Stone Mountain Park is a popular place to go for any kind of outdoor recreation. It’s located about 30 minutes from Atlanta, making it a destination for many people. The park is made up of 3,200 acres filled with hiking trails, seasonal attractions, and even lodging, just to name a few.
Photos courtesy of Alita Swanson.
Stone Mountain, much like the name suggests, is a mountain primarily made up of quartz monzonite. The dome of the mountain was formed during the formation of the Blue Ridge Mountains, another beautiful Georgia landmark, about 300 to 350 million years ago. It was formed by the swell of magma from the earth’s crust, leaving us with a beautiful destination that people love even millions of years later.
Photos courtesy of Alita Swanson.
The hike up the mountain is 1.3 miles with an elevation of 700 feet, but it’s worth every step to get to the beautiful panoramic view overlooking Atlanta’s cityscape and Stone Mountain Lake. If you aren’t keen on hiking, the park offers a summit skyride that allows you to experience the views of the mountain from a slightly different vantage point.
Photos courtesy of Alita Swanson.
The beauty of the mountain is breathtaking, attracting many eager artists and photographers. One of them is Sky Meeks, who is originally from Alabama but has lived in Georgia since the fall of 2021. Meeks is a current student at Georgia State who used to be a model with Ursula Wiedmann Modeling, a well-known agency in Atlanta. However, she has now been doing photography consistently for about a year.
Photos courtesy of Sky Meeks.
What inspired you to do this shoot?
“I did a shoot [at Stone Mountain] a while ago as a model. I saw this location and I just always had it in my mind that I have to go back, because I’ve never seen somewhere that looked so funky. And you could just do so much with that huge space. I just think it’s so beautiful. So, we went there, and I had Gigi style it. I just want it to look very otherworldly. Inspired by ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘The Twilight Zone’ … mostly ‘Twilight Zone’ with the black and white.’ I wanted it to look like she was lost in a different place, whether it be here on the world or on a different planet. We don’t know, these are questions that could be asked, ’cause we’re in the Twilight Zone. I wanted it to be moody. I’m a very moody photographer, you can tell that within my work. That was just it. I like to go out there with a vague concept and just work my way in on things, like how the mood is that day or how the vibes are.
Photo courtesy of Sky Meeks.
Meeks says that starting photography back up again has been an amazing experience. “I love seeing other people’s different perspectives. I love being a creative behind the camera. Even though modeling was fun, it’s just not for me. It’s nice to explore a different part of that world in the sense that I get to be behind the camera and control the image. I make beauty and art. It’s been a happy and satisfying process, and I feel like I’m doing well so far.”
“It’s never too late to start a hobby again or if something doesn’t work out for you the first time, it’s never too late to pick it up and try again and go harder with it,” Meeks says. “I spend a lot of hours just looking at lighting setups, different videos, and photo books trying to get inspiration, but you can really get inspiration from anywhere. I find it in songs sometimes. There’s just so much creativity, love, and art in the world, and I feel like a lot of people should tap into their artistic side.”
Photos courtesy of Sky Meeks.