We'll be at the sale with cards, matted prints and more, so mark your calendars to do some holiday shopping!

Saturday, December 5th, 2015, 9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6th, 2015, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
MacMillan Auditorium, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
FREE with gate admission

An art show and sale all in one! Be sure to visit the Arboretum for this popular annual event. Nature-themed photography and art will be included in the show. Artists featured include members of the Arboretum Photo...

At last #1!

We created the Top Lodging Gems list while sitting in a hot tub under the stars during our stay at Rock Haven Cabin, which met all of the criteria on our list.

Our stay started with one of the warmest welcomes we’ve ever had at any lodge or cabin, followed by our being able to experience Joshua Tree National Park by walking down a path from our cabin. Because Rock Haven Cabin is right next to the park, much of the wildlife came to us. I would have been ...

Top Lodging Gem #2 –  Kahakai Cottage Beachfront, Kaaawa, Oahu Island, Hawaii

Want to avoid the crowded beaches of Waikiki? This room is located on the North Shore of Oahu, just down the road from Kualoa Ranch, where movie scenes for 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park, Lost and others were filmed. And, if you want a photo of Chinaman’s hat, head down the road to Kualoa Regional Park early in the morning when there are fewer crowds. 

The roo...

Top Lodging Gem #3 Volcano Rainforest Retreat, Volcano, Hawaii

The cabins at the Volcano Rainforest Retreat are like none other. The cabin we stayed in, the Sanctuary, was round shaped with windows on the ¾ sides, giving a new meaning to feeling like you are in a fishbowl. The best part is, when you look outside, you don’t see any other cabins because all the trees create a thick, jungle atmosphere. 

Each afternoon, they brought fresh fruit, granola and filled up our fr...

Top Lodging Gem #4 – Aurora Borealis Lodge, Cleary Summit, Alaska

If you want a chance to view the Northern Lights from the comfort of your room and not even have to stay awake to watch for them, look no further! 

Aurora Borealis Lodge is 5 miles from the Poker Flat Research Range facility where they are researching the northern lights… How much closer can you get than that? It’s a perfect place to view the lights.

And, it keeps getting better! The owner, Mok...

Top Lodging Gem #5 – Grand Canyon Frontier Cabins, North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

It’s the one place where you can sit along the edge of the Grand Canyon and have a sip of wine (or beer) while you wait for the sun to set. And, if you’re lucky, watch a summer squall with lightning bursts move over the canyon. 

Just like Bryce National Park’s cabins, you can crawl out of bed, grab your camera and be at Bright Angel Point to capture the canyo...

Top Lodging Gem #6 – Bryce Canyon National Park Cabin, Utah

If you want to capture the sunrise (or sunset) splashing the hoodoos (odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion), the individual cabins along the Bryce Canyon National Park rim are a must. 

You can literally crawl out of bed, grab your camera and be on the rim at Sunrise Point in 2 minutes or less! If you want to photograph the sunset, no problem. Sunset Point is about the same dist...

This little piece of heaven sits on the shores of Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska, and welcomes you with breathtaking views and marine wildlife.

You’re lulled to sleep by the sounds of the sea splashing on the rocky shore along with the smells of the sea. Come morning, you can eat your breakfast while sitting snug inside the warm cabin and watch the sun rise behind the mountains on the other side of the bay through the large bay windows. 

If you enjoy salmon, sto...

Top Lodging Gem #8 – Creekside Lodge on the grounds of the State Game Lodge, Custer State Park, South Dakota (in Winter)

Winter is the best time to enjoy this lodge versus summer because you will practically have the place to yourself! In summer, Custer State Park is packed with tourists, but come winter, you may be the only guests at this lodge.

The best feature is that it’s a stone’s throw away from the beginning of the “Wildlife Loop ...

Top Lodging Gem #9 – Lion Downe Cottage, Lake Pepin, Wisconsin

Tucked away on top of the bluffs along the Mississippi River, the Lion Downe Cottage offers breathtaking views especially sunrises and sunsets late in the year when the winter shadows are long.

There are so many sleeping nooks and crannies in this cottage, so bringing along a second family with kids (or two families!). It won’t be a problem. There’s enough sleeping space for ev...

Top Lodging Gem #10 – Bird Blind at the Iain Nicholson Audubon Center at the Rowe Sanctuary, Gibbon, Nebraska

Some people would never imagine that sleeping in a bird blind in the middle of winter would make the Top Lodging Gems list, but this isn’t your ordinary list!

Falling asleep to the sound of 10,000 Sandhill Cranes is, simply put, one of the most Amazing experiences of a lifetime! The unique sound of the Sandhill Cranes will lull you ...

Let the Top Lodging Gems countdown begin!

Top Lodging Gem #11 – Tettegouche State Park – Illgen Falls Cabin, Silver Bay, Minnesota

We’re starting the first week of the countdown with one of my favorite cabins found in northern Minnesota.

Tettegouche State Park Cabin overlooks Illgen Falls along the Baptism River. The secluded cabin is available year round.

If you love to hike, Tettegouche State Park has a plethora of choices along the cliffs of the north sho...

Many of you know that finding the “perfect” lodge or cabin doesn’t happen very often. And after a recent stay at what I would call the best lodging gem ever that is located in the United States, I thought it might be fun to share our Top Lodging Gems.

As some of you know, the photos showcased on the Wallner Photography website are taken on trips organized by Kristin (aka, Wallner Photography’s travel organizer extraordinaire). She scours the Internet using various search techniques t...

For weekly photos, follow me on my Wallner Photography Facebook page. Stop on by and "like" my page. You can also follow me on Twitter @WallnerPhotos or collect and organize Wallner Photography photos you love on Pinterest.

More photos from Joshua Tree National Park.


Rock Climbing

White bell flowers
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Fuzzy flower.
I was unable to figure out the name of it, so let me know if you know what it might be!
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The Northern Lights from Cleary Summit, north of Fairbanks, Alaska in January.


Aurora Flare
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Aurora Flare with Clouds
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Dancing Auroras
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Lights on Fire
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Swirling Northern Lights
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If you look close...

For those of you who don’t know, I grew up around planes since my dad was a pilot. Whether I’m in a piper cub, helicopter, jet liner or other air vehicle, I always try to get a window seat.

I don’t mind if plane parts or the sides of the windows are in my photographs. I think it adds the element that I enjoy so much – flying.

One of the biggest challenges of taking photographs from an airplane is making sure the horizon is level, which gives your photo ...

This past weekend I had the opportunity to show and sell my photographs at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It was a very humbling experience to set up my table next to more than 40 talented artists and photographers.

As a member of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Photographers’ Society, this was my first time showing and selling my photographs at this annual event. I enjoyed every minute!

Each year, the event also conducts a “People’s Choice” award (...

The sanctuary is just that, a sanctuary where wild bears can go and wander the grounds freely since there are no fences.

For people it’s one of the best places to see, photograph, understand and learn about wild bears in their natural habitat. The sanctuary has a viewing deck wh...

As many of you know, I spend many hours looking for new animals to photograph on my trips. My recent trip to the Badlands National Park in South Dakota was no different.

One thing you may not know is when I’ve seen a new animal, I purchase a stuffed animal from the park’s visitor center.  It adds to the fun and besides, the money goes toward the park, which is always a good thing.

While photographing one of the prairie dog towns in the Badlands, I noticed a bir...

When I take vacations, they are packed with photo opportunities from before the sun rises until after the sun sets. This trip started at Las Vegas, Nevada, and would take me in a loop through southern Utah, down through Arizona and back up to Las Vegas. My itinerary included all the national parks (Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, etc.) and anything else I could pack in along the way.

On this sunny July day, I was 45 minutes from the nearest “big” city in Arizona, getting...

I never thought I would have an opinion so strong as I do now. But by the time you get to the end of this two-part blog, you may have an O’Pinyon of your own.

As many of you know, I love dogs. In fact, my life was filled for 18.5 years with my pup, Dotti. When she was a young pup, she was very mischievous and I often came home to surprises – and I’m talking about her chewing surprises, not the other “pile o surprise.” From coming home to a room filled with whi...

Planets, Stars, Meteors, Moon, and More

Meteor Wheel by fiddlemeragged ($0.99) — A very simple app that shows the most notable meteor showers of the year in an easy format. 

Planets by Q Continuum (Free) — Love this app! I love the ability to turn my phone into a mini-astronomy map revealing the constellations. AND, my favorite part is being...

Here are some useful apps that I often check when making photography plans and trips. I have an iPhone, so you will need to find out if these are offered for other phone types as well as check the current prices, which may change.

Most of these apps, I was able to download at a reduced rate or for free. I just waited and kept checking back for a sale! 

If you have any suggestions for apps, be sure to send them my way so I can include in a future blog about useful photo...

One of my favorite times of the day is called the Blue Hour. This is the period of twilight each morning and evening where there is neither full daylight nor complete darkness. The quality of light at this time of day, in my opinion, is spectacular.

Since you are taking a photograph when the sun isn’t even up, I’m sure many of you are thinking this will be tough. It’s easier than you think.

What you will need

To take photographs at this time, you will need:

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to take various types of photographs. The most unique by far, have been the ones I took while working for as a reporter/photographer. I took thousands of photographs from people to sports to crime and accident scenes.

During this part of my life, I developed many of my photography skills, although I continue to learn more every day with the changing digital world. 

Recently a friend of mine asked me what photography awards I’d...

After leaving Upper Antelope Canyon (see previous blog), I knew I was on borrowed time since the tour guides at the slot canyon were gathering up their tours to leave the canyon, which are flash flood areas.

I clearly saw the dark clouds approaching, so I drove to the next photo site on my list as quickly as possible – Horseshoe Bend. I had maybe a half hour, an hour at the most, before it would start raining. Off in the distance I caught a glimpse of clouds “falling�...

The canyons are managed by the Navajo Nation, so the only way to visit the commercialized slot canyons are through a tour guide company. The most difficult part will be selecting which canyon you want to see (Lower or Upper Antelope Canyon) and which company to go with since there are a plethora of choices. 

We narrowed ...

Excited for our first day in Zion National Park, we arrived early parking our car at the Zion Human History Museum to catch a shuttle bus to the end of the paved shuttle route in the park. In Zion, the only way to tour the park is by shuttle bus, unless you are staying at one of the park lodges. 

Being July 4 and a Monday, our timing could not have been worse. Mobs of people everywhere. And, as any photographer knows, this is one of the worst times to go to a park, unless ...

As many of you know, each year I plan that one special photography trip to an unfamiliar location to capture images of my adventures. In July, this trip was a “circle” trip starting in Las Vegas then through southern Utah and northern Arizona to several of the National Parks along with many side trips off the beaten path, ending in Las Vegas. 

Unfortunately, I had an unexpected trip to urgent care when a dog bit me in my leg as I walked into a visitor center in Arizon...

A few years ago, I saw my first sandhill cranes. Although it was a very brief sighting, I was awestruck with their beauty and distinct song and… I wanted to see more of them and I wanted to capture these “red headed” cranes in photographs.

I discovered that sandhill cranes are very private and shy birds. Getting a photograph proved more difficult that I had ...

Mt. Washburn, Yellowstone National Park, July 2010

Since starting wallnerphotography.com, I’ve had numerous people ask me if I’m going to write a behind the shot stories for some of the more rare and unique photographs. As I thought about it, I figured it also would be a fun way to share my photography adventures. And what to call the blog? Shot shorts.

Without a doubt, one of the most unique photographs (and one I get asked the most about) is of the coyote carrying its marmot meal down...