A Journey to Pine Hill
This weekend I proudly opened my first solo photography exhibition in the Catskills and it couldn’t have gone any better. ”Journeys: Chasing Light in the Catskills” is an exhibition of stories and photographs documenting my adventures in the Catskills since January 2023. Thank you to everyone who came out to the opening, bought my work and made contacts so that we can plan where to take it next.
If you haven’t been ably to make it there yet, no worries as the show will be on the walls until Saturday 11th October.
287 Main Street
Pine Hill, NY 12465
Open hours:
Monday: 10am-3pm
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10am-3pm
Thursday: 10am-3pm
Friday: 10am-3pm
Saturday: 10am-6pm
Sunday: 11am-4pm
My explorations of the Catskills have been a journey of growth in many ways, and through a series of storyboards, this exhibition offers a glimpse into those experiences. In the coming blog posts, I’ll share more of the stories and details behind each board, offering a deeper look into the paths and moments that shaped them.
How it Started
Into the Light:
In the beginning, as I set out to get acquainted with the Catskill Mountains, I focused my photography on the well-known and easily accessible places, but it quickly became clear that in such a vast landscape, I would need help. The Catskill Park and Forest Preserve are a protected ‘forever wild’ region just 130 miles from New York City. They span more than 700,000 acres, within rise 33 high peaks over 3,500 feet, alongside countless smaller summits, lakes, waterfalls, fire towers, vistas, and rugged notches. To truly explore beyond the surface, I needed a guide—and that’s where Moe Lemire, through his company Hike on Guides, came in.
This part of the journey has been as much about getting to know each other as it has been about exploring the Catskills. Moe has shared his knowledge of the region’s history, geology, weather, and landscape, while also supporting me as I began my hammock camping adventures. In return, I’ve introduced him to photography and all things Britain—a fair and enjoyable exchange of knowledge, I’d say.
Into the Light was taken shortly after sunrise on our first overnighter. The weather hadn’t been particularly spectacular but as the sun appeared over the distant Kaaterskill High Peak Moe suggested that I take a short walk along the trail away from the quarry. What a great suggestion, the light was totally beautiful. After shooting back down the trail into the sun I asked himt to pose for me at the edge of the quarry in order to add a bit of hiking context to the landscape. Although the photograph is one the earliest shots taken on this Journey it remains one of my favorites reminding me of the triumph that I felt on that first, glorious morning
Dibbles Quarry
25th July 2023
That first overnight trip to Dibbles Quarry was a steep learning curve. Our plan was to photograph sunset at Pecoy Notch, then Sunrise from the Quarry itself. On the way up to Pecoy Notch, we passed a small waterfall where I wasted a bit of time over this a promising scene. When we eventually reached Pecoy Notch, it seemed perfect, until the sun slipped behind the mountain and the light vanished, thus leaving my work abruptly done. Consequently we hurried back down to Dibbles Quarry, hoping for a touch of twilight color and also to plan for the morning. Looking back at those early photos now, I can clearly see how much my expectations as well as my eye have developed over the course of our journeys!
Over the coming weeks I intend to post more in order to add a bit more detail to my adventures in the Catskill Mountains. If you can I’d urge you to take a day out and head out to see the exhibition in person, the Pine Hill Community Center has been extremely supportive of my efforts and the people there are super friendly. Otherwise I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog and will look out for the next episode.
As ever thank you so much for reading and supporting my endeavors, I’d love feedback so if you have time please leave me a comment, or if you are feeling generous I have a donation page where you can buy me a coffee - Here’s the link
Finally I asked Chatgpt to write me a snappy quotation about landscape photography and rather like the result
Find the light, and the landscape tells its story
till next time