Last year she probably hiked this mountain 50 times. Although not as much, I’m up there a lot, too. In fact I’ve probably photographed the nearby bush 20 times — a few of those images are in these entries.

When I see those images, I ask myself, “why bother?” What’s the point of persistently revisiting a single shrub on top of a mountain?

I’ll admit it’s easily accessible. Well, as easy as a 2500 foot elevation gain. I mean it’s right there on the path.

Especially during the winter when the sun is always at a low angle, the light is nice and its shadow is long. I think it’s beautiful. But, depending on the time of year, it basically always looks the same. High-bush cranberry is a slow grower.

So maybe the examination isn’t so much about the bush as it is about me? At least that’s my recent conclusion.

It’s good that I decided a phone was a justifiable image tool because, otherwise, I might never have thought through this evolution: without such minimal friction, it would not have existed. Simplifying allowed me to see past not only the subject, but the method. After all, these images are more about me than the subject, right?