Church Camp: the sounds of cabins, tabernacles and dining halls

How can two words bring back such a tidal wave of memories?

Church camp is where mom spent youthful summers in the cabin her daddy built.

It's where I, at age six and under my ultra-God-fearing grandma's watchful eye, awaited news of the birth of my baby sister.

Where dining hall specials included mass quantities of sugar, starch, fat and laughter.

Where a visit to the snack bar was your reward for sitting quietly for an hour and a half in the tabernacle — which included an altar call and at least 14 verses of "Just As I Am."

And where, sooner or later, nearly everyone eventually "came to Jesus."

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Perspective

In this composite using my macro rose with a friend's drone photo, I combined his expansive perspective with my intimate point of view. It's a great analogy for how I like to create — examine all sides of a subject before shooting, writing or forming an opinion about it. Both views are essential, and it's often of great benefit to view them at the same time.

Favorite Destination: Genesee Country Village & Museum

My daydreams these days revolve around a fully converted, off-grid-capable camper van, an assortment of photography/computer/wifi gear, a thermos of fresh coffee, a full tank of gas and miles of open road. Sadly, I have neither the budget nor expertise to convert a van, much less launch out on a fall foliage tour of the Adirondacks, America’s breathtaking national parks or wherever that open road might take me. Instead, I watch Facebook and Instagram and travel vicariously through the images of friends and mentors. Which is why my bi-weekly day-trips to the hamlet of Mumford have been a godsend over the last two years. Without spending more than a few dollars for gas and traveling less than an hour west on Routes 5&20, I can be transported — for the better part of a day — to another world. Genesee Country Village and Museum, the third largest living museum in the United States, is a 600-acre complex boasting 68 historical buildings and an army of costumed interpreters who love loca...

Saratoga Racetrack

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