09/03/2026
I’m thrilled to share that my image “Fire and Flight” has won the birds in environment category of the 2026 Audubon Society Photography Awards! This image features a White-tailed Tropicbird flying in the caldera of an erupting volcano. Here’s the story:
I’ve always been drawn to photographing birds in extraordinary environments. So, when I learned that White-tailed Tropicbirds were nesting along the caldera walls of an active volcano, I traveled to Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano to document them (with my friend Tobias Yoder). My goal was to capture a tropicbird in its striking environment, framed against the backdrop of an erupting volcano. Timing a volcanic eruption is never easy. After 10 days of scouting and waiting, the volcano finally came alive on my birthday- August 22 2025. In the background of this image, multiple volcanic phenomena are visible: the white plumes on the left are mostly water v***r and carbon dioxide, the blue gases at the top right are sulfur dioxide, and the brown clouds are volcanic ash. Most striking of all, the glowing lava fountain can be seen. The White-tailed Tropicbirds nest in cracks along the crater walls, perfectly protected from predators. They use the thermals generated by the volcano’s heat to gain lift as they fly to and from the ocean to gather food, returning safely to their nests in this extreme yet beautiful environment.
