RECENTLY UPDATED - Mongolia
The full moon that I photographed on my second-to-last night in Mongolia, during my 2015 visit to this culturally- and historically-rich, landlocked nation. Not seen in the photo is the ger (Mongolian for “yurt”) and herd of goats that was wandering around me as I took this photo. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36.
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.
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.
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).
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.
The time and money I had set aside for my travels in Mongolia 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. Interestingly, there is enough moisture in the area for trees and shrubs to grow intermittently among the wind-swept dunes. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
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.
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. I've seen and walked across sand dunes in California, New Mexico, Utah, Chile, and my home state of Colroado, but I don't know that I've ever photographed them with quite as “perfect” a sky as in this photo. Available in the following sizes (Square): 10x10, 12x12, 16x16, 20x20, 24x24, 30x30.
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. I've seen and walked across sand dunes in California, New Mexico, Utah, Chile, and my home state of Colroado, but I don't know that I've ever photographed them with quite as “perfect” a sky as in this photo. Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36, 30x45.
This is another somewhat-typical scene in Mongolia. Much of the population outside of Ulaanbaatar remains nomadic, even in the 21st century. I saw numerous shepherds move their flocks of sheep and / or goats around during my 2015 visit. It was fairly obvious I – a tourist – was a somewhat unusual sight, as the boy in dark blue seemed thrilled to have his photo taken. I have several other photos where he's looking at the camera and smiling. Available in the following sizes (Panorama A): 20x10, 24x12, 32x16, 40x20.
Khogno Khan Uul Nature Reserve at Dusk
Several hours west of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar lies Khogno Khan Uul Nature Reserve, which, based on my experience, didn't seem to be nearly as clearly designated or regulated as nature reserves in other countries, but this makes sense when you consider Mongolia's tiny population and lack of wealth. I stayed with a family who lived at the foot of the hills shown in this panorama, and spent an afternoon climbing around their rocky, barren homeland, enjoying the solitude and taking photos. It was truly a beautiful place. Available in the following sizes (Panorama C): 30x10, 36x12, 48x16, 60x20, 72x24, 90x30, 90x30 Triptych (3 x 30x30), 108x36, 108x36 Triptych (3 x 36x36).
Several hours west of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar lies Khogno Khan Uul Nature Reserve, which, based on my experience, didn't seem to be nearly as clearly designated or regulated as nature reserves in other countries, but this makes sense when you consider Mongolia's tiny population and lack of wealth. I stayed with a family who lived at the foot of the hills shown in this panorama, and spent an afternoon climbing around their rocky, barren homeland, enjoying the solitude and taking photos. It was truly a beautiful place. Available in the following sizes (Panorama B): 30x12, 40x16, 50x20, 60x24, 75x30, 75x30 Triptych (3 x 25x30), 90x36, 90x36 Triptych (3 x 30x36), 105x42, 105x42 Triptych (3 x 35x42).
Although tourism exists in Mongolia, outside of Ulaanbaatar, there are virtually no hotels, guesthouses, hostels, etc. When I visited in 2015, the way you stayed overnight somewhere – aside from camping – was to first of all ensure you have a Mongolian-speaking guide. You'd then count on them to either know someone in the region you wanted to stay, or rely on them to talk a local into staying at their house – most of which looked like this. In the US, these are known as yurts, but in Mongolia, they are galled gers. In a land where so many people are still nomadic, having a stranger request to stay at your house is in no way looked down upon, and may be viewed as a necessary part of society. It seemed to work! Available in the following sizes (Rectangle B): 12x8, 18x12, 24x16, 30x20, 36x24, 45x30.
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.
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.
The vast majority of Mongolia is filled with a whole lot of nothing. The population of the entire country is a little over 3 million, but approximately 1.5 million live in the capitol city of Ulaanbaatar, leaving another 1.5 million people living in a country about the size of Alaska. Excluding Ulaanbaatar, this means about 2.5 people live in any given per square mile. Not many. And with no “big cities” aside from Ulaanbaatar, domestic flights in Mongolia tend to go to cities like Ulgii (sometimes spelled Olgii), shown here. The flight between Ulaanbaatar and Ulgii is a couple hours, but the only other option is a bus that claims to take 48 hours, but apparently can frequently take 3-5 days. 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.
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.