Focus stacking is a technique that allows you to achieve a deep depth of field in a final image by blending (or stacking, as it’s often referred to) several images together. The idea is that you take several shots of your subject, each focused on a different spot. Once you combine the images together in Photoshop, you’ll end up with a perfectly sharp, in-focus subject.

Mullens, West Virginia is the epitome of America’s stereotypical coal town. The once bustling metropolis is a shell of its former self, with many of the buildings sitting abandoned, decaying further with each passing moment. Walking the streets of this shell of a city is an almost surreal experience, but things haven’t always been this way in Mullens. Let’s take a step back and see how we got here.

Why hello there everyone! Those of you who follow me and my work have probably noticed that I have been largely absent from the internet for the past few months. A few of you have even reached out inquiring about my well being (much appreciated!). Allow me to explain where I've been all of this time!

While at first glance AllTrails seems to be a benign application that provides a great deal of value to users, there are a number of issues that my fellow admins and I have noticed over the years that have caused us to take a stance against the use of AllTrails in our groups. In this post, I’ll explore the problems with AllTrails and discuss some of the alternatives that are available.

Leapfrog 2 Arch is an arch that, to the best of my knowledge, had never been properly documented until I took this image. The arch is located on a shelf about 15-20 feet up the cliffside. There really isn’t a great way to get up to the top of it, so I ended up having to improvise a bit.

What really never ceases to amaze me is how many people there are that are unaware of the grand natural beauty of the Bluegrass State. Ask most people about the waterfalls our state has to offer and you’ll get a lot of the same, obvious answers. Pretty much everyone knows of Cumberland Falls. A few more will be able to name Creation Falls and possibly Dog Slaughter Falls. As of late, some others, such as Copperas Falls, have become more well-known. The list really doesn’t extend far beyond these, however. What many don't realize is that the Bluegrass State is full of an abundance of amazing waterfalls.

A slew of newly (re) discovered arches in the Laurel County portions of the Daniel Boone National Forest were recently submitted to the Kentucky Arch Database. Not only did the locations of these arches need to be confirmed for the sake of the integrity of the database, but there was some discrepancies with the location of one of the submitted natural bridges. I decided to set off into the forest to solve the mystery once and for all!

It’s finally time for another adventure! This time around I decided to get out into the Gorge to enjoy some of the fall colors and to hunt for some new to me arches.

ISO is one of the three settings that make up the exposure triangle (the other two being aperture and shutter speed). Understanding what this setting does and how to utilize it properly is an important step in fully mastering the art of photography.

This guide will give you the rundown!

It has been several years now since I first laid eyes on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. Ever since that first trip to Dolly Sods, I have been in love with the area’s scenery. I’ve been itching to get back to the area for some time now, so I decided to head on out to Dolly Sods and Spruce Knob for a bit of photography!

Over the past few months, I have spent a fair bit of time out on Auxier Ridge in the Red River Gorge portion of Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest. Despite the area featuring some of the best views in the entire Bluegrass, I rarely spend this much time out there during the warmer months since it’s quite the popular area. This year, however, has been an exception.

There’s a lot of work that goes into getting a successful Milky Way image, not the least of which is planning. There are a number of factors to take into account when planning your shoot. As such, it can be a daunting task for those who are just starting out, so I figured I’d write a guide on how I go about planning these late-night shoots.