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Beaufort, South Carolina is an archetypal southern town. It also happens to be home to the late author Pat Conroy. My wife and I trespassed to get this photo; we were on our honeymoon and thought even the most hard-assed southern cop would give us a pass. It was a quiet day and our journey went unnoticed. Years of neglect and decline of a fine old home gave birth to this photo.

"Who is your model?" I was asked this several times when this photo was first published on the old site.. Truth be known, she never modeled for me. Her name was D'a-lal  and she was the muse of sculptor  Harold Cash . This piece stands outside the  Hunter Museum Of American Art  in Chattanooga. She stands arms over head, looking ever westward.

Chattanooga, Tennessee is a vibrant city. Its Bluff View Art District overlooking the Tennessee River is home to galleries and the Hunter Museum . Situated nearby is this weathervane, as seen from below in this photo.

This photo is an example of what I call a happy accident. While wandering in a cemetery in Rome, Georgia, I found this stunning, weather worn sculpture. I took my camera (then a Nikon P-50) from my pocket, composed the shot and pressed the shutter button. It was an overcast day and the exposure was a bit longer than expected; also, the P-50 had noticable shutter lag. The result is this photo, in all its blurred, slightly offcenter composition. This happy accident is a much better photo than what I had in mind when tripping the shutter.

Gram Parsons  was a musical pioneer, multi instrumentalist, and fellow Georgian. The creator of Cosmic American Music left a strong impression in his short career, and the music he made continues to inspire. I visited his grave in New Orleans some years ago (getting directions to his grave site from a lady assisting at a funeral, who saw him perform with the Flying Burrito Brothers - opening for the Grateful Dead at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, no less - was an experience I'll never forget). It was decorated with shells and small keepsakes from fans, and this time I brought my own: a pale blue guitar pick I'd had since the late 80's when I was bassist in a garage band. Not sure where to place it, I went for the most natural choice, between the thumb and index finger on the marker. It fit perfectly.

Winter leaves the deep South a stark, barren place, yet there is beauty all around. Light and texture make the area a photographer's hunting ground in cold weather.

New Orleans is famous for its  cemeteries , and rightfully so. They are cities within a city, gathering places for the living in honor of the dead. Monuments abound, and the piece above was striking on an overcast June day.

Today's photo includes a ghost story, because I love this sort of thing! The Chickamauga Battlefield , known simply as "the Battlefield" to locals, is the site of a bloody three day battle  during the American Civil War.  Now a national park, it is home to an impressive amount of wildlife, history buffs, and monuments to the events that took place on site. The most impressive of the monuments is  Wilder Tower , named after Union Col. John T. Wilder, who led a successful defense of the hill against Confederate forces. Standing an impressive 85 feet high, spiral stairs lead to the top of the tower, giving those who climb an unmatched view of the park.  Legend has it that on a summer night many years ago, several young people dared one another to climb the tower (as a local to the area, I can attest to the likelihood of just such a thing occurring. Think of it as an intro to many "Hold my beer." moments). One young man took the challenge and scaled the l...