All photos ©Mark Forbes

I made this photograph 20 years ago in Rocky Mountain National Park in, it's hard to believe, June! As I walked up the path I was struck with the stark, almost desert-like quality of the snow above the tree line.

Growing up in Illinois, I never looked at corn as particularly beautiful until I became interested in photography. This is another image from 20 years ago. Again, shooting directly into the sun creates interest and beauty.

The afternoon light in the California Wine Country near Clear Lake caused me to pull off the road and shoot one of the state's most recognizable crops. If you look carefully, you can see the fingerprints of the vintner who had just checked the grapes for ripeness.

The beaches in California contain many interesting forms, including rocks, cliffs, and marine animals and plants. In this case, my wife became the most interesting thing to me! This was shot on our honeymoon near Carmel, CA.

The indirect light provided a soft, elfin-like characteristic to this mushroom that I found growing in a very exotic place…my backyard.

The rocks on Northern California beaches not only provide photogenic shapes, but the waves breaking over them add interest. This was photographed near Santa Cruz, CA at the north end of Monterey Bay.