The Right Tool for the Job
There’s more than one way to make a photograph, and none of them is always right. On graduated filters, HDR, and why photography advice needs a little context.
More or Less About the Photo
A twice-monthly publication about living photography with practical insights, creative ideas, and the occasional adventure story.
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Latest episodes
The Photograph I Didn't Take
Sometimes the most important decision a photographer makes is not pressing the shutter.
The Undiscovered Archive
Most of what feels like old work to you is brand new to everyone else.
Notes from the Namekagon River
A bikerafting trip, a creaking bike, and a light approach to photography.
A Photo of Driftwood that Became an Alien or a Religious Icon
I photographed a piece of driftwood on a Lake Superior beach. Many viewers saw an alien, a saint, or something else entirely.
Photos of the Early Season Milky Way
Milky Way season on the north shore of Lake Superior has now entered the reasonable time, but it won’t last long.
Chinese Rocket Fuel Dump Photos
A plume from a rocket dumping fuel was visible across the Midwest on late Wednesday night.
The Photos We Leave Behind
On memory, loss, and photography.
They Put the Boundary Waters in Harms Way
During a recent vote in Congress, Republicans removed protections from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the most used wilderness area in the country with over 1,175 lakes and interconnected waterways spread across 1.1 million acres in northern Minnesota.
Looking Towards My 2027 Photo Workshops
For the last month, I’ve been in the process of imagining what my 2027 should look like and then taking those ideas and putting them on the reality of a schedule.
Sorry to Interrupt Your Solitude
A personal essay about what experiencing solitude under the winter night sky means, and how it feels being the one that interrupts another’s solitude.
The New Aura of Photography
In a world flooded with AI-generated images, the true value of photography may no longer be in what can be reproduced, but in what can be witnessed, experienced, and curated.
Photos From the Apostle Island Ice Caves
A brief return of a rare winter phenomenon and how changing conditions and crowds reshaped the way I photographed one of Lake Superior’s most fleeting landscapes.
Flow Your Own Flow
Finding flow on the water and behind the camera through attention, practice, and presence.
The Democracy of Snow
Snow has a way of making the world feel briefly equal and clean. For photographers, that illusion is both a gift and a countdown.
Nine Years, One Sunrise Composition: A New Year’s Day Photo Project
Every January 1st for the past nine years, I’ve stood in the same place and photographed the same sunrise on Lake Superior.
Why Your Favorite Photos Matter More Than Your Best Ones
Why your favorite photos, not your best ones, might be the clearest map to your evolving photographic style.
Winter Has Arrived
Photos of the northland during early winter. Sub-zero mornings, sea smoke, and ice. It’s why early winter is one of my favorite times to photograph Lake Superior.
All Things Black
On black beaches, black hills, and photos of everything in between. A little riff on Black Friday, a few unexpected photographic detours, and a reminder that even the dark tones have their own kind of beauty.
Telling a Kayak or Canoe Trip Story
For photographers, capturing the story of a paddling trip is half the fun and learning how to capture your paddling adventures even when you’re focused on staying upright becomes easier when you have a simple plan for bringing home images as memorable as the journey itself.