This photo was captured from an extremely low angle (I was lying on the ground) over an artificial pool filled with water lilies in the Wintergarden greenhouse in Auckland, New Zealand.

Handheld, 1/45 sec at f/11 on ISO 100, 17-35mm f/2.8 lens

I've always liked this extremely long shot (at 500mm) of a woman trudging up a sand dune in Death Valley National Park. She was quite literally the only other person that I and my traveling companion, Jeremy, could see for many miles around. Death Valley is a great place to go to get away from people - it's easy to be alone there.

Handheld, unrecorded exposure at f/6.3 on Velvia 50, 170-500mm f/5-6.3 lens

The Chabot Space and Science Center, although not as big as some other observatories, has a number of interesting exhibits. I was particularly fascinated by a series of kaleidoscope exhibits they had. Looking into this, you can almost feel like you're looking into infinity in a way that staring into the night sky doesn't convey.

Handheld, 1/640 sec at f/6.7 on ISO 800, 105mm f/2.8 macro lens

One of the pleasures of dining at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California is sitting right on the open kitchen and watching the graduate students work.

Handheld, 1/90 sec at f/2.8 on ISO 800, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens

Most people don't know what Thompson Seedless grapes look like when fully ripe. The supermarkets always sell them when they are green and tart. This is what it looks like when they are picked at their peak ripeness and if you see this yellow (with a hint of orange) color on Thompson Seedless grapes in your market… buy them!

Handheld, 1/125 sec at f/1.8 on ISO 400, 85mm f/1.8 lens

I got up early in the morning and hiked down to the beach from our motel in Fort Bragg, California in January 2002 to get this shot. Shortly after this picture was taken, my tripod fell into the water and to this day I still have sand in the tripod legs. That's kind of special since my tripod's fallen into both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.

Tripod, 15 sec at f/22 on Velvia 50, 28mm lens

This isn't quite what the Badwater (the lowest point in Death Valley and North America) looks like, but this is what got recorded onto the film as I shot into the sun. The Badwater have a lot of salt deposits and it's pretty much blindingly bright. I stopped down the lens - probably to f/22 for this shot.

Tripod, unrecorded exposure at f/22 on Velvia 50, 28mm lens

I took this picture in September of 2000 on a rainy day in Yosemite. The photograph was taken at Glacier Point.

Tripod, unrecorded exposure on Velvia 50, 170-500mm f/5-6.3 lens

In 2005, we spent a week photographing a snow covered Yosemite Valley. The day we arrived, two coyotes were waiting for us on the side of the road. Here's one of the first pictures we took of them. (Later, while photographing waterfalls from across the Merced River, the two coyotes came barreling out of the treeline fighting/wrestling only a few feet away from us. Instead of photographing them, I backed out slowly hoping they wouldn't turn on us.)

Handheld, 1/125 sec at f/2.8 on ISO 200, 70-200mm f/2.8

I snapped this shot of a kittiwake in flight while strolling along the harbor in Seward, Alaska.

Handheld, 1/3000 sec at f/2.8 on ISO 200, 70-200mm f/2.8 lens