As has become an annual tradition around these parts...

Looking back...

2014 was a very important year in my life. I married my amazing wife in October and spent much of the year acclimating myself to a new career. It was a year of growth and change, of new beginnings and developing ideas, and it seemed to pass almost before I fully realized it was even here.

Photographically speaking, it was not my most productive year. I spent much of the second half preparing for a wedding and getting more involved in my job, and I struggled a bit with the concept of what to do next with my work. This struggle is a common issue for anyone in a creative endeavor, and I've found myself stuck many times over the almost-decade that I've been working on my various projects. In fact, the very mention of an "almost-decade" passing makes me wonder exactly what I've been up to all this time. It's not difficult to see some sort of progress in my photographs but I often feel like I've been standing far too still.

The answer to all of this artistic uncertainty? Work harder, continue to find inspiration, and find as much time as I possibly can to get out in the world and explore.

from Fontenelle. 2014. — from *Fontenelle*. 2014.

Moving forward...

Two of my long-term projects are finished and ready to see the light of day.

Fontenelle - This photographic exploration of Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska will be exhibited this year at the Forest's Nature Center. I'm still toying with the idea of a book, but have not yet been satisfied with the black and white printing available at a more reasonable price. This is work that I'm very excited to share with everyone as it is such a big departure from everything I've worked on to this point. It's a project about a walk in the woods, exploring everything around, and finding something interesting in even the smallest details.

Untitled Loess Hills Project - I've decided that this Western Iowa project is now done, at least the photography part of it. Next up is to find a title and look for a way to exhibit as many of the images as possible. This is a black and white project that I've been working with off and on for quite a few years, wandering down nearly every road and into every town I can find.

I have three main goals for 2015:

Exhibit more often. This begins with a few photographs from ninety-three on display at the Young Professionals Summit in Omaha on March 5.
Begin to look for new ways to fund both the making and exhibition of work.
Start something entirely new and finish at least one idea that I have been working on.

Thank you to everyone for your interest and support. I look forward to showing you more of what I've been working this year.