Colleen Miniuk (she/her), also known to many as “Bubbles,” is a dynamic and passionate outdoor photographer, writer, educator, speaker, and publisher based in Chandler, AZ, on the ancestral homelands of the Hohokam. In 2007, she left behind her corporate career to follow her love for the outdoors and photography. With an adventurous spirit, today her work reveals a deep emotional resonance and creative connection with the land (and water!).

Colleen’s images have graced the pages of publications such as National Geographic, Arizona Highways, AAA Via, On Landscape, National Parks Traveler, and a broad variety of other outlets.

In addition to her photography, Colleen is a prolific writer and author. She has penned several books, including Photographing Acadia National Park: The Essential Guide to When, Where and How (after serving thrice as Acadia’s Artist-in-Residence),Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers; and The Current Flows: Water in the Arid West. Her first adventure travel memoir, So Said the River: Life, Loss, and Pie on the Colorado, was published in July 2024. She served as the publisher for Guy Tal’s Another Day Not Wasted and Bruce Taubert’s Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona’s Wildlife. She writes an online photography advice column called “Dear Bubbles.”

As a fervent advocate for creative expression, Colleen is just as enthusiastic about teaching as she is about creating. She leads photography workshops (including all-women sessions called Sheography™), teaches classes, and offers one-on-one mentoring. Her workshops invite curiosity, provoke thought, foster personal connection to the natural world, and empower photographers to find their unique voice.

When she’s not photographing, writing, or teaching, she’s camping in her Alaskan Camper, stand-up paddleboarding, rafting, making sand or snow angels, recording dance videos, painting, sipping bubbly (e.g. Prosecco), wandering, wondering, and living her big Life with a capital L.

www.colleenminiuk.com

I am a landscape photographer who works primarily in black and white. The landscape moniker, while the most accurate, evokes unfair and incorrect expectations of mountain panoramas or sunset vistas. Neither occupy much space in my collection. Instead, my photographs are more direct, stark, simple, and quiet.

I began my career as a newspaper photojournalist and photo editor. It was during this time that I, along with three of my colleagues, was named as a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography. After almost 20 years working at daily newspapers across four different states, I left to work in the more peaceful life of higher education.

During these years as a staff photographer, I spent an increasing amount of time photographing the landscapes near where I lived. As my day job photographs were mostly in color and prominently featured people, my personal work was in black and white and devoid of living, breathing people, although I did often share their presence. 

This delineation between my work pictures and my personal photographs was essential to keep the creative spirit alive. However, there is no denying the influence that photojournalism has upon my personal work. I strive to include narratives, stories, within my photographs which offer the viewer far more than what is contained in the composition. I react strongly to the juxtapositions near where nature and man coexist (or collide), which is where I find the greatest significance.

I devote myself full-time to photographing the landscape in my unique, personal style. I prefer to work in areas devoid of obvious grandeur or explicit beauty, even if surrounded by such splendor.  I prefer the flat and reticent prairies to the grandiosity of mountain ranges, and the stark high desert to slot canyons. I am most comfortable, and at my most creative, in areas which are quiet and open. The areas in-between.

My most recent project, Manzanar: Echoes of Lost Memories, was recently released as a hard-cover book.

www.chuckkimmerle.com

Charlotte is a professional landscape and nature photographer, educator, and author based in Northern California. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and began her creative career as an art director in the advertising industry in the 1990s. After running her own graphic design firm in the San Francisco Bay Area for decades, Charlotte transitioned fully into photography, where she is now known for her devotion to the art of composition.

Her work emphasizes stillness, intuition, and the subtle details often overlooked in grand landscapes. Through themes of environmental stewardship and a spiritual connection to nature, Charlotte’s photography evokes a sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world. She believes that a strong composition can transform the smallest details into powerful statements, a philosophy that is central to her teachings.

Charlotte is the author of Get Intimate: Making a Personal Statement with Intimate Landscapes, a book that encourages photographers to explore personal expression through close, thoughtful framing. Her popular lecture, Composition Eats Subject for Breakfast, challenges photographers to prioritize how they frame their world over the mere choice of subject matter.

An internationally recognized speaker and writer, Charlotte is invited to share her insights on photography with audiences around the globe. She continues to travel and explore the Western United States with her husband, Gary, always seeking new landscapes and intimate scenes that inspire her art.

www.charlottegibb.com

David Kingham is an artist who uses photography to express the beauty and emotions inspired by the natural world. His work, characterized by intimate landscapes and evocative compositions, invites viewers to experience profound feelings through his unique vision of wild places.

David's artistic approach centers on expressing emotions through his photographs of nature's grand vistas and quiet corners. Whether working in vibrant color or nuanced black and white, he creates compelling images that convey awe, tranquility, and wonder. His versatility allows him to choose the medium that best expresses the mood and essence of each scene as he perceives it.

Sharing his passion and ongoing artistic journey is integral to David's practice. With his partner Jennifer Renwick, he leads immersive workshops across the western United States through their venture, Exploring Exposure. These experiences go beyond teaching technical skills, helping fellow artists discover their unique vision and developing an expressive style.

David emphasizes creative techniques that enhance images’ emotive quality while maintaining authenticity. He views his art as a process extending from initial conception to final presentation.

Embracing a nomadic lifestyle, David and Jennifer travel in an RV, allowing them to deeply connect with the landscapes that inspire their art. This perpetual journey fuels David's creativity and enriches his ability to express emotions through his photographs of each place he experiences.

Through his evocative imagery and passionate teaching, David Kingham continues to explore the expressive potential of nature-based photographic art. His work invites viewers and students to see the world through his perspective and, more importantly, to feel the profound connection between humanity and the natural world he expresses through his art.

www.davidkingham.com

Michael E. Gordon is an award-winning photographic artist best known for his black and white images from California’s deserts which, said Broughton Quarterly, portray “stunning ethereal beauty from terrain where others see only a bleak landscape.” A lifelong student of nature and wilderness adventurer, Michael’s intimate relationship with the natural world results in quiet images of depth and discovery. His relationship with and photography of America’s deserts spans more than 25 years.

Michael's work has been widely published, exhibited, and collected and can be found in the private collections of the United States Embassy, Kaiser Permanente; Milken Family Foundation; The Wilderness Society, and many others. His photographs and articles have in LensWork, Outdoor Photographer, B+W Photography (UK); Elements; Medium Format; On Landscape (UK); View Camera; Rangefinder; Broughton Quarterly; Arte Fotográfico, Backpacker; and many more. His work has been awarded by the International Photography Awards, Prix de la PhotographieParis, and Black & White Spider Awards.

Michael lives in Southern California with his wife Shauna. While he may be oblivious to contemporary culture, he likes to indulge in good cooking and good food, fine libations derived from desert plants such as agave, and good cigars. He relishes hard hiking, mountain summits, bird watching, books, and any studies about the natural world.

www.michael-gordon.com

Jennifer Renwick is a Colorado-based nature photographer, but for the past eight years, she has traveled the American West in a travel trailer with her partner, fellow photographer David Kingham, capturing diverse landscapes from behind her lens and teaching photography workshops in national parks and wilderness areas. Leaving behind her background in geology and veterinary medicine, Jennifer embraced a more creative life, blending her love for nature with her artistic vision to reveal the subtle stories landscapes hold.

Her passion lies in uncovering the narratives and often overlooked details of these wild places. She practices slow photography, focusing on visual storytelling and capturing the emotions of a scene, with a particular emphasis on creating and curating photography projects. She uses keen observation to guide her camera toward the nuances and textures of the natural world. Whether photographing dolphins gliding through the ocean or documenting the abstract beauty of desert formations, her goal is to create images that not only evoke emotion and share stories but also raise awareness of the fragile beauty of the environment.
Jennifer also brings her passion into her workshops, teaching students how to slow down and connect more deeply with their subjects, fostering a sense of connection that enhances their visual storytelling and personal expression.

Her work has been featured in several prominent photography publications, including LensWork, Landscape Photography Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, On Landscape, and LensWork's Seeing in Sixes photography books.

www.jenniferrenwick.com

Guy Tal is a renowned landscape photographer, writer, and educator, celebrated for his evocative images of the American West, particularly the deserts and wilderness areas of Utah. His photography transcends traditional nature photography by focusing on the emotional and philosophical connections between humans and the natural world. Tal’s work is less about documenting landscapes and more about using them as a canvas for self-expression, personal reflection, and storytelling. His images explore the subtle interplay of light, texture, and color, capturing the beauty of vast open spaces as well as intimate details that are often overlooked.

Central to Tal’s philosophy is the belief that creativity is a deeply personal and transformative act. He advocates for a mindful approach to photography, where the artist engages fully with the landscape, not just as an observer but as an active participant in a shared experience with nature. His approach encourages photographers to move beyond the technical aspects of the craft and focus on their own experience, using the camera as a tool for emotional and intellectual exploration.

In addition to his photography, Tal is a prolific writer, authoring books and essays that delve into the creative process, the role of art in society, and the relationship between humans and nature. His books, More Than a Rock, Another Day Not Wasted, The Interior Landscape, and Be Extraordinary blend personal insights with broader reflections on life, art, and wilderness.

Through his workshops and teachings, Tal strives to inspire others to find their own artistic voice, encouraging self-discovery and a deeper, more meaningful connection with the natural world. His work resonates with those who seek not only to see the landscape but to experience it on a profound, personal level.

www.guytal.com

Bruce is the director and owner of the Moab Photography Symposium and the soon-to-be-launched FILL YOUR FRAME photo workshops. He has produced two interpretive slide shows for the national park service (Arches NP and Organ Pipe Cactus NM) as well as several wilderness organizations. His photographs have been published exclusively by Sierra Press (2), KC Publications (11), School of American Research Press (2), others, as well as myriad calendars and other credits.

Hucko’s work has evolved from illustrating publications for others to creating personally meaningful images in both color and B&W. He publishes on blurb.com and takes great pride in producing and selling fine archival pigment prints.

His personal photography usually takes place on solo trips, camping in his Aliner for several days to weeks “to get to know the place,” and he tends to visit fewer areas across decades of time rather than trying to see it all. “Like a long friendship that deepens over time, so does one’s relationship with the land, revealing meaningful nuances that the casual visitor does not experience.”

For the past 40+ years, Hucko has had a second life, serving as Art Coach! for thousands of elementary aged children across the 4-corners region. He’s worked among the Navajo (10yrs), the Pueblos of northern New Mexico (9yrs) and home in Moab (15+yrs). Hucko was named one of 30 leading arts educators in the nation in 1984 by the Rockefeller Bros. Fund Award for Excellence in Arts Education. He received a 1998 Southwest Book Award for “Where There Is No Name For Art: The Art of Tewa Pueblo Children. Home in Moab he started an award winning audio and creative documentary program for high school youth called “Voices of youth.” He created MPS because of his passion for arts education.

Hucko brings a deep, working knowledge of the language of art, a love of place, and a passion for the creative spirit to his teaching and personal work. He enjoys whitewater rafting, sipping tequila and fine red wine, friends, a good nap, a good read whether scientific, fantasy or anything that includes the West as subject.

www.brucehuckophoto.com

Those I've gathered at MPS to present and teach are of a like mind. Simply put, we are centered on you developing photographic independence, that is, the mindful, creative intelligence it takes to artistically compose and technically render personally meaningful images (PMI) of the highest order.  PMI are those that you relate to in a powerful way.  Perhaps they recall an experience, an emotion, an excerpt from your life.  It matters not if it appeals to anyone else, if the magazine does not publish it or if friends ask, 'what is it?'

In that latter moment do not walk away when asked but see it as an oppportunity to educate.  Ask them to listen as you explain to them why you were attracted to the subject, what personal meaning you saw in it, and all the artistic and technical considerations you made in composing, then resolving the image on the computer.

Our instructors will not lead you to their tripod marks and point while stating, 'there is the picture you want.'  No.  Rather, once your interest has been piqued by a particular subject, MPS instructors will guide you with personally oriented questions, comments and technical facts that will aid you in making the image YOU want to make, just maybe, better!

Time with MPS instructors may include - - technical tips - composition suggestions (that can easily morph into a full-blown seminar on the Elements and Principles of Art if you are so inclined!) - bad puns or jokes - one or more group or personal assignments - thoughtful off-subject conversations - prose or poetry reading - short writing assignment - giggles, bubbles, and/or laughter!

However, it all starts with you!

You choose the subject.

You ask yourself, 'why am I attracted to this and what am I wanting to express?'

You prepare your equipment, and set up your initial composition, and then make an exposure in the best way you know how.

Then YOU call the instructor over . . .

AT THAT POINT - you'll get advice in lots of areas, but ultimately, all decisions are yours. The active artistic creative mind is one that is able to see a smorgasboard of opportunities and take the path and make the choices that are most germain to the subject, ideas, feelings and projected outcomes (vision), you hold at the moment.  It's our goal to help you become more aware of this process and more confident in your abilties to carry it out on your own.

Steve Traudt is an award winning artist, photographer, writer and educator working in a variety of media. His work has appeared nationally and internationally in several publications, exhibits, magazines, books and calendars. He taught photography at Colorado Mesa University for 18 years and owned a photography gallery in Grand Junction, CO for 9 years.  

A Grand Junction resident for 37 years and a retired pharmacist, he has always been passionate about photography. It started at age 10 with the discovery of darkroom items from his father’s youth. More recently, with encouragement from his artist wife, Fay Timmerman, he is exploring new directions including found object montages and acrylic painting. His art melds a playful mixture of whimsy, humor and irony.

www.synvis.com

My love of photographic expression started with one simple photo of a reflection and a couple of mule deer. I had taken friends that had never been here before out for a ride along one of the county roads. There they were – just watching us watch them with a perfectly still reflection of the aspen trunks on the lake. I mentioned to my friends that this was the shot and they had better take the time to photograph it. They didn’t but I snapped away, capturing an image I still love today.

My family moved to Ouray, Colorado in March of 1971, when I was only 9 months old (the old timers let me say that I’m a native).   We owned and operated a small motel and it was the family business until it sold in the Fall of 2021. Being self-employed means being so wrapped up in the day to day business that I would forget the majesty that’s all around me. My camera continues to give me an escape route and I am inspired by nature and being out of the daily grind.

I'm a “sometimes” photographer located in Santa Fe, NM. I make images of places, people, and things that interest me in both wild and urban environments.

My wife, Linda, and I met while we were students at the University of Texas. We've been married fifty-nine years, and we've lived in various parts of the United States, Germany, and China.

My career included twelve years as an Army officer and thirty years managing engineers in the computer industry, mainly in operating systems software development. I retired in 2008.