Cover Photo for Kentucky State Parks 100 Years Pamphlet
I was talking with a friend recently at the Slade Welcome Center in the Red River Gorge, and while there I happened to glance across the rack of publications and maps. A note of red caught my eye, and upon closer inspection, I noticed that it not only one of my photos, but I photo I captured of myself using a tripod from a tourism shoot I did back in April of 2023.
With dozens of tourism and travel shoots, it’s easy to forget that there are photos out there in circulation, or sitting on a hard drive just waiting to get used. I don’t typically receive any notice when placements are made, so it’s happened more than a few times that I’ve happen to come across my photos on billboards, in travel magazines, or in this case, on a fold-out map and park guide. It’s a fun surprise to see your work in its final destination like that.
This particular shoot took place at Kingdom Come State Park, along the Pine Mountain Scenic Trail, and the cover photo was taken at a spectacular overlook, a short walk from a parking area. I recall that I arrived to the location on the afternoon before the actual shoot day; I wanted to hike around a little bit and scout out location for the following day. What I didn’t expect was to see that an incredible sunset was developing right in front of me! Never one to miss a moment like this, I quickly got out my camera and snapped a few frames.
Of course I knew that these images would be better with a person in them, but I was alone. I ran back to the car for the tripod, changed into a brightly colored shirt, and staged myself while the camera snapped photos on a timer. With a little bit of enhancing in post, the sun rays and cloud textures really popped and made for some nice images.
The following day, I woke up early for sunrise and met our volunteer talent. We made our way along several miles of the trail, stopping for images frequently. Blue skies and warm sunshine gave us wonderful, vibrant images of the trail and its scenery. Below is a gallery of selects from that shoot day:
I’m thrilled that my photography was chosen to represent Kentucky’s state parks during their centennial celebration. It’s incredible to see my work featured in such a meaningful context, highlighting a hundred years of natural beauty and heritage. Being part of this milestone not only inspires me as an artist but also deepens my connection to the places I love to capture.