In February 2020, at the start of COVID-19, I talked a good friend into driving with me to Atlanta so I could buy my first DSLR. I’d been drawn to the outdoors for as long as I could remember and for many years I’d wanted a good camera to document the amazing places I’d seen. Recent visits to Yosemite, Zion and Japan made me realize my phone wasn’t cutting it any longer.

Back home with my used Canon, I started photographing everything in sight and learning all I could. COVID made me wonder if the world was coming to an end, so I wanted to document our eerily silent downtown. Fearing a drop in profits despite record sales, my employer at the time cut staff hours so I absorbed loads of advice online during my down time.

Pretty soon, the initial obsessions with gear and “How To” videos wore off, and photography began merging with daily life. I came to see it as an ongoing pursuit instead of an occasional hobby. The camera came with me everywhere I went and both my photos and processes started to become more personal.

To help combat anxiety surrounding the pandemic, and with the future of travel in jeopardy, I found renewed connection and peace among many places close to home. At first, this happened in the city but the natural areas nearby kept calling to me. I felt a visceral need to return to the woods.

By getting outside as much as possible and trying to learn more about nature, I began seeking new meaningful experiences in the outdoors to complement a 20 year background in rock climbing and cycling. I’d always believed our little corner of the Southeast is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I still do.