Another Song, Another Mile... Ramblings on Photography-The Environment-Society-Life

The latest round of votes are now all tallied and the divisional champions have been crowned as we head in to this weekend's Final Four. I've made a slight adjustment to the schedule- it's been a hard fought week and today has been...

The second round votes are all counted, and a sincere thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to share their views on the competing images. I definitely appreciate both the insight and the thought you've all put into your responses, and I'm eager to see where this next round leads, as many "crowd favorites" will now be meeting head to head...

The votes are counted and results are in, and it's time to move on to Round 2 of this year's March Madness tournament. Before we do, however, I want to express a sincere thank you to everyone who has taken part so far...

The results are in, with the images highlighted above advancing to Round 2.

A breakdown of opening round votes by platform (FB-Facebook, IG-Instagram, T- Twitter, E- Email) for the Iowa Landscapes Division are as follows...

The results are in, with the images highlighted above advancing to Round 2.

A breakdown of opening round votes by platform (FB-Facebook, IG-Instagram, T- Twitter, E- Email) for the U...

The results are in, with the images highlighted above advancing to Round 2.

A breakdown of opening round votes by platform (FB-Facebook, IG-Instagram, T- Twitter, E- Email) for the "Open Road" Division are as follows...

We're kicking off this year's March Madness Photo Showdown with 32 images, split into 4 divisions that coincide with entry categories at the Iowa State Fair. Your votes will help me to decide which of these photos to submit to this year's fair photo contest...

This category has of course long been near and dear to me, as one of my primary photo goals has always been to showcase the beauty of Iowa- in all it's seasons, features and forms. I do have a couple of ideas for specific locations that I'd like to attempt to photograph this spring if conditions line up well- so this is the one division where I am most likely to add options prior to this year's entry deadline- but for now these are my top contenders...

The official title for this category at the fair is "U.S. Places and Landscapes" -so it can include a wide variety of subject matter (including human made structures.) I have a mix here for consideration, with a few newer images photographed last year in Arkansas and Colorado, and the others taken in years prior...

Though I generally only print in black and white by request, I do enjoy experimenting in this format, and as far as awards at the state fair go this is the category where I've had the most success...

Each year, the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon has one special themed category- this year's being "The Open Road." Entries are open to personal interpretation (so it doesn't necessarily have to be a far-reaching stretch of highway...

On behalf of the Frank "Kinney" Holbrook Memorial Society, I'm excited to share that we will take part in a special Black history month presentation on Saturday, February 19 at Hope + Elim Church, 2500 University Avenue, Des Moines...

The following post originates from my October 22 newsletter, and ties in as a continuation of a review of my 2021 season, and my focus for the future. To view that newsletter, click HERE.

-I went out a couple days recently to photograph the fall color...

With a busy art show season coming to a close it’s time to turn some of my focus back to writing again, including renewed effort on this long neglected blog. While much of what I post here going forward will be photography or environmental themed, I do like to mix some more general life stuff in from time to time...

I always appreciate the moments in life that present opportunity for reflection, and find that returning to places where significant chapters of our stories have played out can provide great windows to recognize the influences of our past...

One of the biggest motivations in sharing my photography has always been in celebrating wonders found in the great outdoors, and the hope of opening eyes to the beauty that exists all around. I’ve always found deep reverence and connection in the natural world, and my photos are documentation of the special times I spend there...

I held a contest recently in which I matched a number of photos against each other and asked viewers to vote for which they liked best. Throughout the tournament, the most common reason people offered to explain the choice they’d made was “bright” or “unique” colors...

Well I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pulling for my sentimental favorites... especially as we got into the later rounds. So when "After the Storm" made it to the final it felt a bit like poetic justice in a way...

"MORAINE LAKE" vs "AFTER THE STORM"

The people have spoken, results are in and we've made it to the Championship round.

Out of the Canadian Rockies is "Moraine Lake" -the number one seed from the Mountains Division that sailed through the competition thanks to its dramatic sky and turquoise glacial water...

The Division champs have been crowned, and now we move on to see how each fairs against the favorites from other landscapes. Voting in these semi-final match-ups ("Moraine Lake" vs "Mesa Arch" and "After the Storm" vs "Macbride Rainbow") will run through noon central, Sunday, March 28...

Results are in on the Elite 8 round, and we've crowned the Divisional Champions. I was a bit surprised by the final point margins with many of these as I expected much closer contests...

Time to determine the Divisional Champions and see which photos move on to the Final Four. A few of these have sailed through the tournament without too much of a challenge, but we'll see how long that holds true as many crowd favorites are about to clash...

The votes are in and the Sweet 16 round is in the books. There were a couple of very close match-ups this time, but for the most part winner's are advancing after comfortable victories...

Rolling on through the March Madness tournament, and the match-ups are getting tougher. There were a few upsets in Round 2, and it's admittedly hard watching some of my favorites go down (you guys gave me a bit of a gut-punch taking "Make a Wish" out with that little known redwood scene; but that's the sentiment I talked about...

The results are in and Round 2 is officially in the books. There were definitely some close races and a few upsets in this one, with only a few blow outs. It will be interesting to see how these matches tighten and which photo is still standing in the end...

Welcome to Round 2 of the March Madness Photo Showdown. Below you will find the pairings for this round's Desert & Canyons Division match-ups. Click on the image titles listed below each graphic to view any given photo at full size...

Welcome to Round 2 of the March Madness Photo Showdown. Below you will find the pairings for this round's Prairie & Forests Division match-ups. Click on the image titles listed below each graphic to view any given photo at full size...

Welcome to Round 2 of the March Madness Photo Showdown. Below you will find the pairings for this round's Waters Division match-ups. Click on the image titles listed below each graphic to view any given photo at full size...

Welcome to Round 2 of the March Madness Photo Showdown. Below you will find the pairings for this round's Mountain Division match-ups. Click on the image titles listed below each graphic to view any given photo at full size...

Welcome to Round 2 of the March Madness Photo Showdown! Click on the divisions below to see second round pairings. You'll find a link at the bottom of each page if you'd like to submit your picks by email...

The final tally of first round votes for photos from the Desert & Canyon Division are as follows, with total number of votes across platforms determining which photo from each pairing will advance to Round 2...

The final tally of first round votes for photos from the Prairie & Forests Division are as follows, with total number of votes across platforms determining which photo from each pairing will advance to Round 2...

The final tally of first round votes for photos from the Waters Division are as follows, with total number of votes across platforms determining which photo from each pairing will advance to Round 2...

The final tally of first round votes for photos from the Mountain Division are as follows, with total number of votes across platforms determining which photo from each pairing will advance to Round 2...

The results are in and votes all counted from the first round of the 2021 March Madness Photo Showdown. Thank you so much to all who have participated in the contest so far...