What made those tracks? Who else has seen this? How long has this been like that?  What would this look like if…?  These are just a few of the questions that haunt my thoughts as I spend time in the outdoors.  It goes beyond just curiosity for me.  There have been occasions where it has consumed a large majority of my time.  I can’t really place the exact time or location of when this really started. I have stacks and stacks of Field Notes notebooks from hunting and fishing trips dating back ten plus years. I always have a notebook in my pack or pocket or pickup. I have even started keeping notes on my phone.  It may be due to my love of history and all thing wild and unknown.   It could come from my need for adventure.  No matter how it’s stirred within me, it happens.  So, rather than trying to question it or fight it off, I have fully embraced the notion that everything has a story!

This idea or notion that everything has a story is sort of the behind the scenes work with most of the images I take and share.  Let’s take the image above for example.  It’s simple, sort of plain, and easy to describe at first glance.  Now put it into context with this notion that everything has a story.  I instantly get questions flooding in. Where is it at? Who planted it?  Why did they plant it?  Where is it going to go?  What did that area look like before they tilled the soil? Those are just a few of the questions that come to mind.  The meaning of the image can change pretty quickly.  It also gives the viewer an opportunity to create their own story or reflection from their prior experiences.  Let me also make something very clear I am not a professional photographer by any means.  It’s a passion that I enjoy.  Taking photos of places I’ve been and things that I have seen has been a way for me to remember some of those stories and experiences.  It has been a platform for me to share my story!