Storm Clouds Over Chaco Ruins Toddler T-Shirt

Storm clouds gather over the Anasazi ruins at Chaco Canyon National Monument.

After spending decades under fluorescent lights in cubicles, offices and semiconductor clean rooms, I escaped. Throughout those years, at every opportunity, I fled to the mountains or to the ocean so that I could feel the sun on my face, breathe fresh air and bask in the glories of nature. I climbed mountains and dove on reefs, always overburdened with too much camera equipment. In those days, photography was my anchor to sanity and humanity, giving me a sense of control that I could not maintain over my technical work. Good, bad, or ugly, my images were my own, free from committee-imposed mediocrity. Now, I am fortunate to be able travel the American West, sometimes backpacking to obscure locations, other times driving in comfort,...