The question was posed to me the other day, whether I preferred sunrises or sunsets. It wasn’t mentioned, but I assume (always dangerous) that they were referring to Wayne (third person?) the photographer, not the human being.

Below is my personal definition of the difference between sunrise and sunset, as a photographer and a human being.

I think both are beautiful and are the perfect time for personal reflection. With that said, there is no question I love sunrises even more than sunsets. The sunrise is the beginning of something new, the sunset is the end what’s passed. The sunrise casts a “new light” on the land, and on you (us). It shines that light over the darkness. Sunrise is a chance to start over again. It presents itself, as a new beginning.

I have been through periods in my life, when I was a child of the darkness, and I am not referring to photography. Everything I found was misleading. Eventually I found truth in light. I love, coming out of the darkness and into the light. Where there’s new light, there’s new hope. That’s true in photography and life.

Sunrise

Sunset

All of the above pictures are similar on their surface, but hold a different meaning or definition for me.

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I love this Charles Glatzer image of a loon swimming underwater. Making great wildlife shots takes a serious commitment and we (viewers) are all the better for the fact that image makers like Charles, have made that commitment. My definition of a photographer who is personally dedicated to his selection of subjects, is Charles Glatzer.

Art Wolfe is the modern icon of outdoor photography. He has issued an updated version of his renowned book, Migrations. This Art’s 99^th book. I can only imagine what he has planned for his 100^th.

Nobody has defined outdoor photography like Art Wolfe. The entire world is his subject, and his friendly, I am just like you attitude, makes him the definitive ambassador for photography.

Brenda Tharp is one of the world’s best known travel/nature photographers, and it is well deserved. This shot shows the cracked mud and wildflowers that you can find at Death Valley N. P.. Both life and death, all on one image.

When I think of travel, Brenda Tharp is the first name that comes to mind.

Valerie Millet continues her march into the higher echelons of nature landscape photography. Every time I see another one of her Facebook posts her work is appearing in another major publication. Among them is the legendary Arizona Highways, and the nature photographer’s handbook, Outdoor Photographer. Within the last year she had a fall in the California backcountry and I believe, needed to be helicopter lifted out. We are all grateful she survived without permanent damage.

Valerie Millett for National Parks 2016

It is fun watching somebody go from zero to one hundred on the scale of outdoor photographers, but that’s what Valerie has been doing in front of my eyes. I always root for those who are in the process of that climb.

Guy Tal continues to impress me with his artistic eye for the semi-abstract. He compresses shapes , tones and light onto a single plane, which creates a visionary canvas. That creation is done almost entirely by the selection of his shooting location, and lens choice. That’s my personal definition of having an artistic eye

Guy is in fact, my personal definition of nature/landscape artistry.

I always think in terms of how I define things. Politics, social behavior, art, sports, you name it. Without a definition, all is just chaos.

Happy Trails (what does that saying mean (definition) to you),  Wayne