A Change Is Gonna Come...

 ...As Sam Cooke once wrote. Not that he had the earth in mind when he wrote the song back in 1964, but today the title alone could be interpreted in many ways.

     The earth is changing at a cataclysmic rate. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, they've all happened in the last 12 months. In my opinion, you better start thinking long and hard about visiting some of those "dream" places before you lose the chance, because disaster could happen anywhere and anytime. That's a fact! Volcanoes in Iceland? Heatwaves in Russia? Earthquakes in Arkansas? Yep, and there have been a total of 675 earthquakes around the world in the past seven days (according to the US Geological Survey, on a scale of magnitude 2.5 and higher).

     It's a very scary thing for some, to me it's purely nature at it's finest. I'd rather die at  the hands of Mother Nature than a man with a gun. 

     This is a good opportunity to talk about one of my favorite photos. This image brings to me a feeling of peace. Of a time when you could go many places and not hear or see anyone for miles. It was late summer 1997, one of my Sunday drives when I would head deep into the mountains of North Carolina. I used to enjoy this immensely, sometimes just parking along the side of the road and listening to the wind.

     This day I watched as a strong line of thunderstorms was making it's way into the area. I love shooting thunderstorms and thought I would head to higher ground and try to capture some lightning, then I came around the corner and saw this tree. It didn't immediately catch my attention, but I stopped the car and got out to take a closer look. It stood alone on the hill and had so much character, it almost begged to be photographed. My idea was to silhouette, so I blasted off about 10 to 12 frames (no digital screen to check) and headed off. The result was awesome, and by changing the color of the clouds you can completely change the mood of the photo!

     I've mentioned in previous posts that the reason I started photography was to preserve the memory of beautiful landscapes that may disappear in our time, either due to natural disaster or human development. It's funny, when you think about it, that a photograph that takes only a fraction of a second may capture a moment that could last forever. That's why it's our duty to capture history as it happens; war, natural disasters, love, marriage, children, landscapes and whatever else it is that moves you to push that shutter button.

Don't hesitate, just do it