Outdoor Photography
Place, inspired.
For those who are made alive by the natural world.
I’m Mark, an Outdoor Photographer. I use a camera to connect myself to the land, as well as to learn–about place and about myself. Here you will find the images, experiences and stories that accompany my adventures. My focus is the East Coast of the United States, particularly the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Outside is where I’m at my best. Curiosity and creativity are how I communicate. Welcome!
Photo Journal
Jocassee Gorges
Early Spring / South Carolina
Each spring I return to the Blue Ridge Mountains to witness the spring ephemeral wildflowers along the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment. Rare wildflowers call loudly to me through their scarcity and beauty. My trip this March was on the earliest wave of spring ephemeral wildflowers–nature was a bit later waking up from the winter slumber. Conditions were dry: the entire state in some degree of drought. Downed trees and access issues were the norm, leftover effects of Hurricane Helene. The spring ephemeral wildflowers I focused on included Oconee Bells, Shealy’s Saxifrage, Brook Saxifrage, Hepatica, Rue Anemone, and Maidenhair Ferns.
Photo of the Day:
Where you can find expanded thoughts and behind the scenes narratives.
Hepatica Spring Ephemeral
Oconee Bell Jocassee Gorges
Juvenile Maidenhair Fern Shoot
Bloodroot Spring Ephemeral
Photo story:
Oconee Bells
Early Spring / South Carolina
Oconee Bells are rare wildflowers growing within the Jocassee Gorges region of Upstate South Carolina. Early American botanist Asa Gray spent a lifetime searching for Oconee Bells in the wild, largely unsuccessful. I travel to the Blue Ridge Escarpment on my own small adventure to spend some time with these wonderful wildflowers.