Happy #throwbackthursday. Today on the blog, a visit back in time to 2010 where an entire day as spent exploring and photographing the ghost town of Picher, Oklahoma. Enjoy.

If you’ve ever perused our instagram feed for strolled by our studio windows, you know that there are a good many older cameras that occupy our space. Some sit prominently in the window shelves while others dot the interior landscape of the studio itself. Some of them actually function and some of them stopped working decades ago but still look pretty. The history of our craft is a fascinating one and part of discovering and learning and honoring that history has been the accumulation and presentation of old cameras in the studio space. It wasn’t until recently though, that we decided to participate in the #throwbackthursday hashtag phenomenon and honor one camera from the collection every week, along with some detailed photographs and a brief history. If you follow our instagram, you’ve probably seen these posts but we thought it important to share a few here on the blog as well. Cheers everyone.

12 years ago when we moved into our Downtown Rogers home, I made a personal project of creating some images of the downtown area for decoration in our house. One of the images that's been sitting in our house for those 12 years is this framed image of 116 E Walnut Street. There was something about the simple doorway, the handwritten street number scotch-taped to the door's window and the mailbox firmly planted in the flowerpot next to the doorway that somehow, made the place interesting to me. To this day, it's still one of my favorites because it hasn't really changed all that much. I'm sure in years to come, it'll be developed into something cool and functional. That mailbox though....that shouldn't change at all. 

It's only been a couple of weeks since my trip to Wiser Time, but it seems as if it's been longer. Wiser Time as best as I can describe it, is a name given to a magical place by a magical group of people who find it imperative to disconnect from the fast-paced hustle and bustle of everyday life in order to refresh and recharge. And while there is some debate over the true origin and meaning of the name, most can agree that it directly relates to the physical, mental and spiritual healing qualities that come from intentionally removing oneself civilization and spending time in the great outdoors. Many thanks to the guys who introduced me to this magical place and in doing so, encouraged me to remove myself from everyday life more often. 

As I was driving through a town recently, I was struck by this building with no roof. I promptly stopped and parked. As I walked around the premises quietly surveying the remains, I realized that what it lacked in functionality it more than made up for in personality and character. As best I can tell, it was an old automotive store/shop. I'm not sure what happened to the roof, or portions of the actual building. But I can tell you that I felt right at home there. 

In lieu of being on the road all week, I'm sharing an image of the Buffalo River Valley from a few years back. I remember this day perfect, as I was alone and hiking through the woods on a cold, cloudy, and rather damp morning. Sometimes, those "less than perfect" conditions are in fact, the most conducive to a thought-provoking, inspiring and altogether, perfect day to be outside. Cheers to the weather in all seasons and to being outside regardless of it.

Many probably don't know the true significance of this book. But after a college graphic design professor and advisor told me that I'd never make it as a graphic designer because of my lack of illustration ability, this graphic design project (which I received an A on) was my first foray into photography. Pursuing photography in my mind, would make up for my not being able to draw and thus ensure some sort of success in my chosen field of study. Though worn from travels and shuffles, this book still sits at my desk, reminding me of where I came from and that no one can tell me I'm a failure. 

#throwbackthursday to many, many years ago when, during engagement photos, I decided to test the nautical and overland capabilities of the Novomobile. The resulting test ended up as a video which I am sharing today on the blog. Enjoy.