Critical Impact...teaser sample

 From the Matthew Jacobs Critical Impact action novel...a teaser sample. (Available on Amazon).

Critical Impact is the third book in the Running the Edge series. Released November 2, 2025 the book is perhaps the most intense of the series where the main character, Matthew Jacobs, is thrust into a situation that challenges everything he stands for; his mission, his duty, his dedication, and his faith.

The following is a short sample text...(Each book in the series can be purchased individually or as a set...and it is recommended to read the series in sequence.)

......

“Matt, we’ve got maybe fifteen minutes until we reach our Critical Return Point. I’m sorry, but I have no choice in this. It’s a mandatory operational issue. We can try again later once we get refueled.”

“Can we make one more pass north. Give me seven minutes more Ian. Can you do that?”

Ian looked at the flashing CRP light then at his copilot. “You got an extra seven minutes Matt, then I’m pulling the plug.”

Ian swung the 1369 again into a wide arch that took them out over the ocean just beyond the break line, then he angled back in toward the dunes eventually turning due north flying just above where the breakers met the beach.

“Ian. Let’s keep her further out. Maybe we’re just looking too straight down from the wrong angle. We might be able to see something from a different angle now that the sun is higher in the sky.”

Ian raised his left hand and gave him a thumbs up. The 1369 dropped lower to about a hundred feet giving them still another angle from which to view the area. Four minutes later Carlos and Xavier again heard the chopper approaching from the south. They scrambled another time to crawl under the burlap tarp.

“They must be looking for us.” Xavier complained.

“How would they know we’re even here? They’ll never find anything. Just stay still.”

 Sharon again heard the chopper and realized it was approaching from a lower angle out in front of their position where she could see it visually. She tried to break open the locked door to the shed but could not budge it loose. She looked for something she could use as a signal devise but all she found was the loose piece of tarnished tin that was roughly six inches square with crumpled edges. The higher angle of the sun now cast several beams of light that filtered through cracks in the shed planking. She grabbed the piece of tin and vigorously rubbed it against her Jeans trying to polish it enough to reflect light.

The 1369 came closer and she could see it as it moved above the beach out in front of her about two hundred yards. In desperation, she tried to bounce some of the sunlight off the tin and through the narrow cracks, then shifted to the larger opening a knothole provided hoping enough reflection would get through to catch the eye of someone on the chopper. She angled the tin moving it back and forth catching as much of the small beam of sunlight as she could. With each movement, she tried to follow the slow-moving chopper.

 

***

 

Matt and Pell scanned the dunes but could see nothing. He looked at his watch and knew time was running out. He turned to slide back deeper into the cargo area about to give it up when something caught his eye. A flash…a dull flash, but a flash none-the-less. Then another.

“Ian! Slow down. Back up.”

“You see something?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I saw a flash. It came from the backside of a dune with a lot of debris and beach grass covering it.”

Ian slowed the 1369 and began a slow reversal of their direction maintaining their same heading, just floating backwards.

“It was over there along that long line of dunes where all the large driftwood logs are scattered. I’m sure of it.” Matt exclaimed.

Pell responded, “I don’t see anything.”

“Give me your binoculars.”

Matt scanned the dune for several seconds then locked his point onto something that looked out of place. He took a closer look.

“There. Ian. 90 degrees straight off our starboard side. A vehicle covered by a tarp. It’s that blue and white Blazer. We’ve found them.”

Then another flash caught his eye. “It’s got to be Sharon. Set us down.” Ian spun the 1369 around in a wide turning arch and headed south again.

“Where are you going?”

“We’ve reached our CP Matt. We gotta head back.”

“No Ian. Not yet. Drop me off.”

“No can do. You’re not even supposed to be here. Commander Reese gave me strict orders.”

“Since when have you ever obeyed strict orders!”

Ian rolled his head from side to side and looked at his copilot again who shrugged his shoulders agreeing with Matt.

“Ah Matthew…I’m really going to catch it for doing this. Stand-by. We’re going down about four hundred yards south of that position, A running drop and go. You’ll have to jump not enough fuel left to hover long enough to lower you down on the winch. You’ll be on your own, but I’ll radio ahead your position and request for backup.”

Matt grabbed his small backpack that had a handheld transceiver inside, some water and an energy bar along with a box of shells for his 30-06. He slung the rifle case strap over his shoulder crossing it in front of his chest and pulled the case around to his side so it would clear the choppers hatch, then he removed his helmet and replaced it with his dark blue ballcap pulling it low over his brow so it would not blow off.

Ian brought the 1369 down in a low, slow pass. Matt sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the opened sliding hatch and Pell extended his arm in front of him preventing him from jumping from to high up.

Sand and beach grasses began to fly in all directions as downwash from the chopper ripped across the dune. Matt slid further over to the edge positioning the butt end of his rifle case between his legs. Pell removed his arm and pointed with his hand for Matt to jump. The fall was about eight feet and he landed hard but the sand cushioned his fall and he rolled across and down a shallow slope, then crawled to his knees and waved at Ian who raised the 1369 in a climbing turn to the south and left the area. Within seconds, Matt was alone and the only sound came from the wind blowing through the grass and the ocean waves rolling up on the beach a couple hundred yards away. He started moving in the direction where he spotted the hidden Blazer careful not to expose himself above the dunes using them instead to hide his movement. The loose sand and undulating character of the dunes slowed his progress.

 

***

 

Carlos and Xavier climbed out from under the tarp and ran to the top of the dune that offered a clearer view toward the south. They saw the 1369 drop low partially hidden by a high dune then rise again and fly off.

“They’ve dropped someone,” Carlos said.

“You sure. Where? I don’t see anyone.”

“He’s there alright. I’m sure of it. And I know who it is.”

“Who?”

“That Jacobs fellow. I’m sure of it…from the Coast Guard, the one who tried to stop us before.”

“You didn’t see him so how can you be sure?”

Carlos threw a cynical stare toward Xavier.

“I’m sure. Because we have his family. And we can use them against him.”

“Can you take him.”

“All I need is a clear shot about six inches square and he’s as good as dead.”

“Then do it.”

Carlos raised his rifle and checked the breech once again blowing out a few grains of sand. He extracted the already loaded main clip and reinserted it into the rifle. A quick jerk on the slide and the first shell slid into the chamber. He walked below the crest of the dune for about fifty yards and then climbed toward the top crawling the last few yards so not to expose himself. He stretched the rifle across a small piece of driftwood and slid his barrel through a clump of beach grass that offered a good area of camouflage. He opened the spring-loaded scope covers and began to scan the dunes searching for his target....

***

 

.... Carlos slowly scanned the dunes through his scope. His trained eye looking for what did not belong. Any twitch, an off-center shadow, odd movements, out of place colors, behind every blade of grass and beneath any of the dunes, his victim could be hiding. He detected movement and swung his scope on the location. A bird. He began to sweat. He knew Jacobs was there. All he needed was a few inches of open space that lined up with his target. Then more movement caught his eye. He shifted his sight again and saw the top edge of Matt’s shoulders and head moving diagonally behind a dune. Matt stopped behind a log and slightly raised his eye above its edge his ballcap tipping over the upper side. Carlos leveled his rifle then quickly fired.

Kentucky's Raw Nature: Photographing Whitetail Deer Snow Flurries

 Snow flurries in Kentucky early in November is a rare moment. When the moment does present itself, then the opportunity to capture nature in her raw form is something that is hard to let get away. That is exactly what happened this week when winter-like temperatures invaded the Commonwealth and snow flurries followed shortly thereafter. I spent a chilly but fun late afternoon observing the local deer herd and captured a few images along with some interesting video footage as snow flurries created almost whiteout conditions. Please enjoy this short video from that outing.

Photographing Kentucky's Big Deer

For several days in a row the weather remained bright and clear and very fall-like with the fall colors reaching their peak by weeks end. Always my favorite time of year the fall season and this season proved itself amongst one of the finest. With the cooler temperatures, the local deer population began to stir and tucked in and amongst the woodlands I found several large rubs where the bucks left their mark by rubbing their antlers along the trunks of saplings. Scattered across these rub lines and a good number of scrapes were also present. Both signs the rut was beginning.

On day one several small and mid-sized bucks mingled with the does. One decent buck with a thick and tall set of antlers chased the does across the field. I managed a few photos and a few video clips. Toward the end of that afternoon when the available light began to fade, one very nice buck made his appearance by sauntering across the back corner of the field. His pace was direct and determined but not hurried. His antlers stood broad, wide, thick and tall and his appearance became the highlight of the day.

By day three, the activity slowed somewhat, but a few deer did make an appearance and mingled within the does was a single nice buck with an oddly shaped set of antlers. They stood tall, almost straight up, but were thick and heavy with his left side antler being tilted inward more than the other side.

Been a while since I made a photographing Kentucky deer episode. so please enjoy....

Coming on November 1st, 2025 - Critical Impact

 Coming November 2025. Another Matthew Jacobs action novel by Keith Bridgman. Check out the promotional video...

The Black and White Landscape Composition - What I look For

 I had just spent a couple days on a long anticipated and delayed overnight canoe camping / photographic trip. Early afternoon on that last day had already settled in and the sky was bright and blue with long fingers of clouds accenting the sky. I enjoyed the canoe paddle back to where I had parked on the lake taking my time to simply observe and anticipate any photographic opportunity that might happen to catch my eye. As it turned out I did manage to capture a few images, most being ordinary but enjoyable captures featuring the long terrain surrounding the lake and that amazing blue sky being held aloft by those beautiful clouds. After unloading my canoe and repacking all the gear into and on top of my Jeep, I climbed aboard and headed down the country lane that would eventually take me home. On the way out I noticed a fresh cut field on my left where a myriad of large rolls of hay lay randomly stacked across the landscape. Overhead almost like a supporting cast for that amazing blue sky, those long streaks of clouds stretched their veils above and across the horizon. I slammed on the brakes, pulled out my camera, and began to visually search across the field for a composition that would capture the moment in such a way as to portray what not only my eye perceived, but what my heart experienced.

Sometimes it is difficult to explain to someone who may not possess the same affinity for black and white photography how and why I look for specific elements when capturing a moment and why I love black and white photography. Black and white relies more strongly on composition, shape, form, structure, contrast, and story than a color image. Color images rely on those things as well, and even more so on the light that is available, but often color itself gets in the way. Light, of course, is important for black and white as well, but black and white is more suited for a wider range of lighting conditions than color is. Taking a mid-day color image will result more often in an ordinary and rather bland photograph. Take that same photograph, convert it to black and white. Add a bit of contrast. Throw in a filter or two and that bland image suddenly explodes into wonderful composition filled with story and structure.

I look for opportunities where there is a bright blue sky accented with varying degrees of cloud structures often combined with water and the reflections it offers. It's the clouds that set the sky apart and added to the nostalgic flavor of the image moment. Attach a polarizer filter to the lens and add that blue sky takes on a deepness and depth an ordinary blue sky might lack. Compositionally, I look for story and depth. Both of these go together. Depth adds to the story and carries the viewer into the image. The elements of the composition write the visual story. 

I also look for variations in contrasts. A good black and white image should in most cases possess within its composition darks and lights and middle tones that range from almost fully black, to almost fully white. Each composition is different with some containing more darks than lights and some just the opposite.  It's that contrast between the darks and lights than spell out the story. A dark black and white sky should be able to move the viewer toward understanding just how blue the sky actually was. Clouds are key to that for clouds provide the sky character and movement and should tie the sky to the surface.

When using the sky I usually try to offer more of it than from the foreground and sometimes I split the image down the center breaking from the rule of thirds syndrome, and I often look for a line that leads the viewer into the photograph taking their eye right up into the sky. To me, the sky is the most important element in a black and white landscape. It's not the only element of course, but it offers an opportunity to provide the viewer with a sense of bigness where the foreground or the landscape itself offers a sense of place. Both work together and when elements of the foreground extend into the sky, then the composition begins to tie itself together. 

Learning how to recognize what makes a good black and white landscape composition while viewing the world through the color filter of our eyes takes a bit practice and experimenting. But, when you begin to master that ability, the black and white image opportunities begin to magically appear. Black and white was my first photography love, and I still seek out the allure and strength of what it offers.

Overnight Canoe Camping and Photography on Kentucky's Barren River Lake

 Finally made an overnight canoe trip on Barren River Lake. The first one of the 2025 season. Warm days and cool evening made for an enjoyable outing. Foggy morning made for excellent photography opportunities.

Please enjoy....

All You Need is...One

 The past several months I have neglected getting out doing much of anything in the outdoors. Lots of reasons for that. Sad thing is, as a result my photography has suffered. The past few days I managed to get out again for a concentrated photo shoot with just me, my canoe, some camping gear, and my camera. I suppose this unseasonable change in the weather helped to jump start me out of my doldrums, so I head over to Kentucky's beautiful Barren River Lake for an overnight canoe camping trip. My intent was to refocus on my photography and hopefully rediscover the magic this creative art performs. As with most of my outings, I managed to take several hundred photographs...about half of which were...eeeah. The other half produced some okay images but nothing out of the ordinary...but...as I have often shared on this blog...all you need is one.

The first day was spent canoeing over to my favorite isolated camping spot...a nice, somewhat secluded cove with a commanding view of that part of the lake...a view that potentially offers some excellent sundown opportunities. After cooking myself a steak and fried potatoes supper over my small campfire, I settled back to wait for that sundown to develop. Turned out to be rather uneventful as clouds moved in and created a dull light that offered not much of anything.

I called it a day rather early and did some reading. The evening air started to cool down creating a very nice crispy feel to the night air. I was tired, so I shut off the small reading light and tried to get some sleep. Sleep always seems to avoid me especially on my first night out like that, but somehow I managed to drift off, waking several times during the night to shift my position trying to relieve a stiff back. When I finally did fall fast asleep, the night went by rather quickly and I awoke to the sound of an irritated blue heron squawking like he'd been insulted. I raised up a little and realized that squawking heron had done me a huge favor. The sun was still several minutes from rising but the sky out front of my camping area was glowing with a soft delight. I scrambled to my feet and grabbed my camera. When I stepped out onto the sandy/gravel beach area, I was greeted with a wonderful layer of fog that drifted across the lake. Fog on this lake is one of its treasures and this time of year when the water is still warm and the air is crisp and cool...well I was hoping for such a morning. 

I chased the light here and there capturing quick images then I worked my way over toward where a small cove slices into the peninsula I was camped on. Across the way about a hundred yards or so a small point of land juts into the lake and behind it a heavy layer of fog drifted through the trees and over the water. The light was magical, soft, blue, and accented by the fog drifting across the landscape. The subtle greenness of some bushes and the stark portraiture of distant tree trunks caught my photographers eye. The shot I was waiting for...looking for...hoping for materialized out of the morning air before the sun invaded the landscape and ruined the moment. I pointed my camera. Framed a few quick images. Snapped several shots. Readjusted my exposure and shifted my position slightly and fired off another quick image or two. The in-camera results looked promising and I thought maybe these might produce something usable.

Fast forward to the next day after I had returned home. I managed to offload those images and browse through them when I came across that small series I just described. My Ansel Adams creative mindset started to kick in in color and I began to explore what those images offered. When I finished with the final image, none of the others I took mattered much after that. Like I said...all you need is...one.