One of the hardest parts of being a photographer for me is finding great places to shoot. What most people don't understand is that the number one most important thing that makes a good shooting location is the light.  But that also means that what might be a good location at one time of the day or one season of the year, might not be a good location at other times.  I've been on the lookout for somewhere to shoot in the spring that is shady.  You see, Thompson Station park is amazing in the fall with all the colors on the trees, but in the spring it looks kind of bare.  And a lot of my other favorite locations are too sunny for middle of the day shoots....harsh overhead light is the worst.  Plus, I just really wanted to find something new and interesting that was close to my own house. 

Well, score!  This location is something I drive by everyday...and I mean EVERY SINGLE DAY.  One day, I just happened to really look at it.  Like, I took off the autopilot feature that every human has, and I really LOOKED.  I think all of us could benefit from switching off that autopilot feature and really noticing what is around us. 

Some of these backdrops I had seen a million times before.  Others were a result of me noticing a little path that I had never noticed before, and taking the time to follow it and see where it led. I am SO glad I did.  (Thanks to my little Kayla Bear for helping me scope out the location by providing someone to focus on.  It's a tough life being a photographers kid.)