In February and March of 2025, I travelled to Canada & the USA, specifically the Rocky Mountains in Canada, Arizona & New Mexico in the USA along with a brief visit to Vancouver.

The time in the Canadian Rockies was spent mostly in Banff National Park, with sightseeing/photography trips in between days of skiing. While it was a record low snowfall that year, there was enough snow for both skiing and photographing winter scenes. On the way home a few days in Vancouver allowed some time for a brief walk in the forest that surrounds the city.

Our trip to the USA started with a drive along part of Route 66 to see the painted deserts and badlands of Petrified Forest National Park. Heading northeast from there to northern New Mexico saw multiple sites relating to Ancestral Puebloan ruins visited. Dust storms near Alamogordo were worrying, however the mornings remained clear and the incredible dunes of White Sands National Park were a highlight of the trip. Completing the circuitous route in southern Arizona, the classic western landscapes with hills covered in Saguaro cacti were impressive to see.

Late in the year we spent around a week in the northwest of Tasmania. I found the forests and waterfalls very photogenic, however while I found the Tarkine coast to be incredibly beautiful as well, it was more difficult to photograph. I think that was because I found the rugged coastline to be difficult and slow to traverse, and that combined with the lack of flowing water foregrounds that are common in seascape photography meant that I struggled to find compositions in the short time available. It is a definitely a place I would like to revisit, as I think given time there are many compositions to be seen.

Locally the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands were frequently visited, especially the waterfalls after rainfall and beneath the towering cliffs at other times. Sunrises at the coast took a back seat this year, compared to previous years.