Kentucky Morning Series - Back Road Drama

A few years ago I spent some time exploring a new area looking for potential photo opportunities. I happened across a back road that grew progressively narrower and eventually came to a dead end atop a shallow rise. It was midsummer in the early afternoon and at the time the light was rather harsh and the scenery was somewhat ordinary. But, as I stepped out of my Jeep and took a look around I began to see the potential that was actually there. Dropping off to the south were two pastures that were partially split by a spit of trees. On the far side of the fields rose a tall ridge with the Barren River flowing across the base.

Maybe twenty minutes passed as I meandered down the road taking in the sites and breathing in the fresh country air. A few cows greeted me with their mournful bellows. To the east several layers of tree lines arched along the lay of the land and somewhere between them flowed the Barren River. Everything was green and the air was summertime hot, but I knew if I could only return when the conditions were better, that maybe, just maybe something magical would happen.

I did return, several times, the first few times not much of consequence materialized, but on the third trip over there I arrived well before daylight and I discovered a bit of fog drifting down in the fields. The photo's I made that morning were so-so, but that fog encouraged me to return again. Late September, I did return, twice and both times I was greeted by an amazing display of what a Kentucky Morning is all about.

The photo shown here was captured shortly after the sun broke free of the ridge and began to burn off the heavy layer of fog that engulfed the valley below. In an instant, the top layer of fog evaporated leaving the lower layers still clinging to the folding landscape. A moment later, a brilliant sun broke through the haze and the top of the foggy ridges were set alight by the radiant glow. I fired off several shots over the span of a few moments, then, just as rapidly as it had developed, it was all over.

Finding moments such as these become the jewels that adorn a portfolio. They also do not come easy. Relying on random chance would have resulted in never producing such a photographic moment. Looking beyond the obvious and seeing the potential of a location is a skill I rely on more than I realize. Those skills become instinctive with time and experience. Most importantly, I never gave up on the potential of this location. That perseverance paid off handsomely with a display of Back Road Drama the likes of which I never encountered before or since.

Next in the line of this series...another dramatic Kentucky Morning photo from this same location...

Keith

Kentucky Morning Series...Summer Sunrise

Sleep  barely washed from my eyes, I climbed into the Jeep and headed out for a morning shoot. I didn't know for sure what to expect on this summer morning. When I came to the intersection that connected with the main road, I paused for a moment in the dull light of pre-dawn, looked left then right, took a breath, and said "that way".

Two miles down the road out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of farm I passed all the time and rarely took notice of it. The sun had climbed a few degrees above the horizon and the sky was set aglow by its warmth. At each corner of the entrance into the farm two lamps were still lit and the white fence arched around the pasture. It took a few dozen yards for the my Jeep to come to a complete stop and then a few seconds to backup far enough so I could easily jump out.

I crossed the road, set up my tripod and made a quick test shot and after a few adjustments, two or three more. Then went on my way.  The rest of the morning proved uneventful and sometime later after I downloaded the images, this first quick set turned out to be the best of the day.

I can't count how many times I've made quick shots like this that turn out to be the best shots of the day. Usually that is not the case, but every so often, light, time, and place converge to allow for such things to happen.

This particular image has become one of my favorite summer morning images over the years. It possesses a symmetry and balance not easily obtained with quick shots. Light as always is what makes any image work, and for this particular one, it actually became the main ingredient.

Summer is one of my favorite times to photograph early in the day. So many things happen during that first half hour of the morning. On that day, it proved its worth once again.

Keith

Kentucky Morning Series - Coming Soon

Kentucky Morning . . . a time of renewal, a time of awakening, the freshes part of the day. As I sat this evening reviewing some older images taken during those morning moments I realized how incredibly amazing the first light of day is in Kentucky. I've written about it from time to time, shared a few images along the way, but I've never attempted to compile those moments into a series.

Always looking for additional material for this blog, it dawned on me that Kentucky had already provided an array of untapped story opportunities. Coming in the near future, I'll be including a string of articles chronicling some of those Kentucky Morning moments and share how those images were captured.

So join me in a few weeks...as we explore what Kentucky's first light has to offer. I'm looking forward to it.

Keith