speakeasy.

lurking in the depths and bowels of cinder and block and dark comes an amber glow and a beat that you can't resist moving. shhhhhhh. speakeasy.

josh and elly

a couple from my most recent trip to michigan. thank you to josh and elly for allowing me to be a part of your very special day. congratulations on your marriage. all the best.

p.

i'll say i knew him when...

...when we shared a tent at a campgrounds during mountain workshop because we were too poor to pay for rooms.
...when we changed my water pump on the bonnie while he was still on crutches.
...when he helped me achieve the only 100 on an assignment in my college career.
...when he made a call to get me an internship that led to the greatest job i've ever had.

got a chance to see my good buddy brian wagner's art exhibit in knoxville this weekend. damn proud of him i must say. some amazing photographs presented in a truly creative way. i'm glad to say i knew you when and i know you now.

ignition.

i feel like this round of pictures is like when you're trying to strike a match. that first few tries the spark cuts the darkness in a flash until that precise moment when pressure and friction combine in glass and sulfer and ignite into flame. i hope that i can keep the flame burning but to see its true light it can not be shielded from the wind. i must hold the flame outstretched and hope. thanks lydelle for the long journey to whitesburg and thanks to those at m.a.r.s. fest who appear in these photos.

causeffect.

the short of it comes down to causes and effects. cause: strip mining in appalachia has drawn opposition from both locals and environmentalists afar. effect: they've decided to step up their opposition by more intense protests. effect from the effect: miners feel as if their livelihood and the well being of their families are at stake so they are showing their own opposition. things are heating up to say the least. this was the scene at kayford mountain on the fourth of july.

rain.

eastern kentucky has been getting hit hard with rain lately as i'm sure most of the state has. got a call monday morning to check out the flooding that had occurred in the neighboring towns of Bulan and Hardburly. almost everyone i talked to mentioned that the area never used to flood until they started strip mining the surrounding mountains. had a guy explain to me how the creeks in the area are wider yet more shallow now due to the build up of silt from surface mine erosion.