Abbey & Austin’s day was filled with so much love and light! Surrounded by their friends and family they were married at Grace Chapel and then celebrated their new journey all night long! Their friends and family really knew how to throw down! :) I also loved their beautiful color palette : dusty pinks and navy blues complimented with autumn-inspired burgundy bouquets. It was a beautiful day to be a part of. I hope you enjoy!
outdoors
Abbey + Austin's Summer Session /
Yesterday Abbey celebrated her bridal shower and TWO months until her + Austin’s big day! Here are a few photos from our session around the family’s beautiful property. Enjoy!
A Southern Excursion: Part I /
On this section of our journey... touring the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia and while supporting the privately funded attempt to preserve one of the largest hand-cut stone buildings in the world. Then spelunking into a world created by slightly acidic water through soft limestone in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky and tasting the effect of this combination at a few of the areas historic bourbon distilleries nearby in Bardstown, Kentucky. Lastly, testing the “hype” about the renovation of East Nashville, Tennessee.
Weston, WV
The first stop on the southern leg of our journey took us to Weston, West Virginia, touring the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The Asylum had been in use since the Civil War and it is one of the largest hand-cut stone buildings in the world, second only to the Kremlin. This being the case, we were astonished that such a historically and architecturally significant building could fall into such a state of disrepair.
Weston, like many of the small towns we passed through in the mountains of West Virginia, seems to have been left behind economically. As the towns deteriorate there is little monetary power to prevent it.
Scenes like these are repeated in almost every small town we passed through.
Local and state government doesn’t even seem to be in any position to stem the tide, but the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum’s fate has been saved privately, by Joe Jordan and his daughter Rebecca Jordan Gleason. Despite most of the grounds still being in a crumbling state of disarray, they’ve started giving tours to raise money for the renovation. Naturally we had to take a tour.
Louisville, KY
From Weston we headed west toward Louisville, which would serve as the starting point for our enjoyment of the byproducts of Kentucky’s large limestone deposit. The first byproduct being bourbon as the limestone filters spring water bubbling up from below. Kentuckians claim this pristine water is the base for the bourbon flavor profile.
Protecting the water supply at Heaven Hill.
Before hitting the bourbon trail we decided to go “glamping” for a night in a renovated vintage 1960’s camper.
You can rent this camper on Airbnb.
Bardstown, KY
If you do not have the time to cover the entire Bourbon Trail, Bardstown, KY is a great way to maximize your time with a multitude of distilleries nearby. We decided to visit Willett Distillery and Maker’s Mark sampling some of Kentucky’s finest.
A rickhouse at Heaven Hill.
Willett is a family owned and operated distillery and when visiting it definitely has a more personal feeling; we met members of the family during the tour of the grounds. However, despite its small-business feel, Willett is still a large-scale producer of bourbon and an official stop on the Bourbon Trail. We felt this combination made them a great business to support.
Rickhouses at Willet.
The photographs below follow the process of creating bourbon chronologically.
Tasting the mash during the fermentation process.
Signature limestone green water.
The copper pot still for distilling the mash.
Country hams hanging with the bourbon. They absorb some of the flavors that escape the barrels.
We decided on Maker’s Mark for distilling in its most beautiful form. The picturesque grounds and facilities made for ideal photo documenting of the distilling process. This place just oozes classiness. Plus, they make fantastic bourbon!
You can dip your own bottle at the end of the tour.
Both Willet and Maker's Mark end their tours with a tasting.
Mammoth Cave, KY
The other result of water running through Kentucky’s limestone is Mammoth Cave. Water of the Green River Valley has been working its way through the earth for ages, eventually creating the longest known cave system in the world.
The National Park service offers a multitude of cave tours, we decided on two evening tours since it’s the same amount of dark down there at all times and we wanted to use the daylight hours to explore the rest of the park. Important to note it’s also the same amount of cold down there, the temperature stays around 54°F year round, so you may want a jacket.
We started with a lantern tour which tries to capture the experience of cave exploring from about two hundred years ago. You pass an odd assortment of man-made structures ranging from an area used to produce gun powder to a tuberculosis hospital. Exploring the meandering, intertwined network of tunnels with limited light instills a sense of respect toward the early explorers of the cave and also provides plenty of references to the Mines of Moria.
Between trips below the surface we decided to hike along the cliffs of the Green River in hope of finding a few rattlesnakes. The layers of sediment that make up the cliff face provide little crevices for the snakes to hide in that seemed like perfect habitat, but our search was in vain. We did find a few other little critters.
A ferry across the Green River.
Rat snake
Flat-backed Millipede
Five-lined Skink
For our second subterranean adventure we chose the Focus on Frozen Niagara tour because it is catered to photographers. After a brief tour most of the time is dedicated to allowing photographers free range of the Frozen Niagara area of the cave system.
Cave cricket
East Nashville, TN
We surfaced from the damp cave into a rain-soaked Kentucky night and drove south to Nashville. We wanted to explore the urban renewal of East Nashville and see if it lived up to all the hype as the neighborhood of country music’s younger, hipper side.
The renovations concentrated around, but not limited to, Main Street, Woodland Street, and Gallatin Avenue are ambitious. It seems every available building is being renovated into a bar, restaurant, café, music venue, brewery or vintage clothing store regardless of the purpose it served before. We found East Nashville to be an easily walk-able neighborhood, great for aimlessly traveling from one establishment to the next.
The Basement- music venue/event space.
An assortment of vintage goods and clothing stores.
As mentioned before, the majority of the establishments we visited were along three main streets, so there is plenty of room for growth in East Nashville. With some of the most visited attractions having been created from buildings that once served other purposes, combined with the fact that we observed plenty of dilapidated buildings not far from the main-strip, we feel that it is a safe conclusion that the new East Nashville is just beginning.
Barista Parlor- an auto garage converted into a cafe.
Fat Bottom- a brewery with a bar.
Stay tuned for the next part of our excursion into the South!
Exploring the Delaware Water Gap Part II - The Hunt /
The other recreational activity Zack has introduced me to is hunting. The Water Gap has provided Zack and his family hunting adventures and wild fare for over 10 years. It took some convincing, with promises of “free-range, steroid-free” meat and remote photo-shoot locations, but this past spring we embarked on a hunt for wild turkey. However, I quickly realized in observing the nuances of the hunt and Zack’s intimate knowledge of the area that has come from hunting the area for so long would provide plenty of unique photography opportunities. Here is a general guideline for the process of turkey hunting and some photographs along the way.
Locating Turkey Populations
Before the hunt can begin the turkeys’ approximate locations must be found. We narrowed our search to old farm fields and the wooded ridges that surround them. Some of the fields are completely over-grown now, some are mowed and others are still leased out and used for farming. All make for great turkey habitat. Turkeys can be located using any number of calls impersonating a turkey. Zack uses a “box call.” It is ideal to find their location just before dark because the turkeys roost in trees for the night, so you know they’ll still be there in the morning.
A Lynch Box call. The underside of the lid has a thin layer of chalk and is scraped across one side of the box.
This hen (female turkey) was getting ready to roost in the area close to where we decided to hunt.
Preparing our camp for the night. We slept in the car.
The Morning Hunt
The key is to get close enough to where you think the turkeys are roosting, but not too close as to alert them of your presence. The turkeys must be lured to you using a call, but using a decoy turkey can also add incentive, if you can find a spot open enough for the decoy to be visible while also offering enough cover for hiding. As the sky begins to lighten, the turkeys begin to talk to each other. We knew their approximate location, so we tried to plant ourselves amongst them in hopes of luring one within range. All morning we could here them calling in what seemed like every direction, but no luck.
A Browning semi-automatic for the hunting and a Mindshift backpack for the photographing.
The Late-Morning Hunt
In New Jersey turkey hunting is only permitted until 12pm to prevent hens from being disturbed as they hunker-down in their nesting areas for the afternoon. In the final hours before noon Zack likes to find a sunny-open area, preferably on a ridge close to a stream and take a little nap. After putting our decoy out about 30 yards from us, we relaxed under cover amongst dense vegetation surrounded on all sides by a mowed field. Zack would pop his head up every 15 minutes to look around and call. Sure enough, after about an hour two turkeys came out to investigate. The result was turkey chili.
Looking out from our hiding spot amongst the brush in the middle of the field.
Turkey down!
Filling out the turkey tag.
Finishing the job
Shooting the turkey is not the end of the hunt. After properly tagging and checking the turkey in at the proper location, the task becomes removing and cleaning the meat.
The turkey "beard."
Plucking the breast meat area.
After enough of the feathers are removed cut along the sternum to remove the breast meat.
After the breasts are cut out, the skin can be pealed away from the drum sticks (basically turning them inside-out) and then cut them away from the body.
If you missed part I of our favorite things to do at the Delaware Water Gap, click here.
Bass River State Forest Valentine's Weekend /
In honor of our Valentine's Day photo shoot, I decided to answer some questions prepared by Zack, my boyfriend and master navigator, concerning our time in the woods, so that you can read over them as you peruse my photographs from Bass River State Forest.
Where did you spend your Valentine’s Day?
Zack and I decided to go to Bass River State Forest in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to rent a cabin-like structure called a Lean-To to spend a “snuggly” Valentine’s Day.
How were you convinced to spend Valentine’s Day in freezing conditions in a Lean-To heated only by a small wood stove?
I think the phrases “cozy” and “it won’t be that bad” were used. I also couldn’t fathom how cold it was going to be. The thing I hate most about camping are bugs and I thought, “This is going to be great. All the bugs are dead, no worries.”
How cold was it?
It was record lows all weekend, single digits. It was frigid and numbing. There were other people that decided to brave the elements that weekend. We weren’t the only crazy ones.
What did you think of the Lean-To when you first saw it?
Well, to start, I had envisioned a cute, cozy cabin. The lean-to was neither of these things. It’s one room with a wood-stove and our inflatable bed (the kind that needs a pump, which naturally, I forgot) took up most of the space.
How was spending the night in the Lean-To? Did the wood-stove work?
There was minimal insulation in the walls, not much between you and the elements. It was definitely cold, like see your own breath cold. I stuck my hands in the stove, almost in the fire itself, but it was not enough. The stove did work to an extent. There was one night where we had a hard time starting the fire, which made it hard to do anything else except think of how to get warm. The lean-to, as small as they were, did not get as warm as I thought.
What did you eat for your V-Day dinner?
We brought red wine, which got so cold that we had to store them in front of the fire. We cooked some turkey chili in a pot on top of the wood stove. We brought some cheeses, crackers, and olives, our favorite snack. We definitely did not have to worry about chilling the food.
What were your impressions of the Pine Barrens and the BATONA Trail?
The Pine Barrens are creepy. It was only heightened by the fact that we didn’t see or hear any wildlife, even the animals seemed to know it was too cold. I could only hear the occasional sounds of the trees. The wind didn’t blow much, so everything was so still. It was unreal, but the lighting and the eerie stillness made for some great photos. The Pine Barrens are very flat, so it made for easy walking along the well maintained trail. Everything looks the same in the Pine Barrens, if you venture of the trail its easy to get lost.
What wildlife did you see?
Nothing. It was weird.
How was hiking in the freezing conditions?
It was difficult, but I’m glad that I did it. I didn’t have great gloves. My hands would be really stiff when I would try to take a photo. We wore facemasks because it was just too cold to have your face uncovered. My eyeballs even felt cold. With all my layers I looked like a creature from Lord of the Rings.
Any advice for braving the elements?
Invest in the gear. Having a great jacket really makes a difference. Pack many layers. Don’t forget to keep drinking water, even if it partially freezes, you can still get dehydrated. This was the first trip that I used my new MindShift backpack. This bag made it easy, especially in these elements, to access different lenses with the rotational pack that swings around your waist.
Barn & Vine: The Process of the Phoenixville Project Part II /
As I explored the various parks I realized that in their pasts most of these parks served other purposes besides providing an area for the enjoyment of nature.
Read MoreBarn & Vine: The Process of the Phoenixville Project Part I /
Last June the Historical Society of Phoenixville approached me with an opportunity to photograph the “open spaces” in nature for Phoenixville and the surrounding countryside. Last June the Historical Society of Phoenixville approached me with an opportunity to photograph the “open spaces” in nature for Phoenixville and the surrounding countryside.
Read MoreElena and Brendt /
It is always great to see old friends. I have known Elena since I was five, and she has not changed a bit. She is one of the craziest, most interesting people I've known. Once we get talking, we can go on for days. On this trip, I got a great chance to finally photograph Elena and her boyfriend, Brendt, who had been best friends for ages. I also photographed her adorable zoo: bunnies, dogs, and even guinea pigs. Insanity, but I love it.
I hope you enjoy!
Philly vs. Pittsburgh: Rugby /
I had the great opportunity to photograph my friend, Kelli's, rugby game. This was the first rugby game I had ever attended and to say the least, it was intense! These girls are amazing, to be able to tackle and bring down another person is something I don't know if I could ever do. If anyone ever has the chance, I would recommend going!
