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:

Free Your Mind and the Images Will Follow

August 20, 2026

This article was originally published in Medium Format magazine, May 2022.

Treat every location like a photojournalist or forensics detective - work the scene. And exercise your mind (refer to the benefits of neuroplasticity). There is not just one photograph to be found here, there, or anywhere; the number is infinite.

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Mount Graham Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis)

August 20, 2026 | Pinaleño Mountains, Arizona

Mount Graham red squirrel (*Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis*)

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Desert Light: Landscape Photography in Joshua Tree National Park

August 13, 2026

Please join me for this special workshop and experience, in and around Joshua Tree National Park, March 17-22, 2027.

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Sentinel

June 30, 2026 | Death Valley, California

A lone raven (*Corvus corax*) watches guard over a volcanic ash-layered canyon and a lone Desert Holly (*Atriplex hymenletrya*) on a moody, stormy morning. Death Valley National Park, California.

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Strange Worlds

June 29, 2026

A monochromatic departure from reality - not merely in subject content but in the photographic concept itself - can allow a viewer to establish a deeper and more immediate connection with the essence of the image.

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Moab Photography Symposium: April 26-29, 2027

June 24, 2026 | Moab, Utah

In April 2027, I am joining seven other talented photographers and instructors in Moab, Utah for the Moab Photography Symposium — and I'd love to see you there.

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Nature & Landscape Photographers Masterclass

June 16, 2026 | Idyllwild, California

Many THANKS to the Professional Photographers of California (PPC) for bringing me on board again to teach for the second year in a row at their 2026 West Coast School - their 70th! Many thanks as well to PPC administration, staff, and volunteers for making my Nature & Landscape Photographers Masterclass a resounding success...

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2026 L.A. Center of Photography Print Auction

February 25, 2026

My photograph Manifestation of the Spirit is open for bidding at the 2026 Los Angeles Center of Photography online print auction.

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The Artful Landscape: February 8-12, 2027

February 20, 2026 | Death Valley, California

Chuck Kimmerle and I are excited to announce our February 8-12, 2027 workshop, *The Artful Landscape*, in Death Valley National Park.

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Published: San Bernardino Sun Newspaper

December 26, 2025

A few of my photographs were published in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper on December 26, 2025.

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Season's Greetings!

December 26, 2025

Happy Holidays to one and all! May your holiday season be bright; may your houses be holy; and may the heights of your prosperous new year be dizzying. May you and yours feel the warmth and peaceful embrace of the season...

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We Talk Photo with Michael Gordon & Guy Tal

November 30, 2025

It was a real pleasure to converse with my friends Jack Graham and John Pedersen of We Talk Photo, who invited me and our good friend, Guy Tal, to another discussion regarding creativity and the creative life, inspiration, and happiness in photography...

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Breaking it Down: Refining Photographic Composition

November 19, 2025 | Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona

“When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave until you have captured its essence...

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Rayleigh Scattering in Nature and Landscape Photography

November 13, 2025

Many photographers have likely never heard of Rayleigh Scattering or considered its impacts on their own photographs. In short, Rayleigh Scattering is the scattering or deflection of light by particles with a size much smaller than the wavelength of the radiation...

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Print Your Legacy in On Landscape Magazine

October 21, 2025

In an age where most of our images live, and disappear, on screens, what does it mean to create something lasting? In our latest article, photographer and educator Michael E. Gordon reflects on the power of the printed book...

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Nature & Landscape Photographers Masterclass: June 7-11, 2026

October 20, 2025 | Idyllwild, California

I'm thrilled to have been invited back by Professional Photographers of California to teach again at their annual West Coast School, the next one slated for June 7-11, 2026, nestled in beautiful Idyllwild, California, in the San Jacinto Mountains...

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Photoshop's New Dust Removal Feature

September 6, 2025

Adobe Photoshop's new Dust Removal feature, part of the Distraction Removal panel in Adobe Camera Raw, is simply amazing. Because I spend many days in the field each year, and during hostile conditions (wind, blown sand/dust) my camera equipment and sensors can get pretty nasty (take a look at my attached image for proof)...

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Voxpop #6: “On Variations”

September 2, 2025

Voxpops (presented by Hintology magazine) are experiments or interviews in which abstract photographers related to the abstract photography community of Hintology either have their work engaged with specific audiences or come to discuss particular topics with regards to their artistic practice...

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Vibrant sans Garish

August 24, 2025

A follow-up question landed in my mailbox following a recent webinar. Webinar participant and writer Mark asked:

The color shot that you processed last evening had soft, subtle color...

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Ask Me Anything!

August 6, 2025

Join me on September 4, 2025, for a 24 hour long Ask Me Anything Q&A session (AMA) hosted by Nature Photographers Network (NPN). NPN's AMA's present a unique opportunity for photographers to engage directly with some of the world’s most renowned nature photographers...

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From RAW to AWE

July 22, 2025

Creative Expressive Editing with Michael E. Gordon and Chuck Kimmerle
August 21, 2025 6pm PST

Editing photographs can be frustrating. While learning how to make basic adjustments is relatively easy, knowing where to begin - or where to end - can be far more challenging...

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Nature and Landscape Photographers Masterclass

June 29, 2025 | Valencia, California

Many THANKS to the Professional Photographers of California (PPC) for bringing me on board to teach recently at their 2025 West Coast School - their 69th! Many thanks as well to PPC Executive Administrator Mel Carll, and to my wonderful and amazing assistant, Sharon Lobel, for making my Nature & Landscape Photographers Masterclass a resounding success...

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For What Else It Is

May 5, 2025

Equivalents was a photographic concept and body of work developed by the godfather of modern photography, Alfred Stieglitz, around 1925, based on his series of abstract cloud photographs. New York Times art critic Andy Grundberg said that Equivalents offer an "existence of a reality behind and beyond that offered by the world of appearances...

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Virtual Presentation, May 6, 2025: Inspiration, Imagination, & Intention in Black & White

April 29, 2025

I will be presenting online for the Harbour City Photography Club in British Columbia, on the evening of May 6, 2025, at 7pm PST. My presentation is entitled "Inspiration, Imagination, & Intention in Black & White"...

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Photograph: The Castle

April 15, 2025 | Nevada, USA

Incubation is a vital part of my process. I made this photograph ten years ago but am only now getting around to seeing and printing it with fresh eyes and fresh mind. If there are any downsides to experiential photography - images borne of experience, most often remarkable and exciting ones - is that the images can often be weighted by the thrill of the experience...

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The Artful Black & White Landscape Photography Workshop

March 21, 2025 | Death Valley, California

Chuck Kimmerle and I completed yet another highly successful Artful Black & White Landscape Photography Workshop on March 14, 2025.

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Peace of Desert

March 4, 2025 | Joshua Tree National Park, California

An eroded and arched quartz monzonite rock formation with Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) and elegant cirrus clouds overhead. Joshua Tree National Park, California.

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Published: Elements Landscape Photography Magazine #47

January 16, 2025

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

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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...

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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...

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NEW Collector's Folio: DENIZENS

September 11, 2024

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

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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!

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New Book: DENIZENS

July 11, 2024

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

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Join me on August 7 for my Summer Speaker Series Class!

July 8, 2024

Please join me August, 7, 2024 for a live Zoom session with *Nature Photography Classes Summer Speaker Series!*

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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...

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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

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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...

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Published: Nature Vision Magazine #2

October 2023

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

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Published: LensWork #161

February 2023

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

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Published: Outdoor Photographer Magazine

November 2022

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

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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*.

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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...

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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...

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Staying Alive

Summer 2022

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

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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)...

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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...

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"Green" Energy?

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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.

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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.