From Field to Postcard: Sharing Images Across Flaming Gorge
One of the things I love most about photography is that you never really know where an image will end up.
Some photographs become prints hanging on a wall. Others live quietly in a hard drive waiting for the right opportunity. Every now and then, though, a photograph takes on a life of its own.
Earlier this year, the Intermountain Natural History Association (INHA) licensed six of my photographs to be turned into postcards that are now available throughout the Flaming Gorge region. If you've visited one of the area's visitor centers, national monuments, or public lands recently, there's a chance you've already seen them.
For me, that's a pretty incredible feeling.
When I first picked up a camera years ago, I never imagined that photographs I made while exploring the landscapes and wildlife around my home would someday become something visitors could take home with them. It's a reminder that photography has the ability to connect people—not just to an image, but to a place.
What makes this project especially meaningful is the mission behind it. INHA supports the interpretation and education of some of the most remarkable public lands in northeastern Utah, northwestern Colorado, and southwestern Wyoming, including Dinosaur National Monument, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Ashley National Forest, and several other treasured places within the area I call home. Knowing that my photographs can play even a small part in helping visitors connect with these landscapes and wildlife is an honor.
Like all of the images I share, these weren't created on a special assignment or during an expensive expedition. They came from early mornings before work, quiet evenings after work, weekends spent exploring, and countless hours simply paying attention.
A few weeks ago, INHA mailed me a box containing the finished postcards. Holding them for the first time was a surreal experience. Rather than letting the extra postcards sit in a drawer, I decided I'd rather share them. I'm giving away ten postcard sets. Each set has siz cards, one of each image the INHA licensed.
If you'd like to enter, head over to my Instagram or Facebook giveaway post, which will be pinned at the top. Before you leave here, please take a few moments to visit my online gallery so you can tell me which photograph is your favorite. I'm always curious which images resonate with other people, and your answers help me understand what stories are connecting most.
Whether you've purchased a print, left a kind comment, shared one of my posts, or simply taken a moment to enjoy a photograph, thank you. Every bit of encouragement has helped make opportunities like this possible.
I hope that, wherever these postcards eventually travel, they inspire someone to slow down, step outside, and experience the incredible landscapes and wildlife that make Flaming Gorge such a special place.
And who knows—maybe one day you'll spot one of them in a visitor center and smile knowing the story behind it.
