Near Great Falls:
Light, Land, and Water

This landscape portfolio is an in depth photographic exploration of the two National Parks on either side of Great Falls on the Potomac River. I began this project in April 2003 because wanted to develop a photographic relationship with a place over time. With the falls as a mental focal point, I photographed in Great Falls National Park in Virginia and in the C &O Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the river.

By visiting the parks in different seasons, at different times of day, and with different photographic equipment, I “saw” different things. Some of the elements in the landscape photographed in the early months have since changed or disappeared. The light was different on each day. The terrain was different in various parts of the parks.

Whether or not a particular trip resulted in a photograph in this portfolio, just being there and being part of the landscape was important to the creative process. Each time, I took only one camera and one lens. Using two very different large format cameras meant that my vision and what I chose to photograph had to change each time, too.