We're all familiar with the phrase, "A picture is worth 1000 words," but have you ever considered the reverse—how a certain phrase can paint very different images in 1000 peoples' minds? The challenge I encounter when presenting fine art photography is that viewers typically consider the work at purely face value: a tree is a tree; stone is stone; a shipwreck is nothing more than its pieces scattered along the beach. As an artist, how might I inspire my audience to look for more creative interpretations of my landscape subjects? For me, the answer lies in harnessing the power of pictures and words by adding fanciful narratives to my landscape photography. I use this technique in my current project, "Landscape Stories," to encourage the viewer to consider layers of meaning by stimulating our most powerful sense: the imagination. When we do so, we can peer beneath the surface of our everyday world and look upon these landscapes with fresh eyes. In my art, a tree is a wooden monster that stalks a forest, a boulder becomes the broken heart of a mountain, a shipwreck is a symbol of failed dreams, and more. Each photograph's narrative is etched into a black acrylic plaque, designed to be mounted on the wall next to their framed photos. In addition to my traditional photographic prints, this project has also given me the opportunity to challenge peoples' notion of what photographic art can be by morphing some of my pictures into animated videos. These animations present my work as I originally intended: a single piece of art that can be displayed in a digital frame or projected in a theater environment. For this format, I embed the narrative directly into the animation, stanza by stanza. I also apply zoom-and-pan techniques to provide a sense of movement across the static image, and incorporate background music for ambiance. My process begins with the photograph, where I use an unexpected compositional element to transform the ordinary into something remarkable. Some images are the result of carefully planned excursions that might take months or even years to achieve, but other subjects are serendipitous—interesting landscape subjects that I discover during my photo travels. Once the photograph has been post-processed back at my office, I take inspiration from the scene's tone to develop a narrative that either accentuates what the photograph portrays, or alternatively offers a completely different interpretation. For both my traditional prints and my animated pieces, the intent of my work is the same: to remove the artificial barriers that modern society has placed between us and nature. I want my art to not only transport you to memorable locations, but to have it peel back the shrouds of the mundane, and guide you into a realm filled with possibilities—a place where nature's magic and mystery are just a thought away.