Joshua Murdock and the Jewel City Sky

Written by Henry Culvyhouse.

Local photographer Joshua Murdock likes to push himself in all aspects of photography, and that’s one reason he’s excited to become a contributor to DowntownHuntington.net. Publishing his pictures of the Jewel City on this popular website will give Murdock the opportunity to display the city in his uniquely different way.

Nestled at the edge of central Appalachia and the Midwest, Huntington has its share of picturesque views, from the Ohio River to Ritter Park; and for five years now, Murdock has captured those places through his camera.

“There’s just so many vivid colors right here, in our own backyard. But people are too busy working and making a living to see them.”

Focusing on landscapes and sunsets, Murdock said he first tried photography during a trip to Europe with his mother. “We went to England and saw the White Cliffs of Dover; and that’s where I picked up my first camera,” Murdock said. “I really enjoyed capturing those images.”

But Murdock’s passion lay buried for years, until a friend posted a picture of a sunset on WSAZ News Channel 3’s Facebook page. When that photograph made it on-air, Murdock said he was inspired. “I just thought, maybe I could do that,” he said. “So I went out and bought another camera.”

The new shutterbug quickly picked up accolades from various websites such as Pixoto.com and Viewbug.com, as well as from the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Now he never leaves home without his camera.

“It’s about being in the right place and the right time, getting into the elements and capturing those special moments,” he said. “I like taking pictures of the good things that this area has.”

Part of his attraction to sunsets and the skies is his fascination with meteorology. “Weather watching has quickly became my second passion,” Murdock states. Noting his talent, the National Weather Service has certified him as a weather spotter and even featured his work.

“I find it intriguing how we can take what we’re seeing in the sky and figure out what will happen next,” he said. “I really like getting out into nature and taking pictures of what’s going in both the landscape and the sky, snapping that moment in time.”

“With different angles, shots of side streets and alleyways, I look for different elements of the city people might brush over in their day-to-day lives,” Murdock said. “There might be bad things going on, but there’s also a lot of beautiful things out there in our community, a lot of vivid colors that people do not see. I want to show the unity of that beauty in the community.”

Murdock is a die-hard Herd fan dating back to the Randy Moss-Chad Pennington era “I’ve been Herd all the way since Marshall won the last MAC Championship in 2002,” he said. “I remember rushing the field with the crowd and it has stuck with me ever since. I am chomping at the bit to shoot some Marshall athletics.”

Joshua Murdock’s photographs will be a regular feature on Downtown Huntington.net. You can contact him directly on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshuamurdockphotography/.