About Red Earth Roamer

A Roger Mills County mesa in far western Oklahoma at sunrise. A part of the Antelope Hills, once a prominent landmark on the frontier near where the Canadian River makes a wide meander across the plains

Welcome to Red Earth Roamer!

I'd like to tell you a little bit about my work as an Oklahoma photographer and how Red Earth Roamer came about. I've been traveling and photographing Oklahoma for decades. I come from a family who loved to travel, so going new places for the sake of exploration and adventure has always been second nature to me.

When I first began to explore Oklahoma with my camera, I began to see my home state in a different light. I was born and raised here, and like many kids, I thought Oklahoma was pretty lame when I was young. What do kids know.

As I grew as a photographer, my interests shifted, and I began focusing specifically on the state of Oklahoma. I began a deep dive into everything "Oklahoma" and in the process, I came to see just how incredible the state really is.

I spent hours and hours researching Oklahoma history, geology, ecology, and read everything I could get my hands on related to Oklahoma travel and tourism. I filled notebooks with fascinating details and unexpected discoveries, always with the hope that all this research would someday serve a purpose in future writing projects.

Compared to the long arc of our Nation's history, Oklahoma is a young state — but its story runs deep. It has the power to stir the imagination, and it has shaped the subject's I've sought out with my camera all these years.

A lone figure stands at the edge of the precipice over-looking the fog-shrouded view from the top of Mt Scott in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwest Oklahoma

For the most part, I have chosen to be a visual storyteller — leaving the actual composing of words to professionals who could artfully weave stories together while my photography's power was to pull readers into an author's carefully built world. I dabbled in writing, here and there, but never committed the time to sit down and truly put pen to paper, so to speak.

Recently, I was between projects when I received the news that Oklahoma Today Magazine — an Oklahoma institution I am proud to have contributed to for many years — will cease publication at the end of 2026. For 70 years, Oklahoma Today has been telling Oklahoma stories, and I was genuinely saddened to hear that the award-winning magazine is coming to an end.

The announcement made me reflect on the stories still swirling in my head — and I decided to take the leap and start Red Earth Roamer.

The Little River near the Honobia Creek Wildlife Management Area in McCurtain County in southeastern Oklahoma

This blog will be a mash-up of travel narratives, photography tips, Oklahoma history, and as always, a call for environmental conservation.

I also want to share my collection of Oklahoma imagery captured over decades. I have a huge database of photographs taken at locations I haven’t returned to since my film days. And of course, I’ll be sharing new photos from adventures I’m already planning.

I'll share most of the locations I visit, along with details; other times, I may not, for a variety of reasons — such as landowner privacy, site sensitivity, or simply because I’m not ready to reveal everything from my little black book of Oklahoma locations. Please respect private property and always take care of the natural world.

Sometimes great photography opportunities are just down the road. Backlit by the rising sun, dew-covered spiderwebs cling to long grasses in a local country field

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH

Red Earth Roamer will be meticulously researched. I cannot guarantee I won’t get something wrong, but I vow to write using scholarly and credible references as my guide. No Wikipedia.

I do not claim to be an authority on any subject except how I make the pictures that I do. I strongly encourage and advise you to treat any travel-related information you read on Red Earth Roamer and use it as a starting point for your own research before heading out on any journey.

I am a big believer in doing extensive research before a trip: gathering location details, mapping routes and back roads, noting nearby photo opportunities, and paying close attention to how weather conditions may evolve — both for safety and for anticipating how the quality of light might shift and lead to more powerful imagery.

Make a plan and be armed with the knowledge and the flexibility to embrace serendipity, setting your carefully laid plans aside when the light calls you somewhere better.

A dramatic sunrise from New Horizon Trail over-looking Altus Lugert Lake at Quartz Mountain State Park within the Wichita Mountain range

One of my main goals as a photographer is to show others the beauty I see in the world — to share my vision and inspire an appreciation for the natural world in a positive way.

The goal of Red Earth Roamer is to inspire you to explore Oklahoma. I would love if readers of Red Earth Roamer shared some of their travel experiences. Comments will be enabled on the blog and on Red Earth Roamer's social media channels as they go live, and I genuinely welcome hearing from you. I would love to hear your travel stories too. That said — I will not engage with anyone who isn’t respectful.

Oklahoma will be Red Earth Roamer's foundation for now — I intend to share stories from my travels outside Oklahoma as I build more content for Red Earth Roamer.

Until next time,

Roam on.

Golden late day light tints a landscape already turning gold with autumn