I was born and raised in California, and while I lived for short periods in Nevada and Alaska, I did most of my growing up in the Owens Valley, between the White Mountains on the east and the uplifted face of the Sierras on the west.  I spent my youth learning about the beauty of the world around us and learning from my dad to always leave a clean camp.

I got my first camera when I was fourteen and living with an aunt and uncle in Alaska.  The panoramic environment and the wildlife of the new state became the natural photographic subjects and training ground that set the pattern for my future efforts.

When I retired from a career in public education, I was faced with the question of what to do with my life that might have some significance and be very different from what I had been doing.  My passion for photography combined with some basic experience of digital processing led to a new career.  Since then, I have been slowly defining the new art of Earth photography.

Earth photography is not just a new term for photographing landscapes, seascapes, and wildflowers; it goes well beyond that.  It is a way of looking at the world around us to find the beauty in each event, as well as the spiritual connection with the Earth expressed by that event.  The events may range from a cloud pushed into a remarkable shape by the wind, to the pause of a butterfly on a branch or rock, to ripples on the water, to the fall of light on a mountainside or reflected on a window.  It may occur in settings that are urban, rural, or in the wild places.

It is the goal of the Earth photographer to find and record the beauty and drama in each event, just as it is the goal of the portrait photographer to do the same in each face.  I am convinced that the Earth we live on is a place of great and continuous beauty, if we have the mind and spirit to see it.  My images are a way of connecting mind, body, and spirit to our home, in order to preserve the links that promote our general well being.

The native Americans of North America expressed a philosophy that land could not be owned; the land is here for our use to provide for our needs and it is our responsibility to be good stewards for the land.  We do not need to change the landscape to fit our vision of what is comfortable or proper, but rather we need to change our vision to see the beauty of what is already there.

It is my hope that my work as an Earth photographer may help you develop and appreciate the vision and connections that will help you maintain a healthy body, mind, and spirit and be good stewards for the Earth.  My wish for you is a native American blessing from the southwest:  May you walk in beauty.

Frank Saxton, Earth Photographer
Earth Prayers