Lumber River State Park (1 of 41)

I've been to a few state parks before as a kid, but never with a mindset of exploring and photography. It's a small state park (relatively) outside of Wagram, and it is basically in my backyard and was only about a 40 minute drive.

I drove down the seemingly endless gravel road that takes you back into the forest dominated by long pine trees as much of the Sandhills are. It was a quick reminder as I heard the rocks ping the sides of my car that I do indeed still want a Jeep Wrangler someday.

I stopped for a small trail that looped around the the edge fo the Lumber River and grabbed a few shots and was a little startled to see that the area reminded me of what you think of when someone tells you about the Louisiana Bayou. Cypress Trees littered the edges of the river, and the amount of fallen trees rising out of the water reminded me that while nature is full of beauty and life, it is also full of destruction and decay. Something that this new endeavor is quickly teaching me is that there is beauty in that as well. I am quite positive there is a philosophical lesson to be learned here, the juxtaposition of life and death and finding a peace and beauty with it.

As I made my way further back into the park I stopped at the picnic area. A family - father, mother, and a 5-6 year old child - had just arrived, small cooler and fishing pole in hand, while a small cocker spaniel ran as his leash dragging the ground close to the mother. The thought of a few shots of candid family bonding in the woods crossed my mind, but a voice in the back of head told me to let them have their peace. I casually chatted as I passed the boy holding the pole before I snapped the picture below.

Something nature teaches you is the story. Some people will tell you that your photography is not valid if you are not telling a story. Rubbish. There is a story in the picture below but I am not the one telling it. I do not know the story. Why is this house(?) here? Who owns it? How often is it used? It is only accessible by boat, that much was clear, but ultimately I left with more questions than I had answers. Maybe pictures can be more about inspiring the viewer to create their own story from the image, and less about the person behind the lens.

Finding little gems like this are exactly what I was hoping for when I set out. The entire visit solidified my resolve to see more of my state, and find more of these moments. It's not the flashiest state park by any means, but it was my first. I can't wait to see the rest - 40 to go

Until next time.