Over the past year, my camera has been both a companion and a window, offering moments of solace and inspiration amid the unpredictability of daily life. Photography has long been a source of balance for me, and capturing the world around me—its textures, colors, and light—continues to renew my perspective. Despite the challenges faced globally, I dedicated my year to exploring and photographing the landscapes within roughly a hundred-mile radius of my home, discovering beauty both familiar and new.
Among my favorite locations are the St. Francois Mountains in southern Missouri. This region, with its ancient rock formations, clear streams, and rugged vistas, consistently draws me back. There’s a timeless quality to these mountains, one that evokes childhood memories while still offering fresh visual experiences. Even at sites I know intimately, I am constantly finding new angles, lighting, and compositions that breathe life into familiar surroundings. A day spent at Elephant Rocks State Park, for example, reminded me of the power of patience and observation. Under an overcast sky with the late afternoon light breaking through, areas I had overlooked before revealed themselves in new ways, resulting in images that feel both intimate and expansive.
Southern Illinois also provided unique photographic opportunities. At Shawnee National Forest, I revisited Heron Pond and Ferne Clyffe State Park, each offering contrasting ecosystems and moods. Heron Pond, part of the Cache River watershed, is a cypress swamp with a primordial atmosphere that captivates me every visit. Early spring light transforms the bare trees into striking compositions, emphasizing texture and color contrast, while later visits showcase lush greenery and dynamic reflections. Bork’s Waterfall, tucked away in a less-traveled part of Ferne Clyffe, offered moments of solitude and quiet beauty, allowing me to focus on subtle details often overlooked.
Hawn State Park continues to be a cornerstone of my portfolio. The trail system, particularly around Pickle Creek, presents endless variations as water levels shift and seasonal light changes. A scene of golden afternoon light reflecting in a pool below a small waterfall became a personal favorite, capturing the delicate interplay of motion, reflection, and atmosphere. Similarly, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park yielded one of my most appreciated images on social media and a framed print that found a new home at a local gallery. Moments like these reinforce the joy of wandering, observing, and waiting for light and nature to align.
Each excursion, whether to a familiar park or an uncharted corner of a swamp, is a reminder of the infinite possibilities within our natural world. Through my lens, I aim to share not just images but the quiet emotions they evoke—the sense of discovery, tranquility, and connection that comes from truly seeing the environment around us. While the world may be constantly shifting, these photographic journeys offer a space to pause, reflect, and find balance.
As I continue to explore, I remain committed to the practice of photographing with intention, seeking both technical excellence and an emotional resonance in every frame. Nature provides an inexhaustible source of inspiration, and even in familiar landscapes, there is always something new to uncover. My hope is that viewers can experience, through these images, the same sense of wonder and contemplation that motivates my work each day.
