Spring Delights...

         Good morning friends,

         I know that depending where you are in the country, or at what elevation, the progression of Spring may not quite be the same as what I'm describing.  You could be looking more at Summer greens or still at Winter snows for that matter!  Here in central Pennsylvania ranging anywhere from a couple hundred feet in the valleys to approximately 2,000 feet on mountain tops, Spring is greening up!  In fact, when you look upon the valleys, hills, and mountains, you can probably see just about every shade and variation of the color green you can imagine.  It is such a lush and wonderful scene!  Most of the early season flowers have past peak bloom and are leafing, but you can still see surprises here and there and every now and then when you turn a corner, such as I did a few years ago in Shenandoah National Park, you are stopped in your tracks with the delight of a Dogwood, gleaming white against the vibrant shades of green in the Spring Sun and you are mesmerized by it's showy glow!

         Yes, it is early May now and the lush, fresh forests grow more verdant everyday, but delights such as the Dogwood are still out there for you to admire.  And even when this icon of Spring drops it's pure white flowers for the greens of Summer, there are plenty more delights for your senses to come... The show is far from over, throughout the next month, see what mid to late season bloomers you can spot as the forest fills in and the heavy musk of lilac gives way to honeysuckle in the ever growing days and the warming evening air that is to come...

                                                                                                           Brandon Kline

         

"The Delight of a Dogwood"

Getting back out on the Trail!...

         Hello friends,

         Well, I am pretty happy to say I had a very successful and amazing time getting back out for a few days in the backcountry of Shenandoah National Park this past week!  It felt great to get back there this Spring as I was unable to make it there last year during this time.  And as always, Shenandoah did not disappoint in the least!  

         I arrived on a very wet, foggy day to find the true freshness of Spring revealed in the cleansing rain.  It was magnificent!  The Park is so alive right now with bright green, beautiful white Dogwood blooms, early season wildflowers such as violets and wild geraniums, gushing waterfalls thundering in Spring flood, and although a great many were beginning to leaf, there was still a lot of purple between 1,000-2,000 feet elevation from the Redbuds!  I spent both of my nights in different parts of Shenandoah's Federally Designated Wilderness areas - the first, off of the Mount Marshall Trail, which was a new trail for me, and the second... Yep, I couldn't resist the calling of my home away from home off of the Tuscarora/Overall Run Trail.  Both hikes also included short stints on The Appalachian Trail, always a cool feeling to set foot on :-)

         After a damp, but glorious first night, the remaining day and a half I spent there was wonderfully warm and sunny with cool breezes carrying wafts of wild Lilac through the air.  Talk about bliss!  All in all, I covered roughly 12 miles, taking in the delights of the Spring mountains.  I caught my first glimpse of a Shenandoah Salamander(a species only found here), making friends with him in the rain on my first night.  I heard a pair of Barred Owls hooting "Who Cooks For You, Who Cooks For You All" across the forest at each other in the night.  The morning and evening chorus of birdsongs added extra serenity to spending time with the Dogwoods and Wildflowers.  And the rushing flow of the waterfalls was a welcome refreshment to the spirit.

         I wrote in my journal on my second morning, something profound, yet so true in relation to my thoughts of what I may hope to see and photograph while here... "You can plan for this, you can plan for that, but you can never prepare for what Nature will show you."  She is full of surprises and wonder and challenges, all of which are good for the soul.  Until next time, my beauty...

                                                                                                            Brandon Kline  

Time to "Rise Up"...

         A few posts ago, I had mentioned how informative and inspirational a recent Sierra Club event I had attended was.  Two weekends ago, I also attended another Sierra Club sponsored event, the Banff Mountain Film Festival.  For those of you who love outdoor adventure of any sort and have never seen any of these films on tour, I HIGHLY recommend it! They are full of humor, inspiration, courageousness, and all around awesomeness!!!  And again this coming weekend, Saturday April 29th, is a BIG one folks.  The People's Climate March!

         I am not going to get all political, at least at this moment, but if you value anything on God's Green Earth, I strongly feel this is one of the most important assemblies of our current times.  It's no secret that their are some climate change deniers and anti-environmentalists in Washington D.C. right now.  And I feel it is EXTREMELY important to get involved in this if at all humanly possible.  Aside from the main march in Washington, there are sister marches all over the country that you can attend to help make your voice heard for the Planet.  For instance, I will be attending the gathering here in State College, PA.  You can find any information you need through the Sierra Club's website, www.sierraclub.org.

         Despite many uncertainties in our country and around the world right now, I have seen and been involved in several instances over the past few months that have given me tremendous hope!  There are people, not just "highly influential," but "ordinary, everyday" people, if you will, who are out there getting involved and making a difference!  Sometimes, it can be hard to see in the beginning, but things play out for certain reasons.  And perhaps all that is happening right now is exactly what we needed to "Rise Up" for the Planet, like the Spring rises from the Earth, and make a stand for this beautiful place we call home.

                                                                                                           Brandon Kline

"Rise Up"

Hiking to "A Home Away from Home"...

         In correlation with yesterday's blog pertaining to Earth Day and National Parks Week, guess where I'll be while you're reading these posts Monday April 24th-Wednesday April 26th this week??!

         Well, if you guessed Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, you are correct!  Yep, I'll be dusting off the backpack and getting back out on the trail for a few days as I make my annual Spring migration to Shenandoah to soak in some of the best Mother Nature has to offer in honor of Earth Day!  As I write this, I am still in debate as to where exactly I'll be hiking these few days, but if I am lucky I may just catch the magnificent display of Redbuds and Dogwoods in the Park's Northern District before the blooms are over.  And who knows, I may just have to go visit my "home away from home"...

         "This backcountry locale in my "backyard" National Park, Shenandoah, has become a home away from home for me.  Since the first time I camped near this serene waterfall I have returned more than half a dozen times to date (and only planning on adding to that over the years to come).  Right here, I have enjoyed some of my most profound and intimate moments of experiencing immaculate Mother Nature.  And the fact that it lies within a section of Shenandoah's Federally designated Wilderness, makes it even more special.  Hiking 3.5 miles in darkness the night before, I awoke on my first morning here and rolled out of my hammock, slid down the carved out hollow right next to me and photographed this magical moment at dawn.  The most amazing black bear encounter of my life has taken place right here, as a young juvenile played and foraged for nuts in late Autumn not more than 20 yards from me for a good 10 minutes or so!  I have been here in early Spring to celebrate Earth Day and seen these Falls booming at 2-3 times the volume you see here.  At the perfect time in October, this forest is ablaze with Maples, Hickories and Oaks.  And, every time, whether it be amidst the intoxicating smell of fresh Spring rain, or Autumn leaves in the cool air, and the deafening sound of the falls as I hear nothing but them aside from an occasional owl hooting, I can lean back and lose myself in dreams under the stars and the moonlight... This place soothes my soul, this is living folks, this is real magic!"

                                                                                                        Brandon Kline

         

"A Home Away from Home"

A belated Happy Earth Day and National Parks Week!!!

         Greetings everyone,

         First, I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend and Earth Day celebration on Saturday!  Also, this past week(Saturday April 15th-April 22nd) was National Parks Week, which always coincides with Earth Day.  It is sometimes referred to as Earth Week and April is also referred to as Earth Month.  And one last coincidence with it all is the Birthday of the great Naturalist, John Muir on April 21st.  Whew, as you can see, it's a special time of year for Nature! And what a beautiful time, as in the Northern Hemisphere at least, the Earth is greening up again.  Storms bring the life giving rain, and mixed with the warming angle of the Sun - sights, scents, and sounds abound!

         Although I was not able to make any big excursions this past week, I was able to enjoy the growing beauty while I worked outside and did make a visit to a special place I look forward to every Spring, my Father's woods, and absorbed an absolutely lovely evening taking in the bounty of Redbuds glowing purple everywhere you look and the hint of Dogwood opening in their midst!  As for Earth Day itself, I made a visit to some old friends to lend support in a time of sorrow, yet peace.  And then spent the evening watching two of my favorite kids, getting them outside for pre and post dinner strolls, pointing out the flowers and trees in bloom, the sound of the Spring peepers, the scent of Lilac and Hyacinth, and the constellation Leo in the bright starry night.  They had a blast, and it felt so amazing to see their excitement and wonder!  A good Earth Day indeed. :-)

                                                                                                        Brandon Kline

The Sweet Songs of Spring...

         Perhaps when you look at this image, despite the pretty flowering trees dispersed throughout, it just seems like a big mess.  That's ok, sometimes I feel that way too.  In fact, I debated a lot over making this photograph part of my collection.  After several views though and transporting myself back to this moment in a place I treasure every Spring, it hit me.  The very reason I composed the scene the way I did was to encompass everything I could in the frame about this place that is special to me this time of year.  

         Picture yourself sitting peacefully in this tangled mess of forest bursting with new life, it is a beautiful Spring morning with the perfect mixture of a warm sun and a cool breeze.  Vibrant green surrounds you, such as the leaves of this young Sugar Maple hanging right in front of you, destined to be a majestic Autumn dazzler someday.  As you look all around, purple and pink dots of the Redbuds are everywhere, entrancing you with happiness.  And front and center, growing just enough year after year to work it's way into this clear open view, is the White Flowering Dogwood, brilliant as can be.  Unable to resist smiling with the joy of this re-birth of the forest, you just sit there and take it all in, the air filled with the sweetest scents of lilac and fresh flowers wafting in the breeze and the morning chorus of the birds rejoicing these sweet songs of Spring!

                                                                                                                   Brandon Kline

"Sweet Songs of Spring"

A sense of hope...

          Good Monday everyone,

          Over this past week, I've observed a lot happening in nature and weather here in central Pennsylvania.  I've been working with a Landscaping company doing Spring cleanup and mulching for some money before going into the Art Festival season.  The work has been good, hard, you know you've done something at the end of day type of work and it's been wonderful to be outside!  The first few days of crisp, damp mornings and gorgeous sunshine were followed by a dramatic cool down and some good soaking rain and even snow showers throughout Friday morning!  Luckily the temps did not drop far enough below freezing to do any damage to the early bloomers and now in the midst of several days of warm sunny weather ahead again, I think by week's end we are going to be seeing quite a noticeable change in the landscape! 

         Spring is well thought of as a time of renewal, hope, new life.  Two of my favorite words to describe it for sometime have been rejuvenation and innocence.  There truly is nothing like witnessing the grass green back up, the flowering trees and shrubs showing off their colorful blooms, and the tiny dots of the freshest, most vibrant green of the trees throughout the forests and mountainsides!  And our minds and bodies seem to Spring forth with nature, bounding with energy from the Winter slumber. This rejuvenation of spirit throughout nature makes me think of the pure innocence of a child, everything in the world gleaming and wondrously new.

         On that note, I feel a positive energy and sense of hope in what I am seeing, the things that are happening all around. I will be elaborating more on this soon, but for today, I leave you with this - this week, take note of the wonder in the smells of the Earth, the rain, the sunshine, the blooms.  Soon, the trees will be bursting with life, and one of my favorites, the Eastern Redbud, will be showing off its "Innocence"...

                                                                                                                Brandon Kline

 

"Innocence"

The beauty in eeriness...

         Several years ago, going back into my early twenties (my, how time flies!), I remember after just being promoted to bartender from bar back, I would always have the Monday morning opening shift.  Well, my dear friend (and fellow Monday morning trooper) Shannon, as acting manager, would have some sort of inspirational calendar picture/quote awaiting me week after week.  It became quite the running joke between us and something I, of course, greatly looked forward to.  So, in that spirit, I'd like to try beginning my own version of Monday inspiration for everyone...  No matter what Monday is to you - a drag, a favorite day off, a new beginning - I hope you'll find these to be that needed ray of hope or something to make your day even better :-) 

"May Your Spirit Be the Guide"

         Upon my return home from that life changing backpacking adventure with my brother in South Carolina, I found myself reflecting on many things...  As much as I was becoming obsessed with nature photography, I had never really before been out for much more than day trips/hikes or leisurely strolls close to home.  And now, I had just driven through the entirety of Shenandoah National Park twice, a bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and camped out for two nights backpacking - all over the course of one week!  With one evening left before going back to work, I decided to drive out to Poe Paddy State Park about an hour from my house to see if this Dogwood might still be flowering.  You see, the evening before I set out on that adventure, I had come to this very spot.  Spring blooms had come extremely early this year, and by mid-late April most areas were predominately green.  Then out of nowhere came a freak late April snowstorm!  Roughly six inches dumped on all that fresh green, it was beautiful!  It melted considerably fast with warming temps the next day and the remaining blossoms had survived.  But, that first evening here, I had lost the light to attempt a good photograph.  So it had been stirring in me, wondering if I might still have a chance of this Dogwood being in bloom a week later...

         Miraculously, it was!  A precarious hop, skip, and a jump across some rocks put me out on the Big Poe Creek in great position.  Balancing on a rock, trying not lose my gear or myself in the water, this ethereal fog creeping in and consuming the mountains at sunset, I snapped the shutter.  And in this moment of awe at Mother Nature's unpredictable beauty, I rationalized all the events in my life over the past 9 months - that made me question so many things about happiness, passion, and how we move forward - which led me to this adventure and to this moment of clarity.  I listened to my heart and let my spirit guide me and I've been doing my best to do so ever since.

                                                                                                                  Brandon Kline

"May Your Spirit Be the Guide"

The next level...

         A couple notes to send you into the weekend with...  The Sierra Club hosted event (reference my previous blog) I attended last Sunday was extremely informative and inspirational! I'll be writing more on this in weeks to come, but for now, just let me say there was a lot to learn from the forum and speakers - one thing that really stuck out to me as a starting point was trying to think locally about what you can do as opposed to trying to tackle the overwhelming "big picture."  Simple enough, it seems, but a bit of advice we can relate to many aspects of our lives and something we as humans seem to have to constantly remind ourselves of.

         And secondly, guess who was able to process all his film from last April-now?!!  Yep, I finally got to view every exposure I have made (146 to be exact!) since embarking on my new journey as an Artist!  Out of 10 rolls (10 exposures each) of medium format and 46 sheets of 4x5 large format film, I can honestly say I have been like a kid in a candy store gazing over what I believe is my strongest, best overall quality of work to date.  Spanning 24 states across the country and back from late July through early November, plus two sheets while out in the snow of Winter Storm Stella and two unfortunately overexposed sheets from last Spring, I'm speechlessly stoked and proud of the images I have been blessed to capture!!!  Especially in regards to the successful exposures made with the large format view camera, I feel Brandon Kline Wilderness & Nature Photographs will be undergoing an upgrade this year ;-)

         My utmost gratitude to Bill Ammerman for the use of his Linhof Kardan 4x5 View Camera while I gather the funds to procure my own, and to Jason Arriaga for this happenstance meeting on the rocks of the Acadian coastline and his enthusiasm for capturing and sharing this pic of me in the field! Oh and while I'm at it, Amy Shuey for her awesome design on my logo...  We all need a little help here and there to be the best we can be :-)

                                                                                                             Brandon Kline

Me, Acadia National Park, September 2016

Sierra Club Event

         I want to share this for anyone in the central Pennsylvania region that may be interested in going...

         Sierra Club Moshannon Group hosting a free forum on Sunday March 26, 2017 from 4-6pm at the Katz Auditorium, Penn State Law School.  The event is co-sponsored by American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Penn State's EcoAction, and Penn State Law School.

         There will be four successful environmental advocates speaking - Jim Slotterback (Responsible Drilling Alliance), Cricket Hunter (Interfaith Power and Light), Peter Buckland (Penn State Sustainability Institute), and Lara Fowler (Penn State Law School)

         The forum centers around the question - "What can I do to help save our planet?"

         It sounds like a very informative event and I am looking forward to it!  In the very Spirit of the Sierra Club, here is a John Muir quote which I feel echoes strongly in regards to our current matters at hand -

         "The wrongs done to trees, wrongs of every sort, are done in the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, for when the light comes, the heart of the people is always right." - John Muir, John of the Mountains:  The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, (1938) page 429.

On the trail in Glacier National Park 2016

Looking up in Olympic National Park 2016

Autumn Maple sunrise along the Long Trail, Vermont 2016

Spring is in the Air!

         There is a feel in the air today that along with the mild warmth marks my first real notice of "it" this year.  I can't exactly put my finger on it or know how to perfectly describe it in words, but if you know what I'm getting at, I think you'll understand... Every Spring there is a day it seems, either in late March/early April where despite the fact that grass is still brown and trees are still bare, it's as if you can sense the budding pollen and the earthiness in the air.  Well, I am calling it today where I am.  And from looking ahead at the forecast, it appears as though we are going to be sustaining mild temps and plenty of rain over the next week or so, which will be just perfect to help bring forth new life!  I can feel the excitement and energy building all around.  It is almost the Earth's time to "Rise and Shine"!  Pretty soon the forests will be blooming and tiny dots of green will sprinkle the mountainsides...  With this in mind, here is a little slice of beauty to help you enjoy your weekend!

                                                                                                                    Brandon Kline

"Rise and Shine"

Greetings, Spring!

         Brrrr!  Haha, yep that sounds about right for the beginning of Spring in the Northeast!  Well although it is brisk, it is nonetheless a beautiful, crisp sunny day here in central Pennsylvania.  And since I wasn't able to wish you all a Happy Vernal Equinox on Monday, I just wanted to write a quick message to say welcome Spring since it is official now.  Despite the chilly winds, there is no denying the strengthening of the Sun, as we have turned the tides on day versus night in its direction.  And if you look closely you can notice that many trees are beginning to sprout their tiny buds at the end of their limbs!  I have felt for some time now, that from a distance, especially in large groups and on mountainsides, this gives the appearance of a fuzz like effect to the tree branches.  And at what other time of the year can you have a foot plus snowstorm practically disappear into the ground in a matter of days despite temperatures only a few degrees above freezing?!  Certainly not in the heart of Winter.  Yes, you can certainly see that nature is beginning to look and feel and little bit different.

         Here are a few pics that I've snapped while out and about and around over the past week that document a little bit of nature returning to life...

                                                                                                                Brandon Kline

Going Out In Style...

         Old Man Winter certainly has given us a good last gasp of his powerful, pristine magic here in the Northeast this week! Winter Storm Stella proved to be no joke on this last official week of the Winter Season! Take it from someone who was out in it for pretty much its entirety - Stella was one of the more prominent Nor'Easter's we have seen in some time, dropping totals ranging anywhere from 8 inches up to 2 feet of snow from the Mid-Atlantic up through New England! And following a good solid day's worth of snowfall on Tuesday came about two days worth of gusting winds, drifting, and blistering cold!

         And what do you know, we may be looking at another round of snow and mixed precipitation tonight... Yep, we may have had somewhat of a strange rollercoaster Winter in many parts of the Northeast in 2017, and though Spring is official come Monday, good 'ole Jack Frost shows us he isn't through just yet! If memory serves correct, this will mark 3 years in a row and perhaps 4 of the last 5 that the Vernal Equinox (or at least bordering the exact day) has been ushered in by a bit of beautiful fresh powder! 

         I love late Winter/early Spring snow.  There is something so pure about witnessing a blanket of soft white snow amidst the trees bearing their budding bulbs.  And even when we do get a bit of a chill and some snowfall, the Sun angle and inevitable warm up are usually quick to make sure it gets soaked into the Earth, which is imperative! That's right, whenever you perhaps want to complain about a chilly day or cool rain over the next month or so, just remember that this is the time of year which affects the health of vegetation more so than any other season all the way to how brilliant the Autumn foliage will be.  A slow progression of warming temps with lots of cool precipitation days helps provide trees and plants the proper nourishment needed for a healthy year!

         Well, enough lecturing for today, haha... But with that in mind, I hope you enjoy this bit of bliss I was able to enjoy during the late morning hours of Tuesday March 14th! I have been working on snow removal with a landscaping crew this Winter and knew I was most likely going to have several hours of shoveling, blowing and salting in my future (23.5 to be exact!), but thankfully I was able to go out for a short hike into the mountains and enjoy a couple hours of sweet serenity beforehand... There really is nothing like the silence and peace during a snowfall!  And hint hint, hidden somewhere in this video may just be a photograph that gets added to my portfolio some day ;-)

                                                                                                                     Brandon Kline

The peaceful bliss captured during a moment of Winter Storm Stella

Snow Day!!!

Good morning everyone,

         If you are waking up in the Northeast today, you are waking up to a magical Winter Wonderland! Yep, just a few days away from the official start of Spring and Winter Storm Stella is dropping a powerful Nor'Easter up and down the Mid-atlantic and up throughout New England!

         I'm getting ready to go get lost in the snow for the next 24 hours most likely, but before I do, I wanted to share one of my favorite Winter memories captured on film.  I hope you enjoy.  Have a blast out there today and be safe folks!  With any luck maybe I'll have some more memories to share after today :-)

"Ice, Kissed by Fire"

          "I remember a few snow followed by ice storms this particular Winter which left the deciduous forests of the mountains a magical icy wonderland.  When I left my house about an hour and a half before dawn that morning, it was 0 degrees.  The mile plus hike on the mountain top was invigorating to say the least!  As I got set to await the Sun's greeting, winds were whipping hard, reading well into the negatives I'm sure.  But the moment that giant fireball peaked over the horizon and lit the icy branches in front of me aglow, I felt nothing but its beautiful warmth.  It lasted only a few seconds, but wow!"

                                                                                                                   Brandon Kline

"Ice, Kissed by Fire"

"Life's Possibilities"...

  Greetings friends,

The story below is an example of the writings that coincide with my images. They are part journal entry and part recollection of the adventure behind the photographs.  I feel this is a good one to get things going, as in many ways this is the experience which truly began to change how I live my life.  I hope you enjoy!

("Life's Possibilities", "Soaking Up Life", "A Peek See")          

           I could make the argument that in many ways, this experience is the one which really set the stage for my life's passion for adventure and preservation...

           In April of 2012, I drove South to visit my brother in South Carolina for my inauguration into the world of backpacking.  He had been getting into it (backpacking, that is) for a couple of years and we had loosely discussed getting together for an adventure for a while let's say.  Well, during the holidays of 2011, more concrete plans were made and here I was.  Using mainly his extra along with his wife's gear, he took me out for 3 days/2 nights on the Foothills Trail in Northwestern SC.  To say the 8 miles on day 1 kicked my ass would be an understatement!  I'll never forget the feeling of floating away upon taking the pack off for lunch only a few miles in, which, by the way, is never quite as funny feeling as that first time.  I also don't think I'll ever forget how exhausted, punished, and well, down right alien I felt for the last two miles of that hike.  But I loved it.  

           We arrived at night one's campsite just in the nick of time to hang a tarp to pass the thunderstorm that had been brewing for most of the afternoon.  The sky at once opened up and the storm let loose, ahhhh that smell!  As we awaited its passing, I had the notion to photograph the scene in front of us from under our shelter.  And am I glad I did!  I absolutely love how green and teeming with life the forest is.  As I gaze upon it, I see how life giving this Spring rainfall truly is, how every tree and leaf are soaking it up.  I see it breathing.  I can feel its heartbeat.

"Soaking Up Life"

           As the storm passed on, we set our camp and chopped/sawed our firewood.  And just before preparing our dinner, I caught a magnificent sunset moment from the top of the waterfall not more than a stone's throw from our tent.  That is, after all, one of the main reasons my brother felt this location would be a really cool photo opportunity for me - as he had noticed here before that at this time of year, one gets a clear view of the sun setting beyond the distant mountains from the top of the waterfall.  Although I didn't get a "clear" view due to our stormy conditions, the moment was purely exhilarating!  With the falls flowing and plunging a good 80-100 feet right at my feet, I had a peek see through the thick of the surrounding forest into misty mountain ridge lines and an ethereal pink glow in the clouds that only a breaking thunderstorm can provide.  After I snapped a couple exposures, I turned to face my brother and pumped my fists in the air as if triumphant.  "A Peek See" into just a few of nature's grandest elements is what it truly was...  

"A Peek See"

          The night was thick and damp, but by the fire was bliss.  In the darkness, as we conversed about life around the flame, we witnessed some strange blue glow of a gliding insect that to this day we have yet to identify.  Some species of firefly we do not know, perhaps?  Whatever it was, it was nature's pure magic.  What a way for one to spend their first day and night backpacking, I thought as the fire died down beside a thundering waterfall...  We, much like the forest, were "Soaking Up Life."

           Bruised and battered at dawn the next morning, I stood photographing the waterfall.  As I was setting up, I caught my brother out of the corner of my eye, strolling down the trail to greet me with a cup of coffee he just brewed at our campsite, maybe 50 feet behind the top of those falls you're looking at...  What a moment, what an experience.  It was only a weekend long, but it changed my life forever and set me on the path for where I am today, opening the doors to so many of "Life's Possibilities" and what I believe to be my life's purpose.  Thanks bro!

                                                                                                              Brandon Kline

"Life's Possibilities"

Things are looking good!

Hello friends,

         Well, after giving several days to satisfy my concerns about everything linking up properly, it appears as though all systems are go! I'm essentially writing this as one more test just to satisfy my curiosity with the MailChimp and RSS links, but I think I've got it all wired together as it should be. So, anyone reading this, if you are interested please do me a favor and try subscribing to my blog via RSS feed or email, whichever is your preference. It'll certainly help solidify my confidence that things are functioning properly and I'll greatly appreciate it! And hopefully it will help provide a little peace, beauty, and inspire adventure in your life :-)

         So, before I sign off on this and begin writing some real blogs, let me lay out navigating the website to help you find what you're looking for...

Gallery - the homepage, as simple as it gets, view the portfolio (titles appear when scrolled over on desktop version, unfortunately titles not visible on mobile devices)

Behind the Image - View the photographs preluded by their title, location, exposure specifics, and the story behind the experience. *not all stories finalized yet, uploaded as soon as ready

About - my Artist Statement, my Process, and the Archival Quality and Framing of my Artwork

Mission - my Mission Statement

Ordering Guide - a how to of options and prices for purchasing the Artwork

Adventure Album - one of my favorite parts of the site, for no real reason other than just because I treasure my experiences and want to share them with you! Sit back and enjoy a 13 minute slideshow of pics from the backcountry and from the road. Put on some of your favorite tunes and get lost, it's a good time ;-)  (you may also skip through or pause at your discretion, takes a few minutes to load on mobile but does work!)

Trail Memoirs Blog - I'm developing this to hopefully help get my voice out there and spread the word of Beautiful Nature and stand up for Her preservation.  Link to RSS feed and/or Subscribe via email at top of page or side column (bottom of page on mobile). Also, every blog will be pushed to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Google+

Contact - fill out the form with your message/question and submit. I'll get an email and get back to you!  Or you will also notice at the bottom of every page, there are icons that will take you directly to my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, eMail, Pinterest, YouTube, and Tumblr pages/accounts. Also, on mobile - email and phone are readily available/retractable by scrolling up or down the screen.

         I've done about everything I can think of currently and within my means to make following me and finding anything you want as accessible as possible. And please, I say this all the time, but ANY questions, thoughts, feelings, PLEASE contact me any way you choose. I WANT to help you and TALK to you about what I am passionate about!

         Alright folks, hoping to hear some feedback and next blog will something fun to kick off the adventure!  Till then, I'll leave you to contemplate the possibilities with "Dream Big"... 

                                                                                                                                  Brandon

"Dream Big"

Several Updates blowing around in these freakishly "Warm Winter Winds"...

Hey there everybody! 

         I've got a lot of updates I'd like to get out to you...

         First of all, if you haven't seen yet or taken an opportunity to glance over my new website, please do so, I'd really love to hear what you think! And secondly, well basically it all comes back to this website and getting myself out there on more social media and trying to make it as convenient as possible for you to connect with and follow me in whichever way floats your boat!

         So here you go - as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, I have recently set up accounts on Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, and Tumbler. I have also been working on learning about blogging and getting this whole thing set up properly. I am running some tests through this weekend and hopefully all will go well, and if so, I'll be letting you know early next week that you can subscribe to me via email or RSS feed! Or, you can simply just check in here on the site, or any of the social media links. I have pretty much everything connected in every which way I have been able to thus far, so I think things are looking good! 

         Why all this you might ask??  Well, as I prepare to go into a full Festival Season this Spring through Autumn, and further follow my heart, I want to do everything I can to share the beauty of this Planet I am so passionate about and to get the word out about the Dream behind my Artwork.

         I have a lot in store, and I'll be back here soon! In the meantime, Happy browsing and enjoy this image I have yet to really share - "Warm Winter Winds"... This is from January of 2012, sunsetting on a 60 degree day. Very familiar and suitable for this crazy warm weather we have been having in Pennsylvania (and various parts of the country) this past week!

Brandon Kline

"Warm Winter Winds"

Website is Live!!!

Greetings everyone!

Guess what??? After a couple weeks of tinkering around and another week or so of getting things looking the way I'd like them to, I am proud to announce and share my brand new website with you all!

www.brandonklinewnp.com

Please take a gander around the site and tell me what you think... Sure, I have a few things to work on, updates and enhancements to be made, and fun stuff to add, but for all intents and purposes I am pleased at the moment!

I have a lot of fun things planned, so again, take a peek, find the calling of the mountains and the wild. I can't wait to hear some feedback from you all...

All my best,

Brandon Kline

"The Mountains Have Called"

"The Mountains Have Called"