About Me

I'm Alex Noriega, a full-time nature photographer and photography educator focusing on the American West. I’ve been photographing for 15 years, after a previous job in Information Technology.

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


Artist Statement

I have an appreciation for large format film photography, and I prefer to use my digital camera in much the same way, slowly and deliberately refining my compositions. Though I only work with what was in the frame at the time of capture, I’m not terribly concerned with objective reality. Therefore, I blend the influence of that classic film style with contemporary post-processing techniques.

I want my photographs to convey a sense of mystery, and to engage your imagination when you see them. I design them to be clean, simple, and immediately readable; yet (hopefully) engaging upon further examination. To achieve these goals, I intentionally exclude the ordinary elements surrounding my subjects, usually resulting in smaller, more focused intimate compositions. I often feature these overlooked subjects and details in ephemeral moments of light, in order to create an atmosphere that is not necessarily representative of the greater scene.

Portrait by Jeff Schewe, California, 2024

Background

My photography journey began in the winter of 2009-2010, 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 through 2023, I was a full-time nomad living in a travel trailer all around the American West. I am now based back in my home state of Minnesota, and I travel westward for workshops and photography in my slide-in truck camper.

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 back in 2016:

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. I also try to keep weight reasonably low for hiking.

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 Extender

  • Canon BR-E1 Remote

  • Really Right Stuff TVC-24L Tripod Legs

  • Arca-Swiss D4 GP FlipLock Geared Head

  • Kase KW Revolution 77mm Magnetic Filter Kit

  • Shimoda Action X40 V2 Backpack