I am drawn to the intersection of nature, culture, and history, and nowhere is this confluence more profound than in America’s national monuments. Established through the visionary Antiquities Act of 1906, these remarkable landscapes were granted swift protection by presidents of both parties to preserve their natural and cultural significance. Yet, in 2017, the fragility of those protections became heartbreakingly clear. An unprecedented executive review placed two dozen national monuments at risk, opening them to resource extraction and imperiling irreplaceable treasures. Among the hardest hit were Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, two of the largest and most extraordinary monuments, whose protections were gutted.

In January 2018, I resolved to take action in the only way I knew. I hiked, camped, and photographed the twenty-two land-based monuments endangered by the review, striving to capture their essence—from sweeping desert vistas and ancient archaeological sites to hidden corners teeming with life. Immersing myself in their stark and sacred beauty, I discovered remote and wild landscapes that speak in quieter, subtler tones than the iconic national parks. These monuments invite exploration, rewarding those who take the time to connect with their hidden gems. Their beauty fosters a love that grows through understanding.

National monuments are not just places of beauty; they are places of meaning. They remind us of the cultures and communities that came before us and for whom these lands remain sacred. This work seeks to illuminate their value, raising awareness of how these essential landscapes preserve America’s past while shaping its future. Through photography, I aim to inspire advocacy and appreciation, ensuring these fragile, irreplaceable places endure for generations to come. The resulting book, Our National Monuments, was a collaborative effort with twenty-seven grassroots conservation organizations.

My work in public lands also explores how designations shape both the physical landscape and our perception of it. National parks, with their established visual identity, contrast with national monuments, which remain politically vulnerable and often overlooked. This disparity underscores the role of land as a site of power struggles, reflecting ongoing debates about preservation, access, and control in contemporary America.