3 Questions with … Justin Griffith

Taking portraits in natural light is Justin Griffith’s specialty. The trails and woods along the Great Miami River in Tipp have become a favorite location to shoot. That’s where Griffith met Roger Presley, the man who hand-cut a 1.5-mile trail along the river and now has the trail named after him. Here, Justin shares how he and Roger met and why he considers Roger an example of “focusing on the good.”

How long have you been a photographer, and what’s your specialty?

I've been a photographer for 10 years, and for the last five I've been in Tipp City. As far as my specialty goes, I'm a natural light portrait photographer. I do all genres of portrait work: families, seniors, sports, couples, weddings, and boudoir.

How did you get into photography?

I was a kid from a family who didn't see the value in photos. I have so few from my childhood because photography has always been seen (from the business side) as an investment for clients to make. My family was poor, so we didn't invest in memories being captured.

I graduated with a degree in computer animation but became shockingly aware of how little opportunity there was for that in rural Ohio. I had a camera that I made YouTube content with, so I learned everything I could about photography on my own, so I didn't waste a whole art degree.

What inspired you to take photos of Roger Presley?

Roger and I had crossed paths several times throughout the years before we actually spoke. I heard rumors of his story (a multi-year volunteer effort clearing the trail between Tipp City’s Freeman Prairie and the Great Miami River.) But if I was back on his trail, I was working, so I never had an opportunity to talk.

Over the summer last year, his trail became my go-to running spot. I talked to him every chance I got. I would either start my workout with a chat with Roger or end it with one. If we met in the morning, he'd proudly list off his accomplishments from yesterday and his goals for today. Most mornings he'd walk with me, showing me this and that, telling me stories about his life, or sharing wisdom about our town, fears for the future, tree and plant identification, or really corny jokes that are still funny.

I chose to photograph him and tell some of his story because of an editorial of sorts I wrote last fall about the dysfunction found here in Tipp City, the negativity, and the need to focus on the good. So, the next morning, I took my camera and recorded our conversation. I felt that his voice was worth sharing.

He told me that there have always been woods along the banks of the river. When he started exploring the area several years ago, he found slight paths that fishermen had made to get to the river, but mostly he found a place where the teenagers of Tipp City came to party. But he also found water-logged notebooks and scraps of paper left behind by teens who weren't there to party. They were there looking for peace, a place to vent, and in many cases, reasons to live. "The things these kids were writing made me sad,” Roger said. “Out alone in the woods, surrounded by trash, is no place to die. We should be healed by nature. Not use it to hide. Even if you’ve got a bad situation at home, you should have someplace to see beauty and feel the Creator's positive feelings.”

He decided to create just such a place. Now, almost ten years later, he’s cleared a beautiful, wide, level trail that winds in and out of trees along the river. There are several amazing focal points along the trail to explore, as well as a trail safety system with 15 zones for EMS and Tipp City Police Department to get to you within minutes in case of an emergency.

He also created a trailhead, a garden full of beautiful flowers and rock formations excavated and cultivated by himself. "I'm going to be here as long as I can,” Roger told me. “This place keeps me alive, so if I wake up, I'll be working here.”

That day I recorded our conversation, I also asked Roger if he had any regrets or frustrations. Here’s what he said: "Oh sure, there’s plenty I wish for or hope for. I get upset. I feel unheard. Just like everybody else. We're all just people. I don't think it's good to focus on negatives. Why spoil the beauty of everything by feeding bad things? Look at this trail. There's purpose here. There's purpose over there. Mine might not look like yours, but if we all do whatever we can for the good, there's very little bad. For the time I have left, that's all that's important."

I recognize as a younger man that this is his legacy. The work put in, the generosity, the wisdom shared, and the memories captured here will live on. If you haven't been to the trail yet, you should go. It’s by far my favorite place.

Editor’s note: In 2019, the Tipp City Council, on the recommendation of the Parks Advisory Board, named the 1.5-mile path cleared by Presley the “Roger Presley Trail” in recognition of the thousands of hours he had donated toward clearing the trail. To access the trail, enter the Great Miami River Trail (aka, the bike path) from Tipp-Elizabeth Road, across from Tipp City Park. The trailhead can be found an eighth of a mile on the left, along the bike path.