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Quiet Quester
Authentic Carolinas: Through the Lens and Off the Beaten Path
Quiet Quester captures the essence of the Carolinas' Wild Places, and small towns, bringing to light rare finds and local flavors through stunning photography and storytelling.
Photography Portfolio
Welcome to my portfolio. Here you’ll find a selection of my work. Explore my projects to learn more about what I do.
Carolina Sandhills NWR: Dragonflies, Butterflies and a Bird
An amazing day at the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. I explored many areas of the refuge in search of dragonflies, butterflies and birds. I took a bunch of photos, sharing some of the best below. I did my best to identify them... Please read the blog that goes along with this photo portfolio, please click on the blog button in the menu on the home page.
Lake James, NC
Lake James is a beautiful area. It was the beginning of June when I visited and the day was hot, muggy with abundant sunshine...in other words it was a gorgeous North Carolina day! I arrived at Lake James State Park in North Carolina around 8:30am and proceeded to get my bearings until the visitor center opened at 9:00. The woman managing the visitor center was super friendly and answered all of my questions, also providing insight on a good place to launch my kayak and the can't miss hikes in both sections of the park.
The park is broken up into two sections, Paddy's Creek, where the visitor's center, beach area, camping, hiking and mountain biking are located...to name some what is offered. I decided to head for the other section of the park, Catawba River, where there is more hiking, camping and a good place to put-in. Well, long story short, I didn't feel comfortable with the launch site because I felt like I was bushwhacking off trail to get to it. I like to stay on trail whenever possible, to reduce erosion and unnecessary where on an area. So I headed to Hidden Cove boat ramp. One of two in the immediate area, the other being Canal Bridge Boat Ramp.
It was a weekday and Hidden Cove boat ramp was not crowded at all. It is a cove, it is hidden and it is beautiful. It is a small cove surrounded by trees and the water is exceptionally clear and an amazing shade of green. I put-in and decided to head toward the Catawba River section of the State Park. There were few boats on the water that day and there was a slight breeze...Awesome!! I will let the photos do the talking about how perfect a day it was. Click on the photos in the portfolio section for information on where they were taken.
After kayaking I drove back to the Catawba River area for a hike. I hiked the Lake Channel Overlook trail. A three mile out and back trail. A must do if you visit the park. It follows the shore of Lake James, through shaded woods, eventually gaining some elevation before you arrive at the wood decked overlook. I was able to gaze out at what I had just kayaked. It was stunning from the higher vantage point.
I spent the remainder of the day exploring Paddy's Creek at Lake James State Park. I also visited the Lake James Marina that it situated between the two section of Lake James State Park. Finally I drove through the picturesque town of Morganton. I definitely need to plan another quest in this area, branching out into nearby Lineville Gorge and the town of Linville Falls. I recommend a visit to this area, the surrounding area and everything it has to offer.
The park is broken up into two sections, Paddy's Creek, where the visitor's center, beach area, camping, hiking and mountain biking are located...to name some what is offered. I decided to head for the other section of the park, Catawba River, where there is more hiking, camping and a good place to put-in. Well, long story short, I didn't feel comfortable with the launch site because I felt like I was bushwhacking off trail to get to it. I like to stay on trail whenever possible, to reduce erosion and unnecessary where on an area. So I headed to Hidden Cove boat ramp. One of two in the immediate area, the other being Canal Bridge Boat Ramp.
It was a weekday and Hidden Cove boat ramp was not crowded at all. It is a cove, it is hidden and it is beautiful. It is a small cove surrounded by trees and the water is exceptionally clear and an amazing shade of green. I put-in and decided to head toward the Catawba River section of the State Park. There were few boats on the water that day and there was a slight breeze...Awesome!! I will let the photos do the talking about how perfect a day it was. Click on the photos in the portfolio section for information on where they were taken.
After kayaking I drove back to the Catawba River area for a hike. I hiked the Lake Channel Overlook trail. A three mile out and back trail. A must do if you visit the park. It follows the shore of Lake James, through shaded woods, eventually gaining some elevation before you arrive at the wood decked overlook. I was able to gaze out at what I had just kayaked. It was stunning from the higher vantage point.
I spent the remainder of the day exploring Paddy's Creek at Lake James State Park. I also visited the Lake James Marina that it situated between the two section of Lake James State Park. Finally I drove through the picturesque town of Morganton. I definitely need to plan another quest in this area, branching out into nearby Lineville Gorge and the town of Linville Falls. I recommend a visit to this area, the surrounding area and everything it has to offer.
Newberry, SC
My quest started kayaking at Parr Shoals Reservoir, which is part of the Broad River. I put-in at Hellers Creek Boat Ramp. I had the place to myself, it was a beautiful day, white clouds with breaks of blue sky, the wind was creating a slight ripple on the water. It was a peaceful paddle, I could have stayed all day. But the city of Newberry was the main destination for the day. I set the GPS for Newberry, making sure the GPS was set to avoid highways. I left Parr Shoals Reservoir and headed for Newberry South Carolina. When I arrive I noticed immediately, it was laid out like most small historic cities, a main street several blocks long with intersecting streets. Newberry is quite pleasing to the eye, with many historic buildings, unique architecture and many green spaces.
Settlers started arriving in Newberry in the 1750s, mostly Germans, Scots-Irish and English. The town charter was adopted in 1894. It is midway between Columbia and Greenville.
It has a wealth of interesting shops, restaurants, green spaces and great historic buildings. I spent several hours checking it out and taking photos of a few of the most interesting places, which I have included. It is well worth a trip to explore Newberry and the surrounding area.
Settlers started arriving in Newberry in the 1750s, mostly Germans, Scots-Irish and English. The town charter was adopted in 1894. It is midway between Columbia and Greenville.
It has a wealth of interesting shops, restaurants, green spaces and great historic buildings. I spent several hours checking it out and taking photos of a few of the most interesting places, which I have included. It is well worth a trip to explore Newberry and the surrounding area.
The Barn
Living in a converted barn in Easley, SC. So peaceful, so beautiful!
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