I’ve been sent to Kentucky to cover the devastating December tornadoes. As always, to relieve the stress I try to do something different and local in my free time. It is a reflection point for me to be sent to somewhere else for some amount of time, to live and work there. Just the musings of a disaster photographer —- I spend a lot of time alone and have lots of time to think, and shoot!

Of course, I think about the people affected by the disaster. It’s heartbreaking work. But then I think about the people who live here, and why – and what do they do? It seems that rural life is something I could never become accustomed to, simply because I’ve always lived in or near a large city. The folks that live out here, in Kentucky, many live a hardscrabble life and live far from services – hospitals, fire department, police…. they must be self-sufficient in a way I don’t think I could ever get used to. That doesn’t mean I don’t have respect for them – in fact, I have more respect for them for all of those reasons. I would not want to live here, but I sure enjoy being here and meeting all the folks who make it what it is!