Just last week LE and I took a weekend trip to the Appalachian area of Maryland, in the westernmost part of the state that almost touches West Virginia. Having never been to Maryland, I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I typically hear “Appalachia” I think of old coal towns, rocky cliffs, and rivers. My idea of Maryland didn’t exactly align with these themes.
However, I always welcome the squashing of my ignorance.
The trip was meant as an unplugged, relaxing getaway where we could take a breath after having recently moved for the seventh time in seven years. But as photographers, our idea of relaxing doesn’t always align with others’ idea of relaxing.
Looking at friends’ and colleagues’ recent photographic work and feeling inspired, I decided to take the 4x5 and give myself a little assignment. Bringing only one 10-sheet box of Portra 160, I wanted to see if I could limit myself to taking those 10 photos over 24 hours. I’d find the subject once we got there.
Dawn patrol
Immediately the “assignment” was obvious - a farm that belonged to two recently-retirees Randy and Beth. The two have made quite a home out of this 3,000 ft elevated 80-acre plot of land.
The Saturday we were there was spent hearing their story as well as adventuring around the farm; picking apples, splitting wood, driving tractors, and eating their neighbor Carol’s life-changing blueberry pie.
