All in Adventure Photography

The Gift of Light | A Nature Poem

The Gift of Light | A Nature Poem

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography, Adventure Destinations

As a photographer, my main focus is to chase light. A mentor of mine described photographers as the “Seekers of Light”. While I must admit, the majority of my work is focused more on the moment than light, I will say that my favorite photographs are those with unique light. Regardless, the purpose of the poem is to dive into what makes us human, keeping in mind the cycles of life. Hoping to highlight the daily as well as yearly cycles we all encounter, putting into perspective the one, hopefully long, cycle of life we are all living.

A Photographer's Start

A Photographer's Start

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

There was a burning desire inside of me to be on the road trying to become what I wanted to become, an adventure photographer, but I didn’t have the body of work nor the skill to be able to create on the spot. My savings account had roughly $3k from the winter of substitute teaching and I had just pumped most of my funds into a new water housing. I was equipped with two lenses, a 24-70 and a 28mm. The 28mm was the best thing I could buy that would fit into my new housing, so that is what I did.

Go Make the Time

Go Make the Time

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

It's almost impossible to neglect the reality that most of us are wasting our lives. Taking notes and accounting of my interactions with others, I look at and observe how we waste our lives. Often these observations make me as questions like; Why do we do this? Why do we allow ourselves to live an unhappy life?

Surrender to the Moment

Surrender to the Moment

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

When I first sat down to write this blog, I wanted to express the beauty and elegance longboarding holds. Erased line after erased line, the string of words could not match the self-expression and feminine endearment longboarding requires. My ego and masculinity wanted to force together words, hoping to create prose. Instead, I was faced with a challenge, similar to that of riding the nose or cross-stepping, to surrender.

Finding Clarity in a Blur

Finding Clarity in a Blur

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Chaos, uncertainty, fear. Most would say,

“You’re lost.”

However, I am just now beginning to find myself.

This world is like a blur, moving so quickly, it is hard to focus.

Click here, double-tap that, swipe left… no right…

Hang up the phone and begin looking beneath your nose.

Astrophotography For Beginners

Astrophotography For Beginners

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Taking that first step into the darkness of the night can be a daunting task. At first, frustration will be ever-present as you are inundated with vocabulary, the desire to buy new gear, and the hard reality that conscious practice makes perfect. This post is more about the periphery of astrophotography instead of a traditional “how to create astrophotography” manual that dives into camera settings or editing techniques. It's the things you don’t consider when starting that take the most time to discover…

Where Does Freedom Live? (VIDEO)

Where Does Freedom Live? (VIDEO)

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Dalton Johnson seeks to answer the question, "Where does freedom live?" in his latest video from the UT desert. He spent a month climbing, canyoneering, and trail running around Moab, Utah. The visuals all come from the surrounding areas of Moab. In this project, Dalton visited Indian Creek, Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park.

A Letter to Humanity

A Letter to Humanity

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

My name is Dalton Johnson and I am a wanderer with a camera, a pencil, and paper. Now, that may sound vague and entice you, but please understand, that means most would consider my days to be quite long and boring. Often you can find me by a river contemplating, dangling from a rope on the side of a cliff, struggling to breathe as I swim in alpine lakes, or walking for hours without an endpoint. The reason I am writing this letter is to spark your curiosity, foster your nurturing gifts, and to encourage you to spread your love.

Be a Kid Again and Ask, "Why? Why? Why?..."

Be a Kid Again and Ask, "Why? Why? Why?..."

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

As we age (I know, not what we all want to acknowledge) we begin to rely on our past experience. Fortunately, our experiences have kept us alive and thriving over the last “X” number of years. Unfortunately, this experience removes the natural curiosity we had as a kid, potentially blinding us from seeing this world as it presents itself to us. Our experience allows us to see “between the lines” and blocks us from being surprised by one’s actions. Yet, what happens when we can no longer surprise ourselves? Have we become stagnant? Well, that is possible, but there is an easy way to get out of that rut. Simply, be that annoying a kid again, and ask yourself “Why?” until you can’t go any further.

How can Ikigai improve my life?

How can Ikigai improve my life?

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Most likely you have not heard of Ikigai, however, its background story and correlation to the Japanese island, Okinawa, which is home to the most centenarians in the world gives this Japanese practice an unparalleled lifestyle design resume. Living in the west, we have a consumer-based society, where our value is based on our belongings. That is not the case in Ikigai.

Digital Nomad Must Read Book List

Digital Nomad Must Read Book List

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Having the mindset to live on the road means you are willing to work through the punches. As a digital nomad, these books will help you find yourself along your travels as well as give you a perspective that showcases how others have done it in the past. In the end, what you read influences your daily life, your thoughts, and eventually your actions, so read the books which will help you get to where you want to go!

Asking “Who”: Understanding the Who Question Generator for Introspection

Asking “Who”: Understanding the Who Question Generator for Introspection

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Who questions are a great place to start whenever you are trying to take a deeper dive into your cognitive process. The reason, people are often the trigger, or influence, into why we didn’t stick to our truths. In our hearts, we know what is correct, but often it is our environment that changes the typical results for what we want to achieve. Please note, this influence can be both, constructive and destructive.

Introspection: Discover Your Cognitive Process

Introspection: Discover Your Cognitive Process

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Another way to think of introspection is the discovery of one’s cognitive process. I use the word discovery because I do not think nearly observing nor examining is enough. To discover something, one must be curious to look around the corner, poke and prod, asking questions you may not want the answer to, but know it is important to find out. Also, I change the mental and emotional process to cognitive because one’s cognition also adds the senses to the process.

Just Outside My Window

Just Outside My Window

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

This poem was written with the intention of encouraging others to step outside of thier comfort zone and start engaging with their dreams. I use the motif of watching your dreams go by, season after season, from a window. This idea is pulled from a quote I learned while I was working as an outdoor educator (teaching backpacking, rock climbing, etc.) for Outward Bound that goes like this: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that isn’t what a ship is for.”

The Balance of Fire | Learning to Recognize the Cycles in Life

The Balance of Fire | Learning to Recognize the Cycles in Life

Dalton Johnson
Adventure Photography

Cycles define our lives. We ebb and flow, much like the tides pulled by the moon’s gravity. Some cycles are short, while others last a lifetime. Our relationships, our work, our creativity all require attention (the flowing) and withdrawal (the ebbing). Recently, I have been wondering what would it take to control these cycles. Are they controllable? Well, my intuition lands on a simple answer, no. No, I do not think we can control these cycles, but we can learn to recognize and embrace each orbit.

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