Sara Reeves Photo Blog

A PNW dream trip

Lazing around in gardens and fields and forests with strong and insightful women was high on my list of priorities this summer.  

On September 1, 2018, 50 photographers set out on a trail in their respective states. Their collective goal was simple: to capture what they came across on the trails, specifically focusing on the diversity of landscapes and people who happened to be there.

Here are a few of my portraits from the Merrell x Camp4Collective collaboration project, One Trail.

Check out the interactive map of the U.S. and browse the different images captured by all 50 photographers here.

Standing in a field of his soon-to-be- harvested soybeans about a half-hour’s drive east of Little Rock, Ark., Robby Bevis plunges a steel soil probe into the ground. As the morning sun crests the horizon, he dumps the collected dirt into his hand. “This is the foundation of all agriculture,” he says while sifting the sandy loam soil through his fingers. “And we should be doing a better job of protecting it.”

Bevis’s experience with cover crops has completely reshaped his views on farming and his strategy for the future. “If you would have asked me prior to 2012 if I would be talking about stuff like cover crops, nutrient cycling, and soil health, I would have told you, ‘No, that’s not me,’” he says. “But the more I’ve stepped back and looked at it, the more I’ve realized the soil is the key.”

As soon as he finishes the fall harvest, Bevis plants a multispecies mix of cover crops that varies based on his cash crop rotation. At minimum, he plants a three-way blend of cover crops to maximize the diversified benefits each plant species brings to the table. Every mixture always includes a grass, a brassica and legume.

Cost is a common concern many farmers share with Bevis when considering jumping into cover cropping. “Everyone is looking to save money anywhere they can, but you have to look at the bigger picture,” Bevis says. “I honestly don’t think we can continue to farm the way we have been and hope to maintain our sustainability.”

While Bevis is confident in the results he has seen from growing cover crops, he’s working with researchers with the University of Arkansas Discovery Farms Program to conduct water infiltration studies, measure soil quality, and test nitrogen application rates on his farms in an effort to provide verifiable data that could benefit other growers.

Each microorganism and subterranean critter plays its own special role in building sustainable soils including mineralizing nutrients for plant uptake, decomposing plant residue, stimulating root growth, biologically controlling soil pathogens, providing structure and much more. When a soil’s underground life is flourishing, it provides nourishment for plants and absorbs and retains water to help minimize the effects of droughts and flooding. 

“It takes some patience and may cause some head turning with your neighbors, but it’s worth it,” Bevis says. “We want to build the soil back up and be proud of the land that we pass on to the next generation.”

Written by Adam Buckallew

All images © Sara Reeves for Momentum Magazine

Iconic views of Monument Valley taken in October 2019. This is from the last big trip I took before the Covid pandemic. These were shot with a Fuji X-T30 instead of my 5D. Overall I was disappointed with the camera’s performance. The camera settings were just not intuitive for me and over a year later I am still not comfortable using that camera. One thing I love doing when I travel to remote places is to photograph the night sky and this camera did not perform at all. I didn’t get one shot that worked after trying for over an hour- a real disappointment at a location like this. It also shows sensor spots when shooting at a high aperture and to me that is a deal breaker. I've lived through older DSLR cameras that had tons of sensor spots in the corners even after cleaning and am traumatized from having to photoshop the spots out of my images. So although the camera is lightweight and shoots a RAW file, I will not be leaving my 5D at home next time I get to travel.  

Over a foot of snow fell in Arkansas last week and besides learning that I actually love to shovel snow, I bundled up and spent some time capturing these beautiful Camilla flowers in the snow fall.  The muted rust and blush tones of the petals were perfection, reminding me of the English countryside.  The light was soft and bright and I was grateful to be able to enjoy this spot of nature in the middle of our city.  

Late last summer I had the honor of photographing the cover of the 2021 Arkansas Travel Guide on a mountain top overlooking Lake Ouachita.  It was so fun to collaborate with my art director on the concept, styling, and post production on this one.  I love the way the front and back covers came out!

Order your copy here: https://www.arkansas.com/publications