Finding beauty in Iowa’s overlooked landscapes.
When most people think of Iowa, they picture endless cornfields, small towns, and tractors making their way down quiet country roads. It’s a state often dismissed as part of America’s “flyover country,” somewhere to pass through on the way to somewhere else.
But there’s another side of Iowa that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.
I’ve spent years traveling across the country, photographing everything from the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the waterfalls of Yellowstone and the sweeping landscapes of the Grand Tetons. Those places are extraordinary, and I never get tired of exploring them. But some of the landscapes I find most rewarding to photograph are much closer to home.
Iowa may not have towering mountains or dramatic coastlines, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in natural beauty. You just have to know where to look.
I grew up in Glenwood, Iowa, nestled among the Loess Hills of the state’s southwest corner. It’s a landscape that’s always been part of my life, and one I’ve come to appreciate even more through photography. I’ve traveled thousands of miles to photograph some of America’s most remarkable places, yet I continue to find inspiration in the hills and valleys I’ve known since I was a kid.
Stretching nearly the length of Iowa’s western border, the Loess Hills rise above the Missouri River Valley, their steep ridges and rolling contours creating a landscape unlike anything else in the Midwest. Winding creeks, wooded valleys, restored prairies, and quiet wetlands offer an entirely different picture of Iowa than the one most people imagine.
One of my favorite examples is this view from Loess Hills State Forest. A narrow trail follows the crest of a sweeping ridgeline, winding its way through the prairie grasses as the hills stretch toward the horizon. It’s a landscape that feels far removed from the endless fields and flat terrain so often associated with Iowa.
Scenes like this are what continue to draw me back to the Loess Hills. There’s something remarkable about standing among these ridges, looking out across a landscape shaped by thousands of years of natural forces, and realizing just how much beauty exists in a place so often overlooked.
What I appreciate about photographing Iowa is that its beauty often reveals itself in quieter ways. The first light of morning spilling across a hillside. A winding gravel road disappearing into the distance. The changing colors of a prairie as the seasons come and go.
There’s something rewarding about finding a scene that most people might drive past without giving it a second thought.
Photography has given me a reason to slow down, explore unfamiliar roads, and pay attention to places I might otherwise overlook. And while I’ll always be drawn to the grandeur of our national parks, I’ve come to appreciate that a landscape doesn’t have to be famous to be remarkable.
Iowa has far more to offer than its reputation suggests. And for me, part of the joy of photography is sharing a side of this state that people may have never stopped to notice.
Because even the places we think we know can still surprise us.