Welcome to 2026. I hope you enjoyed a relaxing break over the Christmas holidays and are ready for the excitement, surprises, and challenges the new year will undoubtably bring.

Over the holidays I re-read Robert Adams’s books¹ and kept returning to this sentence: “In order to make pictures that no one has made before, they (photographers) have to be attentive and imaginative, qualities partly assigned and partly chosen, but in any case ones that leave them vulnerable.” The implication of “no one has made before” struck me as an impossibly high bar to achieve considering how many images are made every second². Is this level of originality necessary to be a photographer? After some brooding, I rationalized that maybe it is easily achievable. After all, even if vantage points and framing are repeated, each photograph is taken at a specific time when only one person has the specific vantage point, so each image is a unique record. This rationalization did not survive for long, and I conceded Adams does not suggest such an easy escape; he really expects photographers to create unique images not made before. His harsh judgement of Ansel Adams reinforces this: “after a period of extraordinary creativity, (Ansel Adams) lapses into formula.” Robert Adams expects not only unique images, but for photographers to “remain visionary to the end.” High expectations indeed.

Ruminating on whether I could ever make images meeting Adams’s expectations dumped me into a despondent mood for the first weeks of January. Likely dealing with a nasty flu and waking to a crumbling global order every morning contributed to my melancholy.

But life goes on, and we remember to focus on the things we can control. My photography group has had two meetups already this year – their enthusiasm and creativity are rejuvenating – and I went on a road trip, which is my perfect way to re-balance. So, despite an introspectively bumpy start to the year, I am now energized and looking forward to another year of travel adventures while I strive towards making images “no one has made before.”

The website is continually changing with the addition of new articles and images. These newsletters (no more than four per year) highlight the updates and travel news. If you want to be notified when one is posted, please subscribe – https://travelswithbruin.com/?page_id=30

GK Reiser

For me, a major highlight of 2025 was connecting with Reiser, an artist based in Escalante, Utah. I met Reiser in September and re-visited him in November, spending two days discussing his art and life. I watched him working in his atelier and hiked with him in the surrounding Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. Towards the end of the visit, Reiser sat for his portrait. I am pleased we spent time getting to know each other before the shoot, I think the portrait effectively captures his complex personality. 

Reiser is the first person I have profiled – GK Reiser: An Artist in Seclusion Seeking Connection – Cooke. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and am pleased with the resulting article and portrait. I plan to write more profiles focusing on people who do not follow well-worn paths and have the courage to live unconventional lives in pursuit of their passions. I will appreciate suggestions of people in this mold who I should approach.

Fruita Middle School

Our family rented a house in Fruita, Colorado over the Christmas holidays. My attention was repeatedly drawn to the nearby middle school building. Brick structures have fascinated me since trying my hand at bricklaying as a kid, when I quickly learnt to value the skill needed to accurately place each brick in a pattern.

Completed in 1936, the original school building was designed by Temple Hoyne Buell and is a good example of public work Moderne architecture. The school was extended in the 1950s with a new wing added to the original structure.

Here is a link to a photo essay of images of the school building and surroundings – Fruita Middle School – Travels with Bruin.

Reflecting on the essay, I realized that without conscious thought, almost mechanically, I slightly desaturated the images during processing. I have held an aesthetic preference for black and white and desaturated color images for several years. Exploring why I made this stylistic choice; I recognized my preference likely stems from an overreaction to the gaudy over-saturated landscape images often seen in social media and at summer art fairs. This insight, along with re-watching Paris, Texas, prompted me to explore the delights of color during my Nebraska road trip. I am pleased with the results and will focus on color images this year, accepting that sometimes I will stray into black and white.

Nebraska Road Trip

Taking advantage of a winter weather window, I did a four-day road trip through the north-eastern plains of Colorado and into eastern Nebraska. Initially I planned to make images reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska album, but the crisp winter light coupled with my reengagement with color diverted me to making color images.

Water from the hydroelectric plant at Lake McConaughy’s Kingsley Dam discharges into Lake Ogallala, just downstream of the dam. This flow prevents Lake Ogallala from freezing over, creating a large “fishing hole” attracting bald eagles during the cold winter months of January and February when their usual feeding lakes and rivers are frozen. I was amazed at the large number of eagles, estimated as many as 200 in some winter seasons, and enjoyed observing them, but was not lucky enough to see one catch a fish. The heated viewing building is ideal for watching the eagles and other birds at the lake. Twitchers, add this spot to your birding list.

Standing on the bank of Lake Ogallala, I was entranced watching the eagles in flight, but their chattering calls sharply conflicted from the musical yodeling I instinctively expected. It was a reminder that I was not in the land of my birth. Bald eagles are related to African fish eagles, and while they are both white-headed, fish-loving raptors, the larger bald eagles do not have the characteristic “voice of Africa” cry of fish eagles. 

Stopping for coffee in the town of Lexington, I was surprised to see that most of the main street store fronts had Spanish wording. Chatting with the barista, I learnt that the town’s main employer, a meat packing facility, had closed the week before my visit. This meant the loss of 3,500 jobs in a town of about 10,000 people. She said many people had already left Lexington, and with her father losing his job she was uncertain about her family’s future. I may re-visit in a year or so to witness the effect of this sudden economic impact on the town. 

One of Nebraska’s unusual tourist attractions is Carhenge, a 1980s replica of England’s Stonehenge constructed using old cars. I am drawn to unusual art, so could not pass visiting the site – https://travelswithbruin.com/?p=380.

Carhenge is near the town of Alliance, and when you are in that part of eastern Nebraska there are two other “not to be missed” attractions nearby. Scotts Bluff National Monument, the “Sentinel on the Plains,” was an important landmark for pioneers travelling westward. Bruin and I hiked the 4-mile round-trip trail from the visitor’s center to the top of the Bluff. The hiking trail is paved (likely because the formation’s sandstone and siltstone are so erodible) and has a unique pedestrian tunnel which I do not recall finding on any other trail. We enjoyed the hike and recommend hiking rather than driving to the top of the Bluff, or do both as we did. Completing the hike provides the calorie deficit needed to visit the second, sugary attraction. The Gering Bakery is a step back in time, the sloping glass display cabinets packed with delicious treats have been enticing patrons for generations. Inhaling the sweet smell of freshly baked goods, I quickly succumbed to a delicious chocolate glazed donut but managed to pass on the store challenge which is to eat an 18-inch donut within 30 minutes.

Here is a link to photos from the road trip – https://travelswithbruin.com/?fluxus_portfolio=nebraska-january-2026 – please let me know which images you consider to be the strongest.

Drone Images

Last year I started a project capturing drone images during my travels. Initially I used the drone as an elevated vantage point for conventionally framed landscape images. But this approach did not provide the visual interest I was looking for. After experimenting I found the view directly vertically down often results in engaging images since we are unfamiliar with seeing our environment from above. This is an ongoing project, here is a link – From Above – Travels with Bruin 

Bruin

One of the most frequent requests (demands) I get is to include more images of Bruin. Here are two from the Nebraska road trip – yes, he is hiding in the cornfield.

Robert Adams has a series of essays on subjects that can help photographers. The final essay, “Dogs,” starts with a quotation by Henry Beetlke Hough: “To be without a dog is worse than being without a song.” While loving music, I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment! 

Thanks

In my life, there have been innumerable gracious people who have generously shared their insights and knowledge when I sought their help. In developing this website, I have similarly looked for people to help me do better.

Last year when researching for an article on land art, I connected with Anne Morgan (Anne Morgan Edits | Writing Coach & Editor), who co-authored a book on geoglyphs. Anne is a writer and professional editor. Her firm, yet kind, way of telling me my writing is not up to standard has been invaluable in helping me learn to “use my words”.  

Towards the end of 2025, I discovered Graeme Williams’s YouTube channel “Photographic Conversations” – Graeme Williams – Photographic Conversations – YouTube. He is an internationally respected photographer, and after many hours of valuable learning from his channel I gathered the courage to contact Graeme to set up a mentorship. Frankly, I was terrified of sharing my work during our first session, but with his gentle assurance I have relaxed and am learning to “see” better through his visual knowledge and insights. 

Thank you, Anne and Graeme, for providing immensely encouraging advice, validation, and guidance. It is appreciated.

Next trips

I am excited for the next few months, with trips planned to Utah, Georgia, Portugal and Chile which will provide photographic inspiration and blog worthy places and people.

Until next time, go well and stay safe.

Robert and Bruin