Journal

My old journal/blog commenced in 2006 and was retired in early June 2021. Fifteen years worth of posts - articles, gear reviews, announcements, trip reports, photographs, environmental issues, and much more - can be found here. Please subscribe to my Journal to stay tuned (I recommend Feedly). Thank you for reading.

Categories:
Photograph: Manly Beacon, Death Valley National Park
February 12, 2025  |  Death Valley, California

Manly Beacon, a Death Valley icon - so named for the 1849 Death Valley emigrant pioneer, William Lewis Manly, is a beautiful structure in the Furnace Creek Formation and has a widely varied façade by compass direction...

How to Follow This Journal and Receive Automatic Updates with New Content
January 29, 2025

As you may have read in this journal or in a recent Facebook post, I am slowly exiting the use of social media. The big social sites belong to democracy-busting oligarchs who no longer want to be in the business of providing factual information...

Photographic Myths: #1
January 28, 2025

Photographic Myths #1: "the light isn't great, let's try black & white"

Good black and white photography is way of thinking and visualizing. It is not a casual afterthought, nor can it be effectively used as a rescue for poor quality of light or composition...

Photograph: Eureka Valley Dune Grass (Swallenia alexandrae)
January 26, 2025  |  Eureka Valley, California

The unique and elegant Eureka Valley Dune Grass (Swallenia alexandrae) in soft light on rippled Eureka Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park. Some of these plants were recently harmed when someone illegally drove on the dunes...

Moab Photo Symposium, September 25-28, 2025

The Moab Photography Symposium (MPS) successfully presents known leaders and new voices in the field of landscape-based fine art photography. The MPS goal has always been to motivate people to personalize their personal photography, which is accomplished via entertaining and enlightening presentations, small field workshops, technical sessions, and the well-loved evening photoJAM! where attendees share their work...

Welcome!
January 22, 2025

Welcome! Whether you're here at the Journal for the first time or a repeat visitor, I sincerely thank you for reading. My goal is to steal attention away from social media platforms and divert it back to my Journal, where there are no ads, fake users, stupid AI photos and videos, nor an oligarchic owner spying on your use behaviors for monetary or political gain...

How to Help Those Impacted by the Los Angeles Wildfires
January 17, 2025  |  Los Angeles, California

My heart grieves for and is with the thousands of Angelenos who have been affected by the devastating wildfires that have destroyed their lives and Los Angeles communities over the past week. I dearly hope that all readers of this newsletter are safe and were out of harms way...

Published: Elements Landscape Photography Magazine #47
January 16, 2025

ELEMENTS Landscape Photography Magazine #47 contains a special feature on iconic American photographer Eliot Porter...

Outside Magazine: A Driver’s “Reckless Joyride” Damaged the Eureka Dunes in Death Valley
January 15, 2025  |  Death Valley National Park, California

Because of my long connection to and expertise on Death Valley National Park, I am often contacted by media to provide information on happenings and incidents in the park. On Monday, January 13, the National Park Service revealed that a motorist (aka asshole) had illegally driven onto Eureka Dunes sometime in late December or early January...

Published: Nature Vision Magazine #7
December 1, 2024

My article Print Your Legacy, along with eight of my photographs, appears in Nature Vision Magazine #7, a publication of Nature Photographers Network. In this article, I provide a practical guide to self-publishing affordable photo books...

NEW Collector's Folio: DENIZENS
September 11, 2024

I am excited to announce the release of my beautiful new Denizens Collector's Folio.

Michael on We Talk Photo: The Podcast for Landscape & Nature Photography
August 1, 2024

It was a pleasure to be with Jack Graham and John Pedersen again on their wonderful podcast We Talk Photo!

New Book: DENIZENS
July 11, 2024

I am excited to announce the release of my newest book, DENIZENS

Scouting, Vision, & Perseverance
June 5, 2024  |  Death Valley, California

Location scouting is a vital element of filmmaking and commercial photography. Many landscape photographers also employ scouting in their strategies, although the strategies of most differ greatly from my own...

On Exhibition: DENIZENS - February 7 - March 2, 2024 - Sacramento, California
December 15, 2023

I'm excited to announce that my exhibition Denizens opens on February 7, 2024 and runs through March 2, 2024, at the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in Sacramento, California

Published: ELEMENTS #34, Special Black & White Double Issue
December 15, 2023

It's an honor to have my article Strange Worlds and thirteen of my images appear in the December special double issue of Elements Landscape Photography Magazine, dedicated exclusively to Black & White photography...

Published: Nature Vision Magazine #2
October 2023

My article Perseverance and eight of my images appear in Issue #2 of Nature Vision Magazine

Published: LensWork #161
February 2023

It is an honor and thrill to have a Featured Portfolio in LensWork #161 (February 2023)! 

Published: Outdoor Photographer Magazine
November 2022

My article and images appear in the November 2022 Special Black + White Issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine

Elements Landscape Photography Magazine - Featured Interview
02 October 2022

It is an honor and thrill to have the cover image and featured interview in the October 2022 issue (#20) of Elements Landscape Photography Magazine.

Photograph: Storm Over Cochise Head
27 September 2022  |  Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona

Although I hike a great many miles and climb a number of new mountains every year in the pursuit of my photographs and in the best life possible, I rarely talk about my exploits (certainly not online) and typically refrain from location specificity...

On Juried Photo Competitions/Contests & Juried Exhibitions
20 August 2022

Make no mistake about it: most photographic competitions and exhibitions exist to grow the business and bank account of the host/sponsor(s). With few exceptions, they rarely exist as an altruistic enterprise for the advancement of photographer's careers...

Staying Alive
Summer 2022

It’s that time of year when the body count rises with ambient air temperature.

Living the Dream: The Landscape Photography Show
20 April 2022

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by David Johnston for The Landscape Photography Show where we talked about how I got my start in photography, my approach to photographing the California desert in black and white, and also why photographers should learn to say no to bring the value back into the industry...

9th Annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo
04 November 2021  |  Joshua Tree National Park, California

My photograph The Bolo and Baguette hangs in the 9th Annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo, opening this weekend, November 6-7. It's a juried exposition; 108 artists entered 253 pieces of art and mine is among the 61 pieces that will hang in yet another great show...

It Ended With a Bang
03 November 2021

My last morning in Denver ended with a bang. I had driven from my home in Southern California to Denver over the course of two days to visit with my brother and sister in law, Sara, their young Labrador pup, Sadie (my new dog niece), and my longtime friend, Katy, before I would carry my camera high into the Rockies...

Book Review: Another Day Not Wasted by Guy Tal
05 October 2021
Guy Tal: Another Day Not Wasted

“Don’t be afraid to live”

Guy Tal’s latest book, Another Day Not Wasted: Meditations on Photography, Art, and Wildness, should find its way into the collection of every nature and landscape photographer who wishes to elevate their life and life experiences...

On Exhibition: Roots
09 August 2021

My photograph Roots is on exhibition as part of the "Rooted" fundraising group exhibition at Greenly Art Space in Signal Hill, California (in the greater Long Beach area). This exhibition runs through October 9, 2021, gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11am-2pm or by appointment (562-533-4020)...

Out of Death Valley 2022
8 July 2021

JOIN ME! Next year I am teaching alongside many great photographers at Out of Death Valley. It is an immersive, 5-day landscape photography conference taking place January 26th-30th, 2022 at Death Valley National Park...

24 June 2021

"It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment" Ansel Adams

If you’ve followed my photographs and words long enough, you’ve seen and heard me speak about the California desert and renewable or “green” energy, and perhaps not necessarily in the friendliest of fashions...

TAKE ACTION: Massive Solar Project Threatens the Eastern Boundary of Death Valley National Park
23 June 2021

Friends, please take action TODAY to help protect Death Valley National Park, wildlife, and public lands. This photograph depicts the Bullfrog Hills just east of Death Valley National Park, in Nye County, Nevada...

Photograph: The Prepared Mind
23 June 2021

Incredible stormy light and shadow at sunrise over the Last Chance Mountains, Death Valley National Park. ©Michael E. Gordon. I enjoy creative titling of photographs. Here I've mixed the famous quote of French microbiologist/chemist, Louis Pasteur, with the name of the mountain range seen in the photograph...

Published: Elements Landscape Photography Magazine #4
22 June 2021

My article Home along with nine of my photographs appears in the June 2021 issue of Elements Landscape Photography Magazine. It's an honor to share the pages with photographic luminaries such as Bruce Barnbaum, Nick Brandt, Michael Frye, and Christopher Burkett...

Photograph: Sheltered
22 June 2021

Fendler's Meadow Rue (Thalictrum fendleri) in the sheltered embrace of California Corn Lily (Veratrum californicum). Photo © Michael E. Gordon. Purchase your fine art print today.

You are visiting the Journal of fine art landscape photographer Michael E. Gordon. Please follow the navigation links at the top of this page for additional photographs and information. The old blog (2006-2020) has been retired but is archived and all articles remain available for reading. You can also find Michael on Facebook and Instagram.