Nick Chill Photography

05/28/2026

I had a beautiful trip to Leadville, Colorado this past week. While there I was able to capture this aerial panoramic of Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir. You can see Bartlett Mountain to the right and Quandary Peak to the left.

This image was taken with the DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, consisting of 3 overlapping photos.

05/09/2026

This is what Yosemite looks like now that the park scrapped its timed-entry reservation system for 2026.

On May 2nd, drivers sat in traffic for 90 minutes just to get through Yosemite's south entrance on Highway 41.

Parking lots filled within hours of opening. Vehicles were squeezed along roadsides wherever they could fit. The free Hetch Hetchy lot — normally overflow — was also full by mid-morning.

This is what Yosemite looks like now that the park scrapped its timed-entry reservation system for 2026.

John Buckley, Executive Director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, put it plainly: "Especially on Saturdays, the amount of crowding in the park exceeds the capacity of the parking lots, resulting in vehicles parked inappropriately wherever they can squeeze in."

Tour operator Elisabeth Barton, who lives and works near the park, told reporters: "The idea of it being run ragged just breaks my heart."

Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden pushed back, telling the San Francisco Chronicle that "having the park being full is not a bad thing, it's not a crisis."

Senator Alex Padilla disagreed, calling the decision "shortsighted" and warning it will "degrade the park's natural resources" at a time when the NPS has already lost 4,000 staff.

March visitation was up nearly 45% over last year. Summer hasn't even started.

Are you planning a Yosemite trip this season? What's your strategy for dealing with the crowds?

11/23/2025

I came across this handsome critter at Pettibone Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It's a melanistic dark morph Eastern gray squirrel.
I mean, how cute is this little squirrel!? 🥰

Sony a7IV + Sony 200-600G

11/17/2025

A few shots from a beautiful morning watching thousands of tundra swans on the Mississippi River.

10/21/2025

I had an absolutely amazing time with this family portrait session. These folks were full of energy and so much fun. We couldn't have asked for better weather, with the fall colors complimenting their fantastic wardrobe choices. Am I right?

07/16/2025

Here's your classic red-winged blackbird on a cattail shot.

📷 + Sony 200-600G
Cardinal Marsh, Cresco,

07/10/2025

Covering fields with solar panels prevents the natural prairie plants and pollinator habitat from flourishing, due to a lack of sunlight. It makes much more sense to cover parking lots, which are areas that have already been paved over.

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: Vehicles will benefit from a shaded parking area, reducing UV wear on materials and providing a more pleasant interior temperature.

𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: The solar energy may now provide easy access to an EV charging infrastructure, attracting EV owners (an every growing demographic) to your business.

07/08/2025

A sandhill crane lies motionless atop its huge nest in Cardinal Marsh, attempting to remain hidden from potential predators. The marshy location provides an initial level of protection.

📷 + Sony 200-600G
Cardinal Marsh, Cresco,

Winneshiek County Conservation Iowa Department of Natural Resources

07/05/2025

A Virginia rail forages in Cardinal Marsh. It was such a pleasant surprise to see this beautiful rail. Interestingly, it was hearing a sora rail in the same area (of which I did not get a photo) that drew my attention to the location of this beautiful bird.

📷 Sony a7IV + Sony 200-600G

07/04/2025

The new bill passed by Republicans in is cruel. It will:

💊 Cut Medicaid and food assistance, which could leave 3 million people without food assistance & 12 million uninsured.
🏞️ Sell off including parts of the Arctic & old growth forests to the highest bidder while expanding drilling in our backyards.
📈 Raise energy bills as much as $400 per year by 2035 for the average .
💰 Provide massive giveaways to corporate polluters & tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of working people.

And much more. Learn how it could affect you & how we can hold the elected officials who supported this polluter giveaway accountable!

Sierra Club