Most of my road trips lately have been solo journeys. My days off don't align perfectly with Samantha's currently, so I have been without a co-pilot during my jaunts down Route 66 or my exploration of forgotten bridges in the rural Oklahoma countryside. Sunday, however, was a different story. We both had the day off and spent … Continue reading Home of the Cherokee
My original plan for this weekend was to venture north to the Tallgrass Prairie with a few friends for a cleanup project, but that didn't pan out for me due to a high chance of rain and a cold that was trying to gain strength. Still, I had already taken Saturday off of work and found … Continue reading Change of Plan
Today didn't feel like anything special when I woke up. It was just another morning. But, it was also the dawn of my thirty-fourth birthday. I awoke before sunrise, as I seem to be wired to do lately, and started getting dressed. I've noticed that I get melancholy if I lounge around the house, so I headed out the … Continue reading Thirty Four
In the middle of February, a fire gutted a couple of buildings in downtown Barnsdall, Oklahoma. Oddly enough, this was not a surprise; I feel like a good chunk of my memories tied to that town are related to burning. I remember staying with my grandparents as a kid when the old church at the end of School … Continue reading Pressing Luck
Yesterday was Worldwide Instameet Day. In fact, it was the eleventh worldwide meetup encouraged by the folks at Instagram, a social media company focused on photo sharing. I attended my first one of these last month on a cold, blustery day in Tulsa (which I wrote about here.) This time, there were two meets going on … Continue reading Instameet 2: The Island
I still consider myself the 'shy kid'. Although I recognize that I've grown a lot in the last few years and my worldly experiences have broken me of many habits, I still have the same tendencies when I am with a group of people for the first time. My little demon of insecurity tells me … Continue reading Friends for Life
Ever since I became passionate about photography, I've stayed clear of other photographers. I've grouped up with a few of my closest friends, but in general I've shied away from attending any events or mass gatherings. This is partially out of fear, due to a lack of confidence in my abilities, but also out of … Continue reading My First Instameet
Since I started traveling around Oklahoma with my camera, there have been a few things I've seen that have stopped me in my tracks and filled me with a child-like sense of wonder. The abandoned high school in Skedee, the old Bird Creek bridge in Avant, and the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School immediately come to … Continue reading The Lincoln County Express
There's an old phrase that goes something like, "Don't wait, for you never know what tomorrow might bring." You can tie that phrase to a lot of things: courage, unpredictability, laziness. For me, that phrase talks about the inevitability of change. Life moves pretty fast, and if you don't make time for what you care about it'll run … Continue reading Don’t Delay, Act Today
December and January were super busy months for me. Work was hectic, I had two shows for my photography, and the normal holiday bustle. I saw an old friend this evening I hadn't seen in a while and it turns out she had a belated Christmas gift for me. Normally, I don't make a big … Continue reading Classics Never Die
Rhys' Pieces 