Atoka Properties is a division of Middleburg Real Estate.

Sunday morning, September 4, I found myself in several such places just south of Purcellville, Virginia. The early morning fog was thick enough to wet otherwise dry hair, bead water on my camera and loosen normally squeaky knobs of a trustworthy tripod. To some, these conditions might spoil weekend morning plans. For some landscape photographers like myself, the thick white air begs for attention.

The painterly effect of fog converts an otherwise sun-soaked scene into one of mystery and allure. As if the sky was forced down to earth, the horizon becomes masked with layers of whites and grays. Mere shapes define the normal landscape features turning them into patterns and hulking masses.

This photo was taken in the middle of a robust corn field. Recently sold for development, these 50 or so acres are divided by an out of place gravel road, where the camera stood for this brief moment in time. Corn stalks, most breaching the six foot mark, filled the visible space below the horizon. The small gravel road, I assume, was created to permit interested property buyers deep access into the parcel, which is located along Black Oak Road.

Lonely beige corn leaves rests upon the unmarked road, separated from the whorl where it once grew. Limp and withered, the clump resembles fingers that caution the wayward visitor to turn back. A range of rich green hues are capped with yellow and red shaft tassels  While a distant dog made itself known, this desolate place lacks signs of ongoing human activity. The gravel road vanishes to a point, where a natural arch is formed by the distant trees.

A lonely tree stands guard in the middle of a generous pasture located along Silcott Spring Road in Purcellville, Virginia. The dew drenched grasses were wet enough to reveal the path left by my soaked boots. Soothing and serene define this simple photograph, divided by a hill in one direction, and a young tree in the other.

In a different section of the same field captured above, the ground in this photo is spotted with puffy seeds of local field grass. Each seed bundle is weighted down, heavy with moisture from fog. Bearing yellow and beige hues, the seeds give pattern to the field as they float above their green leafy counterparts. Combined, they create a quilt that blankets the gentle rolling hills that define this part of Loudoun County. The trail left by now soaked boots can be seen along the far right edge of this photograph.

This morning was rewarding not only in terms of the resulting photos and stories shared, but also the solitary time spent exploring our wonderful county.

Yes, the name of this photograph is Wild Turkey. If you turn off the lights and squint, you may actually be able to see one. The real story here relates to the challenges of outdoor photography. Often while closely focusing on a subject, landscapes in my case, several minutes can pass while preparing and concentrating. It seems that when least expected, some sort of wildlife will pop out unannounced. The alleged wild turkey in question made itself known with loud gobbles while crashing through leaves.

Both surprise and excitement causes the camera to fly off the tripod and wildly point in a direction of more immediacy. With this photo, you are able to see the process visually. I burst out in laughter while reviewing it later on the computer and felt compelled to aptly, but abstractly, named the image accordingly. Every once and while, an interesting photo is taken, even if the intended subject is no where to be seen. This Wild Turkey photo instead reveals a pleasing painterly feel with soft green overcast and stripes of trees in motion. I'd call this one experimental.

While hiking to places of interest, I've learned to keep my camera at the ready; lens cap off, camera on and everything thing else on my back. This way I'm always prepared to catch that surprised deer or sneaky fox. Wildlife does not play a major part in what I exhibit, but I certainly like the challenge of capturing a unique moment. Being prepared has paid off, but this was learned after countless missed opportunities in capturing deer flying over fences. Here in northern Virginia, this is not a rare occurrence. The Loudoun landscape is filled with deer just waiting to flee your presence.