Category: Black & White Photography

Hi everyone, on November 6-8, I’m participating in the Nature Photo Summit.

For three days, and for FREE, you can watch the presentations of these great photographers:

And of course, John Barclay, who asked if I could make his picture larger than everyone else’s (such a BIG ego!):

You probably know most of these photographers, what they do, what they love, and what they emphasize. Join us for three days of inspiration.

What’s the catch? No catch! But if you choose to purchase an upgrade, you can watch these presentations after the summit for the next six months. But either way these presentations are free during the three days of the summit.

So please Join me, John, Sarah, Beth, Matt, Joshua and my other friends for three days of fun and inspiration.

Learn More and Register Here

Two Sinners

When I write a blog post, I often choose a topic that I’m struggling with, not one that I’ve mastered. Writing about it helps to strengthen my resolve to do better in the future. However, sometimes it can sound like I’m preaching or admonishing others, rather than speaking to myself.

Which brings us to today’s blog post topic. 

After being out of photographic action for two months due to the snakebite, I found myself creating with my mind. As my wife chauffeured me around, I had the rare opportunity to be a passenger, which allowed me to look, to see, and to compose images in my mind’s eye. During these rides, an idea for a new project formed, but it depended on the weather; and fortunately the conditions were perfect this time of year.

Internal Expectations:

I was growing physically stronger and so I planned a photo trip: I’d head out to the Great Plains of Kansas and Nebraska for four days to see if I could execute my Vision for this new idea. Success wasn’t guaranteed, because what I wanted to do would be difficult and perhaps impossible. On the morning of my departure I had great hopes and expectations, but unfortunately the weather had changed and it was now the exact opposite of what I wanted. But I headed out anyway, hoping that the conditions would change.

They did not.

Each day the weather was beautiful but it was not what I wanted, and I became discouraged. Here I was, finally strong enough to photograph; I had an idea that I was excited about; I had four days to pursue it; I had everything I needed…except for the right conditions. 

As I expressed my frustrations to my wife, she reminded me of what I teach in my presentations: expectations can be good when they drive and motivate you. But they can be bad when they blind you to what else is being presented. I was so focused on what I wanted, I could not see anything else. 

External Expectations:

I had told a number of people that I was heading out on this photographic journey, and to a person, their reaction was: I cannot wait to see what you create with your Vision after your near-death experience!

These were kind-hearted sentiments from well-meaning friends. But…I let their expectations get into my head! I put pressure on myself to come home with something great: something that would impress them and meet their expectations.

Internal Expectations + External Expectations = !&#%@$!!!

When I combined my own expectations with my friends’ expectations, the result was frustration, unhappiness and depression. I did not enjoy the trip and I came home early. 

What should I have done? 

Enjoy the Journey:

I should have enjoyed the journey: It was a beautiful fall day, I was driving the backroads of rural America, I was eating a lot of great Mexican food, I was healthy and had no cares. Why couldn’t that have been enough? Just because I couldn’t create the project I wanted, didn’t mean I couldn’t create something else. And even if I came home empty handed, I still should have enjoyed the trip. 

It turns out that the difference between a failed trip and an enjoyable one, was all about my attitude and expectations.

Sometimes I am so results oriented that I fail to enjoy the journey. This is especially true when traveling to an iconic place or to a “once in a lifetime” location. I have these high expectations that can put a damper on the creative process. The more pressure I put on myself, the less creative I feel, which causes me to put more pressure on myself.

The Trick:

The trick is to let go of expectations. To say “que sera sera, whatever will be, will be.” To enjoy where I’m at. To relax and just let go.

Easier said than done, I know! But with each failure, comes a new resolve…and I know that I’ll improve and eventually get there.

Cole

P.S. The trip was not a complete photographic failure. I was drawn to this cemetery and smiled when I saw the graves of two Sinners.

Beauty in Death No. 25

When I turned 70, I thought, I’ve probably got 10 more good, active years.

But recently, with so many of my musical heroes dying in their 70s and early 80s, I was reminded that the day and hour are uncertain.

And now, after having a near-death experience, it made me realize that the end could come at any time.

As I think about what I want to do with my remaining time, I don’t think about places I want to photograph or things I want to do, but rather how I want to live my life. I am now more focused on Vision than ever before, because Vision isn’t really about photography; it’s about knowing who you are and living in harmony with that.

My images merely reflect my Vision. 

And so, in my final chapter of life, I am compelled to ask myself: Who am I? Who do I want to be? How can I live more honestly? Knowing the answers to these questions will refine my Vision and will be reflected in my images.

And what about you? Why wait until you’re old or have a near-death experience to find and follow your Vision! Do it now; it will change your photography and your life. 

It changed mine.

Cole 

P.S. Here’s a link to the article “How I Found My Vision.” It outlines the ten steps I followed to find my Vision; perhaps some of them will be useful to you. https://colethompsonphotography.com/2014/05/09/finding-vision/

My first goal with this blog post is to send it out without showing the HTML! Let’s hope you receive a simple summary and a red button to read the full post.

Health Update:

I’m on the mend! My sepsis is under control. The serum sickness will take longer, but I’m improving. I’m very weak and can only do a little each day before I’m exhausted, in bed, and napping! They say it will take about 6 weeks to regain my strength.

Sadly, I had to cancel Out of Chicago, Grand Teton. A friend, David Cobb, has stepped in to take my place. My condolences to David for having to spend a week with John. 

Gratitude:

One of the two significant things that occurred during my ordeal is that I can now see love. Let me try to explain, because it sounds weird and a little “woo woo,” as Brooks likes to say. When I see simple acts of kindness, like the many I have received from you all, I am filled with an overwhelming feeling of love and appreciation. And usually lots of tears. 

A friend sent me this:

According to the National Library of Medicine, approximately seventeen percent of the population has had a near-death experience. One of the most universal reports among survivors is having felt a supernormal love that defies description. Some call that love God. Others call it Source. Regardless, most people come back from the other side with an unforgettable sense that they are loved no matter what. 

Everyone has been so kind, so supportive, so caring during this time, and my words of thanks are woefully inadequate.

I feel loved.

Thoughts on Vision:

Vision is a concept that is so very difficult to understand. I spent two years trying so hard to find mine, but it wasn’t until I just “let go” that I finally had my “ah ha” moment while photographing The Angel Gabriel.

As I stood there, I could see what I wanted that final image to look like. In a way, I took two images that day: one with my camera and one with my Vision (or voice or imagination). That Vision of how I wanted the final image to look was burned into my memory, and it became my road map for how to photograph Gabriel and then how to process the image. 

At that point, I was two years into my Vision quest and didn’t feel like I was making any progress. I was giving up because I thought maybe I didn’t have a Vision. But looking back, I think giving up was so very important. I had let go of the rules and conventions; I stopped following what others did; I ditched the marketing plans that were supposed to bring me success; and I stopped trying to walk in the footsteps of my photographic heroes.

And I had stopped trying to understand Vision logically…it cannot be understood that way.

Vision is simply being yourself, seeing for yourself, and creating what you love. Doing what feels right even if EVERYONE says you should do it differently. Vision lets you ignore how others do things and do things your way. Vision allows you to ignore what others think of your work and love what you create. Vision is the opposite of “success” as the world defines it. 

Vision is just who you are. It goes way beyond photography; it’s how you live your life, honestly.

So if you still struggle with the concept of Vision, or wonder if you have one…you do, I promise. 

Forget all that you think you know about photography, and just let go. 

Bad news, good news, great news!

Bad News: Since I got out of the ICU, I’ve been to the doctor/Urgent Care/ER six times, and it has been a bit discouraging. My body had an E. coli infection, but after two courses of antibiotics, my fever and drenching sweats continued. On Saturday, we went back to the ER, and they said I needed to stay for a few days and do every test possible to find the source of the problem. The hospital is where I’m at right now.

Good News: After extensive blood work, CT scans, and X-rays, they found that my E. coli infection had jumped to my blood, and I have sepsis. They have also concluded that I am suffering from serum sickness, a reaction to the massive doses of anti-venom serum that I received. The fix is IV antibiotics and steroids. 

Great News: We finally know what’s wrong, and they know how to treat it! After the drug resistance test comes back tomorrow, and if they can find an oral antibiotic that is effective, I can go home.

____________________________________________________________

Just before  I got snake bit, I happened to be watching the Netflix series called “Best Medicine,” a remake of Doc Martin. Here’s a summary of the show:

When Dr. Martin Best (Josh Charles) moves from Boston to Port Wenn, the cozy coastal Maine town where he vacationed as a kid, he expects a quieter life — one in which he’s bothered less by humans, a populace he’d prefer to avoid. But upon arriving he realizes that no one in this town — not even the scruffy dog that keeps barging into his new private practice — seems to know how to leave him alone.

The comedy-drama series Best Medicine, based on the British show Doc Martin, follows Dr. Best as he attempts to acclimate to small-town life. Unfortunately, given his recently acquired phobia of blood and his innate aversion to social interactions, the citizens of Port Wenn may push him to his breaking point.

In the first episode, the town council is interviewing Doc Martin for the position of town doctor and when he is asked about his bedside manner, he replies “I make people well, and they like that.“ And of course his answer reveals that he has absolutely no bedside manner!

I have run into many skilled doctors and specialists in these last three weeks, and I am grateful that they made me well, but the ones that I remember most are the ones who listened to me, who were kind, and showed their humanity.

My wife is a family practitioner and everyone loves Dyan. And why? They like her because she listens and cares. We “lay people“ don‘t really have a way to evaluate our doctor‘s skills, but we do know if we feel heard and feel genuinely cared for.

I had a “Doc Martin“ type doctor on a follow up for my hand. A pretty cold personality, no sense of humor, and pretty dismissive of ideas other than his. In our meeting with him, Dyan brought up two possibilities for the cause of my problem, and each was quickly dismissed. We did not feel heard and consequently we did not care for the doctor. And now, the two suggestions Dyan had made, were correct and that‘s what we’re addressing now. 

Listening matters. Kindness matters. Caring matters.

And not just with doctors.

In the thick of it!

SHORT VERSION: On Friday, 7/31/2026, I was bitten on the hand by a baby rattlesnake. Within two minutes, I was down. Life Flight came immediately and administered CroFab anti-venom, which caused me to go into anaphylactic shock.

My tongue and uvula swelled up, obstructing my airway. I received 32 doses of this anti-venom before they switched to the less-used Anavip anti-venom made from horses. This seemed to work, and on Monday, 8/3/2026, I was released from the ICU into the Critical Care Unit. I have made rapid progress and should be released tomorrow, Wednesday, 8/5/2026.

LONG VERSION I set three mouse traps in my barn so the mice don’t take over. Sometimes a trap will be missing, and they just get a leg caught and run off to hide in a corner. I take pity on those guys and set them loose out in the field, as I figure they’ve already suffered enough. Well, on Friday, two of the three traps were missing, and I went to look for them. I see the two traps back in a bunch of junk, both moving, and I suspected that they probably had a leg caught. I was going to give them a “get out of jail free” card and release them.

As I went to grab the first one, bam! A lightning strike to the finger and that sound you don’t want to hear, a rattle! But I wasn’t certain, so I went into the house to get Dyan to look, because I was already feeling bad and had fallen on the kitchen floor. While she went out to the barn to look, I could tell I was fading fast and tried to dial 9-1-1, but only got to 9-1, and then everything went blurry. Dyan came back into the house and dialed 9-1-1, and they sent out the Life Flight. 

On the helicopter ride to a trauma center (my first ever), they administered the CroFab anti-venom, which is a standard anti-venom, but for some reason, I reacted negatively and went into anaphylactic shock, with my uvula and tongue swelling up, threatening my airway. Not improving, they found some of the less-common Anavip anti-venom which is made from horses. Fortunately, this worked, and my healing has progressed rapidly.

On the mend!

Even though I should be released tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 8/5/2026), my hand is still not out of danger, and it can take up to two weeks for the wound to “present itself” and either heal on its own or have the dead tissue removed and a skin graft applied. 

The hand that got bit

Now the scary stuff: on the helo ride over felt I was going to die. I was walking down this white tunnel, but it was okay, I was not afraid. Everything was peaceful and either way it was going to be okay. I do remember that I had stopped breathing and I told l myself to breath.

Now that it’s all over and I recount the story, I become very emotional, and I’m not an emotional person. 

I think about how lucky I am to be alive. If Dyan had not been home that day, I would not have survived. If the helicopter had not been so quick, I would not have survived. If they had not quickly found the alternate anti-venom, I would not have survived.

Life is so very fragile and minutes matter. I am so thankful that Dyan was there, that the helo guys responded so quickly, and that the health care people knew what to do. I am just so grateful.  

Today I got a shower, to eat some food, and drink a Coke. You cannot imagine how good some simple things taste now that I’ve been given a second chance. I have been surrounded by my wife, my children, caring friends, and I am really just grateful for everything.

Two of my friends have wondered how this might affect my life and my photography. An interesting question!

Cole

P.S. I was on a LOT of  medications and one of them (they think maybe the steroids) was causing hallucinations, lots of them. I’d see spiders and ants crawling around, I’d see writing on the walls and on the blank TV screen! I knew they were hallucinations, and so I knew that I wasn’t going crazy, but they were very entertaining to watch!

P.P.S. Dyan went home yesterday and was going to find the snake. But then we thought: we don’t want her to get bit and both of us in the ICU and so we decided to call the county to take care of the little “bastard” They said “sure, we’ll take care of him!” When she got home, the county guy was there and Dyan asked if he had taken care of him, and he replied that he had let him go, on our property!!!

The “little bastard!”

I have a shotgun shell with his name on it.

P.P.P.S. I will be pretty tired over the next few days and I’d really love to hear from you, but please understand that I will not be be able to respond. Thanks for your understanding.

Shoes – 1970

Can you remember when you first discovered photography?

Can you remember the excitement you felt at finding something that you were passionate about?

Can you remember the feeling when you created an image that you really loved?

I can.

Gull and Moon – 1970

I created “Gull and Moon” at the age of 16, and this was the first image that I really loved and was proud of. I was young, self-taught, I didn’t know the rules or how I was “supposed” to photograph, and I had not yet begun to follow trends.

I was a child with a camera and an imagination, and that was enough.

But then something happened: I decided that I wanted to be a “successful” photographer. I had never thought about what “success” meant to me, I just accepted the widely accepted definition for photographers: to be famous, to have my work in a big-name gallery, to sell my prints for lots of money, and to have a book of my work published.

What else could success mean?

And so I started doing what I thought would make me successful:

• I copied others’ work
• I imitated others’ subjects and styles
• I followed rules and common wisdoms
• I focused on technical perfection
• I created for popularity
• I listened to others’ advice

It turns out that everything I did was the exact opposite of what I should have done. (That’s a Seinfeld reference; do you know the episode?)

And the result? My work was average, boring, and indistinguishable from everyone else’s. I did not create original work, but I took pride in my technical perfection because that was all I had to offer.

Over time, I lost my passion for photography. I felt frustrated, empty, and unfulfilled, but I didn’t know what was wrong or how to fix it. But in 2004, when I was challenged to find and follow my Vision, everything changed.

Me at age 14

As I found my Vision, I noticed that my natural child-like creativity and love for my work were returning. Why was this happening? Here’s a thought from Rick Rubin:

“Beginner’s mind – one of the most difficult states of being to dwell in for an artist, precisely because it involves letting go of what our experiences have taught us.

A beginner’s mind starts from a pure childlike place of not knowing. Living in the moment with as few fixed beliefs as possible.

Seeing things for what they are as presented. Tuning in to what enlivens us in the moment instead of what we think will work. And making our decisions accordingly. Any preconceived ideas and accepted conventions limit what’s possible.

We tend to believe that the more we know, the more clearly we can see the possibilities available. This is not the case. The impossible only becomes accessible when experience has not taught us limits. There’s a great power in not knowing.”

One key to regaining my child-like creativity was learning to unlearn everything I thought I knew about photographing. I had to:

• Unlearn years of teachings.
• Unlearn rules and conventions.
• Unlearn my dependence on the advice of experts.
• Unlearn my need for others to like my work.
• Unlearn my belief that there’s a right way to photograph.
• Unlearn everything that restricts me.

It’s really, really hard to turn back the clock of time and to think, see, and feel like our younger selves! Here’s how I started the process:

First, I found my Vision. I learned to see through my own eyes and not through the eyes of Ansel, Edward, Imogen, or Wynn.

Second, I had to understand why I photographed. When I began photographing at age 14, I did so for only one reason: the pure joy of creating.

Third, once I understood why I was photographing, I was able to define success for myself: creating images that I love.

Fourth, the hardest thing of all was to learn not to care what others thought of my work. To do this, I had to keep reminding myself why I was creating.

I feel good when I create something that I love and am proud of. It’s like being 16 all over again, and that’s a feeling I wouldn’t trade for a thousand likes.

I have many photographic philosophies that I live by, but if I had to choose just one that best summarizes my approach to photography, it would be “Creating Honest Work.”

Here’s how I define it:

• It is work that I have created from my Vision

• The idea was mine, not borrowed or stolen.

• It is work that I created for myself with no thought of pleasing others.

• It is work that I love regardless of how others feel about it.

“Honest work” has become my most important standard. It is a test I apply to myself and my work to ensure I am staying true to my Vision.

When I create work where the ideas and Vision are mine, then I have confidence in my creations. But when I am imitating, creating to win awards and likes… then the satisfaction is hollow and fleeting. Each “like” must be followed by another and another for me to remain convinced that my work is good.

Creating honest work is the only way that I choose to work because it assures internal satisfaction. Others may not like my work; it may not win awards, and it may not sell… but when I create an image that I love, that is enough.

Cole