REVISITING KENTUCKY --- The Roots.

Honestly, when Kentucky is mentioned the first thing that comes to mind is Louisville. It's obviously not the only city in the state nor is it even the capital, oddly Frankfort won that official battle way back in 1792.

Kentucky as a whole, is a state that is enough and is surrounded by enough. If you're a native or have ever been, then you know exactly what I mean. Often referred to as part of the midwest due to it's northern neighbors, but geographically speaking it is in fact a southern state. It'll be easy to go off the rails here, so I'll spare you too much detail and speak on what matters most here, Louisville.

For those of you that didn't understand before, this is where the statement "is enough and is surrounded by enough" starts to make sense.

Louisville is located in north-central Kentucky and is the largest city in the Commonwealth. Home to the Kentucky Derby, best bourbon, Muhammad Ali, and the Louisville Slugger; this is a house you take your shoes off in.

Being a border city sitting on the Ohio river, traveling to neighboring states doesn't take much effort. In fact, Indiana is a stones throw away. Just take the Big Four Bridge (only the width of the Ohio river) and you can literally walk there. Cincinnati is only 1.5hrs away, Chicago 4.5hrs and Nashville 2.5hrs. Not many can say they have arms reach access to a plethora of professional sports teams and are a playlist away from "Music City".

Think of Louisville as a blender with southern, midwestern, and northern cultures as figurative ingredients within. You get the sweet taste of southern hospitality, the heat of metropolitan, and the freshness of Appalachia.

But the Louisville I know is much more simple, yet still very pleasant.

Edging the southern portion of the city in the rural--suburban areas, probably the furthest south you can get within city limits is where I grew up.

Farmlands, pastures of dancing bluegrass, grazing livestock, song birds singing at unreal volumes, and more public land that is FREE to explore than any other place I've been. All in my backyard waiting to be seen.

I had a specific spot for every occasion or type of day. McNeely Lake Park was the nearest public park to my house and I'm more than sure I could walk every inch of that place with my eyes closed. When summer days were too hot and humid, I'd skateboard down the back roads and spend the day in the lake and creeks.

The days were I wanted to be alone were spent at Fairmount Falls, which was technically in my neighborhood. Driving a car there was more hassle than just walking.

My holy grail, though, was The Parklands of Floyds Fork. It's a free public parks system consisting of 60 miles for hiking or biking, 22 miles of trails and scenic driving route.

This is where I'd frequent most. It was my place of reason, a place that helped me understand myself, but more importantly it was a place that made me want to see and do more.. the landscapes spoke peace and it left me curious.

Revisiting these images brought me back to my roots of photography and it was ultimately these exact landscapes that got me to pick up a camera. The scenes and details that caught my attention then still catch my attention now. Bare trees before spring, solo oaks in a pasture, water ways, and where silence overrides speaking.

Where does your photography journey begin and what got you to pick up a camera?

(Leave a comment below)

All the images seen where taken February-May 2024 during time spent visiting my mother. This trip in particular is where film journey was really stamped as my medium of choice.

--- Select images will be hand printed and made available soon, thank you.