Photographer's Journal (Landscape)

Welcome to my online journal, otherwise known as a blog. Here I'll be sharing pertinent information, inspirational stories, trip reports, behind-the-photo stories, photography tips and techniques, and various random thoughts that you might find interesting. If you have any questions or comments regarding the opinions and information shared here, feel free to contact me. Thanks for your interest in my work!

Abstract Photography: Exploring the Essence of Nature and Landscapes
March 6, 2024

In the realm of visual arts, photography stands as a medium of infinite exploration, allowing both photographers and viewers to journey beyond the mere representation of reality. Among its myriad genres, abstract photography, especially where nature and landscapes are concerned, offers a particularly fascinating avenue for exploration...

Preserving The Past
January 24, 2024

This winter has been a strange one here in Maine. We haven't had much snow, it's been warmer than it normally is, and to top it off, we've been getting hammered with vicious nor'easters that have battered the towns up and down the coast...

Capturing the Lowcountry of South Carolina
January 22, 2024  |  South Carolina

I recently had the opportunity to travel to South Carolina to visit a friend near Charleston. Thankfully, this friend is also a photo enthusiast so we spent most of our time chasing the light and visiting various locations around Charleston and the Lowcountry to photograph...

Revisiting Mesa Arch
January 12, 2024  |  Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

A quick Google image search for Mesa Arch, easily the most popular feature in Canyonlands National Park, will bring up no shortage of spectacular sunrise photos. Often, the sun has just risen over the La Sal Mountains, in the distance, and the photographer has gotten a sunstar somewhere under the arch...

2023 Year In Review
December 27, 2023

It's hard to believe 2023 is winding down, and 2024 is right around the corner. 2023 was an amazing year for a lot of reasons, photographically, for me. I did more teaching than ever this year, with online workshops mixed with some in-person workshops, but I also did a lot of photographing for myself...

Exploring The Swamps in Louisiana
November 28, 2023  |  Lake Verret, Napoleonville, Louisiana

Back in the spring of 2021, I made the drive from Maine to Louisiana to visit my friend Andy Crawford. Andy has lived in Louisiana all his life, and we met through a Facebook page for artists that was hosted by the website company we were both using at the time...

Ain't They Grand? A Review of My Recent Adventures in the Tetons
November 24, 2023  |  Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park near Jackson, Wyoming, is simply stunning. I've visited twice now, but since the first time was only for about 16 hours, I hardly count that, except that I did manage to make a few good photographs in that time...

5 Reasons Why Art Makes a Great Gift
November 22, 2023

At any gift-giving time of year, whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, a birthday, wedding, or anniversary, we are often stumped as to what to give someone for a gift. Somehow, it seems art is often overlooked, but art, and specifically landscape photography, makes a great gift! Whether it's a collectable museum-quality print, or a household item such as a throw pillow, coffee mug, or jigsaw puzzle, art often is a gift that goes above and beyond a normal gift...

A Change in Perspective
November 6, 2023

The surest way to take something familiar and make it new again is to look at it from a new point of view. This is true of anything in life, whether it be a TV show that we've seen that we suddenly watch with a different point of view, a social or political issue we never considered except from our own perspective, but now look at in light of someone else's concerns, or simply considering a new use for a room that you've always used another way...

Nature's Fury: Photographing in a Tropical Storm
September 18, 2023  |  Acadia National Park, Maine

As a photographer, I appreciate a good storm for the opportunities it can provide for interesting photos. But I'm also torn. Because there's nothing like a stormy day spent at home curled up on the couch all cozy and warm, as the wind and rain whip around outside...

Making the Most of Your Visits to National Parks
August 22, 2023

National Parks have been called America's "Best Idea". Over the past decade, the number of visitors to our national parks has grown immensely. Some of the most crowded parks now require entry reservations to help manage the crowds and traffic, in an effort to ensure that our natural resources within the park are preserved...

The Most Beautiful Drive in America
July 27, 2023  |  Beartooth Highway, Red Lodge, Montana

There are no guardrails in places where you might prefer them. Driving from east to west, starting in Red Lodge, Montana, you'll climb nearly 5,700 feet, to a total elevation of 10,947 feet over the course of 12 miles...

The Creative Decision Behind Lens Choice
June 25, 2023

When I started taking photos way back when, I thought of lenses the way most people who are new to photography, or who aren't photographers at all, think of them. Specifically that telephoto lenses are used when things are far away, and wide angle lenses are for tight spaces or wide vistas...

Nature's Allure
June 18, 2023

I’ve always found myself drawn to the outdoors. When I went away to college at SUNY New Paltz, one of the draws was the small town with close access to the Catskills. I would often venture to Minnewaska State Park on days when I didn’t have afternoon classes, or when I just decided being outdoors was more important than my class...

Rick Berk's Guide to Acadia National Park
June 14, 2023  |  Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

It should be no secret that Acadia National Park is one of my favorite places to photograph. Now that I live just over 2 hours away, it’s much easier for me to get to, and I still find there are plenty of places to photograph there that I’ve never photographed before...

Behind the Image: Sunrise at Montauk Point
June 7, 2023  |  Montauk Point, New York

Since I began selling my work, "Sunrise at Montauk Point" has become one of my most popular, selling a fair number of prints. It's easy to see why. The iconic Montauk Point Lighthouse stands in the distance atop the bluff, as the sun rises above a bank of clouds while a wave washes over the rocky shoreline west of the lighthouse...

The Enchantment of Sunsets
June 4, 2023

If sunrises are my favorite time to photograph, sunsets are a close second.

Behind the Image: Sand Harbor Tahoe
May 11, 2023  |  Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

It's not unusual for me to go back through my photos months or even years after I've taken them, and find an image I've never edited or shared before. You might think that something I didn't choose to edit immediately after I made the photo would be a lesser image, or filler...