Welcome

Photo © Jake Rutherford

I came of age when our country rallied around the planet. As I was being formed as a young adult, we passed the Wilderness Act, the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and organized the first Earth Day. I was exploring and adventuring in wild places at every moment.

For the last 30 years I have taught a photography workshop on seeing the natural world. I call it A Natural Eye, and it has been a blast. We often start by leaving cameras behind, going off to sit quietly in a place of beauty, and of course then, free of the cameras, the ideas pour in! I lead activities that have grown adults capturing shadows, looking at the world upside down through mirrors, and following the wind through branches. We learn that reading a poem, looking at a painting, or watching water drip from a branch into a pond, are high-level skills leading to fresh and personal photographs.

During these years I have also been a quiet writer, constantly collecting ideas, stories, and insights. I am seduced by light, enraptured by art, and mesmerized by simple wonders. In this Substack journey I am opening a treasure trove of stories, little pearls celebrating beauty and inspiration, in the hope it might deepen the way you see the world.

A friend told me my photographs were a love song to the earth. I deeply believe that one way into taking care of something is falling in love with it. I also believe that loving something can give us the strength to defend what we care about.