
Iceland’ Wesfjords & North Coast Aboard Aurora Expedition’s Sylvia Earle
We embarked on the third and final leg of our Svalbard and Iceland journey from Reykjavik, where we boarded the MV Sylvia Earle. This marked our fourth voyage aboard this amazing expedition ship, and many of the crew members were familiar faces from our prior trips. As anticipated, they were warm and genuinely delighted to welcome us back.
This was one of Aurora’s Discovery Trips (rather than an Expedition Trip) since the port destinations were predetermined. Our northward route along the West Coast featured stops at Snæfellsnes, Dynjandi, Thingeyri, and Akureyri (our northernmost point). On the return to Reykjavik, we visited Siglufjörður and Vigur Island. The activities offered by Aurora included day hikes, birdwatching, cultural excursions, and visits to stunning waterfalls (an extension of our self-drive adventures).
I believe these photos will convey just how incredible this trip was.
Iceland - Self Drive on the South and East Coast
Following our adventure in Svalbard, we headed straight to Iceland by plane to discover the southern and eastern shorelines via a road trip. We were joined by our close friends, Judy and Anthony from Adelaide, and while we'd reserved accommodations, we left the rest of the itinerary open.
Over nine wonderful days driving, we spent nights in Vik, Hnappavellir, and Borgarfjörður Eystri (the northeasternmost spot on our journey). On the return leg, we lodged in Höfn and Vik once more, and wrapped up our driving trip with a day in the Southern Highlands aboard a super jeep excursion organized by Midgard before enjoying our final full day in Reykjavik.
The standout moments for me were spotting puffins at both Dyrhólaey and Borgarfjörður Eystri (home to Iceland's biggest puffin colony), the stunning Glacier Lagoon, and the Southern Highlands. That said, I can't overlook the breathtaking scenery throughout, particularly the countless waterfalls that seemed endless.
It's an experience I'm eager to relive one day—it was truly extraordinary.
Svalbard (Spitsbergen), Norway
A trip to Svalbard had been on the proverbial bucket list since first getting into wildlife photography. My interest in capturing images of polar bears really started during our 2023 Northwest Passage adventure, where we spotted them from a distance. My wife and I then learned that Svalbard offers a combined adventure in glaciers and beautiful arctic landscapes as well as potential unparalleled polar bear experiences. At the time, we wondered, “Where on earth is Svalbard?”
Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, lies roughly midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Renowned for its stark, remote landscape and severe Arctic climate, it’s one of the world’s northernmost inhabited regions. The area boasts stunning natural beauty, with glaciers, frozen tundra, and diverse wildlife including polar bears, reindeer, walrus, and Arctic foxes, and seabird colonies like gulls, guillemots, and puffins.
Once again, we traveled with Aurora Expeditions and our good friends from Adelaide, Anthony and Judy Miller, joined us for the full trip (Svalbard and Iceland - more to come). And, as we hoped, the journey far exceeded all our expectations!
Note that all images were taken at respected distances with appropriate zoom lenses, and although the wildlife appears very close, we maintained our distance as dictated under Svalbard and AECO guidelines.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic National Park was a recent addition to our list of must-visit parks. Since we were already on Vancouver Island, we seized the opportunity for a quick ferry ride to Port Angeles to spend about a week in Olympic. We divided our time between Kalaloch Lodge on the park’s west coast and Crescent Lake Lodge near Port Angeles.
The week was filled with memorable hiking and photography, and our visit to Cape Flattery while transitioning between lodges made for a truly special experience, capturing stunning nature images.
