“Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.”
This image was captured on safari in South Africa and was awarded 2nd place in the NYC Sono “Trees” exhibition in 2023.
Photography is magic!
For me, travel is not just movement across geography—it is immersion into spirit. Each place holds a pulse, a texture, a color of light that seeps into memory. My work as a photographer and writer is rooted in capturing that essence: the way a landscape breathes, how architecture absorbs time, and the subtle connections between people and their environment. These vignettes are not only about destinations but about the emotional gravity that makes each place unforgettable.
Connecticut: Where Roots Took Hold
Connecticut is where my creative journey first took shape. Among its rolling hills and coastal towns, I discovered photography not just as a craft but as a calling. The influence of Life magazine’s photojournalists lit the spark, but it was Connecticut that grounded me—in libraries, galleries, and along winding roads where I carried my first cameras.
Here, I learned to see the extraordinary in the everyday: the curve of light on a historic house, the character etched into an old face, the fleeting drama of a shoreline storm. Connecticut offered me my first clients, my first exhibitions, and the encouragement to keep pushing deeper into the art of visual storytelling.
It remains a place of roots and memory, where beginnings are never forgotten.
Colorado – Home and grounding
Colorado is home base, yet it never stops astonishing me. The wide skies stretch endlessly, mountains rise like ancient guardians, and the seasons shift in bold strokes of color. Denver, with its urban hum and creative energy, balances against the serenity of high alpine meadows and red rock canyons just beyond the city’s edge.
Here, I find myself grounded—gardening, photographing, and living artfully—while also inspired to venture out again. Colorado is a place of return, where the crisp air sharpens perspective and the golden light of evening paints both mountains and memory.
It is where my journeys begin and where they come full circle.
The Mighty Colorado River
Colorado River: Mischief and Majesty
In Colorado, we trade alpine lakes for rambling rivers, and none calls to us more than the mighty Colorado. Our crew of campfire-loving, music-playing, water-seeking friends gathers at a hidden spot where the river intersects with the Amtrak California Zephyr route. When the train roars through, laughter spills into mischief—pants drop, cheeks flash, and sometimes the engineer answers with a playful toot of the horn, adding to the rumble of chaos and delight.
The Colorado River, stretching 1,450 miles, is both playground and lifeline. For us, it’s an endless source of adventure and our “spot” is a secret beloved oasis best kept off maps. If you know it, you know it. (wink, wink!)
Beyond our laughter, the river sustains a vast region—employing more than 250,000 people and contributing $26 billion annually to the Southwest economy. It feeds eleven national parks, countless forests, and recreation areas, including Arches, Zion, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Canyonlands, and more.
The Colorado River is mischief and majesty, laughter and livelihood, and always, an unforgettable current pulling us together.
Santa Fe International Folk Art Market
My first visit to the Santa Fe International Art Market (IFAM) was not disappointing! A superbly executed event with over 142 artists from 57 countries was a world tour in and of itself. Treasures abounded in one of a kind handmade pieces of pottery, jewelry, paintings and my favorite of all ~ TEXTILES! My love for handwoven rugs is legendary and the handwoven clothing was to dye for!
Check out this annual market to see for yourself. https://folkartmarket.org
New Mexico – Spirit and Soul
New Mexico is a feeling. The old adobes, the scent of piñon fires, the ancient vibe, the mix of cultures, and the sweeping landscapes create a vortex I can never quite shake from my system. A friend once told me that visiting feels like stepping into another country—and she’s right. The enchanting, spiritual energy of New Mexico lingers long after you leave.
When I’m away too long, I ache for northern New Mexico: the rugged landscapes, the timeless architecture, the eccentric and unforgettable characters. I think of golden afternoon light wrapping itself around earthen adobe walls, of night skies glittering with constellations so vivid they feel within reach. Here, time bends—pulling you back into an era when life was simpler, more natural, raw, and profoundly inspiring.
New Mexico doesn’t just exist on the map. It exists in the soul.
Did Jesus choose red or green? Perhaps a combo of both which is called Christmas!
Santa Fe Ski Valley
Oaxaca City – Intoxication and Culture
Oaxaca City is a finely blended cocktail— a smooth, smoky mezcal that can knock you off your feet without warning. It’s a walking wonder, a place where you can wander for miles on foot, discovering a sacred, ever-evolving food scene and hip, contemporary art galleries.
Oaxaca is that rare, spirited child—alive with a rich mix of artisanal traditions, ancient ruins, colonial architecture, and the warmth of its people. The central valley has long been a meeting ground for diverse indigenous mountain communities, and their culture infuses everything: pottery, textiles, paintings, and food.
Oaxaca doesn’t just invite exploration—it intoxicates, nourishes, and inspires.
Together, these places form a map of my creative life. They are not simply destinations but living companions—guides in how to see, how to feel, and how to translate the essence of a place into image and word. For me, art is not separate from travel. It is the practice of listening to what a landscape, a culture, or a moment wants to reveal – and honoring it with attention, respect and wonder.
Phyllis Keenan - Writer, Artist and Globetrotting Photophile 