Trying not to sound like an advertisement for tripods, but I really love my Benbo Trekker. It is an extremely well engineered piece of British equipment and is the only tripod that has accommodated every place I have desired to place a camera. For this photo, I'm set up between the seats on a 737 so I could capture this through the window.

I was hiking to the Paria wilderness in Arizona and parked my car in southern Utah, as far as the nearest dirt road would take me. On my way to the Arizona border (located at the "V" on the far left), I passed by a grouping of vermillion striped mounds that reminded me of a dessert of some sort. Perhaps it was just the heat and my desire for something cold to eat.

Bamboo gate in Japanese garden

long and soft water drops at the upper Talafofo Falls in southern Guam

this is a Maple tree photographed at night and illuminated only by an industrial-strength helium-cadmium laser (441-nanometer blue). extra care was taken to perform this unusual lighting technique in a secluded country setting due the laser beam having an effective distance of 35-miles. I'd like to note that no plants or animals (or photography assistants) were harmed in the making of this photo; although, we might have sterilized a few mosquitoes.

On my way back to the studio, after a routine walk with the camera, I stopped to rest a moment halfway up a steep hill. It was early autumn and the leaves had begun their colour cycle. Like most of us, sometimes I forget to look up to see what's directly above. In my moment of fatigue (too much gear), I arched my back to stretch and WOW! I was standing right under a perfect shot. A lower branch spread across my view with bright red leaves and a little higher up was a maple that turned yellow and just past that, a couple different greens from the oaks. Topped off with patches of deep blue sky, it was truly a colourful moment.

A short distance from the studio, there is a woods that slopes into a large marsh area. In this area, I commonly find many little things to capture on film. Although I'm in a four-season climate, it is not uncommon for there to be orchids growing in the wild at places like this marshy woods. This type of cypripedium orchid is commonly called "Lady's Slipper" as the bloom shape resembles the footwear.