Photographer's Journal (National park)

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!

Categories:
Nature's Fury: Photographing in a Tropical Storm
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...

Read more ...
Making the Most of Your Visits to National Parks
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...

Read more ...
Trip Report: Yellowstone National Park
Trip Report: Yellowstone National Park
August 19, 2023  |  Yellowstone National Park

Last month, along with a stop in Red Lodge, Montana to explore the Beartooth Highway, I also headed to Yellowstone National Park, about two hours from Red Lodge. Yellowstone is enormous- larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined...

Read more ...
Rick Berk's Guide to Acadia National Park
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...

Read more ...
Location Spotlight: Dream Lake in Winter
Location Spotlight: Dream Lake in Winter
January 23, 2023  |  Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

On my recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, the top item on my list was to reach Dream Lake, one of the most popular locations in the park. It draws a lot of people, with the park advising visitors to arrive early or use the park shuttle since the lot will be full...

Read more ...
The Story of the Otters
The Story of the Otters
November 6, 2022  |  Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

Living on the coast of Maine, hurricanes are not often an issue for us. They often veer east away from Maine, and head up into the maritimes, so we don't usually take a direct hit. What we do get, and in my mind is a lot more fun, is a very angry ocean...

Read more ...
Trip Report: Autumn in the Smoky Mountains
Trip Report: Autumn in the Smoky Mountains
October 26, 2022  |  Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a wide variety of subject matter for any landscape photographer. Grand vistas, flowing waterfalls, historic cabins, and expansive meadows with majestic trees are all on the menu...

Read more ...
Trip Report: Shenandoah National Park
Trip Report: Shenandoah National Park
April 24, 2022  |  Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, located a few hours west of Washington, D.C. in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a treasure of incredible vistas stretching forever, mixed with more intimate scenery such as waterfalls, meadows, and rock formations...

Read more ...
America's Best Idea: My Favorite National Parks
America's Best Idea: My Favorite National Parks
February 17, 2022

"National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." - Wallace Stegner, Writer, Environmentalist, & Historian

Other than having seen this quote many times over the years during my visits to our National Parks, I had no idea who Wallace Stegner was...

Read more ...
Death Valley Report Part 2: Badwater Basin
Death Valley Report Part 2: Badwater Basin
January 30, 2022  |  Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California

I'm still going through photos from my recent trip to Death Valley National Park. It was a whirlwind trip, only spending four days in the park, but I had a chance to see some truly amazing sights. Last week, I highlighted my visit to Zabriskie Point, so today I thought I'd tell you about another spot in Death Valley that I found fascinating: Badwater Basin...

Read more ...