#13 |
Tower #13 of the Kinzua Viaduct lies in the Kinzua Creek Valley. Writer Lisa Gensheimer and I were escorted into the debris field one week after the tornado of July 23, 2003. Because of liability concerns— the wreckage was truly beyond words with that much steel lying scattered over half a mile— Lisa and I were the only journalists allowed into the area.
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Ferns and Rock |
Jakes Rocks.
One of my all-time favorite haunts when it comes to easy access and a super place to get an overview of what the rest of the Allegheny National Forest is all about.
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Reflection |
Late in the day while hiking back to the car along Queens Run, I turned around to see where my son Nash was, and this image presented itself. Sometimes you start with a preconceived notion and work a shot for hours, and sometimes it jumps up and bites you in the butt. For those wondering about Nash, he and his buddy, Luke, were just back around the bend pestering some brook trout. |
Rocks,Water |
Blue Jay Run, made the same day as Rock & Ice. This was the stream proper and the run-off was just roaring through this glacial channel. Another special day in the forest! |
Wild Azalea
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Throughout the forest, much to my chagrin, many varieties of Azalea's bloom in summer and fall. When identifying this particular bloom, I was chastised by my sister, naturalist Bonnie Orr, for not keeping copious field notes and giving her a black-and-white image to identify instead of color. Luckily, my neighbor, Doug Irish Hosler, is a member of the rhododendron society and was able to call upon friends to get the scientific name, ”rhododendron periclymenoides." Special thanks Doug and Bon. |
Angel's Wings
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Although in the book "Pennsylvania Wilds" this photo appears in color, in my mind, it was always a black-and-white image. |
Rock & Ice
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Halfway between the Iron Bridge on Route 666 and Kane, Pa, there is a gem of a little spot on Blue Jay Run. This photo was taken in January of 2005.There is a great wide view here, but there was a deadfall against a large boulder from high run-off which spoiled that view for me, so I went into detail mode. Maybe I'll see you there when I go back to get another look at this little treasure. |
Mountain Laurel
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For the book, designer Bev Verbeke cropped this image to better fit the page size. This is the full image as originally seen and is printed in Sepia rather than black-and-white, which strengthens the original feeling of the time and place for me.
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Beetle,Rock |
One of the first images made for a presentation to Linda Devlin and the Forest Service for the idea of doing a book, it was made at Jakes Rocks. I love the fact that it stands on its own as an abstract, but as you look closer, you see a beetle on a leaf that gives you a sense of the scale of these mammoth rock formations found throughout the forest.
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Bent Run |
The only true waterfall in the forest, this image was made on a very rainy, overcast, spring day— without a doubt, my favorite time to photograph in the forest. There are so many shades of green in the Allegheny and spring makes these colors really pop. |
Debris Field |
An abstract view in the debris field of the Kinzua Viaduct. It is difficult to describe the chaos in the aftermath of the tornado that downed this architectural wonder. This girder was big enough for a man to climb up the middle of the interior of it. I like to tell people that the only thing I can compare my experience to is what it must have been like to find the Titanic on the ocean floor.
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Turkey Vulture |
After a morning of trying to photograph a flock of turkey vultures feeding on a deer carcass, I gave up getting the decisive image. I wasn't in quite the right position and a turkey vulture's eyesight is too acute for me to have made my move to another location, so I packed up and drove around the corner, only to find this image of a dead vulture on the side of the road. |
Minister Creek Trail |
This image was made mid-morning after an exhausting hike up Minister Creek Trail with my son Nash. Even in the digital age you still have to carry or backpack a hefty bunch of gear, but it was worth the effort and we had a great time climbing and exploring. Along parts of the trail there are small meadows which opened up, and an array of spring wildflowers were in bloom. |
Patience |
This loom was sitting in one of the outbuildings of Crook Farm, a historical recreation of an 1800s working farm and village. I was there during a festival and was frustrated by the number of people around blocking my view. This image serendipitously presented itself, telling me to slow down and the images would present themselves… if I was willing to wait and look. |
Spirit Rock |
Just about every rock shelter in the forest has these wonderfull abstract designs worn into the undersides. I used a little invention of mine called the Big Eddie, a flash diffuser to light up and bring out the color of this particular formation which became known as Spirit Rock. I would hope that you find the time to explore and capture your own special piece of the forest. |
Runoff: Blue Jay Run |
I keep being drawn back to Blue Jay Run, a beautiful little creek that runs between Kane and Rt. 666. There you'll find small meadows against rising mountains, old hunting cabins, virgin woods and some exciting glacial deposits. Plus, if you start in Kane, you can end up at Tall Oaks for a great shopping experience in the middle nowhere (keeps the spouse happy). |
