ALAN STENBACK PHOTOGRAPHY
Belize and Central America, in general, are home to numerous spectacular waterfalls of all shapes and sizes. On my frequent trips to the region, I try to chalk another off the list. In Belize alone, I’ve photographed over a dozen.
On March 20th, my 52nd trip around the sun, I spent the day exploring new-to-me areas of southern Colorado, photographing the Sandhill Crane migration in Monte Vista, listening to Mexican radio out of Taos and discovering the oldest town in Colorado: San Luis.
Atlas Obscura recently spotlighted some of Colorado’s top stargazing spots – but there’s more to the story. Up here in Fairplay, we’ve got incredibly dark skies, surrounded by towering peaks, quiet valleys and high-altitude air that makes for seriously crisp Milky Way views.
Let us tell you a little something about the land that keeps calling us back until we finally listened and made it home. Fairplay, Colorado. Right in the heart of what’s officially called South Park.
After nearly a decade, we returned to Taos – where the art scene, adobe architecture and mountain light still hit just right. Taos remains a vibrant mix of old and new. The historic Taos Plaza is surrounded by colorful art galleries, indie coffee shops and local breweries tucked inside centuries-old buildings.
On March 20th, my 52nd trip around the sun, I spent the day exploring new-to-me areas of southern Colorado, photographing the Sandhill Crane migration in Monte Vista, listening to Mexican radio out of Taos and discovering the oldest town in Colorado: San Luis.
Lunar eclipses are an incredible opportunity to capture the moon in a unique and dramatic way. If you’re a fan of night sky photography like me, you don’t want to miss the upcoming total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, 2025.
Our recent excursion through the San Luis Valley and Great Sand Dunes sparked a new black-and-white project!
I like a good abstract project and ancient high-country pines make excellent subjects. Wise, weathered and textured, they tell the story of time’s passage.
Last year around this time I was exploring Bryce Canyon National Park. As I went through my catalog today, I found these images from that early morning
Nestled in the heart of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado – unmarked and accessible only to those adventurous enough to seek them out – stand the legendary Dancing Aspens. Known to landscape photographers as a treasure of nature’s beauty, it was finally my time to capture these aspens in all their golden glory
If you’ve ever tried to perfectly time the peak autumn colors in the Rocky Mountains, you know each year is a gamble. With luck on my side and perfect weather in the forecast on a mid-September weekend, I made a snap decision to travel south to the San Juan Mountains for a weekend of adventure.
Since I’m frequently asked how I create my Moonscapes, I put together this not-so-brief tutorial to illustrate my process. Let’s dive right in, okay?
In the world of modern landscape photography, there are two schools of thought on sharing shooting locations. On one side, some fear that revealing our locations on social media contributes to overcrowding, damage to fragile environments and a growing mistrust from landowners who prefer to grant access only to a select few.
Returning to shoot special locations is an important part of my creative process. Few feelings compare to immersing myself in my natural subjects and spending enough time with them to see their changes from day to night, season to season, and year to year.
Westcliffe, Colorado, is a small town nestled between the grand Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west and the “Wet” Mountains to the east. The area is particularly famous for its dark skies and Westcliffe is one of the few designated International Dark Sky Communities in the country, meaning the town has worked hard to minimize light pollution.
Big Bend National Park in West Texas nestles in the “Big Bend” of the Rio Grande river, marking the boundary between Mexico and Texas. As the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, it is also one of the largest, most remote, and least-visited national parks in the lower 48 states. Its great distance from major urban centers renders the skies over Big Bend among the darkest in North America, making it a prime destination for stargazing and astro-landscape photography.
As a landscape photographer, I’m drawn to the beauty of nature and the places that capture that beauty in unique ways. Cabo Rojo on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico is undeniably one of those places.
Traveling through Mexico always sparks inspiration for novel/offbeat projects. This small project began with a simple mobile shot and quickly turned into an obsession. I’ve photographed agaves before, but never with such intention. These are the first images in what I’m hoping will be many collections.
A highlight of my trip to Mexico City was the Museo Nacional de Antropología. It’s a absolute must-visit, being the largest and most popular museum in Mexico.
Amidst the rugged beauty of West Texas, where the vast skies meet the stark, undulating landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert, stands El Capitan. This imposing limestone formation serves not just as a natural monument but as a gateway through time, leading us back to an era when this arid terrain was once a thriving marine reef.
Situated along the New Mexico-Texas border lie the Salt Basin Dunes. The white gypsum dunes, similar to those found in White Sands, New Mexico, starkly contrast the Chihuahuan Desert landscape.
As the Snow Moon hit fullness at 5:32 am, I headed to South Park in an attempt to capture the moonset and sunrise simultaneously.
As an avid alpine skier, I enjoy exploring mountain tops without the need to earn it in the traditional sense. Instead of hiking, snowshoeing or even skinning uphill, comfortable, high-speed lifts sweep us from base to summit in minutes, instead of hours.