A collection of photos taken in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio; Centralia, Pennsylvania; and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 

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Climbing Impossible Walls: This waterfall was not just falling water, plenty of the water was frozen. Though not one for being able to climb frozen walls while naked, we do believe that those obstacles in our lives that seem impossible to overcome should be confronted and defeated.

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The Hunter Waits in the Trees: There was a giant wooden platform where most go to view this beautiful falls, but we decided to find a more secluded spot. It took sliding down several feet of a steep gully and bushwhacking through some undergrowth, but we found a nice little spot in the end.

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A Jaunt Down Memory Lane: This was once a paved road that had homes on either side. After humans burned themselves out (a coal fire started in the mine beneath the town that is still burning today) nature came back and reclaimed its rightful place.

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Gollum Spotted Near a Watering Hole: It was very cold that day. The night before we had camped at the foot of the trail, and two of our number could hardly sleep because of how cold it was. It took extra concentration to balance on the rocks since they were all covered in ice.

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Peeking Out from the Bushes: Found a busy waterfall at Cuyahoga National Park, we still had to get a NaturalNature there though, so we scrambled down into the gully off the trail and snapped a shot from the trees.

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Disappearing into the Sunset: That is exactly what happened to the town known as Centralia, only about 5 homes remain of a town that used to have several thousand inhabitants, and nature was happy to reclaim the land as rightfully Hers. Humans may think that they are meant to rule over Mother Earth, but truly it will be Mother Earth that will ultimately rule over us.

A Collection of photos taken in the beautiful state of Michigan. The locations include Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, Munising Falls, and Sable Sand Dunes.

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Praising the Fading Light: We got to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes a little late after a long drive down from the Upper Peninsula, it didn’t stop us from trekking out to the lake though, and we are glad we did, the colors in the water and the sunset were just stunning!

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Considering the Drop: The climb up and down to the perch was a bit longer than Abe’s body, but looking down the 50 foot drop of Munising Falls was worth the little extra effort.

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The Distant Figure Rejoices: Out on the ridge of the dune in the distance is founder Alex. Sand dunes are quite possibly his favorite thing in the world, and also happens to be where he took the first ever NaturalNature (though that was in the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado). Here he is rejoicing to be back in the sand again.

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An Afternoon’s Meditation: There is nothing like relaxing out in nature as the sun begins its descent at the end of the day. Those rays aren’t the best for tanning, but they’re great for contemplating.

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Living on the Edge: Though in no way the tallest or the most ferocious of the falls we saw on our journey across the United States, it did provide the unique opportunity of being able to get right onto the edge of the drop.

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A Speck in the Distance: Seriously, there is a person out there, standing on the furthest ridge. If you zoom in quite a ways you can actually make him out pretty well, but even if you can’t see him, the view of Sable Sand Dunes is just gorgeous in this picture.

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Obeisance to the Falling Sun: Nearly every single religion that currently exists on the earth can be traced to a history of sun worship. It all makes sense of course, seeing as the energy of the sun is what provides the energy to live and grow on the earth.

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On the Edge of the Seat: In all reality the hugging of the knees was probably due to the fact that it was a bit of a brisk fall day in the UP. But that is always the best time to get out and enjoy a hike, less people on the trails and you don’t ever get too hot or too cold, unless you sit your ass on a wet rock while naked.

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A Lone Tusken Raider: If you have ever seen Star Wars, you can understand why we are taking this picture from such a distance. Tusken Raiders are known to have a bit of a violent streak, there’s also no telling how many are just beyond the ridge either.

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Soaking up Rays on a Forest Side Beach: Sable Sand Dunes are unique for several reasons. A couple of those reasons have to do with what surrounds the dunes themselves. On one side you have the mighty and beautiful Lake Superior, on the other a much smaller lake encircled with forest, and then in the dunes themselves are little patches of pine forest.

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Clinging to the Staff of Life: So the staff of life is usually thought off as some hearty grain or other base starch used by a human population, but a tree seems much more lively. And a tree also does the unique thing of reaching both into the earth and into the sky.

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Watching the Distant Horizon: Standing at the edge of a body of water it can see as if you have reached the edge of the world, add being on top of a several hundred foot tall dune at the edge of the water and it looks like you are looking right over that edge.

This shoot took place in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness just outside of Buena Vista, Colorado on an early fall day.

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A Moment to Consider the Beauty that Lives: After a week of nothing but online work, it is nice to be able to escape to the natural beauty of the mountains. Every day inside of humanity is fraught with constant reminders of the shit we live under, but there still lives a bigger beautiful world outside of us.

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Considering the Stillness of the Snow: One of the first snows of the season, down below 8,000 feet it was cloudy and rainy all day, but in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness the sun was making quick work of the snow. The hike consisted of walking up a trail that had turned into a little stream.

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A Prayer to and for the Earth: Looking down to the world that supports us, there is a feeling of ultimate love and compassion. My feet would be nowhere without the earth to stand on, my eyes would be bored without nature and mountains to see. And so a short silent prayer is offered to that Mother which gave me and my own mother life. Please be strong, and please help us be better.

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Warding off the Mountain Breeze: Despite the sun being out and things feeling awfully warm, every once and a while a breeze would kick up and spread the cold from off the surface of the snow. A good time for cuddles of any sort, including self-cuddles.

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Looking to Princeton: No, that is not in reference to the school. In the distance the mountain top you see it Mt Princeton, one of the most majestic of the Colorado 14ers. It definitely puts the ivy league school to shame.

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A Precarious Balancing Act on an Icy Rock: That rock was actually something of a struggle to climb up onto. Sitting at chest high and being rather smooth from thousands of years of weathering, but we both managed to get up there, and since it was covered with snow it took a moment to gain some balance.

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Reclining on an Icy Throne: There are those in the world who think the perfect throne entails gold, jewels, velvet, and other “fine and precious” materials, but those people have clearly never found a rock out in a mountain meadow to sit and reflect for a few moments. Because that rock in a mountain meadow will always be better than a throne of glamour.

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Stretching the Soul in Its Restful Home: On the drive up to and away from the shoot just outside of Beuna Vista, Colorado we had some deep and intense conversations about energy. We both agreed that there was something vast about the energy of the mountains that provides a place to rest for any soul.

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The Bearded Merman of the Mountains: Don’t know about you, but this picture tends to remind me of the cover photo for the old Little Mermaid VHS. Aside from the fact that instead of water there is snow, and instead of a phallic castle in the background there is a beautiful mountain range, oh yeah, and it’s a dude without a tail fin instead of a girl with a tail fin.

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Listening to the Soul of the Wind: The deep truth of all philosophy and religion comes to a single realization, we are all connected. Every life form, every part of the earth, the atmosphere, the galaxy, and the universe is all essentially the same, and sometimes (if you listen closely) you can hear their souls speaking to your own.

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One Baldy Views Another: The aches and pains of going through the balding process are put in perspective when viewing the beauty of a bald summit. If mountains can look beautiful bald, why can’t people?

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Thinking Hard about One’s Place in the World: Philosophical crises are just a part of life when you let yourself think bigger than just one’s self. There are many issues that suddenly begin to appear, and it just leaves on thinking more and more. Ultimately the presence for safe thinking is found out in nature.

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A Delicate Balancing Act: For some reason it was quite difficult balancing on this particular log, maybe it was because it was on a slope, or because it was falling apart and missing a side. Whatever the case, it had me with my arms spread like and eagle to try and maintain my balance.

These are a series of photos take over a couple days while wandering through both Redwood National Parks in Northern California. Taken with a friend that we met on the road and who then road tripped with us for the next few days. Love road trip friendships!

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The Founders go a Finding: There we are, three of the four original creators of the NaturalNatures movement. The one taking the picture is a friend that we met on the road. She needed a ride because the spring of 2017 made her initial bike journey plan impassable. It was our lucky day because we made a great friend and great photographer.

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Through the Eyes of a Tree: No, we are not shooting from inside a cave, we are shooting from inside of the massive fallen log of a redwood. These trees don’t stop producing life when they die, instead their very trunks become fertile ground for growing and they craft a whole new small ecosystem.

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Peeking in to See Who Is Home: This old stump of a redwood has provided a source for life growing on the outside, with how big it is inside you think someone would have made it home, but after checking it out looks like there’s a vacancy. Would you live inside the stump of a redwood?

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Three Halves Zen: It might be hard to tell, but we are each reaching out with one arm in the classic meditative position. Also difficult to believe is how much of a struggle it was to climb up this long, that is why the daredevil was the one at the top.

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Reaching for the Light Beyond: Sometimes the best way to reach that peace that we are supposed to find at the end of the tunnel when we die, is to really connect with the Earth while you are still alive. She knows life better than us, so she can guide us to that source of life and light.

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The Yeti Hears the Approach of Humans While Entering Its Den: In the old redwood forest things get awfully quiet, so just the snapping of a twig underneath one’s foot can sound like a gunshot. It is these old growth forests that need to be watched over and cared for, there is something sacred about that noble silence.

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The March to the Edge of Somewhere: There is nothing quite like putting one’s bare feet on a fallen log, and it gets even better when that fallen log belongs to a redwood. Then its even better when you find that fallen redwood log in fern valley (I like to call it fern gully because it makes me think of the 90’s animated movie).

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Through the Tunnel of Love: Now we are talking capital “L” Love here. What we feel and experience when we let ourselves get a little dirty as we get closer to mother earth and each other. It is in these moments that, even while the rain is falling, we’ll find the sun.

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Men Standing with Giants: It is the world around us that is made up of giants that have proven their worth to live and die over hundreds upon hundreds of years. We owe these giants, these trees, ultimate respect for the air we breathe and the homes we live in. Take a moment and hug a tree today and tell it thank you, the tree deserves it.

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A Rare Capture of the Beautiful Redwoods Nymph: When wandering through the woods you are always likely to encounter life of all varieties, even in the rain. In fact the rain is when the nymphs get out there to take their showers and enjoy that beautiful thing called water.

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Watching the Water Flow Below: Water, trees, greenery, warn pebbles that the brook babbles over. These are the elements of paradise. Paradise is not a big warm home that has a secure three feet separating you from the world outside, but rather being in the world outside far from any crafted amenities.

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The First Step Through the Canyon of the Tree: We did this shoot during a very wet spring day in the redwoods, but there is nothing that can really dampen the spirits when you are getting so close to nature. We ended up hanging out inside this tree for a few minutes chatting. Nothing like a good tree chat.

The pictures in this album were taken during two separate trips to Arches National Park in Southern Utah, but honestly any time spent in Southern Utah is good, no matter the time or the trip.

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Sitting Below the Giant’s Window: Arches National Park is a beautiful place! Here we have a beautiful friend complimenting the beauty of the surrounding scenery.

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Rising from Behind: This is not the perspective that the Delicate Arch is usually seen from, we had to hike back around to the back side of the arch to get these shots, it is a beautiful perspective though.

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Listening to the Thundering Steps of the Giant: Living in a world with such dramatic natural features makes one think that perhaps that giant at the top of James’ bean stalk doesn’t actually just share the face of the Earth with us.

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On the Edge of the Bowl: The Delicate Arch is already miraculous to behold, but the giant bowl that has been eroded in the rock just beside it is also breathtaking, this little perch is on the far end of that bowl, while the border in the distance is the rim you hike up to see the arch.

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Washing the City from Her Hair: There is a unique experience that occurs when a person gets out of the city and into the wild, the hair, body, skin, all take on a new scent that matches the scents of the world in which they have been moving.

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Taking a Peek: The red rock formations of Southern Utah are never disappointing, not just the arch, but the peaks behind it all make for a natural composition of untold beauty, we decided to just take a peep.

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Looking for the Self Amongst the Rubble: It is always amazing to see not just what nature creates as it works on an erodes the world, but also what it leaves behind.

These pictures are from shoots across the state of Washington, showcasing some of the most beautiful parts of the state, including Mt Rainier, Olympia National Park, the Olympic coastline, and the Scablands.

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A Misty Morning Excursion: Honestly, no clue what time of day this shot was actually taken during. We were traveling around with friends in their RV, and while the RV was in transit we would be sleeping, so I do know we had woken up just shortly beforehand.

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The Shaved Olympic Yeti: Apparently even the Yeti’s get uncomfortably warm sometimes, so they shave the body, the head, but they always leave the beard.

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And the Spirit Descended Like a Dove: This land could use a little spiritual healing, it is called the Scablands due to monster floods that carved out the topography of the surrounding area, even leaving some of the water behind, that has since been evaporated and restored time and time again.

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Watching the Choppy Seas: Honestly, the driftwood beaches of the Olympic Coast were one of our favorite things about the Pacific Northwest. Nothing like being able to walk barefoot on logs for miles without having to touch the ground.

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The Bridge Troll Guards His Trunk: Though it clearly doesn’t bridge anything, this random log was still a hoot, get on the end and start bouncing up and down and soon the whole log is waving through the air.

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Why Be on a Beach, When You Could Be on a Cliff: It is a bit further from the water, but if you close your eyes and take a moment to imagine, you can easily think of times when even that ledge would have been submerged beneath the floods from Glacier Lake Missoula.

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A Rainy Contemplative Mood: It was wet for most of our time in the Pacific Northwest, but that should never keep the adventurer from adventuring, and when it is rainy is the best time to go au natural, then you don’t have to worry about getting clothes wet.

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A Running Start: Olympia National Park is a sight to behold! When thinking of the Pacific Northwest I usually think of striking coastline, mountains, and the eastern deserts, but Olympia is a vibrant rainforest, if feels like being transported to the Amazon.

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Hearing the Roar of the Ancient Floods: As a geography nerd, the majesty of the Scablands and the idea of how they were formed is just awe-inspiring. Will we see such explosive forces of creation and destruction in our lifetime?

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Sea Spray and Good Vibes: The one playing lookout for this shoot was able to warn the other two just in time about and elderly couple that was about to walk up on some young ass. Never sure how the uninitiated will react.

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All About the Vantage Point: In this case we were taking a NaturalNatures right next to a busy trail, so the one being the model is also being his own alert system, no need to offend people while getting one’s naked on.

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A Broken Bridge and an Iron Will: Mt. Rainier hid from us on our visit, but it did not mean we still weren’t able to find beautiful views as we wandered off trail. There is a special kind of beauty to the cloudy skies.

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Stepping to the Crossing: Of course, once he looks up he will see that there is no full crossing, but until that moment, it still looks like an epic log to walk on. Mt Rainier is up above the clouds to the left.

A Collection of single captures from the wanderings of founding member Alex. The album includes pictures from Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

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What a Strange Bird in the Tree: What you’ll probably be able to find is founder Eric nestled high up in the branches of that tree in Parker, Colorado. What you’ll never know was the ordeal he had to go through in order to climb up there naked—in the middle of January no less! 

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Re-staking the Claim: Usually people think of Breckenridge as a skier’s dream but here we see founder Alex enjoying a view from an abandoned mine there in the early fall.

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The Invention of the Wheel: Founder Alex enjoys a ride on the rails in an old school mining car, complete with mining wheel.

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“That’s a Might Small Rock” “At Least It’s Hard”: The rock actually is not small. That’s Devil’s Tower at a distance, and lying in the snow looking to be in excruciating pain is founder Alex. Taken on a trip up to South Dakota in early January.

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Salute to the Master in Chiefs of History: Most of these presidents are probably rolling over in their graves to think that such a thing happened so close to their likenesses, not so sure about good ol’ George Washington though, something about him just screams “kinky.” Teddy is questionable too… Let’s be honest, to become a president you probably have to have some closeted strange tendencies.

This shoot was done in Rocky Mountain National Park in the Spring, that's why there is so much snow around, but it was not all that cold. A perfect combination for getting a set of stunning NaturalNatures.

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The View Through Nature’s Keyhole: It is always amazing the beautiful natural frames that Nature always has lying around, nothing better than using what is there in the moment to frame the perfect picture.

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And He Wept: It is at those moments when we turn to reflect while at our high point in the world when we realize how much we have accomplished, and yet at the same time how little that is compared to what we could have accomplished. It is at these times that we weep.

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The Rocky Mountain Mermaid: With all of the mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, it seems only appropriate that there should be some mountain mermaids around the area as well, here is one soaking up the warm spring sun.

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Finding a Place to Lay One’s Head: This is one of those moments when you realize that being a mountain enthusiast means that your idea of a lot of things is different than the rest of the worlds, in this case, sun bathing.

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Skin on Skin: There are two beautiful bare creatures in this picture, the one has that familiar form we all know, but her arm is wrapped around a very unique marbled skin of an old mountain pine. Sometimes the greatest beauty comes from enduring years of weathering.

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A Whole New Meaning to “Cold Feet”: If you are ever wondering if walking through snow barefoot could be all that bad (I mean, it’s just water after all, and being barefoot in water is great) well, it is. This shot was taken only halfway to the ultimate destination.

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Holding on to Heaven’s Crutch: Nothing beats the blue skies that can be found in the heights of the mountains. It is difficult for pollution to reach this high, which means that the air is clearer, even if there’s less oxygen to breathe.

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Alone on the Frozen Banks: The clouds began to roll in just before taking this photo, which meant to walk to the edge of that frozen lake was even colder than it would have been just a few minutes before. Still the high mountain lakes of Rocky Mountain National Park never disappoint.

One of the early shoots, taken at Ute Valley Park in Colorado Springs. 

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Shadows in the Desert Garden: Our first two female participants in NaturalNatures took this pristine photo in Ute Valley Park in Colorado Springs. You can still see the snow on the ground from a storm that had moved through just the day before.

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Pondering the Cold World: Our fabulous first female participant shivers as a cold winter wind blows along the top of the summit ridge of Ute Valley Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Not even the winter cold can keep the NaturalNatures from being taken.

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The Shy Forest Nymph Watches the Others Play from Afar: There is really not much to put here aside from, “Awww! That little forest nymph is so cute! I want one! Where do you find those?” And the answer is in Colorado, because girls in Colorado are freaking awesome and may as well be forest nymphs for real.

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She Welcomed Winter with Open Arms: This is a daring girl, our first female NaturalNatures participant. Not only is she braving the winter cold, but what you can’t see is just at the bottom of the ridge she is sitting atop of is a whole neighborhood. She’s got our respect.

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The Lone Tree Offers Solace to the Lone Woman: Huddled beneath this scraggly lonely tree is one of the first female participants in the NaturalNatures project. The cold of winter and the brutal solar radiation of high altitudes leads her to try and find protection beneath the branches of the resilient pine.

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Eve Ventures into the World Outside Paradise: Our original NaturalNatures young woman is at it again, this time trying to get a little bit of sun to stay warm in the basin of Ute Valley Park.

This series of photos was taken on two separate days- one of which we were in the southern section of Joshua Tree, and the other in the northern.

We didn't actually bother getting any Joshua Trees in any of the pictures, because both days we kept hiking out past where the greater populations of those trees resided.

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Questing for Nirvana by the Evening Sun: This was taken in Joshua Tree NP, in the distance you might be able to glimpse the reflection off the cars in the parking lot we hiked from. 

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Distant Figure in a Desert Oasis: It may be hard to pick out at first, but there is something sitting up on the top rock. No yetis aren’t usually seen in the desert, but this seems like a unique case- it has adapted its body by shedding most of its fur, but there is still an extensive amount of hair on its face.

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The End of the Canyon Looms Closer: After having already left the end of the trail behind us, we consider whether to continue down into the ravine.

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A Desert Merman Stretches and Suns: Whether you have merfolk blood or not, there is nothing like a good stretch underneath the desert sun.

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Relaxing in a Giant’s Rock Garden: It is easy to see why the natural formations of the earth are imbued with some idea of intelligent structure- this valley in Joshua Tree would serve as well if not better than any man-made Zen garden.

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The Wanderer Considers the Path Ahead: When the sun begins to cast its long shadows, that is the time when one must consider where the night will be spent. Though mother nature always has a place to lay one’s head.

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Pausing for a Moment of Reflection: There is nothing like the desert landscape to bring about the contemplation of one’s mortality. As has been said- the desert wants to kill you, but at the same time it is strikingly beautiful.

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A Misplaced Moment for Showing Off: There is no one in the desert to be showing off for, but maybe he is threatening the sky? Wouldn’t make much sense since the sky did a fantastic job that spring of keeping the desert well nourished, and even still gave us a blue sky.

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Do You See What I See? The desert is infamous for making a person a little crazy. If you don’t happen to see anything in that perfectly blue sky, it’s just because you weren’t there.

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Philosophizing on a Desert Peak: Out in the distance you can just see Lake Havasu nestled in between the mountains. The contrast of cold water to hot desert rock really makes one sit and wonder about the endless diversity of the planet.

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Running for the Last Rays of the Evening: For a decent amount of time during the Western leg of our cross-country road trip, we kept showing up late and barely reaching the end of a trail before the sun would disappear entirely, this was one of those days.

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Long, Lanky, and Tan, This is a Desert Bum: I know you all have seen and heard of the beach bums, but right here is the example of a higher grade of individual- the desert bum. A desert bum loves the earth, being chill, and doesn’t even need water to keep him vibing.

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Watching the World Turning: The desert is beautiful in its own way, it is also arid, harsh, and surprisingly fragile. So we stand and watch as the sun illuminates the beautiful colors of the desert and hope that it will be able to witness such a scene for many more years to come.

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Admiring the World’s Backyard: We’ve all heard the phrase “not in my backyard,” but when it comes to conservation and the love of the planet, all of it is everyone’s backyard, including this beautiful view in Joshua Tree.

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Salutation to the Sun: No holds barred between the natural world and the natural human, it makes a person just want to reach out and give the whole world a hug!

In this album are an assortment of photos taken on the summits of many Colorado 14ers- check back regularly, this album is guaranteed to grow.

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Hearkening to the Voice of God: And there was a mighty wind, but God was not in the wind, and a great quake in the earth, but God was not in the quake, and a raging fire, but God was not in the fire, and then came a still small voice. Founder Alex sits atop the summit of Shavano, at these heights it is difficult to imagine heaven being much further away. Mt Shavano

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Good Morning Mountain World: There is the world of below tree line, and then there is the world above it. Once you break the tree line you are in the company of giants and gods, and they really do want you to be there with them. Mt Princeton

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Man Versus a Sea of Boulders and an Endless Sky: Founder Alex stands just a few feet below the summit of Pikes Peak, the iconic mountain that stands majestically over the city of Colorado Springs. This hike was done on the last decent day of the 14er hiking season, in fact just moments before this picture was taken it was snowing.

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Considering the Adventures of Tomorrow: Reaching a summit or a goal is never really an end, it's a beginning. The realization that it can be done once means why not do it again, but the next time do it bigger. Here as founder Alex stands on the summit of Mt Shavano it’s clear that his thoughts are along those lines.

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Deep among the Rockies on Shavano's Summit: Founder Alex surveys the level of his accomplishment after summiting Shavano, elevation 14,232 feet.

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Trying for the Sky: Once you get high enough, you just want to keep getting higher—it’s a common feeling for Coloradans. It was a beautiful day atop Mt. Princeton, and we were joined by some other hikers, thankfully they didn’t mind a little NaturalNatures photoshoot.

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Resting Amongst the Clouds: The hike up to Mt Oxford includes summiting Mt. Belford right before. The saddle across to Oxford is a pain, so the short rest on the summit was much needed.

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The Rocky Throne of the Mountaineer: The world has its way of presenting majesty with gold and fine jewels, but true majesty is a seat of boulders on the top of the world, and it’s a seat that can be shared with plenty of others. Mt Princeton

The plains of the Midwest have a certain appeal, the earth is perfect for farming with nice dark soil, and there is much more water to be found than in the high deserts of the true West. But it does not have as many stunning locations for pictures, for that reason we have combined NaturalNatures taken in Kansas (in a cornfield), Nebraska (by a river), and Missouri (in Elephant Rocks State Park) into this single album. Enjoy!

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The "Missing Link" Captured in the Setting Rays: In a land full of lots of beautiful greenery, it can actually be difficult to find some bare rock, but we found some at Elephant Rocks State Park.

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Watching the Windows of Heaven: During our time in Nebraska we stayed on a piece of property that had a whole bunch of wild marijuana/hemp plants. It seemed like a good idea to build an island that would specialize in the production of this crop, then we just had to wait for the rain.

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Reaching the End of Day: Maybe we should change that to “End of Days,” all of the corn production has gotten a bit ridiculous, as has much of human production in general. It is time to reconsider how we do things before we do see the end of our days.

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Begging Shelter from the Little Tree: This transplanted marijuana tree was so tall it refused to stand on its own, so it had to be held, and begged to stay standing.

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Climbing for the Last Glimpse of Sun: Sunsets are a special time, they bring out colors that would otherwise never be seen, of course sometimes the usual colors have to be sacrificed a little.

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Setting Down Roots: William Faulkner seemed to think that humans have the tendency to send down roots and then do not wish to move any more, this was a rare moment for us to be standing still, so we thought we better get a NaturalNatures.

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Dreaming of Waves and Clouds: In this case there are some waves in the clouds, if you look in the left portion of the sky you’ll see them. Those clouds captured our attention, and we decided we needed a NaturalNatures with them.

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Went up Straightway out of the Water: Strangely enough, this was the first location we stayed at on our American road trip, so it was a bit of a baptism into the life of the road. Since it was early September, the water was quite warm.

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A Relaxing Evening in the Canopy: Some make their bed on a mattress, some on a pile of pillows, some a sleeping pad, and then the strange select few end up in the branches of the trees.

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Born of Water and of the Spirit: It seems interesting that when Christ wished to be baptized, he went to the hippie man who wore camel’s fur and drank goat’s milk and ate wild honey. I wonder if they were both naked too?

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Farewell to Another Evening: This is not quite true, for even after we had taken this picture and the sun had gone down, we were still at Elephant Rocks park making our dinner of road trip beans. On this particular occasion we had lots of fresh vegetable to add, thanks to our farming friends back in Nebraska.

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A Window into the Past: It turns out that if you wander deep enough and far enough off trail in any park, you will stumble on some interesting things. In this case we found an old train house that was used for a mine just a bit further away.

This was a shoot done during the Great American Road Trip in California in Sequoia National Park over two days. At this point there had been plenty of time to tan, so you'll notice the unique banana hammock tan line pervading the photos.

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What Lies Beyond the Next Rise? Taken on the second day in Sequoia National Park, we were graced with blue skies on this day as we made our way up to Moro Rock, which is where this picture was taken.

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Considering the Approach to Mount Olympus: Hiked on up to Marble Falls in Sequoia National Park, thankfully we chose the lower elevation hike during the cloudy day.

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Slowly Retiring from Contemplation: The view from Moro Rock commands respect and awe, and what better way to show both then a little bit of naked meditation?

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Beyond the Blossoms: There is nothing quite like being in the mountains in the spring, the falls were roaring, the flowers blooming, and the great white clouds looming and hiding the summits of the peaks.

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How Small We Are: All of these pictures from this angle of Moro Rock are a fantastic example of Vlad’s unique combination of insanity and courage. He walked down all that way barefoot, along the ledge to the left. All this just to consider the immensity of the world and his own smallness in it.

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A Living Frame of Reference: Our daily lives inside of concrete buildings, driving on concrete roads, and walking on concrete sidewalks, can turn into very square existences, but the natural frame lets us step outside of those boundaries.

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Searching for Further Light: Each time we have reached a new summit it is important to look around, and see what else new can be discovered from that height, before moving on to the next heightened journey.

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Beyond the Boughs and Towards the Heavens: It was wet that day of hiking, but we didn’t have to worry about getting any shoes or socks wet, we were hiking barefoot!

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Lost in the Folds of the Earth (can you spot the naked human?): That is tiny little Vlad out on that precipice. It is amazing to think that those series of mountains extending out in the distance were indeed caused by the folding of the earth.

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Treading Lightly to a Tree Hung Home: You can see that he is being very careful with his steps, that’s because earlier on the hike he was not so careful and busted open his toe. Such are the risks of barefoot hiking.

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The Windswept Warrior: A heavy breeze while staring at a thousand foot drop and standing on slanted rock is enough to make most people shake and quiver, but not this NaturalNatures warrior.

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Tarzan Surveys the Valley Below: It was a record year for precipitation in California on this trip to Sequoia National Park. This means the falls were just gushing! Not to mention how green everything is.

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Aligning Chakra and Mountain Tops: We all know that the great Mother has her chakra in order, so it makes sense while amongst her most energetic spots to get one’s own energy aligned.

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The Bridge to Nowhere: You have heard that it is not about the destination, it is about the journey, which is true, and it’s not about the future nowhere either, it is about the moment when you decide that nowhere is a place you’d like to be.

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Waiting for Guidance in the Tops of the Mountains: We all like to move at fast paces, and on our way up we kept at a good pace, but we took many moments to stop and appreciate, because if you take no time to stop, how do you find out where you’ll go?

Our second set of brave female NaturalNatures enthusiasts take a trip to Red Rocks Open Space.

Picture 1:

Held in the Caress of the Mother: Here it is so easy to see how the Earth is our mother, it seems like such a perfect fit to lie there in the bosom of beautiful rock, folded in so snug, looking as if the woman never ends, but instead grows from the ground.

Picture 2:

Lying on the Beaches of the Sky: So maybe the definition of a beach usually entails ocean and sand and people playing in the water and soaking up the rays, but when you live far from ocean the big blue body that you try and lie close to is the open sky.

Picture 3:

Resting on the Climb: Each climb takes the climber closer to that sky full of celestial bodies, a miniature tower of Babel. With such a lofty end it is needed to take a moment and rejuvenate—lie in the sun and soak it up like it is part of you.

Picture 4:

Trying to Blend in on the Barren Rock Face: There are those who believe that the abominable snow man is actually a mis-translation and that it was supposed to be translated "the abominable rock man" and was actually the account of a sighting of a bipedal ape living among the high rock fields of the Himalayas- here is a beautiful female spotted in the lower altitudes of Colorado.

Picture 5:

The Rock from which She is Hewn: A Regular Pygmalion, in the process of being formed from the original rock.

Picture 6:

What Is That in the Rock?: Now I know Waldo usually likes to blend into a group of people, but our hidden naturalists blend into the nature around them.

Picture 7:

The Rest of the Weary: Hiking out under the brutal rays and climbing an endless wall of stone to some distant unknown destination wears on the body, here she rest and considers the rest of the climb.

Picture 8:

To See and Be Seen: There are moments when we best come to an understanding with the world around us when we let our own vision blend with an understanding of how the world around us must see us. This also happens to help us better understand ourselves.

Picture 9:

The View from Mermaid’s Cove: No it is not a cove, and yes this picture is taken in a place that has near desert condition scenery, but in such a dry place any size body of water is beautiful and catches the eyes, especially with the landlocked mermaids lying nearby. 

Picture 10:

Another Mirage in the Desert: A mirage is a creation of the starved mind desperate for the hope of relief and having this hope played with by the powerful rays of the sun. Truly this must be a mirage.

Picture 11:

Relaxing on a Swiftly Tilting Earth: The universe is a crazy thing, once all the figures are done up, making space for the speed of spinning of the earth, the speed of the Earth around the sun and the sun’s speed as it circles the center of the Milky Way and the Milky Way as it circles the center of the universe then it is clear to see that by all accounts we and our world are quickly and eternally tilting into the oblivion of the unknown, but in a moment all that can fade away under the simple pleasures of the sun’s rays.

Picture 12:

Understanding the Place and Belonging: A Single place may have beauty in itself, but every individual scene is part of a larger production. In this short we can see the city of Colorado Springs on the top right and Garden of the Gods on the top left with the foothills of Pikes Peak rising up to the left of the Garden.

Picture 13:

Hearkening to the Call of the Nymphs: There was a time when it was believed that the spirits of any beautiful place of nature were physically manifest in the form of nymphs. People have stopped believing, but give the air a listen someday and maybe you will hear them just like these two.

Picture 14:

Waiting to Trouble the Pools of Bethesda: Sometimes it takes great patience to wait for one deserving of a miracle, and so the patient ones are left to watch and wait.

Picture 15:

The Palms of the Desert: A palm tree and its leaf run deep in symbolism, but in landlocked Colorado there is not much in the way of them, so we imagine our own.

Picture 16:

The Angel of the Scar: Some of the striking parts of nature are the scars that man left behind. Here an angel contemplates the leftovers of open face sandstone mining, strictly speaking damage, but with its own kind of beauty.

These pictures were taken in Guadalupe National Park while Alex, Vlad, and Abe were on their Great American Road Trip. This particular shoot has the rare appearance of all three. You'll notice all of the pictures are dark because we were just beginning a couple month long tradition of showing up to hike just a bit too late.

Picture 1

The Final Ascent: When hiking across a ridge that has sheer drops on either side, it’s usually a good idea to use all of your limb. Vlad is kind enough to demonstrate this technique for us (he always seemed to be the first to volunteer for the sketchiest shoots).

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Standing atop the Spine of the World: Guadalupe is a unique peak, because it juts out all by itself in the middle of extensive plains. On top of it in the evening, there seems to be no world below- just a cloudy abyss.

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Gaining Some Perspective: Making his way out onto a tree limb is a recently recovered Abe. Earlier in the road trip he gained some perspective on the shortness of life when he was in a pretty solid car wreck.

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Death’s Fateful Finger: For when the bell tolls all must answer, and death will stand at the door, and direct the path to that next great adventure, even as the soul of man shudders to think what fate might lie deeper into the shadows.

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And God was not in the Quake, but a Still Small Voice: We probably should have hearkened to at least some voice, because we started our hike up Guadalupe much too late. The sun was already setting when we began, but still, a late sunset atop the tallest peak for hundreds of miles in every direction is still a treat.

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Stationed in the Crow’s Nest: For land lubbers, there are few chances to crawl into the crow’s nest of a ship, so instead you have to make your own nest sometimes, and where better than on the side of the tallest mountain for hundreds of miles around.

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To Conduct the Symphony of Nature: The entire world waits with silent expectation before the drop of the first note. But what will this next symphony be? Will it be a major key full of hope, or a cacophony of the a-tonal?

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The Mountain Ape Hangs Out: Just a short apology about all the hair, but we have always thought Abe might be one of the closest relations to the early Australopithecus. It translates to some hardcore hair, and a musculature that looks an awful lot like a monkey’s

This shoot was done during the road trip across the USA. This particular shoot was taken in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. Rooster's Comb was the name of the mountain we hiked.

Picture 1

The Roots to which We Cling: Every person wants to hold on to the roots of their family, faith, and belief. But those roots are not the point of stability, it is the rock beneath them to which we should cling.

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A Stormy Embrace: It was evening, and the clouds had already moved in as we came out of the trees onto the summit of Rooster’s Comb in the Adirondacks. The wind was blowing wildly and almost pushed us from our feet.

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Hiding in a Rock Hewn Hovel: In these days the truth is hard to find, but nothing can ever tell you that the rock under your feet and hands is not actually there supporting you.

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Conducting the Sea of Color Below: When it comes to fall colors, the East is the place to be, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, as you can clearly see from the symphony of colors below this summit.

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A Fall Forest Guard Lounges in Its Favorite Spot: Though rarely spotted, Forest Guards usually only come out as the leaves begin to drop, warding of those diseases and troubles that approach at the changing of seasons.

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And He Saw that It Was Good: This is the only sentiment that can be experienced at the summit of any mountain, whether it be the giant peaks of the Rockies, or one of these little baby mountains in the Adirondacks.

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Laying Hold to a Wobbling Earth: For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.

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Finding an Anchor on a Downward Slope: The great part about hiking in any mountains is that as you begin your general direction is up, the only downside is that gravity is still trying to pull you down.

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Listening to and Feeling the Heartbeat of the Earth: Anyone who has stood in a mountain valley, laid on a secluded beach, or held tightly to the face of a cliff knows that feeling, when the earth pulses in time with our own hearts.

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Huddled in the Bosom of the Rock: A rock stands for constancy and a safe place with which to fix a foundation in troubling times. Sometimes those troubles are so great we wish we could just crawl inside that sure foundation.

These pictures were taken in Wisconsin and Minnesota during the American road trip. The only thing I remember about the name of the park that we went to see in Wisconsin is that it had "fairy" in the name somewhere, still it provided excellent views of the Mississippi. The pictures from Minnesota were taken in Voyageurs National Park.

Picture 1

Lazy Day by the Lazy Mississippi: It may seem like this picture was just all too relaxing- shade, a beautiful river, a tree that has just the right amount of curve in the trunk. What you can’t see is that there were mosquitoes everywhere, and we were all being eaten alive.

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Climbing Out Above the Water: It is remarkable to think that all evolution began in the water. Now we have bodies that are capable of swimming through the water, walking on the land, and climbing up the sides of cliffs that join the two. The body is really bad ass.

Picture 3

A Rare Male Forest Nymph Admires the Changing Colors: Taken in the beautiful forests surrounding Voyageurs National Park. It is always fantastic to witness the very first change in the colors of the leaves as fall approaches, especially when there are so many different types of leaves to see!

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The Land Lubber Dreams of the River Running Life: Hand on tree, a little stalwart lean, as if already thinking that the sea legs need to be developed. But when you grow up in a state that has very few bodies of water that can’t be walked through there is really hardly any reason to know what to do when it comes to a boating life.

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Thinking from Above: Sometimes understanding something is all about getting the right perspective, and that means sometimes you have to rise above it and sit and think for just a while before acting on that larger perspective.

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Passing into the Mystery of the Woods: In many myths and old stories the woods served as the realm of strange, fantastic, and frightening creatures. If you have ever been into a densely wooded area it becomes easier to understand why. The usual points one may use to find direction disappear behind the heavy canopy. In the woods you are alone.

On the northern coast of California is a realm of giants that dwarf the average human.

Picture 1: Good Morning Gentle Shire

Okay, so Alex is a bit thin and tall to be a hobbit, and yes it is the inside of a tree and not the inside of a hill, but still it just looks like something you’d see in a Lord of the Rings movie during a Shire scene, if Lord of the Rings were going to go natural that is. This was taken in the northern one of the two Redwood National Parks on a road trip taken by founders Alex and Abe.

Picture 2: Becky, Look at that Tree! That is a Long Tree 

Nothing like the Redwood National Park to just put a person on his ass by its sheer grandeur. If founder Alex continues to follow the tree upward he might just topple over. Taken during the road trip through California with fellow founder Abe.

Picture 3: The Elusive Redwoods Yeti is Seen Entering His Lair 

Honestly, if there is any forest that could house some giant hairy bipedal thing, then it would be the redwood forest in northern California. The trees are huge, and the brush is thick. Imagine crawling through that naked, which is exactly what founder Abe did.

Picture 4: Adam Studies the New and Strange Vegetation of Paradise

When stumbling upon this secluded section of what is referred to both as fern gully and fern valley in Redwoods National Park, it struck founders Alex and Abe that it looked like scenery straight out of the biblical conception of the paradise God created for Adam and Eve. Abe had to get a picture that matched the idea. Taken during a California road trip with founder Alex.

Situated at the north end of Colorado Springs lies a small mecca of natural beauty known as Pulpit Rock.

Picture 1: Looking Back, Remember Lot’s Wife 

Those who know the Bible will catch the reference to the story of Lot’s wife. In this moment we were afraid our girl might turn into a pillar of snow. Can’t blame her for looking back though, standing up high on that slippery rock.

Picture 2: The Winter Queen on Her White Tower

She may look remarkably calm and poised, but what you can’t see is that she is standing on a surface that is about two square feet and that surface is covered in snow, not to mention that forty mile per hour gusts pop up every few minutes and the drop is several hundred feet to the base of the formation. Now that is queenly poise.

Picture 3: Soaring above the Storm Watching the Snow Pile up Below

It was quite a storm on this day, but up here it all looks so small. To think that there was over a foot of snow dropped that day. 

Picture 4: The Winter Nymph Spies on the Falling Snow 

Braving the Colorado winter we have our little winter nymph, this was shot during the worst snowfall of the 2015-2016 winter in Colorado. 

Picture 5: Waiting for a Savior in the Snow 

The snow seems to be crawling up the legs of our NaturalNatures volunteer, threatening to bury her in the blizzard that she is braving. How grateful we are for her courage and patience though, eventually she did get to bundle up again.

Picture 6: Lost in the Snow Covered Wilderness 

Snow is falling in sheets in this picture. Thankfully no animals were hurt during this photoshoot, those human feet look like that might have taken a while to thaw out though. 

Picture 7: Searching for the Lost Ones 

Being caught in a white out storm can be a mess, hiking in one gets even messier, now add being naked on top of that and it’s understandable why she had to stop and turn around and search for the rest of the crew. 

Picture 8: Yeti or Human? It is Guessed that this is a Naked Baby Yeti Looking out of the Den Waiting for the Parents 

Back in the snow with a girl that has to be half yeti to survive in that blizzard. Believe it or not, the snowstorm pictured closed down Colorado Springs for two days.

This is a collections of photographs taken in the states of Iowa and Illinois. It may be hard for some to believe, but we found it a bit difficult to find really eye popping outdoor areas in these states, though we did love those places we did get to visit. Whenever you get into nature, life seems to be better.

Picture 1

The Lonesome Lounger: There is nothing quite like taking a moment to reflect in the natural environment, especially when on the banks of a serene lake. We found this lake on our way up to Chicago.

Picture 2

Watching the City Tide: So this is not necessarily a true NaturalNature seeing as we were in the middle of the capital city of Iowa, but the river is still a natural occurrence, and the feet of the one posing are in it, so it bends the rules, but still tries to stay true.

Picture 3

Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? It’s a Naked Man on a Tree!: Our resident daredevil manages to get wrapped around the trunk of a tree tight enough to take a moment to point out something that no one else seemed to see. It’s always great to get in touch with the youthful side and climb into the branches of a tree.

Picture 4

Seeing Through the Splash of City Lights: Sometimes cities have little accesses to the natural world, though the energy there is still not as intense as when further from the infringement of human impact, they can still help us find and discover that source of energy and Love within ourselves.

 Picture 5

The Contemplative Climber: Trees and water are both amazing things. Trees link the earth and sky, while water is that element which composes most of our own being. Climbing one while being next to lots of the other lends time for contemplation as to where our energy really comes from.

Shortly after the idea of NaturalNatures was first created, three of the original founders went to Monument, Colorado for a shoot.

Picture 1

The Hunt Continues: Founder Alex takes to his knees to gaze after some elusive target that quite likely no one else sees. Alex’s hunting instincts often let him catch sight of movement long before any one else does, and within moments of spotting the movement he can tell you what is causing it as well. The question is will he dash out in pursuit in such a natural state?

Picture 2

The Winter Warrior Considers What Lies Behind the Next Rise: Founder Alric steps out on a winter day, posing in the favorite majestic pose. Got to love Colorado at any time of the year.

Picture 3

The Cave Spider Wanders out into the Light: Founder Vlad climbs across the outside of a cave wall. Let’s just hope the rock isn’t as cold as the snow behind him, we can only imagine the results…

Picture 4

The Sun’s Challenger: Founder Alex stares at the sun as it begins to descend, we know it is descending because on the front range the mountains are always to the West. It looks as if he is challenging it to just try and set, but as soon as it does things will start to get much colder.

Picture 5

Adam Greets the Sun after His First Night in the Cave: Imagine having spent all of your days in a tropical paradise and then all the sudden you are banished from that place and have to learn to survive on your own, here founder Vlad perfectly embodies that moment of rejoicing when the sun appears and grants some warmth after a cold night.

Picture 6

The Victorian Reveals His Contemplative Natural Side: Founder Alex takes a moment to sit and ponder while taking a hike in Monument, Colorado. The Snow looks cold, which makes one wonder about the state of the rock, and then if the rock is cold, well that just introduces a whole series of questions.

Picture 7

Gathering Followers in the Desolate Wilderness: Founder Vlad is stretching out and doing some yoga out in the cold winter air. Looks somewhat reminiscent of a naked prophet. The prophet of the NaturalNatures gospel, encouraging all of you to get your ass out there in nature.

Picture 8

Captain Ahab Retires to Land: Some mannerisms are just impossible to let go. If Captain Ahab ever did try to become a land lubber, there is a good chance he would still end up posing as if he were on a bowsprit for the rest of his life. Here founder Alex takes the pose himself on a beautiful piece of land in Monument, Colorado.