Allan Duff Photography Adventures

Allan Duff - Bio

By career I was a Senior Vice President with Morgan Stanley where I worked for 43 years, but, I am a photographer by passion. My career as a financial advisors paid for my addiction to photography.

My father was an avid photographer and I learned from him and have enjoyed photography since I was a child. My first camera was a Kodak Brownie that I got with the proof of purchase seals on cereal boxes. I have changed with the technology of photography and over the years transitioning from film and darkrooms, to completely digital today. I grew up in Southern California but have lived with my family in Las Vegas for 43 years. We have 4 married children and 14 grandchildren who all live in Las Vegas too. We also have a home in Cedar City Utah which is a great base station to the wonderful national parks and state parks throughout Utah.

Over the years I have won a number of awards for my photography including winning the Morgan Stanley International Photo Contest three times. I have two magazine covers, one in the “Desert Companion Magazine’ and a cover of “Nevada Magazine”. I served as president of the Nevada Camera Club, a chapter the Photographic Society of America, for two years and as Program chair for 4 years and continue to serve as a judge for phot competitions. I take every opportunity to get out photographing the most beautiful subjects including nature, wildlife and remote landscapes.

There are many photographers that are much better technically and artistically than me, but I can assure you, no one enjoys taking pictures more than I do. Photography is my excuse to go beautiful places and I have been so fortunate to have traveled, hiked and boated to some of the most beautiful places on earth. I love sharing the places I have been with others through my photography. I also enjoy teaching photography whenever I have a platform. Being out in nature is a spiritual experience for me and gives me a greater appreciation and gratitude to our loving Heavenly Father who is our creator and master artist.

A Few Local Shots

Even when we are not off somewhere spectacular, there are beautiful places and subjects to photograph locally.

Great Basin National Park

Great Basin NP is the only National Park in Nevada. It is about 4 1/2 hours north of Las Vegas off highway 93 by the small town of Baker Nevada. Baker has some small hotels but most people that go Great Basin, camp in the park campsites. Wheeler Peak is in the park, and is the 2nd highest mountain in Nevada at just over 13,000 feet. Great Basin has beautiful fall colors and the Bristlecone Pine are beautiful and amazing. While there, we hiked about 12 miles over two days to get to the alpine lakes and to see the bristlecone pines. The trails are rough and at over 10,000 feet, it takes your breath away. It ieally is one of the treasures of Nevada.

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Gilcrease Orchard - Fall Harvest

Here locally in Las Vegas there are some lesser-known gems, and Gillcrease Orchards is one of them. It was fun to go photograph their sunflower fields and pumpkins. I did not know there were so many different kinds of sunflowers, and the bees just added a little bonus.

The Night Sky at 10,000 Feet

I went up to Cedar Breaks on a night with no moon. I got there before dark and watched as the sky darkened and the stars appeared. It was amazing to see how many stars you see in a clear sky at that altitude. I then waited until the Milky Way rose in the north eastern sky. I was all by myself there for several hours just watched in awe. A truly inspirational experience.

Wild Horses of “Onaqui Mountain Utah”.

Horses are beautiful animals and wild horses are especially interesting and beautiful.

Iceland, Norway, Netherlands and Belgium

Recently we had a wonderful adventure of a lifetime to Iceland, Norway, Netherlands and Belgium. Iceland is like a different world and so beautiful and we enjoyed the cold weather while it was 118 in Las Vegas. Norway is one of the most beautiful countries we have ever visited and we loved the history and old cities in Netherlands and Belgium. Click the link below to watch a short slide show of that trip.

Two day trip to Lake Powel, Alstrom Point, Horseshoe Bend and Lee’s Ferry. First day was great, second day the wind was terrible.

A Few More Pictures taken Locally

March and April 2024

Just a few recent nearby adventures!

Zion National Park

We had a short two-day adventure to parts of Zion National Park. I have been to Zion many, many times but never get tired of the beautiful places there. I went with my good friend Steve Casey and he brought a young high school exchange student from Chile. He loved seeing the beauty and unique landscape there. First, we hiked 6 miles on the Taylor Creek trail in the Kolob Canyon part of Zion. Then the next day we hike 7 miles on the Observation Point trail to the most beautiful overlook of Zion Canyon. It was cold with patches of snow and ice, but actually really good weather for hiking. This time of year, is really good in Zion, you can drive up the canyon without having to take the tram buses and the crowds are less.

Florida is for the “Birds”!

We took a trip to Ft. Myers Florida to visit a warmer and greener area of the country. Despite being severely damage by hurricane Ian in September 2022, there are still a lot of beautiful areas in Southwest Florida. There are many wildlife preserves and state parks in the area that are home to a tremendous variety of birds and other wildlife. It was fun to see and photograph some of that diversity.

La Jolla - CA

First Post-Retirement Adventure

Cedar Mountain Utah Fall

I go every fall but never get tired of it!

Labor Day Weekend -2023

Kolob, to Little Salt Lake to Twisted Forest

Blue Springs Sunrise & Zion Kolob Pocket

Hidden Haven, Valley of Fire, Pahranagat, Cathedral Gorge.

Spring on Kolob Mountain

A heavy snow this winter has created a beautiful spring, it is green everywhere, the lakes are overflowing, the streams are full and the wildflowers are wonderful.

Wet Winter 2023

A wet winter in the desert can provide some beautiful opportunities to photograph some scenes we don’t see too often. Gunlock Reservoir outside St. George Utah was full and overflowing and creates some dramatic waterfalls. The clouds at Ivins Reservoir provided some beautiful reflections of the red cliffs in the background and the pot holes at Snow Canyon State Park were full and also provide wonderful reflections.

More Wet Winter - 2023

Because of all the rain we have had this winter, I heard there was water in some of the dry lakes south of Las Vegas off I15.

I thought the water would make a nice reflection for a sunrise.

Magazine Covers

It was always a dream of mine to have a picture on the cover of a magazine. I often sent pictures to magazines to see if I could get lucky, then in June of 2019, lightening struck twice in one month and I had a cover photo on two different magazines, “Nevada Magazine” and “Desert Companion Magazine”. That was the highlight of my photography life.