North America

North America offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Aside from bordering two great oceans and containing the tropical Caribbean Sea, North America stretches from the hot and steamy jungles of Central America to the Arctic regions of northern Canada and Alaska. Major mountain chains include the Rocky Mountains that run from Canada down through the western United States, the Sierra Nevada range in California and the Sierra Madre range in Mexico. In addition to these and other often snow-capped mountains, North America also boasts wide expanses of desert in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico and the other-worldly canyonlands of Arizona and Utah.

Fortunately, many of the most magnificent regions have been set aside as National Parks or other protected wilderness areas. Nevertheless, given expanding populations and the growing need for energy, minerals, forest products and other natural resources, we cannot take these protections for granted. Those who visit these areas soon realize how precious and irreplaceable they are and how much we need to preserve these areas for future generations.

In addition to its natural splendors, North America offers many cultural resources as well. Long before the arrival of European conquerors beginning in 1492, the Aztec and Maya civilizations built great city-states in Mexico and Central America. Indigenous peoples also thrived throughout what is now Canada and the United States. Remnants of these ancient cultures remain, especially in the Maya ruins of Mexico and Central America and the abandoned Pueblos of the southwestern United States. More importantly, despite centuries of harsh treatment by European conquerors, many indigenous peoples have managed to preserve their cultures as well.

Most of the photographs in the North America part of the website are from the United States, where I live and have been able to travel extensively in recent years. I have also visited Canada on a number of occasions, but most date from before my interest in photography. A Fall 2003 trip to Mexico offered many photo opportunities that have now been added to this section. I hope in the coming years to travel more extensively in Mexico and also to Central America. When I do, I look forward to updating these pages.

The photos above offer a glimpse of some of the spectacular landscapes in North America. On the other pages in the North America section there are slide shows devoted to culture, indigenous peoples, Pre-Columbian civilizations and much more.