I put a lot of thought into how to make the Apple Butter Festival Art Show next week as interactive as it can be. Art is meant to be enjoyed, not just “looked at”. So I wanted to do what I could to invite people to slow down, observe, and enjoy the experience of visiting the art gallery.

So, here are the two ideas I came up with:

1. Behind The Shot Storytime!

On all three days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday next week), I’ll be giving short presentations on the stories behind some of the photos in the gallery. Not long lectures—just a few minutes to share little details, or what I went through to get the shot, or things about the photo you would never know if you were just looking at the photo online.

2. “Guess That State” Matching Game

The second activity is something I’m really excited about. I intentionally curated the gallery to showcase 40 photos from 40 different states. Your challenge—if you want to participate—is to try and match each photo to the state it was taken in as you walk through the gallery. Nothing formal. Nothing competitive. Just a fun way to encourage deeper observation of the photos!

Now, you might be thinking: “How would I be able to guess the state? I don’t travel much.” Or, “I’m not a geography person.” Or, “40 states? That’s a lot to match up!”

But here’s the thing . . . because we’re working with entire states, and because I’ve intentionally chosen the photos with this game in mind, it might actually be easier than you think! Some places are iconic (like the St. Louis Arch). Some photos will have clues in the terrain or subject of the photo itself. I’ll drop hints in titles or descriptions. And if all else fails, you can use the process of elimination!

And at the end of the day, whether you match any of them correctly or not, the activity will help you slow down, observe, and hopefully learn something new about the vast and varied country in which we live.

So now, to give you a little practice, here are three photos from a recent trip. Let’s observe them together and see if we can figure out in which states they were taken!

Photo 1 of 3

Instead of just “looking at” the photo, lets make some observations about it!

This is obviously a sunrise or sunset in summer.

If you’ve been following the Lenspiration blog or Instagram, you’ll know I was visiting family over the summer—and you probably saw plenty of photos that looked like this from my hiking excursions during that trip. That’s the first clue.

Next, take a look at the terrain. Not rocky mountain peaks. Not dry desert buttes. Not rolling prairie. Just long, gentle ridges, very typical of Appalachia or the Ozarks.

Then there’s that industrial-looking building at the bottom of the photo. And the big mansion way off in the distance. Not the kind of structures you’d typically see if we were overlooking vast stretches of quiet farmland.

The rock outcroppings have a smooth, almost building-block appearance. If I were more into geology, I’m sure I could pull a clue or two from that.

And the trees—always a huge part of guessing a location! The various types of pine trees in the foreground suggest either a cooler climate or sandy soil. But off in the distance, it’s all deciduous forest, so we can’t be too far north.

Putting it all together, based on what you know about my travels and what we observe in the photography, you might guess Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or maybe New York.

And you’d be right! It’s a sunrise photo that I never got around to posting from my last early morning hike at the end of our time visiting family in Connecticut.

Even if you didn’t guess it correctly, you still slowed down, observed various aspects of God’s creation that you may never have observed before, and perhaps learned something new about a state you may not know much about nor ever visited! During my first ever visit to Connecticut, I was surprised by how rolling the terrain was—long ridges with lots of space in between.

Photo 2 of 3

Here’s a completely difference scene!

Is this Italy? It sure looks old. Even exotic. Why? Because of the stonework. We associate old architecture with the building materials available at the time. Every element of a photo speaks!

What else can we observe?

It’s a very wide river. There are a lot of bridges here too. Three at least, maybe four. All stone or cement, and all in one concentrated area.

I’m not an expert in architectural styles, but I’m sure the light fixtures on the closest bridge could offer clues to someone knowledgeable in that area.

Unfortunately, the presence of the moon and powerlines don’t help us. They can been seen anywhere. 🙂

So let me thin, what major rivers are there along the route James may have been crossing on his way back home to West Virginia from Connecticut?

The Hudson River? The Potomac? Maybe the Cheat River?

This photo, with all the bridges going across it, actually reminds me a lot of the James River, down in Richmond, Virginia. I know about it because, well, it’s got a name I can remember pretty well. 🙂

Another location possibility would be Pittsburgh, with the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny Rivers all coming together. But if you’ve ever seen downtown Pittsburgh, the bridges don’t look like this. Same with photos I’ve seen of downtown Cincinnati or Louisville.

These bridges are unique. It’s more like what you would see from any of the three major interstates that cross the Susquehanna River right outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Which, if you look at a map, is right along the route we most likely would have taken from Connecticut to West Virginia where I’d be traveling home from summer with the in-laws.

Of all the times I’d driven through Harrisburg, I’d never taken time to stop here to take pictures. The park on City Island had free parking, we needed a break from driving, and it was just the perfect time of day for a walk over the Walnut Street Bridge to watch the sun set and the moon rise.

Photo 3 of 3

Now, the location of this shot I wouldn’t expect anyone to guess. It’s not the kind of photo I would choose to use for the Art Show. 🙂

But it’s still worth observing. And we can certainly learn something new and fascinating about this location!

First off, it doesn’t look anything like the state in which it was taken. And it’s also deceptive if you’re thinking strictly along the Connecticut-to-West Virginia route. Because, you see, we took a detour.

Not to Colorado. Not to the New River in southern West Virginia.

No, we detoured down to the DC area (of all places!) to spend a couple days with a relative—and go on a very educational photo shoot with Samuel Ching, a photographer friend who was “in town” from Hawaii!

Now, where would I go with a friend to take pictures in the DC area? Lots of great spots around, of course. But where on earth would this photo have been taken?

I grew up only an hour and a half from these incredible rapids and grand network of waterfalls, but I actually never knew they existed until this summer! Looking at the DC area, what major rivers do we see?

Well, there’s the Anacostia River, on the eastern side of town. But that’s probably not it. It looks pretty small.

The Potomac? Much more likely!

Waterfalls of this proportion usually indicate rough terrain and a major drop in elevation. So, if you look at the top left corner of the map above, you’ll find an area that fits this description well.

And sure enough, Great Falls Park was a hidden gem so close to civilization that I could hardly believe it. We were only able to explore one boardwalk on the Maryland side, but there are more boardwalks on the Virginia side and lots of trails up and down the river that I’d love to explore in the future . . . now that I know they’re there. 🙂

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You may never have guessed any of these three locations without a little help. But that’s exactly why the 40 photos I’ve chosen for the Art Show are not random snapshots from a summer trip. I’ve carefully selected the gallery photos to be easier—and more enjoyable—to guess and recognize which state they were taken in. And I’ll definitely be leaving clues around. 🙂

So even if you don’t love geography, or you haven’t traveled much . . . come to Salem, WV and see what you can discover about some new, beautiful places.

And hopefully, visiting an art gallery will be a refreshing break from everyday anyway. You get to see places you’ve never been, notice details you’d normally miss, and enjoy the kind of beauty you don’t get from scrolling on your phone. It’s relaxing, inspiring, and honestly just fun to explore.

You’re invited to come take a look—you might find a new favorite place without even leaving the room!