Collections on N. Becker Photography

Desert Enchantment

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0600

This gallery contains images made in the enchanting deserts of the American Southwest.

It isn’t difficult to see why the desert has been a place of inspiration for generations of artists. To outsiders especially (like myself), the landscapes of this region are strange and captivating. They are a feast for the senses that leaves one with a hunger to look deeper, beyond the sand and stone.

From The Edge Of The Plains

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0600

These images were made over the course of two visits to Wind Cave National Park, where the rolling Great Plains meet the rugged Black Hills.

The first visit was a quick one as I passed through the area on vacation with my family in October 2020. As we finished up a five mile hike, I knew I would have to return in the future. The endless hills punctuated by tree-filled valleys, rocky outcroppings, and lumbering bison beckoned to me for deeper exploration. It was just the kind of quiet landscape that has always drawn me in.

Waypoints

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Waypoints was an ongoing photo project whose purpose is to document the most important images during my first 10 years as a photographer.

Every year, after some time for reflection, I selected six images that represented personal milestones in some way. Selections were based on their impact on my growth as a photographer, which means that they were not necessarily my best images from the corresponding year, nor were they necessarily my favorites. Over time, my hope was to see trends emerge as I matured as a photographer: growth and exploration; refinement and discovery.

Discordant Wonder

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0600

In June of this year, I embarked on the road trip of a lifetime with my wife and 10-month-old daughter to Glacier National Park. From our home in St. Louis, we traveled north and west, through Iowa, South Dakota, and Wyoming before finally making it to our destination in the far northern reaches of Montana (on the indigenous lands of several groups of people, including the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla; Ktunaxa; and Blackfoot).

The Rabbit Hole

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0600

I recently made some images unlike any I’ve made before.

And I made them in a familiar spot, one I visit frequently throughout the year, both with my camera and without. I hike there. I’ve run the trails. I’ve visited with my wife and with my dogs.

Bright Desolation

Mon, 01 May 2023 00:00:00 -0600

These images were made over the course of a couple hours during a hike in Badlands National Park.

Mudcracks are a popular subject for the intimate nature photographer, and for good reason. It’s easy to get lost among the intricate fractures and endlessly entrancing textures that they provide. That’s exactly what happened to me when I stumbled across these scenes during our hike.

Three Degrees

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0600

This collection is a little love note to the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter.

When my wife and I traveled to Iowa last year to visit my parents for the holidays, I felt like I was seeing the freshly fallen snow with new eyes. Up early every morning to tend to a 4-month-old, I found myself gazing out the windows, spellbound by the dune-like swirls, drifts, and ripples that caught the pastel colors of the pre-dawn winter light.

Into Autumn

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0600

This collection of pinhole images was made during the fall of 2022, an important season of growth for me. As summer’s vibrant greens shifted to autumnal hues of yellow and orange, I learned how to be a father, tried to live more presently, and embraced a simple approach to making images.

Past Favorites

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0600

This collection contains a set of images that were at one time considered among the “best” of my work. In other words, at one time they were a clear reflection of my goals and artistic direction.

While that may no longer be true for some of them, I’ve chosen to preserve these past favorites here. These images span the entirety of my time pursuing photography as art.

The Last Frontier

Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 -0600

In August of 2021, my wife and I were fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Alaska for our honeymoon.

The trip was a long time in the making. We got married in 2019 and planned to have the honeymoon a year later to give ourselves time to save up some money. Then 2020 happened and we were forced to postpone the trip for another year.

Maine 2021

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0600

In July of 2021, I visited Maine for the first time. Though I knew I would be backpacking during my visit, I opted not to bring my primary camera.

There were a couple reasons for this. First and foremost, as the backpacking trip was part of a bachelor party, I didn’t think it would be wise to hold up a group of young men racing to the top of the mountains while I took photos of the ground. The second critical consideration was that I was deep in a creative rut at the time, and I didn’t want the added pressure on myself to create something. So I was happy to leave my camera behind and shave a few pounds from my pack.

Collective Isolation

Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 -0600

One thing that the isolation in the early months of COVID-19 reminded me was not to take for granted the photographic opportunities that are nearby. These images were created in my back yard in the Spring of 2020 using a 60mm macro lens. Shallow depth of field, black and white rendering, and strong contrast were a few of the tools that enabled me to look beyond my subjects and realize the dark, abstract aesthetic that I was seeking.