The saying goes: “The two most important days of a man’s life are the day on which you were born and the day on which you find out why.” ~Anonymous (often attributed incorrectly to Mark Twain)

I was born almost 47 years ago in April; I found out why—and decided to do something about it—on February 28, 2007. Fifteen years ago today, I walked out of my safe, secure job as a project manager at Intel Corporation and into the uncertain world of outdoor photography. I’ve considered February 28 my personal Independence Day, a day I celebrate like my birthday, ever since.

As I spend the day reflecting, know that I am filled with so much gratitude for you. Without you and your support, I would not be able to live the remarkably wild, fulfilling, and delicious life that I do. Thank you over and over again for this gift.

Thank you for following my work.

Thank you for attending my workshops and for all the laughs and memories we share.

Thank you for joining my webinars and loving learning.

Thank you for inviting me to speak at your clubs and organizations.

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletters.

Thank you for buying my books and eBooks.

Thank you for being Patreons and donating funds to Dear Bubbles.

Thank you for asking questions for Dear Bubbles and helping us all grow.

Thank you for seeking my advice in starting your own new adventures.

Thank you for reading my stories on my blog.

Thank you for inspiring me and letting me learn from you.

Thank you for sending me encouragement and wisdom.

Thank you for making my world better and brighter just by being you.

Thank you for your friendship and love.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued support.

I can’t wait to see where the next 15 years takes us. It’s sure to be one hell of a ride! Cheers to you! Let there be pie and bubbles and hugs and dancing all around today!

Join me and a host of special guests on August 18 from 7-9 pm Eastern Time to celebrate the release of my newest book, the updated 2nd edition of  “Photographing Acadia National Park: The Essential Guide to When, Where, and How.”

I normally host a small book release get-together at my house once the book arrives. It’s always a fun time, but since it’s a local event, I’m not able to get all my friends across the world together…The pandemic has taught me how to use technology (Zoom) to bring people in different places together–and that’s what I want to do to celebrate this book, YOU, and Acadia. So let’s PARTY!

The evening will feature:

• Introduction to Acadia and how the book came to be by author/photographer Colleen J. Miniuk
• A “Photographing Acadia” panel with outdoor photographers and Acadia experts John Putnam, Bob Thayer, and Kurt Budliger
• Presentations by our valued book sponsors including Hunts Photo & Video, Singh-Ray Filters, Hoodman USA, Out of Chicago, and Sheography.

PLUS! As a thank you for ALL your support, we’re going to give away over $1000 in amazing “door” prizes, including:

• $50 gift card for Hunt’s Photo and Video
• $100 gift card for Singh-Ray filters
• $500 gift card for a future “Out of Chicago” sponsored conference
• A $500 gift certificate to CMS Photography/Sheography workshops
• A Hoodman Hoodloupe (value $90)
• Books by Colleen and author/photographers Bob Thayer and Guy Tal
• And more!

But you must be present to win!

So register now and join us on August 18 for an evening of fun, photography, and a celebration of you and our shared love of Acadia National Park. Bubbles will likely be involved…maybe tutus too…

Advanced registration required at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SAyCaC4uQcyFPtu4PGYtfA

By the way, feel free to invite your friends and camera clubs–no purchase necessary, so you can attend even if you don’t have a copy of the book. I just want to party with good, fun people!

If you have purchased the book/eBook, though, snap a selfie of yourself with the book (extra points if it’s in Acadia or involves bubbles…) and send the photo my way at cms@cms-photo.com for a chance to be featured in the Virtual Book Release Party. If I can’t see you in person, it’ll be the next best thing!

Looking for a creative boost for your photography? Super excited for you to hear this brand new podcast interview with Brenda Petrella with the Outdoor Photography Podcast. Have a listen to “Visual Perception and Cultivating Creativity” at www.outdoorphotographyschool.com/episode19.

Here’s what Brenda had to say about our chat:

“Today, I sit down with Arizona-based landscape photographer, avid writer, and educator, Colleen Miniuk, to chat about the value of following your curiosity, letting go of expectations, playing, and being open to experimentation with your photography; Gestalt psychology of visual perception and how to use it to create more meaningful images; the five inventories to take in the field to discover compositions; how to cultivate a creative mindset with conceptual blending, pareidolia, and metaphorical associations; and a ton more!

This was an info-packed episode that will really get your creative wheels turning. Plus, Colleen’s energy and enthusiasm is contagious. I hope you enjoy!”

I also hope you enjoy and gain some new ideas for your work! Keep shooting!

Had a lovely chat recently with Howard Fox with the Success InSights podcast where I shared my thoughts about my journey with photography, following your passion, and valuing transformation over time.

We’re all making up our own way in this life–here’s a bit about how I’m piecing mine together using “I wonder what would happen if…” You only get one chance through, make it count!

Have a listen at https://www.successinsightpodcast.com/2021/06/colleen-miniuk.html.

Thanks for the great discussion, Howard!

Last February, I presented at the Out of Yosemite conference. I had turned down the offer to be an instructor there twice. I had only visited Yosemite once before (for a dear friend’s wedding) and had never photographed there before. I didn’t feel like I belonged. After some cajoling by the Out of Chicago staff, I finally agreed. And my life, unknowingly at the time, was forever changed.

(Let the remainder of this story be a lesson in saying YES!)

While there, I happened to meet Jeanne Falk Adams, Ansel Adams’ daughter-in-law (and later, Michael, Ansel’s son). Jeanne attended my three-hour Visualization session where we struck up a conversation about water-related topics—rafting, paddling, oceans, rivers, etc. After my gig, she invited me to participate in an upcoming exhibition she was in the process of curating called “Vital Waters” for the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo, CO. It featured ocean-related works by Ansel Adams, Ernie Brooks, Scott Campbell, Dorothy Kerper Monnelly, Chuck Davis, Camille Lenore, and Robin Robinson. She had been looking for one last photographer to add to this line-up. There was only one problem: that show would feature only black & white photographs. I work almost exclusively in color…

When she asked me if I worked in black and white, I said, “I can if it means I can be a part of this show!!!”

Instead of changing who I was as an artist, my style, and my focus, we came up with a new idea. I was to have my own separate solo exhibit in the foyer leading into the “Vital Waters” hall. We called it “The Current Flows: Water in the Arid West.” It included 16 of my photographs—in color!—focused on the Colorado River watershed. In preparing for the show, I wrote captions that were too long to fit on the wall (a surprise to no one…)–and we realized not everyone would be able to get to Pueblo to see the show–so we created an exhibit catalogue for “The Current Flows” that contains the 16 photographs, expanded captions, and a Foreword by Jeanne.

Just over a week ago, I had the great honor of participating in the opening festivities for the complimentary shows “Vital Waters” and “The Current Flows.” It was a whirlwind of joy, gratitude, celebration, and new friendships. When I climbed up the last of the third story steps and saw my images on the wall for the first time, I teared up. I can’t thank everyone who played a role in making all this come together. It truly was and is the privilege and thrill of a lifetime.

To see some “happy snaps” from Friday’s opening gala and Saturday’s “Coffee Talk” with Jeanne Falk Adams, visit the exhibit website: www.thecurrentflows.com and select the Exhibition Photos tab. (For those who know the background on “cyan,” notice the wall color. That wasn’t my doing! The arts center picked that paint color out without me knowing. Gotta love the Universe!) From the website, you can get to recommended books, river guiding outfitters, and other resources for getting involved and becoming part of the flow.

Both shows run through January 2022. If you are in the Pueblo area—or need an excuse to make a road trip—check out both shows on the 3rd floor. (They take up the entire 3rd floor.) In addition, swing by the 2nd floor to see Ansel’s Polaroid Teaching Panels—which have never been on display to the public before.

Then mark your calendar for 11 am on July 31, 2021! I’ll be giving a “Coffee Talk” for my exhibit at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center in Pueblo, CO. It’s FREE to the public. You’re all invited!

If you can’t make it out there, grab an exhibit catalogue (available in print and eBook formats) to bring the show to you. I’m donating a portion of the proceeds from the sales of this catalogue to the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center to support their programming and to American Rivers.

For the love of the River!

Michael Adams (Ansel’s son), Jacque Miniuk (my mom), Jeanne Falk Adams (exhibit curator and Michael’s wife), and Bob Miniuk (my dad) pose in front of the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center before the opening gala on June 4, 2021. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I or my parents would ever meet Ansel Adams’ family nor have my photographs in a solo exhibit on water (I used to be terrified of water where I couldn’t see my feet!). But here we are…you just never know where the river of life will take you. So long as you keep saying YES!

I had the chance to speak with Marci Nault at E2T Adventures about stand-up paddleboarding, facing fears, and living life on your own terms on our individual rivers of life.

This was one of my first podcast interviews not about photography specifically (although the topic does come up in the discussion). You’ll hear some of the backstories I write about in my forthcoming adventure travel memoir called “Going with the Flow” (Yes, I’m STILL working on it…my latest draft went to one of my editors on April 30!).

Thanks to Marci for the great exchange of ideas. Here’s hoping you gain a dose of encouragement and inspiration from our chat. Have a listen and look at the full show at https://youtu.be/szYPH-TmV6c. Then, as the slogan for E2T Adventures goes: Experience, explore, and thrive!

Thanks to many of you, I have SOLD OUT of my first edition of the guidebook “Photographing Acadia National Park: The Essential Guide to When, Where, and How.” I continue to get requests for copies (that I don’t have) and many of you sent in great suggestions for new locations and other revisions.

So I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into the updated 2nd edition! I’ve packed all I’ve learned into this 224-page book from my 450+ days in Acadia since 2009 as a three-time Artist-in-Residence, frequent workshop instructor in Acadia (and elsewhere in the United States), and visitor and lover of the park. This updated version includes:

• 80+ new photographs with descriptions and technical details provided
• 4 new locations
• 5 new Making the Photos stories
• An expanded Photo Basics section in the front with updated instruction
• GPS coordinates to the parking lot and/or trailhead added to each location’s directions

But your help is needed!

I am offering pre-order discounts on books, eBooks, image critiques, and photography workshops with me to help raise $5000 (a third of the cost to publish the book) to print this exciting new edition. I delayed publishing this book for a year due to the pandemic. Not surprisingly, the stay-at-home orders and strict travel restrictions had a significant financial impact to my business. So ordering today will make a HUGE difference in my abilities to bring this title to life.

To get in on discounted books/eBooks, workshops, and other perks, visit our new Indiegogo campaign at https://igg.me/at/photoacadia.

Now through May 22, 2021, not only can you pre-order one or more books at discounted price (which won’t be available after the campaign concludes), but you can also get your name listed in the book forever, set up a private image critique session, and even reserve photography workshops with yours truly as your personal tour/photo guide in Acadia National Park! (My normal autumn in Acadia workshops are sold out for 2021 AND 2022 already so this is a great way to there with me!)

For every book/eBook sold, I will continue to donate 10% of this book’s profits to the Schoodic Education Adventure residential program, an unsurpassed educational opportunity for middle-school children to learn about art, science, and nature in Acadia National Park. So not only will your contribution today get you a helpful guide and help me bring this book to live but also together we can make a difference in inspiring our future generation of Acadia lovers!

So don’t delay–pre-order your copy today!  We’ll ship you the first books hot off the truck the second it arrives (targeting in late June 2021).

Help spread the word! You can also help by sharing this blog post and/or the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign link (https://igg.me/at/photoacadia) with your family, friends, and camera clubs!

For more information about this book, please visit the book’s website at www.photographingacadia.com.

Thank you for your support! I can’t wait to get you a copy of this new book!

Like many young kids, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought maybe a doctor or a lawyer. Whatever it was, I intended to pick one path and stay with it until I retired, make a lot of money, and then live happily ever after…

Out of college, I landed what many would call a dream job at a dream company. One year of long hours and stress became 2, 2 became 3, 3 became almost 10—and I couldn’t sit in a windowless, grey-walled cube anymore. On February 28, 2007, I walked out of Intel to become a freelance photographer. As I wrote in my goodbye-and-thank-you letter to my friends and colleagues, “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” (a quote by John A. Shedd).

Today, I celebrate my 14th Independence Day, a day I celebrate like my birthday.

Never, in my wildest dreams, would I have believed that THIS is where I’d be. That I’d prefer sleeping in tents, under the stars, and in my camper to sleeping in my own bed. That I’d be teaching workshops, including all-women’s ones, across the U.S. That I’d be sharing the joy of photography with photographers across the country through webinars and conferences. That I’d be writing guidebooks about wildflowers and Acadia and an adventure travel memoir and running a publishing company. That I’d be writing an online column called Dear Bubbles. That I’d be serving as the Treasurer for a non-profit called the Outdoor Writers Association of America. That I’d be working with amazing partners to help progress photography and protect rivers. That I’d be prepping for a solo photography exhibit curated by a member of the Ansel Adams family. That I’d fall in love with rivers and coasts and stand-up paddleboarding and rain and ballet and BUBBLES! That the girl who grew up terrified of water when she couldn’t see her feet would be on the verge of becoming a river guide on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Someone pinch me!

In those 14 years, I am so fortunate that I have found what I’m built for…and I am grateful and thrilled that none of it went according to my original plan. I am also filled with immense gratitude for all of you and your support over these years, for it’s because of you that I am able to spend each of my days doing what I love and to live a meaningful life of adventure, wonder, and helping my community.

So ring the bell! Break out the bubbly and pie! Here’s to you and to freedom, sailing and paddling into the unknown, and going with the flow!

About a week ago, I went camping with Jeanne Adams (Ansel Adams’ daughter-in-law). She came to Arizona to pick up a new camper van and my 16 prints for my “The Current Flow: Water in the Arid West” exhibit this June. Before she drove home, I offered to help her break in her new rig (while following all COVID social-distancing guidelines). We ended up spending a delightful three days in Marble Canyon along my beloved Colorado River. I photographed. She painted. I watched her. She suggested I should try watercolor painting sometime.

Growing up, I had little exposure to visual arts beyond finger painting and paper mache masks in elementary school. In eighth grade, I was so bad at drawing, I transferred out of an art class after the first day. (I elected to take Home Economics instead where I ended up burning bread during the baking assignment and sewing the legs on my shorts shut during sewing…). I had tried watercolor painting once and it almost made me cry. Runny paint, mixed colors, and unpredictable results were a perfectionist’s nightmare. Other than photography and one hilarious (but fun and enlightening!) attempt at painting Monet lily pads at a wine-and-paint shop down the street in 2015, I’ve steered clear of any artistic expression requiring significant hand-eye coordination…

Until last night…

When I returned home from my trip with Jeanne, I ordered a cheap watercolor set—paint, brushes, and a small booklet of watercolor paper. Last night, I gave it a try. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how to mix colors and water and empty space. I had no idea what different brushes do. I just made up the scene as I went as I watched the paint do whatever it did on the page. I just responded to it. Now, I did tap into my growing understanding of how to depict depth in photographs to help create dimension—lines, layers, light, and even optical illusions.

Above are my results: a recovering perfectionist’s first attempt at watercolor painting.

If I could tell my younger self anything, it’s that you don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it and learn from it. (I realize one could make the argument that bread tastes better, and thus is more enjoyable, when it is not burned…). If you’re having fun keep doing it. If you aren’t having fun, stop and find something else fun to do. Why spend the time you have on this planet choosing to do things you don’t like to do?

You can bet I’ll be painting with watercolors again tonight…

I certainly don’t need to remind anyone that 2020 wasn’t the year we had all planned. Yet, as I kept in touch with people across our virtual communications lines, I’ve heard so many stories about how we each still found moments of peace, of hope and joy, of awe and wonder. Those are the memories worth packing along with us as we move into a new year of opportunities–so I offer these images of mine, none of which were expected, but all welcomed, all where I found peace, hope, joy, awe, and wonder rolled together, as a celebration of the 2020, the Year O’Change:

Just Another Speck of Dust
Death Valley National Park, CA
January 2020

Those Ghost Trees
Yosemite National Park, CA
February 2020

Losing My Marbles
Acadia National Park, ME
February 2020

Graceful Transitions
Acadia National Park, ME
February 2020

Together Again
Tonto National Forest, AZ
April 2020

Christine’s Cactus
Tonto National Forest, AZ
April 2020

Happy Today
Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area, AZ
April 2020 (on my 45th birthday!)

Make Your Point
Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area, AZ
April 2020

Past, Present, and Future
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
July 2020

Ode to Desert Winds and Water
Bears Ears National Monument, UT
July 2020

Tartan of the Wheatgrass
Devils Canyon Campground, UT
August 2020

Commanding Attention
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
August 2020

The Looking Glass
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
August 2020

Green and Red Coming Together
Canyonlands National Park, UT
October 2020

Spinning in Infinity
Canyonlands National Park, UT
October 2020

Where Affections Lie
Canyonlands National Park, UT
October 2020

Jumping into Adventure
Kanab Creek Wilderness Area, AZ
October 2020

Take Center Stage
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
October 2020

The Edge of No Limits
Kanab Creek Wilderness Area, AZ
October 2020

More Than Sand
Jewel of the Creek Preserve, AZ
October 2020

The Desert’s Devotion
Cienaga Creek Natural Preserve, AZ (it’s Davidson Creek, though)
October 2020

The Trees for the Forest
Weeks Bay Pitcher Plant Bog, AL
November 2020

Sea Shell Serenade
Gulf Shores, AL
November 2020

There you have it! If you wish to hear and see an in-depth review on eight of these images, swing over to Vimeo for a special presentation of “Making the Photographs: The 2020 Edition.” (Use discount code GROW2021 to get 20% off!) I cover what caught my attention, technical and creative challenges in the field, compositional decisions, and processing techniques. Hear the “what” and, more importantly, the “why” in hopes you get new ideas for your own work in 2021.

For more photographs, stories, and perhaps laughs–hey, if you cringe at your old work, you’re growing as a photographer and human, and that’s something to celebrate!–here are the links:
(I apparently took a few years off after 2017…)

• 2017: youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/cms-photography-favorite-photos-from-2017/
• 2016: youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/cms-photography-favorite-photos-from-2016/
• 2015: youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/cms-photography-favorite-photos-and-poem-from-2015/
• 2014:youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/cms-photography-favorite-photos-from-2014/
• 2013:youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/cms-photography-favorite-photos-from-2013/
• 2012:youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/cms-photography-favorite-photos-from-2012/

I hope you too take a second or longer to reflect on your year’s journey. I hope you recognize how your kindness, generosity, perseverance and inspiration has made a difference for me–and for all of us–during this tough time. As we start 2021, let’s hang on to all of that. Let’s keep making the world a brighter and better place together through our photography and unique stories. Now, more than ever, I hope our paths cross “out there” safely later this year.

Until then, be well, be wild–and be safe! Hugs, high fives, and fist bumps to all,
~Colleen