My mission is to create images that I want you to see.

If I do it right, I'll make you pause from busy life. 

I tirelessly seek out places that other people (the internet) rave about and also places people never see (or pay attention to.) 

For better or worse, these scenes are how I see them, or how I want you to see them.  

Naturally, they are biased.  

Or should I say-- they are biased artificially through my eyes and camera lenses.

Often times, I stand alone, marveling at what every other human on the planet is missing at this very moment.  It's a gratifying and guilty pleasure I must say.

Sometimes, you just have to be there.  You must see it with your own eyes.  

• Perhaps there is much more context that cannot fit into a picture.
• Perhaps the experience is impossible to recreate.
• Maybe the other senses add much more to further enhance the visual sensation.

These complications will certainly never stop me from trying to present it to you.

Here are my favorite Top 7 photographic moments that I urge you to see with your own eyes.  For dramatic effect, I have ranked them in reverse order.  

Number one cannot be missed if you ever have the chance to witness it.

7. Mount Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore is a feat that can only be appreciated in real life.  How did they do this?  Learn all about it as they show the slow and steady progression through intriguing old-time photographs.  Keep in mind it was started in 1927 and took 14 years to complete.  Let that sink in. It's absolutely stunning to see the end result.  I'm proud that it is in my home state of South Dakota.  Sorry Statue of Liberty, you lose this one.

6. Cloud Inversions

I always salivate when I watch other photographers capturing cloud inversions on YouTube videos.  I don't live in a place where this happens, so when I was in North Carolina, I finally got the chance to see one.  A cloud inversion, or temperature inversion, is when the normal temperature distribution of air – warm at the bottom, colder as you go up – becomes inverted or flipped upside down. This means you have a cold layer of air trapped at ground level, overlain by warm air.  

5. Whales

It was a bucket list item and we went all out with a private whale tour in Juno, Alaska. I spent a lot of time taking and making pictures of whale tails.

4. Glasswing Butterfly

Greta oto, its official name, is a species of brush-footed butterfly and member of the subfamily Danainae, tribe Ithomiini, and subtribe Godyridina. How about that for a mouth full?  It is known by the common name glasswing butterfly for its transparent wings, which allow it to camouflage without extensive coloration.

I give credit to my daughter, Livia, for helping me track one down. They are incredibly difficult to see not to mention chase.  They are one of the most elusive butterflies I've chased--so quick and hardly ever sit still.

3. Turquoise Water

I always look at the water.  I examine it in all times of day.  It's hard to put into words when you see crystal clear water that reveal every shade of blue and turquoise.  Its purity is so inviting.

2. Na Pali Coast

It's so marvelous that I had to see it twice.  The Na Pali coast in Kauai Hawaii is truly a gem.  The rugged formations intertwined with unforgettable colors makes this one of the most amazing sights of my lifetime.  See it from water and from air--both are spectacular.

1. Solar Eclipse

The solar eclipse of 2017 will forever be engrained in my mind.  A total solar eclipse will boggle your mind and your eyes.  For the day to turn from day to night in seconds is the most eerie thing possible.  For the moon to cover the sun exactly in alignment and size is mesmerizing. 

I'll never stop trying to capture these miraculous sightings on my camera.  I'm glad to have experienced them.