Artist Statement

Hello! I'm Alex Noriega, a full-time nature photographer and photography educator based in the desert Southwest of the United States.

I aim to convey a sense of mystery with my photographs. I want them to spark the viewer’s imagination, not to be purely representative of objective reality. To serve this goal, I often intentionally exclude context, resulting in smaller or more intimate compositions. I also have a great appreciation for the timeless photographs of the masters of film, and I enjoy blending the influence of this classic style with contemporary techniques in my work.

Although you can find me on social media (Instagram / Facebook / Threads), I hope that you enjoy viewing my photography here on my website, where I have greater control over its presentation.

Background

My photography journey began in 2010, while living in Minnesota and working in Information Technology. I purchased a camera to take better photos of the spare computer parts I was selling online, and I was immediately enthralled by the process of photography.

In that first year, I primarily focused on architecture and portraiture. But in 2011, a couple of friends and I embarked on a road trip to California that would change the course of my life. It was on that journey that I first witnessed the mountains and deserts of the West, which I had previously known only through films and photographs. Seeing these rugged landscapes firsthand stirred something within me; I was inspired.

I moved to California that same year, and by 2012 I ended up in Oregon. It was then that I decided to focus exclusively on nature photography. I enjoyed exploring the mountains, forests, and coasts of the Pacific Northwest, as well as meeting many of my closest friends in the photography community there. However, in the following years I made increasingly longer and more frequent photography excursions to the desert Southwest. It is in those deserts, the Colorado Plateau and the Mojave, that I have continued to find my greatest inspiration.

From 2019 to 2023, Taylor and I were full-time nomads, adventuring around the American West in our travel trailer. After four years on the road, the call of the desert was too strong to ignore, and we now have a home base in Southwestern Utah - not far from Zion National Park.

Portrait by Jeff Schewe, California, 2024

Publications

My photographs and writing have been featured by a number of publications and organizations, including:

  • AAA Via Magazine

  • Amateur Photographer Magazine

  • Backpacker Magazine

  • Conversations with Nature (Eric Bennett)

  • Digital Camera World

  • Digital Photo Magazine

  • Digital Photographer Magazine

  • DPReview

  • Ebb and Flow (TJ Thorne)

  • Elements Photography Magazine

  • Insider

  • Keller AG

  • Landscape Photography Magazine

  • LeNs Magazine

  • N-Photo Magazine

  • Nature Photographers Network / Nature Vision Magazine

  • Natuurfotografie Magazine

  • New Scientist Magazine

  • Outdoor Photographer Magazine

  • Photo World China

  • Photographer's Companion Magazine China

  • Photography Masterclass Magazine

  • Practical Photography Magazine

  • Réponses Photo France

  • Scholastic

  • Terra Quantum (La Défense, Paris)

  • The Illuminating Engineering Society

  • The National Park Service (Olympic)

  • The Wilderness Society

  • USA Today

  • Voice of the Eyes (René Algesheimer)

Awards

I don’t believe awards to be a meaningful measure of an artist. That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention on my own website that I won a few competitions a few years ago:

I have also served as a judge, most notably for the 2021 and 2022 Natural Landscape Photography Awards. I believe it is the very best landscape photography competition, elevating thoughtful, high-quality work through a rigorous judging process unlike any other in this genre.

Tools

Cameras and lenses are only a means to an end, and better gear does not improve the content or impact of our images - that always comes from within. The attribute of these tools which matters most to me is ergonomics. Next, I prioritize enabling more compositional freedom: longer focal lengths, closer focusing, a taller tripod, and a head that allows for precise refinement. Dynamic range and resolution are not much of a consideration, as most modern cameras are excellent in that department.

Since I receive many questions about what gear I use, here is a list:

  • Canon R5 Camera

  • Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L Lens

  • Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L Lens

  • Canon RF 1.4x Teleconverter

  • Canon BR-E1 Remote

  • FLM CP30-L4 II Tripod

  • Leofoto G4 Pro Geared Head

  • Kase KW Revolution 77mm Magnetic Filter Kit

  • Shimoda Action X40 V2 Backpack