My Grandmother

I rarely post anything personal on social media, but I think that this time I will break my own rule. My grandmother Olga passed away last week at the age of almost 103. She would have turned 103 on July 15, 2024. She was an absolutely amazing woman, fiercely independent. She survived the Holocaust, World War II, evacuation to Vorkuta, and all the hardships that the USSR threw at her and her family. I’ve been scouring my photo archive for photographs of my grandmother. This short series is from August of 2018 – she was playing cards with my daughter Daniella.

Camping at Coopers Rock State Forest

A few weeks ago Sophia and I went camping and rock climbing at Coopers Rock State Forest in West Virginia. Coopers Rock is one of my favorite places in the world. I used to go there at least once a month back in my climbing days, and now I finally had an opportunity to bring my daughter with me. Even if you are not a climber, the park has amazing hikes and the sunset view of the Cheat River valley is absolutely incredible.

Sunset over Cheat River valley, view from the Coopers Rock State Forest Overlook. Fujifilm XT-3 with a Fujinon 23 f/2 lens.
Photo courtesy of my 10-year-old daughter Sophia.