Out traveling

 

After of months of sitting home and feeling sort of lost, I decided to take a drive.  I ended up traveling over 3,000 miles and going through 13 states.  I chose only to travel the secondary two lane roads and stay off the interstate highways.  I meandered about stopping in small towns and seeing how each one was different and talked with a few of the local people. I was driving through a small town in Georgia and caught the image of a man sitting on his front porch watching the few cars that pass by.  I knew I had to park and walk back to meet the man and ask to take his photograph.  As I approached I could see the house was old weather beaten, and his sitting position on the porch was where he spent most days.  His name was Benny and he was a soft spoken gentle man who was grateful to have someone to speak with for a few minutes.  It is these situations that are the most rewarding to me as a photographer.  They come completely unexpected and usually produce a meaningful image for me.  It is the simple things that I remember the most in my travels. The time to stop and talk with a complete stranger and make a friend, if only for a little while.  America is beautiful and full of wonderful people.  It only takes a trip to through the country to realize that.