October 2020:

That was my last post. This update will not be sexy for SEO, but that’s okay! I contracted COVID in late-December 2020 and while I was lucky enough to live on my couch for a week and not a hospital bed, it still was not great. It affected my time with family during the holiday season. I made it through, it was the next 18 months or so that was hell for me, as I dealt with some long-COVID symptoms. It is crazy that my return to the Milky Way took almost two years!

Prior to my diagnosis, my last post was about the close of Milky Way Season. I was pretty much full-throttle making that seven-to-ten-hour roundtrip sometimes multiple times in a week during Milky Way Season. Bob, who I have not shot with since, maybe once, and I were talking about setting up weekend Milky Way workshops, I was as all-in as I could be having a full-time career that was not photography.

What COVID or long-COVID did to me was gave me chronic-fatigue which I learned is really hard to explain to those not dealing with it, focus issues, brain fog, a bit of a delay with recall, and worst of all drowsiness, especially while driving which could have affected my career a bit as a road sales rep. It was mainly any drive for over an hour and driving at night that really got to me. So for the most part my career was spared. It did affect my growing Milky Way Photography interest as long night drives were out! Boy, were they out. It wasn’t until May of 2022 that I would take photos of the night sky once more.

May 2022:

My wife Brittany and I took an extended weekend to the town of Wanchese near Outer Banks, NC.

It was there where I took some of the best lightning photos, I have ever had a chance to shoot. It was an electrical storm that seemed to never end. We also knew we were there during the May Milky Way window. I knew I needed to get out and shoot it. There was still lighting shooting off over the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. The Bodie Island Lighthouse was doing its job with the Milky Way Core in the night sky behind it. Dead air, humidity, mosquitoes, lots of them, and forgotten bug spray, always remember to be prepared. I wouldn’t return to the night sky for photography until March of 2023.

It isn’t like I haven’t been shooting all along, I just had to do things in the day. I took photos of ships coming into and leaving the port of Baltimore for example. I continued to take photos of the Key Bridge at Fort Armistead Park. One of the cooler things I have shot was, gigantic new cranes coming into Baltimore. I captured them passing under both the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Key Bridge. They passed with very little clearance. In this span I also photographed the Taylor’s Island Boat Docking Challenge in both 2021 and 2022 and really enjoyed it. I hope to return this August to do it again!

Another first for me last year, was taking photos of the cyclists during that part of the Baltimore Triathlon. This was a challenge for me. The cyclists go much faster than you would think and I do not have much panning experience. I think the shots turned out well! and if time allows I will do it again this year. The Women’s Triathlon was canceled the day before due to weather, so I was only able to capture the Men’s competition.

Also during this time, we took short trips to Myrtle Beach and then to see friends in Boston. We also took a couple trips to New York with each of our two Nephews. I visited Baker, WV with my brothers and am returning this year. My wife and I traveled to Alexandria, VA and to Mount Vernon. We learned a ton and hope to go back soon! Another visit we made was to Riviera Cancun, MX with family, for all the bad press, the beachfront of the Yucatan is gorgeous, I encourage a trip. A lot of times a week or longer all-inclusive trip is cheaper if not the same as a local attraction before you factor in meals for the week!

Some of the most beautiful views I have found in Maryland are out west of Hagerstown where we now camp with new friends, it is truly picturesque and God’s work. After Christmas, and New Years this year, my wife and I visited Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania to take in their Christmas Light Displays, unfortunately it was too cold to have the water fountain show. Everything else was beautiful and well-planned.

For the most part, that catches us up! I learned just in writing this post, that I have many blogs to write on each of the photo ops I mentioned above, so get ready there is more to come! I will leave you with one of my recent Milky Way images, I am beyond pleased with outcome! In the words of a favorite fictional character, “People keep asking if I’m back and I haven’t really had an answer, but yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.” – John Wick

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