Calm Photos

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The remains of days gone by, found along the streets of Dayton and amongst the tree-covered hills of Woodland Cemetery.

Rather than tell the story about how I decided to capture this scene, or what photography equipment I used, or what I was feeling when I released the shutter, I’m going to talk a bit about what I feel now when I look at this photograph.

This image was captured up in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains just east of Salt Lake City. It was about a 10-minute drive from the home we had in Salt Lake. We lived there from 1997 to 2000, choosing to move back to Ohio when our first daughter, Emma, was just a toddler.

I was warned by more than one person not to move back to Dayton.

I should have listened, because I have to be completely honest, Dayton can be one weird, strange little town. Granted it does have its’ good points and I think the Miami Valley is most appreciated by those who move here from somewhere else. But when you are born and raised here, and over the years you witness how business is conducted and who gets what because of who’s connected to who, you can become slightly more than just pessimistic. You can become downright miserable in the constant struggle just to be recognized for the quality of your work and the honesty of your intentions. That is if you actually give a darn and make use of at least half your brain.

What I love about nature and the landscape is the honesty. It is what it is. There are no lies, manipulation, deceit, gossip and passive-aggressive innuendo. There are no deep-kept secrets. Nature simply is.

Sweet September

The City of Dayton skyline and the Ohio Korean War Memorial, photographed and edited using HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography.

If this photograph doesn’t scream “OHIO,” then I don’t know what image would.

Elbert is proud of his Ford Tractor.