Springs at Owsley Fork
Nature's beauty captured in photographer's work
By Andy McDonald
In a given year, Berea resident Alan Mills can find himself walking
among the majestic peaks of the Smoky Mountains, scouting the wilds of
the Florida Everglades, or surveying the stark beauty of the West's desert
plains.
For most people, a trip to a national park is a chance for a little relaxation, an opportunity to admire the scenery. For Mills, however, visiting national parks is a serious business, a labor of love that's part of his pursuit to capture nature's beauty on film.
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"I have notes on places that maybe I found last year but at the wrong time. So you kind of have to visualize what a scene would look like in the perfect light, the perfect season, and the perfect conditions, keep a notebook, then when that time and those conditions happen, you're there," said Mills. "You just keep going back. The lighting has to be right, the wildflowers have to at their peak, everything has to be right to end up with a great photograph, and it doesn't happen all the time. It's just persistence." |
As a professor of technology and industrial arts at
Berea College, Mills spends much of his professional life on campus,
but lately, it is his work off campus that has drawn some attention.
Mills' photograph entitled "Sunrise Over Appalachia," was
recently chosen from among submissions from all over the United States
to appear in National Parks Magazine. Closer to home, however, Mills'
nature photos have gone on display and are available for purchase
at the Berea College Bookstore. Capturing a great photograph of nature may sound like a relatively easy venture, but Mills will tell you it takes plenty of patience. "You can go on a week expedition out to a national park and hopefully come back with just one or two great photographs out of that entire week," Mills said, noting that on one recent trip, he used as many as 40 rolls of film, producing approximately 1,500 images. "When I go, I'll try to hit three or four national parks and my goal is to come away with at least one great photograph from each park from each trip I take." Planning is another important element of Mills' work, in which
he often has to scout a site months in advance before he can get
the photograph he wants.
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Mills' photography highlights the beauty of local sites, including Owsley
Fork, Anglin Falls, and Indian Fort, and beginning this month, his photography
of national parks from around America will also be featured at the bookstore.
Some photos will be on permanent display all year long, but the variety
of photos offered from Mills' collection will change throughout the year
to include images that reflect the changing seasons.
In his travels, Mills has captured images of approximately 30 national
parks, but his goal is to visit every national park in the United States.
When asked if he could ever tire of photographing nature, Mills said there's
not a chance, even in parks he's already visited before.
"I get the same thrill that I did when I started. Every sunrise and
sunset is different. It's like painting a whole knew scene every time,
even if I go to the same national park. The other thing that keeps it
extremely interesting is going to places that you've never been. I've
never been to certain national parks and every year I try to add a few.
That's like starting all over again."
SPRING IN APPALACHIA
Anglin Falls
Author's note: Mills photographs are available at Berea College Bookstore,
located in College Square in Berea.
