Every time I hike into Hocking Hills with a camera, I’m reminded how much this place thrives on subtlety. It’s not just the waterfalls — though Upper Falls and Cedar Falls are always stunning — it’s the quiet textures: wet stone, layered bark, filtered light through hemlocks. And when I shoot in black and white, those subtleties come alive.

“What is he looking at,” asked a casual observer? During a recent photography outing to the Hocking Hills area in southern Ohio, I was approached by another photographer at one location who introduced himself and his partner. I recall they mentioned they organized photo adventures for groups. They were curious about me because as they noticed me working, they thought I must clearly be seeing or looking for different subject matter than they were.