The Satilla River / Satilla Solitude

I've been out in this 100+ degree heat cutting grass and this is when I can do a lot of thinking. A lot of people know I love the Satilla River but I was pondering on maybe I should go in detail a little more on what this dark water river really means to me. Since I was a little boy and would stand beside daddy in his old truck as he would say "lets go to the river" I can remember the joy of those words. We would usually swing by daddy's uncles (Kenny, Hugh, Gerald, Arnie, Elton & Glendin) to see what they had caught and most of the time they had just been fishing, were going or were doing it when we found them. Usually they had a mess of catfish, bream or bass. Each uncle seemed to have their own choice of fish and in their own way were very good at catching what they liked.


In 1970 my granny and grandaddy were camping on the bluff at 301 bridge. Something happened during the night and granny fell in the river and the Satilla claimed her life. I was 6 years old at the time. Both of my kids have been baptized at the boat ramp near where granny passed away.


My uncle Charlie passed away about a year ago and his request was to scatter his ashes over the Satilla River.


The year 2012 marks the 450th anniversary of Jean Ribault discovering the Satilla River and saying it was the "fairest, fruitfullest and most pleasantest of all the world."


Soon after I had my heart trouble in 1999 and was fishing with Ralph Gurley we talked about how beautiful the Satilla was and lots of people that cross it every day don't even have a clue what beauty this natural resource has. I made up my mind then that I was going to learn how to make pictures and show the rest of the world. One thing that I still will not do is doctor a picture using any photo editing software. I believe this river is beautiful just the way it is and does not need any help. I just need to be in the right place at the right time and capture it.


I feel like I have been blessed, lucky or just fortunate to catch some of the things I've been able to see through my camera lens: two owls together on a tree, woodpecker feeding babies, two otter playing, blue herons, egrets, fox, deer, raccoon, squirrells, ducks and lots of trees.
Some of the notables that have my river pictures are former President Jimmy Carter, Sonny Perdue, Jack Kingston and the head of the DNR Mark Williams will have one on their meeting room wall as soon as I bring it to north Georgia.


I've had the idea about a Satilla River book for several years but was not sure about what I wanted or how to go about doing it. I searched the libraries and internet trying to find a book strictly on the Satilla River and have found none. Some have short paragraphs in them but that is it. I think my book is unique because of this and the first of its kind on this beauty of a river.

An old friend that lives in Macon told me about a year ago he would help me put one together if I sent him the pictures. Jerry finally had to give me a cut off date to "stop sending or we will never get through with this thing!" and I kind of obliged after sending in a few more.

I have taken several thousand pictures and have finally narrowed it down to 175 of my most favorite Little Satilla, Big Satilla and wildlife pictures. After talking with several publishers (all started to sound like used car salesmen) I decided to publish it myself with help from Four Colour Printing in Kentucky. After all I don't believe anyone will try to sell my book any harder than I will and I figured I could save a little money in the process. I am extremely proud of what I have and from what I have heard from people others are also.

I hope this has given a little more insight as to why I love this river so.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a book I am taking pre-orders for $45 per book plus $5 for shipping if out of town.

My address is:
89 Pat Harris Rd.
Nahunta, Ga. 31553
or my website is http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/
and you can use pay pal. After the books get here which should be the first of November the books will be $49.99 each.
Thanks. Feel free to send this link to my blog to anyone you think may be interested in this book and I do appreciate it very much.
Wayne

North to Alaska and Satilla Solitude

We finally made our trip to Alaska the last part of June. It was a very good trip and I got to shoot quite a bit of wildlife including nesting bald eagles, dall sheep, coyote, several moose and some of the big ole "skeeters" that I kept hearing about. When me and Bonnie would get off of the beaten path and walk on a few of the trails they would aggravate along with the black flies.

We were about 120 miles south of Anchorage when we heard on the radio that there was a mild earthquake but we felt none of it. Anhorage reminded me of a city about the size of Savannah but once you got about 10 miles south of town the beauty was amazing. Snow capped mountains on one side and inlets from the ocean on the other. We checked out Whittier (which we had to drive 2 1/2 miles through a tunnel in the side of a mountain to get to) Seward, Homer, Palmer, Wasilla (didn't see Palin) and turned around at Willow to come back to Anhorage.

Alaska is big and most of it beautiful. Some of the places on the side of the road had mobile homes with bunches of junk cars all around but the other scenery was breathtaking. Bonnie couldn't get used to sleeping when it barely got dark at all. The temperature was in the 40's and 50's and was quite a change to get back to south Georgia and the smoke and 100 degree weather. I'm sure we will make another trip north to Alaska if we get the chance.

I'm still talking with publishers about my Satilla River book and they are all starting to sound like used car salesmen. Each one has a package that is "better than the others and I need to jump on it now before the price increases." I've had lots of people intersted in it (over 300 on my list that have said they wanted at least one) and I hope to make a decision real soon about getting it done and available before Christmas of this year.

Now me and Bonnie have got to start thinking about where we are going next year to make more memories and pictures.

wayne

Zirkle, Channel 2 news and other news

Brantley Telephone Company is working on a new local TV channel and last week they called about getting footage of me making pictures at Zirkle and the Little Satilla River. This morning Robby came over and took video of me doing my thing that may be used later. Also he interviewed me and went back to Jerry J's restaurant in Nahunta where a lot of my pictures are on display and took some video of them.

I entered two pictures in the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts show in Valdosta and last week found out that out of 464 entries I made the top ten overall and finished 3rd in the photography portion. (They paid money to the top two so I got a purple ribbon out of it.)

I have always wanted to go to Alaska and in June we are flying to Anchorage, renting a vehicle and driving around for a week.

I have finished sending pictures for my book on the Satilla River and waiting to see the finished product. Hopefully they will be out and for sale later on this year. My passion for photography still remains as strong or stronger than ever and I still look forward to seeing what I can photograph every day. The Satilla is still my main subject and seems like everytime I go I find something that I think is unique.
wayne

Kase Morgan Crews

Last Sunday a beautiful baby boy was born to my daughter and I became a grandpa. I've been hearing for a long time that there is nothing better than having a grandchild come into your life and now I know what they mean. Within a couple of days of them coming home from the hospital Kase slept on my chest for 3 or 4 hours while I held him in the recliner. I was the one with a big smile on my face and a tear in my eye... all at the same time. I can't wait until he gets to come home and spend the night with grandma and grandpa and when he gets to go with me on the Satilla and make some pictures. I am already thinking about how I can get pictures of him holding a fishing pole or sitting in the boat or just sitting on the river bank.
Our world has changed.

My photography book is coming along and I hope to have something to look at before too much longer. I have decided to go back to the original plans and do one strictly on the Satilla River (Little & Big) and some of the things I've seen around it including much of the wildlife.
wayne

Disappointed in Yellowstone

09-02-2010

We left last Monday morning on a trip to Montana and see Yellowstone and all of its beauty. I have to say there is a lot of it and I only had one week to stay. I got pictures of a grizzly, bald eagle, elk, deer and lots and lots of scenery. There is so much to see out there that if it would have been me by myself I would still be a long ways from being through. If I had more vacation time and money I would be out there for a very long time.

The Beartooth pass coming out of Yellowstone on the northeast side is an adventure in itself with the winding roads on the edge of the mountain with very few places that had guard rails. At one good looking place I yelled at my brother-in-law Johnny to STOP! and he wheeled our rental car right over to the edge. About that time my sister-in-law Debra started screaming and sliding way down in the seat. "DON'T DO THAT! You don't have to listen to everything Wayne says!" and would not look over the side.

After getting to the top of the almost 11,000 feet elevation a couple of men flagged us down at a pull-off. After stopping we discovered an elderly man sitting under the steering wheel of his car with his left hand folded into a tight fist and pressed up against his chest. His wife said they had been to all of the states but four and this was the last one to visit. He complained that he didn't feel right and collapsed where he was sitting. We helped get him to the passenger side of their Virginia vehicle and tried to get her to let me drive them back down the steep mountain but she insisted on doing it herself. Someone had went ahead and called 911 and they met them about half-way. We followed them down and came on back to the cabin in Ennis, Montana.

The Buffalo out there are roaming all over the place and we almost ran into a Grizzly and a couple of deer. I watched as two elk were feeding and gradually got too close and started to rub their antlers together. I don't think they were actually fighting - more of a pushing match than anything until the smaller one had enough and walked off.

The Grand Tetons are amazing and I really could spend a lot of time making pictures of them all times of the year.

We flew 2,500 miles and met a couple that live in Pierce County about 20 miles from home in Georgia. Max and Molly live in Montana part of the year and Pierce the other part. They took us to places that I would probably never have found and really enjoyed what they did for us. The cabin was wonderful and everyone we met around the small town was so nice.

Bonnie didn't get to shop as much as she would have liked on our trip which is totally my fault. For her first time flying I think she can handle it from now on. She kept me straight once we reached each airport and found where we needed to be with no problems.

My biggest disappointment about Yellowstone was having to leave the place and come back home.......but I will be back.

wayne

Grandparents and 2010

06-18-2010

My daughter invited us and Brandons mom and dad to eat lunch with them last week. After we were through eating she slipped into her bedroom and brought out four envelopes - two pink and two blue and told us to open them up. Each one had a pregnancy test that with all of the hooping and hollering going on by Bonnie must have read positive. My vision was kind of blurry and I couldn't see too well about that time. We are going to be grandparents and the youngun' is due in February!

The year 2010 has been a great year for me so far. I was named 2010 Brantley County Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. I've sold enough pictures to pay for the cabin rental in Montana that we are going to fly to in August. A great friend donated frequent flyer miles for us so our tickets are paid for. I did a photo shoot for Stormwatersystems that installed the litter catcher in Waycross and sent them a bill that they "disputed." They sent me a check for double what I asked for because of my work above and beyond to help the Satilla River. And did I mention that we are going to be grandparents also?! Looks like I'm going to have another subject to take pictures of.

I've done several big shows this year and the new Jerry J's will be opening soon and I've already been asked to hang several pictures in it.

These are two pictures I've taken lately. Butterfly in my backyard and the trees are in Trudie Lake. Did I mention that we are going to be grandparents??????

wayne

Citizen of the Year

2010 Citizen of the Year

I was named the 2010 Citizen of the Year for Brantley County last week but the one that truly should be named Citizen of the Year for Brantley County was sitting out in the audience at the awards ceremony the other night. After seeing the latest Robin Hood movie I started calling her "muh Lady." She has sacrificed so much over the years and done without things that I know she would liked to have had so I could work on my dream as a photographer. She has told me that I've got three wives and their names are Sony, Nikon and Bonnie and we've been married almost 26 years now.

Years ago when I first started photography one of the first photos I was ever able to sell went to a little white haired lady from Jacksonville. It was of a curved dirt road taken in the fall of the year that I called the Road to Strickland Landing. She had lived in Brantley County as a small child but her family moved away to Florida. The picture took her back to when she was walking down a road just like this kicking a Campbell soup can without a worry in the world and brought back lots of fond memories. Before she retired from her job at an insurance company Sibyl was looking at the picture while standing near a copying machine when her supervisor walked up. He watched her for a while and said "I don't know where you were at but you weren't here" and she told him about the little girl on a dirt road.

I think one of the best things an artist can hear from someone is first of all - I'd like to buy some of your work and next would have to be - your work tells a story and stirs an emotion. I've been very blessed for several people to tell me this.

I've met so many great people through my photography and many Brantley County photos of mine are in possessions of people around the world. Governor Perdue, former President Jimmy Carter, the Tatum Family in England and several others.

I did a job shadow with an 8th grade student the other day that is interested in photography that asked me how much I've made from my photography and I had to laugh. I added it up farely quickly and said about $10,000 and $9,500 was of Brantley County. I figure I've spent at least twice that much and Bonnie says the costs have been way more than that and she is probably right once again.

I read an Ansel Adams quote the other day that said "Good photography is know where to stand." I think I've been standing in a very good place all of my life. Brantley County.

wayne