Spring in Ohio | Renew a Right Spirit

It would be an understatement to say I am thankful for the arrival of spring in Ohio. This past winter was just brutal. Sure, there were days of beautiful snow and wonderful winter window light, but you never fully realize just how hard winter in Ohio can be until you experience it from the vantage point of a 115 year old farmhouse on eight acres of farmland, one which isn't connected to all those great utilities we tend to take for granted. Don't ever allow someone to convince you that propane is an inexpensive way to heat a house during winter!

But spring has sprung and perhaps the best month for nature photography in Ohio is upon us - beautiful May. April was pretty awesome too. I posted this note on my photography Facebook page providing a recap of my experiences during the 2014 Shoot the Hills weekend event in Hocking Hills, Ohio.

More than just an event, Shoot the Hills has become a celebration of spring of sorts, where photographers of all skill levels come together to shake-off the last of the winter blahs and relish in the beauty that is spring in our beloved Hocking Hills State Park.

This had me thinking too. Isn't the act and art of capturing a photograph just that, a "celebration?" The image that moves both photographer and viewer becoming the visual proof of emotion expressed in appreciation of a moment that will never be repeated again, with that unique harmony and flow of light, subject and setting with the universal need to express beyond what words are capable of describing. The photographer. The subject. The viewer. Expressing, connecting and celebrating.

Spring is much more than a change in the weather. It is a rebirth of creative energy and the lifting of the hopeful spirit. It's a time to get up, get going and start anew again. Our energy reflects the energy of change that takes place around us, and for me at least photography is representative of that connection between creative spirit and environment.

I'm grateful for spring. All is new again within the elegant mystery of the divine constant.

Best of Summer 2013 | Photography by Jim Crotty

Best of Summer 2013 | Photography by Jim Crotty, a set on Flickr.

Before this past summer slips too far behind us, a look back. It was incredible.

From both personal and photographic standpoints, this past summer - the summer of 2013 - was full of incredible blessings. It began with my move from Texas back home to Ohio where I began the process of reconnecting with the place where I've previously experienced the greatest amount of personal and professional fulfillment and of which I have the strongest emotional and family connections. I will always, always be thankful to have found Raptor Ridge - my eight acre farm in Beavercreek Township - where I have the blessings of beautiful nature all around me, everyday. It's amazing. But there were even more incredible blessings that arrived this summer as well, ones that I did not see coming. To celebrate life in the grace of gratitude. To be able to capture images along the way is just icing on the cake. I am so thankful. Peace.