It's not often you get to see a comet that will not appear again for another 80,000 years.  More so truly a once in a life time experience. I happened to be in Shenandoah during the time it was passing through and captured it next to the Milky Way. I hadn't realized I captured it until after I had taken the photo. It was an awesome experience!

Information on Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 
Shenandoah National Park​

A few years ago I started to see some amazing photos of the Norther Lights popping up from a photographer in Virginia. The more I looked into I learned that occasionally they do show up across the state. This past week there was a solar storm that caused the Northern Lights to be seen in just about every US state. So I took the opportunity to drive up to Shenandoah National park to try and snag a few photos. It was truly one of the most remarkable sites I've ever witnessed.

This post will be a photo dump! Since moving to the Valley in July, I've done more exploring than I can even think to keep up with. Each view has been amazing to explore, and I know that I haven't even began to hit the service of how many opportunities there are to photograph in the region. I moved to the Valley for a new professional opportunity and very quickly came to love the area.

Since moving here, I've explored overlooks in Shenandoah National Park and on the Blue Ridge Parkway, explored an covered bridge in Shenandoah County, VA, driven to the top of Reddish Knob in the George Washington National Forest, wandered sunflower fields in Buchanan, VA at Beaver Dam Farm, and have gotten lost driving on quite a few backroads. 

Everywhere I've been is within about an hour of where I live now in Rockingham.

 Places to visit:
Skyline Drive - Shenandoah National Park
Blue Ridge Parkway - Virginia
​Reddish Knob - George Washington National Forest
Meems Bottoms Covered Bridge
Wildwood Park - Bridgewater, VA
Beaver Dam Sunflower Festival

After having lived in Northern Virginia for my whole life, I moved to Rockingham, VA for a new job opportunity! Through this move it has also allowed me explore a whole entire new area.  I am still trying to take in and learn the area, however, the area is already feeling like home. I celebrated the 4th of July this year in Staunton and Harrisonburg, VA and traveled on back roads through Mt. Solon and Dayton Virginia. Even made it a point to try and  tackle checking out every coffee shop in the area. Truly an amazing area to explore! 

ALS is a fatal neurological disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to degenerate over time.  There is unfortunately no readily accessible treatment or cure to it at this time. I AM ALS is an organization that is dedicated to providing support and awareness for people who have ALS. They started an annual ALS awareness event in Washington DC where flags are placed for people who currently have ALS and for people who have passed away from it. My family included my father's name to be included amongst the display of flags. It was a truly amazing display. Thank you I AM ALS for all the work you do.

#ALSinDC 

A full Solar Eclipse crossed through much of the United States in April, 2024. I traveled out to Shenandoah National Park to capture a partial eclipse. 

Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park - ​www.nps.gov/places/big-meadows.htm

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC brings in a big crowd each year! 

https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

I was in San Antonio for the first time on a brief work trip. There was much to do along the River Walk! Even got to check out the Alamo!

The Alamo - https://www.nps.gov/places/mission-san-antonio-de-valero-3rd-site-the-alamo.htm
San Antonio River Walk - https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/

I was down at James Madison for a work trip and they called for significant snow! I got up early to capture some photos before running to a presentation and unfortunately the snow missed JMU. I still captured a nice early morning image of the football stadium!

Northern Virginia saw it's first accumulative snowfall in several years! I wandered through Old Town Alexandria and Occoquan, VA  to capture the beautiful towns covered in snow!

Old Town Alexandria - visitalexandria.com/old-town/
Town of Occoquan - www.occoquanva.gov/