A Land Nearby, but Far Away

Georgia is blessed to have a number of relatively undeveloped islands along its 100 miles of coast.  For some 20 plus years, when time and weather have permitted, I've been photographing these islands.  This journey has allowed me to experience the beauty of Georgia's barrier islands in a way that few others have.  They are magical, mystical places.  Influenced by the wind and the sea, they are ever-changing, never the same from one visit to the next.  Yet they are also ancient and timeless, the unfinished handiwork of Mother Nature.

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It would be difficult for me to pick one island over the others as my favorite, as each island offers its own uniqueness.  Cumberland's dune, St. Catherines' bone yard, and Ossabaw's tidal marshes interlaced with creeks and rivers are a few images that comes to mind.  I've never come away from a visit to any island disappointed.  There's always something memorable to experience; witnessing the migrations of birds or of butterflies, watching dolphins play, spotting an occasional manatee, getting lost in a fog bank, just being in solitude...

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If I happen to take a good photograph along the way, that's a bonus.  For me, it's not in the destination, the photograph, but rather in the journey, that the true beauty of these islands lie.  If these photographs can inspire similar journeys in others, then they will have fulfilled their highest purpose. 

                    

                                                                                 ~Curt Hames~