You know that little ditty by Johnny Cash? The one that begins with “I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere, man…?” Well, there were times this summer when that song could have been my anthem.

Barred Owl *(Strix varia)* - North Central Minnesota
Nikon D500 + Nikon 200-400mm f/4.0 VR

June belonged to Iceland where I spent nearly two weeks photographing the southern coast and midnight sun. Home for only a day and suffering from sleep deprivation, I boarded another plane, but this time it was pointed to New York.

Just a Pastoral Landscape under Stormy Skies, MN
Nikon D810 + Nikon 18-35mm G

July began with a camping trip to the headwaters of the Mississippi River and ended with seven days in and around Santa Cruz, CA. By the time I was home long enough to re-established my position in the pecking order with the dogs, it was time to leave for Munich, Germany. Ironically, this trip was via Iceland; so, should you need advice about the best restrooms in Keflavik International Airport, send me a note… I’m your man.

Deceptively Small Falls
Nikon D810 + Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Micro VR (9 image focus stack)

Despite the travel and opportunity to make images in some fairly exotic locations, I do enjoy practicing my craft close to home. While I still have thousands of photos to edit and process from my Icelandic adventure and paddle throughout the Elkhorn Slough, I can’t suppress the urge to shoot the places that I know best. So while it’s likely the next few blogs will focus on the flora and fauna of Iceland or California, this gallery is all about the upper Midwest.