Stories
Blog Posts
-
Waiting for a Table
Field Notes We pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant. An old brick building that used to be a train station, but now serves the best pizza in town. On the way to the door, I noticed them. Already in line. Not a word between them. No shifting of…
-
The Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador sits at a lofty elevation of nearly 9400ft making it the highest capital anywhere in the world. The historic center is among the best-preserved in the Americas. In 1978 it became the first World Cultural Heritage Site declared by UNESCO. I visited Quito earlier this month. Check out…
-
Photographing the Mindo Cloud Forest of Ecuador: Mist, Birds, and Waterfalls
A few hours northwest of Quito, on the wester slopes of the Andes, lies the Mindo Cloud Forest. Here, between 4,000 to 6,000ft above sea level, the forested mountains dissolve into the clouds in one of the most biologically rich ecosystems on earth. Join me as I hike the trails…
-
Cotopaxi: Following Humboldt and Frederic Church into the Andes
The Stratovolcano Cotopaxi in Ecuador tops out at nearly 19,400ft in elevation. I spent a couple weeks in Ecuador recently and had the chance to photograph this iconic peak. Check out my images and article on one of the most famous volcanoes in the world.
-
Robert Roy MacGregor
In 2012, I embarked on a road trip across the Scottish Highlands. I arrived in Edinburgh and departed from Inverness two weeks later. I had a rental car but no reservations anywhere, nor an itinerary. The main goals were to experience the lands of my ancestors and sample as many…
-
Opposite Seasons on Lake Michigan
These two photos were taken from the Menomonee Marina. Menomonee sits along the western shore of Lake Michigan, looking east across Green Bay. One is from the dead of winter. The other at the height of summer. The contrast is interesting.
-
The Cats of Istanbul
In Istanbul, cats are everywhere, moving through the streets with the quiet confidence of locals – because they are. In a city as old as civilization itself, thousands of people acting with sympathy turn acts of kindness into a feline infrastructure.
-
Along the Bosphorus to the Black Sea
During my visit to Istanbul, I hired a driver. He took me from the ancient city and its Golden Horn all the way to the mouth of the Black Sea. He was a wonderful host and guide. My camera was in my hands like a permanent appendage. I believe he…
-
A Dream Journey to Istanbul
It began with a recurring dream. A small, vivid vignette that returned again and again. Predawn light hangs over the cobblestone streets below. A man pushes a cart piled with bread. Two figures in black drift silently along the stones. The chanting echoes through narrow canyons of block walls. The…
Gary Donaldson Photography +
Exploring the Intersection of Photography, Nature, and Travel.
“The Journey itself is my home.”
— Matsuo Bashō
