There’s nothing better than working in the mountains. That’s one of the many things Chester Richardson and I can both agree upon. Chester works in the Townsend, TN area building top of the line log cabins. It’s an extraordinary craft that Chester shares with his father, and extreme professionalism is evident in every detail of his work. I would define his style of cabin-building as “polished rustic” because it feels and smells of the mountains with a touch of elegance. Just as I share in the family trade of photography with my dad, Charles Garvey, Chester and I both know the value in tradition and quality. He has a loving family – a beautiful wife and three kids. Their new website is http://richardsonconstructiontn.com/ and anyone who is interested in building or owning a state of the art log cabin should give him a call.
What’s wonderful about working with family is that it brings you closer together. I remember when I began working with my father. We had what I would call a typical father-son relationship. My father being the disciplinarian of the family, we were close but we had a hard time identifying with one another when push came to shove. I’ve worked on projects with my father since I can ever remember and I’ve always loved reaping the benefits of hard work, but once a project was done we moved on our way. Being in a work place forces you to endure and it makes your relationships grow stronger because you have to understand one another to be able to endure. You can’t put off what you need to discuss today for tomorrow, and unlike many adolescents that grow up and move away from their parents just at the point when they are mature enough to really relate to their parents, I am glad that I have been able to stay. I’ve always enjoyed capturing life in many forms but I’ve never wanted to be guilty of nepotism and so I’ve tried to develop my own style of photography on top of the strong tradition that my father has created. His reputation precedes him and I can only hope to lay such a strong foundation for future work. I think Knoxville benefits from small business where a sense of community and a smile is a part of the experience that you take away and I would hope that no one ever takes that for granted.
