From historic lighthouses and landmarks to architecture and state parks, there are plenty of great sights to see across Ohio’s 88 counties – many just a short drive away.
Members of the Western Reserve Photographic Society share their favorite spots from around the Buckeye State for “Picture This! A Road Trip Through Ohio.” The exhibit is on view through May 10 at Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland.
“If you have someone who can’t make it around the entire state of Ohio but still wants to see fabulous images of what this state has to offer, that was what got this started,” said Wendy Pittenger, exhibit naturalist at Penitentiary Glen Nature Center.
Visitors can see a variety of covered bridges in Ashtabula, seasons changing at Holden Arboretum and the sun setting over Lake Erie.
They might even get a few ideas for their next weekend trip, Pittenger said.
“Places that people may not get to in Ohio are represented here. So, people can still say, ‘Oh wow, that's cool. Maybe we should go there and see what our state has to offer,’” she said.
Some photographers took images just a short drive away from their homes while others hit the highway to explore a new city. Whether focused on architecture, nature or wildlife, each photographer shares their own perspective on what makes the state so great.
Bountiful bridges
Mentor resident Nancy Murnyack is a retired art teacher and taught everything from painting to drawing to photography. A native of Chautauqua, New York, she’s lived in Ohio since 1998 and loves exploring the scenery with her camera.
“There are some things ... just 20 minutes away that I'd never even realized – a waterfall here and a beautiful rock formation there, old barns that are falling down that are really fun to take pictures of,” Murnyack said.
She also enjoys photographing the 19 historic covered bridges scattered throughout Ashtabula County. On Thanksgiving Day last year, she ventured out with her husband to about 10 of the bridges, most of which are named after the roads that they’re on.
The day ended at the Benetka Road Bridge, just as the colors of a sunset were beginning to spread across the sky.
“I was so amazed because I've been trying to take pictures in the summertime … and you can't get really good pictures, there are just so many leaves,” Murnyack said. “It was a beautiful day and nothing was hiding the bridge, so I was able to get a really neat shot of the expanse of the bridge.”
Hitting the road
Aaron Knight lives in Madison and is the newest member of the Western Reserve Photographic Society. Though he works in IT as a network administrator, his passion has been photography since acquiring his first digital camera at age 9.
Knowing that a road trip through the state would be the theme for this exhibit, Knight traveled to Columbus and Toledo to scope out the scenes. He had a general idea of what he might like to photograph, but a lot was left up to chance.
“I had never done photography like this before,” Knight said, adding he “got lots of different shots that I would have never expected to get that were just waiting out there for me.”
While walking across the Rich Street bridge in Downtown Columbus, Knight noticed a bronze sculpture of a deer leaning over the rail, looking at the skyline. It’s part of a public art project along the Scioto Mile, a stretch of trails and parks along the Scioto River.
“I thought it was looking like the deer was being contemplative, maybe even a little sad about how things have developed,” he said. “This giant city is where its natural environment might have been at one point.”
In Toledo, Knight visited the Glass City Metropark and snapped a photograph of the Beacon Tower, an art installation that represents both the natural beauty and industrial history of the city.
From his visits to other cities, Knight said he realized how diverse Ohio is and enjoyed seeing things he normally wouldn’t have seen.
“I think it's really worthwhile if you get a chance to go travel yourself,” he said.
