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The Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium reginae) was adopted as Minnesota’s state flower in 1902. This specimen was found in a bog near Cass Lake.

This American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) was only perusing the ground closely, probably looking for food, and completely unbothered by a nearby photographer. I didn’t ask what it was thinking about.

This work was Photo of the Day at Decagon Gallery, Brooklyn, NY on November 5, 2025. See Exhibitions.

Northern House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) nest in cavities they find already carved out previously by woodpeckers in old trees or in dead trees that have had their tops broken off and are referred to as “snags”. I’ve delighted in working with the Weminuche Audubon Society folks for the past several years to keep track of nesting birds in the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

The Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) can be seen in southern Arizona. A handler brought these birds back to the glove with their favorite food “quail bits” at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in 2011. She told visitors that a Harris’s Hawk family stays together and hunts as a group. Mother always dines first, no matter who provided the meal.

I learned that the Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) consumes almost exclusively Ponderosa Pine cones and the inner bark of small pine branchlets. Unlike other squirrels, they don’t hide food for later use in winter, but like other squirrels, if you put out bird feeders, they will gladly change their diet.

Sometimes the rocks just have to poke their heads up out of the ground to get some attention. They’re not seen in this image, but we were surprised to see Canada Geese roosting on top of some of these gorgeous rocks.

Sometimes when dense clouds are darkening the sky, but the sky has a small opening far to the west at sundown, the sun peeks beneath the clouds to get one last look at the mountains before continuing on over the horizon. And if you’re lucky and in the right spot with a camera then, you can capture a wonderful image.

On topographic maps, when the lines come close together in many places, the landforms become spectacular! The San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado have oodles of topo lines that are very close together, and that means cliffs and lots of bare rock at high elevations.

When a mountain peak extends above treeline anywhere in the world, the bare rocks take on so much more drama when partly covered with snow. And when those peaks are surrounded by fall colors, the drama takes your breath away.

Cold penetrates to your marrow as you view this scene and you wonder if you can make it home before darkness falls.

This work has been exhibited at the Blue Exhibition, Decode Gallery, Tucson, Arizona, June 7-28, 2025. See Exhibitions.

On Mill Creek Road in the San Juan National Forest, if you want to drive to the higher elevations at the end of it to see the Aspens, you have to slow down on the way to notice the Narrowleaf Cottonwoods (Populus angustifolia), which can be every bit as wonderful as the Aspens.

Leaves of the Narrowleaf Cottonwoods (Populus angustifolia) aren’t the only source of autumn color in this stream-side environment. Willow and Sumac shrubs have quite colorful branches that become exposed when they drop their leaves.

A few years ago, I took an autumn ride on this train to view the fall colors in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. On that trip I saw photographers waiting for the train where it crossed roads or (like here) where it came near to a road. This day I was just enjoying the colors by car when I realized that the train was approaching a good pull-off spot by the road in a few minutes.

Rocky Mountain Aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaves in fall. They are much more than just yellow and their textures invite the viewer to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect. What are we doing to our natural world? Will fall colors still be vivid in the Rocky Mountains in 100 years?

The northeastern part of North America may have a better variety of fall colors, but when the shapes and contrasts of mountains and spruces are added to the fall colors, the Rocky Mountain scenes can’t be matched anywhere. If you’ve hiked some distance to see this, you’ll be a little out of breath because of the elevation, but what a great benefit for your eyes when you have to sit down for minute to catch up on your oxygen.

A background of dark cliffs and rocks makes Aspen and Spruce trees stand out dramatically. If only I could walk over there for a while . . .

Driving down San Juan National Forest roads you sometimes need to be watchful for mud, rocks, or deep potholes, and when you come to a bend in the road, you need to slow down for that infrequent chance that another driver might be coming from the other direction. When the seasons change to fall, you only need to be ready to take it all in.

Every now and then, long-legged birds like the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), take naps while standing on one leg. Balance doesn’t seem to be a problem for them.

The Western Blue Flag Iris (Iris missouriensis) is the only native wild iris in Colorado. In areas where the ground holds significant moisture at the right elevations, it grows abundantly and can lead to gorgeous displays in early summer.

The Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea) is Colorado’s state flower. This wildflower is gorgeous among its natural surroundings of other plants and rocks and wood, but when all that other stuff is removed, the beauty of this flower shines even stronger.

This work has been exhibited at the Botanicals - Flora of the World Exhibition, Decagon Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, September, 2025. See Exhibitions.

Price includes a back-mounted black wood inset frame with a wire hanger. If you would like a different hanging mechanism (Sawtooth for small prints or Wall Buddies for large prints - same price), please let me know on the Contact page.