The Old Mills and Landscape of Southern Missouri
When I signed up for Craig McCord’s photography workshop in the Ozark Mountains, he probably thought I made a mistake. Why would a guy from New Jersey go to southern Missouri to take pictures? Shouldn’t I be going to the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons or some other place with grand in its name for great photography? Well, I like the diversity of our American landscape so off to Missouri I went.
On a chilly Thursday afternoon I met up with Craig for his “Fall In The Ozarks” workshop in the small town of Eminence, Missouri. All the other photographers were locals from Saint Louis making me the only foreigner. Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state and for the next three days that is exactly what happened. Craig showed us the special beauty deep in the Ozark Mountains that are full of history and rugged beauty.
Part 1. The Mills
In this post the focus will be on the old mills in the area. We photographed three which were used to saw lumber, grind flour and even generate electricity. I decided to classify them here by their artistic value.
Alley Mill – The Post Card
Alley Mill is a restored mill that is a must see spot in the Missouri Ozark Mountains. Go into any store in the area and you will see Alley Mill on many of the post cards for sale. Why not? It’s a pretty building in a very picturesque setting.
Alley Mill by Richard Lewis 2016
Alley Mill Race by Richard Lewis 2016
Klepzig Mill – The Artist’s Landscape
If the Kelpzigs were artists it would explain why they built their little saw mill where they did. Located just down stream from a series of rock outcroppings, it is almost impossible to find a bad composition from those rocks. Here are three of the many nice photographs I made of Kelpzig Mill.
Evening Light On Klepzig Mill by Richard Lewis 2016
An Impressionist’s View of Klepzig Mill by Richard Lewis 2016
A View Of Klepzig Mill by Richard Lewis 2016
Falling Springs Mill – The Abandoned
It’s always a treat and a challenge to mix landscape and abandonment photography. Falling Springs Mill and its surrounding cabins fit the bill perfectly.
Falling Springs Mill by Richard Lewis 2016
Falling Springs Mill Interior by Richard Lewis 2016
A Cabin With A View by Richard Lewis 2016
There is a lot more to see and share of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Stay tuned.
Enjoy!
Nice work, Rich. I like the tones in Alley Mill Race.
Thanks Ralph. The fall colors were not at their peak but the tonality of the light really made up for it.
They all look great. But the first photo is stunning!
Thank you, I appreciate your comment.
I’ve been waiting to see these photos and they were worth the wait… beautiful!
Thanks Elise. I’m glad you enjoyed these photographs. There are more on the way soon.
Rich, it was such a great pleasure to have you visit our state. You are promoting it well with some great images. The black and white of Falling Springs Mill is a really nice shot. I really like this B&W version. Looking forward to seeing more of your results.
Craig. I have to return the compliment by thinking you for being an excellent guide and workshop leader. We covered so much ground in such a short time but never felt rushed.
Reblogged this on Craig McCord Photography Blog and commented:
My most recent workshop had a participant from New Jersey, Rich Lewis, among our group. In his blog he summed up why it’s good to get away from the often sought after locations and hordes of photographers vying for the same tripod position. I believe it helps develop and exercise your creative vision to visit lesser known areas that can offer great photographic opportunities. Rich captured this area well.
Really beautiful Rich. All of them! What a great place for a photography workshop!
Thank you Laura. It was great. It’s always great to explore different places and things with our photography.
So true! Welcome Rich. 🙂
Just lovely!
Thanks so much!!
Enjoyed reading your blog and viewing the beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your comment Steve. I’m glad you enjoyed this blog post.
Great work Rich. Inspiring as always!
Thanks Scott, I appreciate the comment and compliment.
Beautiful as always Rich! My favorite is A View Of Klepzig Mill. Love it!
Thanks Kristia! I appreciate it. Klepzig Mill was really a great place to photograph. I’m glad you liked that one. It’s one of my favorites also.
So beautiful, place and photographs. The light, reflections, colours, nature, and composition all fascinated me. Thank you, love, nia
Thank you Nia. I appreciated your comment and your compliment very much.
Wonderful subjects, compositions and processing. I like that you found several approaches at Klepzig Mill. ‘Evening Light on Klepzig Mill’ is my favorite.
Thanks Denise. I’m fond of that particular image as well. This was a great spot to photograph because between the leading lines in the rock outcropping and the winding flow of the creek, it is just about impossible to get a bad image.
Love “Cabin with a view” and “evening light on Klepzig Mill.”
As a painter am delighted to have come across your beautiful photography work.
Peta
Thanks Peta. The photograph you like of Klepzig Mill was inspired by a painter Named Peter Fiore. He has a great talent for creating scenes with evening light like this