Photographer's block...

May 19, 2014

Much of my Sunday was spent exploring places I've never been in Western Iowa while attempting to come up with new ideas. The weather was fantastic but I couldn't shake this feeling that I'm in a bit of a rut. I'm sure it happens to most everyone who has creative pursuits. Your work is your work, after all, and it's difficult to abandon yourself in even a small way when you're trying to make something uniquely yours. One day is tough, the next is amazingly creative, and on and on it goes.

Keep on keepin' on, as they say.

Until that day, keep on wanderin'

May 05, 2014 in Nebraska

It has been said that it's good to have goals. Exactly what kind of goals are never specified, just that a person needs something to reach for. For myself, a goal often becomes a bit of an obsession, pushing me to do things that most would find to be little more than a very big waste of time. Case in point, my map of Nebraska as it currently stands...

Each dot stands for a town, place, park, etc. in Nebraska where I have taken a photograph or attempted to do so. This obsession began with ninety-three back in June of 2007 and continues to this day. A vague idea to see the state became a project to visit all of its 93 counties and is now an attempt to pretty much say I've been everywhere. Driving for hours on end in south-central Nebraska is a bit monotonous and very tiring, yet I find myself compelled to keep at it for no other reason than to have done it.

Harvard, Nebraska - "Negative Info Travels Faster Than Positive"

This is not to say that I've grown tired of Nebraska and have to drag myself into my car to keep at it. I remain as fascinated with this state as I did on my first travels, if not more so. The apparent monotony leads to great surprises and the discovery of new details brings about an intense desire to revisit and explore further. At the moment, I find myself needing to visit the panhandle once again, to re-see what I've already found and to soak in the feeling of being there.

And that is harder to explain. It's the feeling that a person gets when they are in the midst of a place that has the ability to change who they are. The difficulty is always finding a way to take everything in all at once and not leave anything out.

A walk down History Trail

April 21, 2014

Another near-perfect Monday afternoon spent walking in the woods just as Spring begins to show itself...

from Fontenelle, 2014. — from *Fontenelle*, 2014.

This moment is mine

April 19, 2014 in Nebraska

Despite wandering all over Nebraska several times, there are still a few places that I have yet to visit. I think I've still got another two dozen or so towns to go until I can say I've been everywhere in the state. Today I crossed another handful off of my list, all south of Omaha: Humbolt, Table Rock, Elk Creek, Burr, Unadilla, Elmwood, and Murdock.

It's been seven years since I started the ninety-three project along Highway 30 to Grand Island, and I still find myself drawn to see more of this state and to revisit my favorite places. Now I just need to find the time (and money) to make a trek out to the panhandle once again. The wide open spaces are calling...