Virginia

A Virginia Road Trip in Late May (2025) /  by Todd Henson

Today I don’t have any standout artistic photographs to share, but instead wanted to take you along for a Virginia road trip my father and I made in late May of 2025. I tried to capture moments on the road that appealed to me, perhaps because of a curve in the road, hills or mountains in the background, or just about anything else of interest. The photos begin on Sperryville Pike (522) after leaving Culpepper heading west and end on John Marshall Highway (55) east on the way towards Haymarket. I hope you enjoy this little excursion

Click on any of the photos for a larger view.

West Towards the Blue Ridge Mountains

We began the day by taking a left at an intersection where we’d only ever taken a right, with no idea what to expect. After passing through some rolling hills with plenty of farm land and taking a few more turns we found ourselves in Culpepper. Instead of hanging out in town we ended up on Sperryville Pike heading west towards Sperryville, and from there heading west on Lee Highway (211) over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Heading west on Sperryville Pike after leaving Culpepper

The closer we got to Sperryville the more hilly it became

Between Blue Ridge and Massanutten Mountains

After we passed over the Blue Ridge Mountains and through part of Shenandoah National Park we continued west on 211 through Luray (known for their caverns), past Cooter’s Place (for any Dukes of Hazzard fans out there), and then over Massanutten Mountain which bisects part of Shenandoah Valley.

Driving 211 west past Luray and towards the mountains

Continuing west on 211

West on 211 approaching the mountains

Taking 211 over Massanutten Mountain

North Through Shenandoah Valley

Once we hit New Market we headed north on Route 11, taking a brief detour onto Caverns Road to stop by the Route 11 Potato Chip factory. From there we returned to Route 11 by way of Wissler Road which took us through the historic Meem’s Bottom Covered Bridge. Once back on Route 11 we headed north through Mount Jackson and eventually got on 55 heading east through Front Royal.

Passing the 54th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment Monument on Route 11 north

Driving on Cavern Road over 81 and looking south

Approaching Meem's Bottom Covered Bridge from the west

Main Street (Route 11) heading into Mount Jackson from the south

We saw this old Texaco pump in Mount Jackson

East on John Marshall Highway

After leaving Front Royal, instead of taking 66 back east, which would have been faster, we opted for the smaller John Marshall Highway, 55. There’s generally a lot less traffic and just as much if not more scenery. It also passes through several towns, such as Marshall (originally Salem) and The Plains, though I didn’t capture any decent photos of these towns on this trip. But I did slow down the shutter speed for a little fun with the final photo.

Heading east out of Front Royal on Route 55

The Barn off Grove Lane (55), approaching Marshall

Driving on 55 somewhere between The Plains and Haymarket, with a slower shutter speed to show some motion

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Views of the Abandoned Fairview Church of God in Woodstock, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

In mid-March my father and I found ourselves taking a back road conveniently enough named Back Road. I saw a church highlighted by the sun atop a rolling hill and took a left onto Fairview Road to get a better view. I hadn’t expected to find a second church just beyond the one we’d seen, and was quickly drawn to it as it was an older abandoned building. The second church is named Fairview Church of God, matching the name of the road, and it’s a wooden church with the white paint peeling off and the mostly green metal roof, matching the green shutters, showing many areas of rust.

I wasn’t able to find much information about the church, but it appears it may have been built around 1940. I don’t know when or why it was abandoned. As mentioned, there’s a second church very near by, Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, that’s in very good repair and obviously still in use.

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Variations on a Theme: Wild Geranium - Spring 2025 /  by Todd Henson

While out photographing trilliums in spring my eye was also drawn to the many wild geranium blooms. I chose one particular subject that included both bud and bloom and got to work experimenting with different variations. In the end I had two versions I liked.

For the first variation I went for horizontal framing and chose a bolder, darker, more vibrant portrayal. This image is a 2-photo focus stack for a slight bit of added depth of field, though it doesn’t really add much.

Variation 1: Bolder, darker, more vibrant

For the second variation I went for square framing and chose a softer, lighter and brighter portrayal.

Variation 2: Softer, lighter, brighter

Which, if either, do you prefer? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

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