On one of my first days in Mongolia, I went to visit the Zaisan Memorial in Ulaanbaatar, which honors allied Mongolian and Soviet soldiers killed in World War II. It is a fairly popular tourist site which allows one a good view of Mongolia's capitol city. It being such a popular spot, there are people there selling trinkets and offering opportunities in which they think tourists may be interested. Mongolia has a long history associated with eagles, and one man at the Memorial had a huge golden eagle that, if you gave him a few thousand togrog (Mongolian currency), you could take photos of this gorgeous bird and spend some time interacting with it up-close. I thought this was a good investment, and the opportunity allowed me to capture this photo. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24, 24x30, 30x40.
Mongolia is one of the driest places on the planet, but the mostly nomadic residents of the far western portion of this landlocked Asian nation have figured out how to make do with what is available, and one of the biggest assets is the White River, which allows for a sliver of arable land in what is otherwise inhospitable, to put it mildly. This is a photo that merits close examination – there's all kinds of interesting things to see, from the multitude of housing to the fences that separate one farmer's land from the next, to the herds of domesticated animals in pens and along the river banks. Doesn't hurt that the setting sun increased the saturation of the whole scene. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych Triptych (3 x 40x40), 144x48 Triptych (3 x 48x48).
Horses have always played an important role in Mongolia. They do to this day. During my two and a half weeks in Mongolia in 2015, I saw many people riding horses for a variety of reasons – simple transportation, competitions, work, etc. Seeing all these horses in a field was totally unexpected. And I couldn't even tell you if they were owned or wild horses. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24.
Most of my time in Mongolia, during my 2015 visit, was spent in the far west, near the three-way border with Russia and China, and just over 20 miles from Kazakhstan. Much of this time was spent driving through seemingly-endless areas of next-to-nothing. This part of Mongolia looks a lot like that shown in this image – not ideal for raising livestock, but adequate, provided one doesn't mind moving around to find suitable plants and grasses for animal consumption. Thus the nomadic lifestyle that persists here, despite all of it's difficulties. Equal parts intimidating and tranquil. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36).
Sights like this were the norm in Western Mongolia, when I visited in 2015. The group I was traveling with was supposed to go on an overnight camping trip, but a blizzard at slightly higher elevations the day before I took this photo meant we had to find something else to do. The Mongolian leader of my tour group (4 English-speakers, along with our driver and guide, in a 4WD Soviet van) improvised. She spoke to some families in the area and learned of a party / wrestling match / gathering being held on a mountain, and there we went. It was a fun experience, even though I basically had no idea what was going on. It was from there that I took this photo. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
I wrote this description in late 2020, five and a half years after I visited Western Mongolia, in the summer of 2015. Unfortunately, my memory and notes aren't great, so I'm not even 100% certain of the city in which I took this photo, but I think it is Tsengel, a mostly-Kazakh village of less than 10,000 people. This photo provides a good feel for what I saw of urban centers in western Mongolia. Quiet, dry, and oddly peaceful. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20.
I visited the far west region of Mongolia in late May, 2015, and my itinerary involved me going camping very close to the Mongolia / Russia / China border at a mountain lake. It would have taken the better part of a day to hike to the lake from the yurt in the steppe in which we'd stayed the night before, but nature had other plans. After walking for a mile or two as conditions got worse and worse, we ultimately made the (probably-wise) decision to turn around. I took this photo just before this decision was reached. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 10x8, 14x11, 20x16, 24x20, 30x24.
Eagle Master Khairat Khan is a bit of a celebrity in the world of Eagle Hunters. There was a 2005 movie made about his trade, titled “Kiran Over Mongolia,” which means “Golden Eagle Over Mongolia.” Although we were unable to see him fly or hunt with his new eagle – he'd released his old eagle only four days before our arrival – we were able to spend two days with him and learn about his life and the lifestyles of Kazah Eagle Masters. A truly wonderful and sobering experience. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
I liked the composition of this photo even before the kid ran through my shot. In fact, I took a photo a second or two earlier without the kid running through, and I probably would have released that photo if I hadn't gotten this one immediately after. I'm not much of a photojournalist / portrait / people photographer, but every now and then I get lucky! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24.
Eagle Master Khairat Khan is a bit of a celebrity in the world of Eagle Hunters. There was a 2005 movie made about his trade, titled “Kiran Over Mongolia,” which means “Golden Eagle Over Mongolia.” Although we were unable to see him fly or hunt with his new eagle – he'd released his old eagle only four days before our arrival – we were able to spend two days with him and learn about his life and the lifestyles of Kazah Eagle Masters. A truly wonderful and sobering experience. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 10x8, 14x11, 20x16, 24x20, 30x24, 40x30.
Most of my time in Mongolia, during my 2015 visit, was spent in the far west, near the three-way border with Russia and China, and just over 20 miles from Kazakhstan. Much of this time was spent driving through seemingly-endless areas of next-to-nothing. This is one of many photos I took when I got out of the vehicle to stretch my legs and enjoy the peace and quiet. The guy on the bike really makes this photo. That and the feeling of endlessness given off by the desert background. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24.
Most of my time in Mongolia, during my 2015 visit, was spent in the far west, near the three-way border with Russia and China, and just over 20 miles from Kazakhstan. Much of this time was spent driving through seemingly-endless areas of next-to-nothing. Aside from Ulgii (population 30,000), the town in which my flight from Ulaanbaatar landed, the only population centers I encountered were villages of maybe 1,000 people here and there, and many nomad camps. I honestly do not know if the residence shown here is occupied year-round, or if it is seasonal housing for a family (or families) of nomads that live in the area. But the feeling of this part of the country is very well encapsulated by this photo. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
Mongolia is one of the driest places on the planet, but the mostly nomadic residents of the far western portion of this landlocked Asian nation have figured out how to make do with what is available, and one of the biggest assets is the White River, which allows for a sliver of arable land in what is otherwise inhospitable, to put it mildly. The contrast is striking! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
This was the final sunset photo I took during my 2015 trip to Mongolia. Usually, if there aren't interesting clouds, I don't find sunrise or sunset photos compelling enough to share. But this one is a little different. The foreground landscape is so simple – seemingly endless steppe – that an equally simply sky is the perfect companion. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20.
Although this photo makes it look like this snake could be as big around as one's wrist, and perhaps several feet long, in reality, it was probably only a foot long, and maybe as large around as my pinky. I used a telephoto lens to make it look larger than it actually was. And although it looks somewhat scary, I actually saved his life. I was wandering through the “mini Gobi” a couple hours outside of Ulaanbaatar, during my 2015 visit to Mongolia, when I came over the crest of a sand dune and saw a bird dancing around strangely. I approached to see if I could figure out what was going on, and when I got a bit closer, the bird took flight. I got closer still and spotted this snake. If I hadn't intervened, I think this little guy would have been a snack. You're welcome, snake! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24.
Przewalski's horses, which are native to the steppes of central Asia, were at one time extinct in the wild, but have been reintroduced to their native habitat in Mongolia beginning in the 1990s. In addition to those in zoos and other facilities, as of 2011, there were more than 400 in three free-ranging populations in the wild. I was lucky enough to photograph these two drinking from a pond, in the wild, in Khogno Khan Uul Nature Reserve. Although scientists aren't united in their beliefs on the origin of these horses, there are many who believe that Przewalski's horses are the only 'true' wild horse in the world today, never having been domesticated. True or not, it was pretty cool to see and photograph such a rare species. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle A): 10x8, 14x11, 20x16, 24x20, 30x24.
The time and money I had set aside for my travels in Mongolia in 2015 allowed me to see some wonderful, beautiful places, and have some unique experiences. Unfortunately, it didn't allow me to see the Gobi Desert. I suppose if I look at this from a “glass half-full” standpoint, it provides me a good reason to return. But I did want to see something that would give me some idea what life would be like in the Gobi, so I visited the “Mini Gobi” in Khogno Khan Uul Nature Reserve, shown here. Undisturbed (i.e. not yet walked on) sand dunes make for some of the easiest photography, especially for beginners. If one simply picks a location and takes a bunch of photos at different heights, pointing in different directions, it is almost guaranteed something will turn out well! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
I took this photo shortly after sunset on the second to last night of my 2015 trip to Mongolia. My last night was in the capitol city of Ulaanbaatar, so options didn't exist for me to take any photos quite like this. It was unplanned dumb luck that there was a full moon on this night, and it happened to rise in the perfect direction for me to capture this traditional Mongolian ger (what Americans refer to as a yurt), along with the owner's herd of goats. This is the lifestyle still prominent among Mongolia's many nomads, and it seemed to me – with the necessary preamble that I was an outsider experiencing it off and on for a week or so – that it was one of peace and quiet. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24, 24x30.
I took this photo at sunset on my second-to-last night in Mongolia, during my 2015 visit. I stayed with the family whose yurts (called gers in Mongolia) can be seen just left-of-center in the photo. It really encapsulates a lot of what I saw and experienced during my too-short visit to this culturally- and historically-rich, landlocked nation. In America, we tend to think of a literal nomadic lifestyle as a relic of some past that no longer exists, but in Mongolia, a great deal of the people who live outside the capitol city of Ulaanbaatar remain nomads. Having experienced it, albeit from an outsiders perspective, and for a short time, there is something oddly peaceful about it. And regardless, it makes for some great photos! Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36), 120x40, 120x40 Triptych (3 x 40x40).