This is the story of my recent adventure throughout the Northeastern United States. The last several weeks of my life have been spent in search of beauty and fulfillment as I seek to become even more intimate with the beautiful Mother Earth. This experience has changed me in many ways, and bit-by-bit is working to re-shape my views as I continue to make my way though this action-packed journey of life. My first stop was Levi Jackson Wilderness Park in London, Kentucky.

I continued north into West Virgina and came upon a forest of great majesty and beauty. The ferns were thicker and mushrooms more plentiful than any I'd ever seen before.

Heading North, I made my way into Massachusetts and encountered the earth in a very surreal and fragile state.

After spending some time in Massachusetts, I headed south and came upon the wonders of Connecticut. I had never before been in a forest as dense with life as I found in CT. The trees, the mushrooms, the experience altogether was like being in another world. While I was shooting, the lens of my camera kept fogging up from the atmospheric humidity. I tried wiping it off, to no avail, so continued shooting and later realized that some of these photos contain a very special "glow" that really emphasizes the mystical energy of this forest.

After that I made a quick stop in NYC, and this was the only shot I squeezed off.

Next I headed south on the New Jersey turnpike and made several stops to survey the forests of New Jersey. Of all the places I visited on this trip, the forests of New Jersey were very special for a reason that is difficult explain. When I first saw these forests, I could feel that these were high-energy forests...very pure expressions of the organism and very dense manifestations of the life it contains. The forms and patterns are all so pure, so aggressive, and so utterly brilliant with their shapes and interactions that I was repeatedly questioning the source of all this creativity. This experience opened my eyes to the intricacy and power of life and the essence of the creative process itself. Also, something very interesting happened to me on this day, which happened to be my birthday. As I was walking through this NJ forest, I must have disturbed a nest of some type and I was immediately attacked by a group of wasps which covered me and stung me repeatedly throughout my entire body. The whole experience was so surreal and although it was very painful, I felt a deep connection with the forest and almost as if it were accepting me into its arms for trying to peer so deeply into what it contains.

Continuing south, I stayed with some friends on the New Jersey shore to rest a bit before I continued. The NJ shore is a fun place, although very touristy. I had a good time shooting there, especially when the storm broke out.

The next morning I awoke in Delaware and visited the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

I took a quick stop in Virginia to try some blackberries...

...And continued south as I made my way into North Carolina. I stopped at Great Dismal Swamp State Park, but the park was closed for maintenance, so I was only able to grab these few shots from the perimeter of the entrance.

I then decided to take the eastern coastline and continued driving south through the National Seashores of North Carolina. The beaches there were so amazingly beautiful that I spent a whole day along this coast, trying to enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of what I was experiencing. In many places there were literally forests on the beach...this place is a photographer's dream, and I hope to be able to return at some point in the future.

Continuing south, and nearing the end of my trip, I came across some very special trees in central South Carolina. I had never seen trees like this in person before, and even now I am in awe of their spectacular presence.

And now, the journey has concluded and I am back home safely in the forests of Atlanta. I hope you have enjoyed the sights of my experience and I thank you for taking this trip along with me. (Let's do it again sometime.)

All my love,
-jD