Sad and Beautiful Photos

Before we were fortuitous enough to have cleared rights to use Bansemer’s terrific paintings (see previous link) we were putting feelers out for a few pictures of the Great Smokies with artists and photographers. It happened that an incredibly talented photographer named Ward Hale was on assignment shooting photos near Kentucky and Tennessee. Since he was going to go to the Smokies anyway - he generously offered a series of beautiful pictures for us to check out and potentially use… but tragedy struck when Ward slipped and fell. Ward will be remembered as a talented artist that loves among other things, to capture beauty in nature at great risk. These are the last two pictures Ward took ever with this camera. 

From: MADHALE 
Subject: Re: smoky pictures 
Date: August 23, 2006 2:39:04 AM EDT 

you’ll never believe this… I was in the smoky mnts today… slipped on some moss… fell into the raging river, busted myself to pieces on all the rocks, and ruined my camera… it was a sad day. Here is the last picture taken with the camera… and also my favorite of the day. Hopefully I’ll have figured out a way to get a new camera by the time you are doing your next project.

All Pictures © Ward Hale 2008. All Rights Reserved. www.wardhale.com