Good Friday Morning!
I had a great opportunity to lecture a class here at WVU this week - “Art and Environment”, where I got to speak to a class of up and coming photographers at the College of Creative Arts. It was a rare moment where I got to talk about the intersection of my passions - West Virginia, photography, what makes a good image, and then about the people, economy, our relationship with energy and industry, and the environment.
I got to talk about how West Virginia isn’t poverty porn - or the tourist book. I got to talk about how, as artists, I believe that we have a responsibility to tell the stories of this place and our experience with it, and not just take “pretty pictures”. I got to talk about how none of our challenges are easy - brain drain, the future of energy in the state, how we make good decisions going forward. I got to talk about how if anyone tells they have the “silver bullet” to our challenges, they either don’t know - or are trying to sell you something.
All in all, it was an incredible opportunity, and I’m glad folks thought of me for it.
Today’s image more from “the tourist book”, from before my recent trip to China (and thus explaining all the green). This was from way on top of the Cranberry River (closer to the Glades), and had me mesmerized in the beauty of the place. This is one of those spots like those mentioned in “The Last Forest” - crisp mountain water running under the trees, looking for a brook trout, and joyous that there are places like this left in the world.
Hope folks have a great weekend!
Top Of Cranberry - West Virginia