One of my favorite things to do is get in my car, drive to a location, and wander around taking photos. There is something about being in the present moment and looking for the beauty this world has to offer that somehow makes me feel spiritually connected to it. I crave that feeling, especially when I get to witness a beautiful moment when things align and I’m able to capture the feeling/emotion inside a static image. Light hitting a sensor and recording a moment in time, really is kind of like magic to me.

One of my favorite places to go is an island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake in Utah called, Antelope Island. The sunsets and moments I have seen and felt there have yet to be matched. I would go there often. It doesn’t matter if I was alone or with others, it is a place that always feels like an oasis out away from the world. I believe we all need a place and an activity in our life that can help us recharge our spiritual batteries. For me, I usually find it in the outdoors with a camera in my hand.

About a year or two ago, a good friend of mine, Connor Caldwell (pictured below) and I went out to Antelope Island to hang out and take some photos around the island.

We started our journey on the east side of the island. Antelope is known for its large buffalo population and you are likely to come across them as you go around the island. More times than not, I see them hanging out on the east side. Images don’t do justice to how large these creatures look in real life. They are beautiful animals but when they walk across the road in front of you, they aren’t an animal I’d want to play chicken with!

At the end of the road on the east side of the island, you’ll run into a historic farm called, "Fielding Garr Ranch.” This is a cool spot for photos. They have few buildings from the 1800s still standing, as well as some museum-esque displays of tools, saddles, etc., which you can view inside some of the buildings during the day. Behind the ranch there is a bird refuge where my family and I have seen great horned owls and other beautiful birds/creatures hanging around.

Toward the end of our trip, Connor and I headed over to the west side of the island to catch the setting sun. The biting midge bugs were pretty bad and we couldn’t hang out where we were at too long because we would’ve gotten eaten alive! However, it was worth it because the view of the sunset was amazing.

This is one of my favorite places to go when taking photos for fun. I thought it would be fitting to kick off my blog with it and pay homage where it’s due. Now that I’m residing in TN, I’m going to have to find a new place of refuge here and some good company to share it with.

I’ll leave you with this thought I had recently…

Photography is a strange thing… It’s fairly simple in its nature, yet so complex. So easy to press a little button and make an image, yet so hard to capture emotion within the image. Maybe that’s why when things align it feels so special, because it only exists for a moment. I feel like I’m always chasing after those moments.

If you are someone who is looking for something that can bring joy into your life, grab a camera, find a place that makes you feel at peace, and wander around for a little bit looking for the beauty in this world. Try to slow down and really be in the moment. You may just find out why some of us end up spending way too much time and money on photo gear. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! :)

That Moment When Things Align