Hi! I’m Josie.
Let me introduce myself
I am the eyes behind the camera of Desert Analog and I want to let you know who you’re supporting when you support my little photography business!
Originally hailing from small town northern Minnesota, my early years were filled with wandering in the woods, swimming, skiing and biking. The outdoors have always been what I love most and it was cemented in the beautiful pine forests of Minnesota. In the summer of 2018, while working towards my biology degree, I took a job at Bryce Canyon National Park to get closer to my dream of working with federal land agencies in land management. This chance encounter with a state I had never given more than a passing thought to has become the pivotal moment of my life so far. Utah was love at first sight for me and after passing through Moab on my way back to the Midwest to finish up my degree- I knew it was my place. As soon as I graduated I took a job with the Utah Conservation Corps. I packed up, headed for Moab in 2019 and I’ve been here, absolutely enamored with my desert life, ever since.
Growing up I always had an artistic streak but I constantly felt like my heart was split between the sciences and the arts, so much so that I ended up getting a fine art minor just to allow myself to keep creating to blow off steam from my stressful college life. My love of photography didn’t really take off until 2020 when hiking and experimenting with my mom’s hand me down Minolta film camera became my favorite lockdown activity. I had no idea this hobby would amount to anything besides me having fun in my free time and it feels like the dream that I didn’t even know I had coming true that I get to do this for work now.
The artistic legacy and ever-changing landscapes of the American Southwest and Four Corners region are my constant source of inspiration. I feel deeply connected to this place, and through my photography, I aim to bottle that feeling, offering it to those who understand the quiet magic of the desert. My work is equally drawn to the sweeping vistas and the intimate details that define this enchanting ecosystem. Desert flora is the primary thread running through my images. But it’s the ephemeral nature of the desert- the shifting light across canyon walls, sudden summer storms, fleeting rainbows, and the rhythm of the changing seasons- that keeps me endlessly inspired.
Shooting on film adds another layer of meaning to my process. It feels like using a timeless medium to capture a timeless place—an act of reverence for a land that continually moves me. I will always be honoring slowness and intentionality in this fast paced world through my work. I invite you to slow down with me for a moment and immerse yourself in the high desert through my eyes.
