I am not a social person.

I don’t party, drink or enjoy sports.

What I do enjoy though, is the peace and quiet of the outdoors.

The exploration of new places and new trails, away from the hustle and noise of city life and mobs of people clamoring to be heard over the din, is where I’m most at home when I’m not actually at home.

My wife Jamie is very much the same.

The truth is I have a very hard time writing this blog. Every post seems to be unnecessarily challenging. I simply have a hard time coming up with things to say that are not simple descriptions of facts.

I keep telling myself that it will get easier with time and practice. We’ll see about that. I could write the hell out of a technical spec sheet but writing about personal experiences is altogether a different beast and I will always be seeking improvement.  

In the meantime here’s a little bit about two new pieces I took along Soldier’s Pass trail in Sedona, AZ.  Because of earlier heavy rains, the trail was all but vacant of the typical throng of tourists.

First up is “Agave and Dark Skies”

The first thing that I wanted to convey with this piece is the intensity of the glow around the agave caused by the setting sun’s light reflecting off the clouds. It was truly remarkable in person and I think I got pretty damn close to matching it. The second was the drama taking place overhead. It had been raining off and on all week and I could almost physically feel the weight of the low clouds bearing down on me.

The second piece is “Coffeepot and the Seven Sacred Pools”

I actually took this shot before I took Agave and Dark Skies and you can see the agave from that piece in this one. It’s a little above the halfway point on the right hand side. You can see how drab the color is at that time which is why it didn’t get my attention until later.

Coffee Pot mountain is one of the most prominent features that can be seen from almost everywhere within the city of Sedona and I wanted to make sure it was featured here as well. So, I lined up the Sacred Pools to create a leading line right to it. I had hoped that there was water in the pools due to the rains and thankfully there was. I just wish the water was a bit clearer. It took some editing to brighten them up and make them considerably lighter.

All in all, they make for a couple of very beautiful prints and I couldn’t be happier with them.

As for my writing, I’m not giving up on it.

So bear with me as I continue muddling my way through the practices of getting better at this aspect of the job.

Humbly yours,

Thomas