Random photo notes, Vol. 2
These are a few notes I have written about some of my favorite photos. They can range from social media posts to descriptions on my homepage, even handwritten notes made in the field. They are not in chronological order.
I’ve always found it helpful to put words to my images, whether in the form of scribbling exposure settings in a notebook or writing essays on the nuances of a composition.
If photography can be partly considered the organization of the visible chaos that surrounds us, then I believe writing can be somewhat about taming the invisible and internal.
Looking back on my notes has always helped me to reflect on my technical and creative progress, as well as on my journey through life.
Pale Fire, 5/25/22
One weekday in May I returned to a small boulder garden off trail from a little-known hike I frequent. The area has grown special to me because there is almost a guarantee of zero other people, so I can always take my time and be myself in my creativity. I arrived at this boulder field, set up my rain tarp so I could do a little work on my laptop (for my real job), then got busy exploring this paradise. Rain made for a challenging shoot, and I’m certain this isn’t the strongest composition in the vicinity, but I still love it.
Memory Place, 10/14/22
This tree lives in an old quarry on Lookout Mountain that today goes by the name Eagle’s Nest. However, when it opened in 1931 it was called Memory Place by founding brothers Milton and Alfred Ochs (of Ochs Highway). A thick canopy of leaves blocks much of the sunlight but in the early Fall I happened to be in the area and pulled off with my camera to take a look. The tree’s leaves were just starting to turn yellow and just enough light filtered through the canopy to make them glow against the blue limestone quarry wall in the background. The combination of color contrast and local history make this image special to me.
Final Light, 11/25/22
A late afternoon hike to a new-to-me overlook I had found just wandering around off trail, paired with magical soft sunset light, yielded one of the most gratifying moments I’ve had in the woods. The camera being with me was a nice bonus but I spent most of the time gawking at the color and drama of the day’s last light as it stretched over a subtle mountain contour. Wind blew steadily over the cliff where I stood, and I remember its chill felt foreign and familiar at the same time. The light vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared and the birds and wind in the valley below me grew wonderfully quiet as the day came to a close.
Guardians, 9/25/22
These trees have endured a lot from selfish hikers over the years. Each time I see them it seems someone new has carved their initials into the one closest to the trail (see lower right) so it’s nice to imagine they’re doing their job of protecting all the trees behind them from shitty humans. They appear to form a natural fence, and that’s the simple reason I stopped to photograph them. Just a little story I’ve made up in my head to help me cope with an ever-slipping opinion of humanity.
