Winter Wonder - Maryland

Happy 2020!

This was a year that was the “future” when I was in high-school and college. Plans for 2020. Where will we be in 2020. I’m not sure that this is where I imagined we’d be - the fights and the arguments and the stuff we’re still talking about kind of blows my mind, when I think back to where it looked like we would be in 2000.

That all said, I’m happy to be here, and I’m happy that I live in a place where, regardless of what’s going on out there in that world, I can go find things like this. It’s about to be a year of rancor - and that’s if we’re lucky. Remember that the people in your neighborhood have real, honest, reasons for feeling the way they do, and that we almost all have more in common than we do different. If we can start seeing the problems the same, that will go a long way to finding solutions, even if we have different ideas on how to solve them.

Love y’all, and talk soon.

Thankful - West Virginia

Good Tuesday!

I’ll keep this one short, cause we all have better things to do than reading stuff on the internet today… ;)

I always have a lot to be thankful for at Christmas, good friends, good family - but this is a first. My first Christmas married to this lovely lady. It’s been a gigantic and stressful and busy year, a year where I’m stretched thin - which means she has had to pick up the things I drop - no mean feat for a lady who is out making big things happen in her own life. I’m thankful for her and her love and strength. That’s a pretty great gift at Christmas.

Merry Christmas, all. Have a wonderful holiday.

Shine On - West Virginia

Good Friday Morning!

These short days and long nights are tough on my wanderlust - I find myself thinking about trips, and future trips, and what would it take to go out there chasing the sun for a while. It does make it easier to knuckle down and get some of this work, writing, analyzing, learning, done - it’s a lot easier to get excited about a night at the keyboard when its 34 and raining out.

That all said, I’ve come to really appreciate the beauty of the low-sun seasons. The light of the winter, and how it’s different - more muted, more gauzy, but somehow just as saturated, how the sunsets can hang on forever, glowing through the leafless trees.

Hope folks have a great weekend, and hope to talk to y’all one more time before Christmas.

Hello Old Friend - West Virginia

Hello All!

It has been a longer layoff here than I had hoped! While I have been out in the “real world” shooting, finding time to sit down and write for y’all has been much trickier. I promise it isn’t for lack of interest.

As I’ve talked about here before, I’m in a PhD program (in addition to work), and that has reached its final push - if things go well, I hope to defend in spring 2020. That would be the culmination of a long time dream/goal for me, and I’m working hard to get there.

Making sure that I keep that moving while also being a good husband and dad is why I haven’t had the time to write (even though I’ve been out shooting). The good news is it means I have a little stockpile of images, for when I do get a minute, and it means that I get to look forward to talking with y’all again.

Being here at the end of the semester means that maybe I’ll get a few done between now and the new year, but either way, much love to folks, and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Take care of each other, and talk soon.

Ghosts Are Real (They Just Aren't What You Think They Are) - West Virginia

Good Tuesday Morning!

We make memories wherever we go. Most of the time, for us, they are good memories, but not always, and not for everyone. Sometimes, those memories can color a place, can change how you feel about it.

Places where something bad happened. Where you were when you had a breakup. Where you were when you got a piece of bad news.

It’s funny, sometimes you bring someone with you who doesn’t have those associations, and they don’t get it. Take for example, the spot in this photo. This old farm has bad associations for me, going back to when I was a kid.

Driving backroads with friends, they chime in from the back seat “what a beautiful farm! wouldn’t it be lovely to live here?”

And in my mind, all I can think is “No, this place is cursed! I couldn’t wake up here every day!”. But that’s just me. That’s just my experience.

Ghosts are real, but they are personalized. They are individual. My ghosts are not yours. They aren’t what you think they are.

Hope folks have a great week.

Keep Trying Until You Get It Right (Buckhorn Run) - West Virginia

Good Friday Morning!

Most of the time, we get photos and stories from places that we have sought out, planned, mapped, and traveled to - we have blogs on trips to the west, writeups of complex trips into the woods in West Virginia, etc. Today isn’t one of those.

Buckhorn Run is a visually gorgeous stream that runs off right beside the road near Rowlesburg, West Virginia. Given that RT 72 is a beautiful drive that usually leads us “where we want to go” from Morgantown, I have been by this particular spot more times than I can count.

And I have probably shot and thrown away 200 photos of this creek. I could never get it to look “right” - too cluttered, too woody, too brushy. Or bad light. Or bad compositions. I’d stand there, find it beautiful, hear the noise, feel the breeze, and take a dozen photos, get home and hate all of them on the big screen.

Every single one.

So, a week or two ago, we stopped by here on the way home, and I even joked that “well, I’m going over here to shoot a few more photos to delete”

But today was a little different. Some of the wood had cleared. There was plenty of water in it.

And the fall color.

So, today’s image of Buckhorn Run. Testament that sometimes persistence pays off.

Or maybe, that if you shoot enough photos one of them will be good. ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tray Run Viaduct - West Virginia

Good Tuesday Morning!

Well, the fall feels like it’s drawing to a close. The hard freeze last week, combined with some serious winds just about knocked all of the leaves off, and driving through the mountains this weekend, it was only a few isolated places that were still hanging on. We still have a few fall photos to share, though!

The Tray Run Viaduct is one of my favorite pieces of West Virginia lore and trivia. The original Viaduct, built just outside of Rowlesburg, WV, was a state-of-the-art bridge, one of the longest and highest bridges built from iron to that time - the mid 1850s. The original viaduct is on the state seal of West Virginia, but was replaced in 1907 by the structure seen here, also a superlative piece of construction. Today, it carries regular trains - several times a day, matter of fact - on what is among the (if not the) largest stone structures in the US.

Hope y’all have a great week!

I Can Work On It - West Virginia

Improving things, working on things, is something I love.

I love figuring out what things are working, and what need improvement, and how I can make them better.

This beauty came into my life about 6 years ago, and I’ve really enjoyed working on improving things - learning how to take care of her, figuring out what she needs, and putting some time every day toward making it all run right, and work the way it’s supposed to work.

Did you think I was talking about the Jeep?

I mean, I am a car guy. I love cars, especially ones that are purposeful, and I love figuring out what they do, and what they need, and what I can do to make them work better.

The old (but not quite classic) Jeep shown here is nice example of that. It had a lot of quirks, but we’ve worked on it - and enjoyed it - steadily for 3 years now.

But that wasn’t what I was talking about. I was talking about my gig with my new wife - and how I enjoy putting the work in toward making it all a little better every day. Because I like improving stuff.

Because I love what we have for some of the same reasons I love that old Jeep. Because I get a smile on my face every time I get to take her out.

And most of all, Because I Can Work On It.

Hope y’all have a great week.

Lead, Follow, or Keep on Driving - West Virginia

Good Friday Morning!

Sometimes, doing this work, I feel like I can almost see the future. We were at the Blackwater lodge, eating a bit of a picnic style lunch out on the tables, watching a gorgeous sunset set up. I’ve done this for long enough that sometimes, I can tell when it’s going to be good, and can get out to a good spot.

In photography, there is a phrase known as “comp-stomping”. The best artists have a way of not doing this - they work to get different perspectives, or to go in different seasons and conditions, and they inspire my work to keep moving and growing. Where I normally see it is in the “postcard” spots. The Glade Creek Mill, with 10 photographers lined up next to each other, all taking the same shot at the same time. The Moulton Barn in Grand Teton, with cars lined up down the road, and down the fenceline elbow to elbow, everyone waiting to get the same picture of the same sunrise of the same barn from the same place.

Sometimes that composition is “the comp” - but it isn’t as satisfying, at least not to me.

So, this evening, we waited for a bit, and then loaded up in the Jeep and took off down the road, and found a spot with no one. No cars, no people lined up, nothing. We waited at the Jeep for a minute, watching the sky, and getting the right kit together, then walked down, lined up the shot, and were done in less than five minutes.

I’ve been enjoying this “more relaxed” style of shooting lately - going back to my roots - where we just try to get the “prettiest thing we see today”, regardless of where we are. Not as rowdy as in years past - grownup commitments making that a little trickier right now, but way better than standing in line to take the same photo.

Hope y’all have a great weekend of fresh views.

Pieced Patchwork Mountains - West Virginia

Good Morning!

As I’ve talked about here, I have a complicated relationship with fall. It is beautiful. It is probably the best weather we have all year, consistently, in West Virginia. The community festivals and dinners and ball games - the sense that we are all in it together, is one of the best parts of living here.

It is also a time where we have experienced great loss and sorrow, and it always is tinged bittersweet for me, leading to long introspective drives through the mountains where I ponder my own mortality, and whether I’m living my best life or not.

These contrasts then feel appropriate - when I look out at these mountains in fall, I’m reminded of my grandmothers patchwork quilts. Often started in the fall as an over-winter project, they were full of colors and love and memories. Much like this place.

I leave today with an Emerson quote - “We do not live an equal life, but one of contrasts and patchwork; now a little joy, then a sorrow, now a sin, then a generous or brave action”. The same could be said for our little neighborhood as well.

Talk to y’all on Friday!

Get Their Good Tidings - West Virginia

Good Friday Morning!

Autumn in West Virginia is truly a lovely time to be, and see, and experience nature (although I have my own conflicted feelings about it). To some, it’s the start of hunting season, or the cold crisp air makes them think of football, but to me it’s the smell of leaves and water, and the sound of air blowing leaves from the trees.

In this line of work, the “commodification” of these types of experiences and places is pretty rampant - go to instagram and you will find no shortage of pretty girls drinking a cup of steaming something in a hat and sweater looking out at some vantage, all seeking your likes and the hopes of becoming an influencer. Because of that, those same folks will stream to the same places they saw online, and before long tranquil nature looks like the food court at your local shopping center (and yes, I may have dated myself with that reference).

I try not to hate on those folks too much - if even a few of them come away with the true goodness of it all, it will be worth it. There are few things more insta-able than John Muir quotes, so I’ll go with this one:

”Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

Not bad.

Hope folks have a great weekend!

Prevailing Winds (Lake Buffalo) - West Virginia

I had a pretty remarkable conversation with a feller over the weekend. He is a blacksmith - no joke - making iron fixtures and talking about how he had sold work to all 50 states. I was watching him fire his work, and noted he was using coal to fire his work, and asked him where he was buying it from these days.

He said, “Well, that’s actually getting to be a tough part of the job these days, its getting hard to find! The last while, I’ve had folks say I could come take it out of their coal cribs, because they are changing how they heat their house. It’s all for the best though, I’ve been thinking about changing to using wood - carbon neutral.”

I don’t know that I can come up with a more apt story for how the winds of change are blowing around this state.

It’s tough to know how to see it all - sometimes, taking a longer view is helpful (and calming), although that’s not always possible - tough to think about next year, when you need money today - but if you can take that time, sometimes the perspective goes a long way.

How’s that tie to this photo? Taking a long view helped me pull the chop out of the water, making things just a little clearer - but the prevailing winds keep blowing.

Prevailing Winds - West Virginia

The Golden Road - West Virginia

Sometimes you have days that are literally like the ones you dream about. The “perfect” days.

This was one of those, at least for us.

We day dream about getting out in the old Jeep, or the old Ford, putting the windows down, and riding. No traffic. No other people. Just perfect weather, a warm breeze, and nature putting on a show just for us.

I could try to make a bigger message out of this post, but I’ll keep it simple today - recognize the gifts given to you when you get them.

I’m getting old enough to know that there aren’t nearly enough of these days to miss them. There aren’t nearly enough chances to go out with the people you love and enjoy the company and be in the world, and be in the moment.

Love y’all and have a great weekend.

Going Back - West Virginia

I’ve written at length about the persistence of memory and experience in these mountains, and that applies to me too. On a fateful weekend a few years ago, we had come out to this neighborhood and had an incredible weekend - and then had a terrible tragedy as soon as we returned to the “Real World”.

We hadn’t returned to this little piece of ground since - 3 years now.

My daughter has moved back up to West Virginia over the summer, and this will be her first fall in the mountains in nearly 10 years. So, we decided, maybe it’s time to return. It’s undeniably beautiful, why not give it another shot.

It was a beautiful day, bluebird skies and white puffy clouds, and of all the places we drove to this day, the leaves were the best here.

It’s tough to go back. To go back to places where you may have failed. To go back to places where you got bad news. To go back to a place where you have bad memories.

But I’m glad we went back.

Hope Y’all Have A Great Week.

Glade Run Reflections - West Virginia

I’m used to being out “till dark”. That’s when the best light is, it’s when the conditions are the best, and - honestly - we tend to push hard enough that we don’t always make it back in the daylight. We carry headlamps - and spare headlamps - in all of our bags.

So, after getting lost and having a wonderful hike in the golden hour, we are almost back to the truck - and I can see the light in low corner of the sky. I have to go get it!

My kid is tired, she’s ready to go home. It’s getting dark. And I’m turning to go out a little more.

I send them to the truck with the keys - snacks and water will help with the grumpiness.

So, I’m on the trail solo.

Boy, that’s a big pile of bear poop. Better start singing!

This time, it’s to the tune of Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” (a story in itself).

And then, popping out at the waters edge. This.

Told you, the best light is at sunset.

Hope folks have a great weekend!

Lost In The Woods - West Virginia

“Y’all go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

I knew I was slowing the crew down, so I sent them on. I was enjoy the low light through the woods, casting beams and shadows on the ground, and enjoying what was in those spotlights.

I wandered ahead and hit an intersection - I’m pretty sure they went on the Sand Run trail, so away I go.

Boy, this is gorgeous. Giant fern glens, and still, the low pretty light in the woods. I wander over into the woods, off the trail, an feel like I could spend the whole evening here.

But no, I know my crew is out in front of me, and I should keep moving.

Back on the trail, and weird, I don’t hear them, I don’t see their tracks - and then waaaay off in the distance “MARCO”…

That’s a good, bad sign. Carmen plays Marco Polo with me in the woods when we get separated - and it doesn’t sound like she’s on the trail I’m on. I give a loud “POOOOLOOOOO” in response, and start reversing down the trail. I went the wrong way. Or the right way. Boy it’s pretty out here.

MARRRCOOO

POOOOOLOOOOO

Hustling along, downhill, and there she is. In the sunbeams. On the other trail.

So, I guess I was lost. I’m not sure that I was wrong.

Hope y’all have a great week,

Lost In The Woods - West Virginia

If Only It Were Endless - West Virginia

Good Friday Afternoon!

So the summer has ended. Sometime early Monday morning, she boarded her ship for the southern hemisphere, not to return for 6 months. I’m never happy to see her go. I’m never happy to see days like the one pictured - outside, working, sweating, smiling - come to an end.

People ask “what would you do with $100 million dollars”. I’d keep enough to chase summer for the rest of my life, and give the rest of it away. Because just like Endless Wall, it’s just long. Not actually endless.

And for me, long isn’t long enough.

Love y’all, and hope you have a great first weekend of Fall.

If Only It Were Endless - West Virginia

It's A Hard Living, But It's Home - West Virginia

Good Tuesday Morning!

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about what it would take to voluntarily leave this place. What more would have to happen here, or somewhere else, that I walked away from West Virginia - a place that I left once, and then worked for years to return to.

I’m starting to think that it won’t be a change in this place, but a lack of change. It often feels like we have forgotten all of our history, all the hard-luck stories, and just live a “Groundhog Day” repeat of the same news over and over.

I’ve been doing research on water pollution in this state, and it’s crazy to think that we had two massive, national news-scale water pollution incidents in this state in a a decade, and yet folks look at environmental regulation as a burden.

We fought no-joke wars - shooting, bombing, people killed wars in this state for the right of labor, of people, to get a fair shake and work with dignity, and then folks want to see labor as the enemy.

We talk about our state being the worst for folks getting an education - literally the worst, 50th of 50 states - and then belittle and pay starvation wages for teachers - expecting masters educated professionals to work for $15.50/hour.

I think if there is no change in those things, that will be the thing that does it. That said, I do feel a little like this tree. Where I live is beautiful. Where I live is hard.

And I don’t know if I will make it if you move me from this place.

Hope y’all have a great week,

It's A Hard Living, But It's Home - West Virginia

Once Upon A Time In The Mountains - West Virginia

Good Friday Morning!

Sometimes the captions write themselves. I was trying to come up with a title for this one, and Carmen says “it looks like a storybook”. The best part of that? This photo is from our wedding, from the spot where I married her. From the most storybook day - I only took about 3 photos this day. This was one of them.

And she’s right - at least to me, it looks and feels like a storybook.

Short and sweet today. Hope folks have a great weekend,

Once Upon A Time In The Mountains - West Virginia

Elakala Falls (Old Friends Collection) - West Virginia

Good Tuesday Morning!

As you may have noticed, I’ve been struggling to get these posts written up - but I have been out shooting, and we are busy getting pieces ready for “art show season”, starting off with Morgantown Arts Walk on September 27. It’s been a great start to the fall - but time has been tight, and I’ve been working hard at being outside, instead of writing for y’all. I’ll see if I can make more time for this part of the operation.

Elakala Falls is another one of those “old friends” - a place where I started honing and learning the craft of waterfall photography. While I have tons of photos of this waterfall - I take a photo most everytime I get near it - I don’t usually share them. You see - this little waterfall has become a celebrity, one of the places that comes up when you google West Virginia, and I don’t often feel like repeating a shot that folks have seen 100 times before.

That said, every so often, it’s nice to visit, to really set up and make an image, and visit an old friend.

Elakala Falls - West Virginia