By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — You just never quite know who you are going to meet out and about in Blowing Rock nor what gifts they are willing to share.
Oleg Zhuravel came up from behind (that is not hard to do, these days) at Bass Lake and paid my camera a compliment. That turned into a conversation about his visit from Pennsylvania and his current adventure visiting the Southern Appalachian Mountains, as well as his own interest in photography.
It turns out, Zhuravel was born in Belarus of a Ukrainian mother and Russian father. At some point in his early life they migrated to the Philadelphia area. He said he grew up in Olney, describing it as a “… pretty rough part of Philadelphia, but I still grew up happy.”
After discovering North Carolina and buying a home in the Tar Heel State a few months ago, he says, “I have been exploring North Carolina for its beauty and for my hobby of photography.”
From Wiseman’s View, Rough Ridge, and some unusual images of the Blue Ridge Parkway, we are happy to share selections from young Mr. Zhuravel’s work this week. He reports using a Sony A7, as well as an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone.
