One of the things I love about my job is that I get to go places and see things that most people don’t. Last week, I went up on the balcony at the base of the Kentucky Capitol’s dome to photograph installation of new murals in the pendentive corners atop the rotunda. The murals were created by Evergreene Architectural Arts of New York. They were paid for by Marion Forcht of Corbin, who sat on the steps below watching the installation. The murals are a beautiful addition to Kentucky’s magnificent Capitol, which celebrates its centennial June 4-5.

Some people go to the Kentucky Derby to watch the horses. I go to watch the people — and photograph them having fun. Here are a dozen photos from this year’s rain-soaked 136th Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

I returned Sunday from Murray, Ky., where I was a writing coach at the 34th annual Mountain Workshops.

This was the 11th time since 1995 that I have been a coach at the documentary photojournalism seminar sponsored by Western Kentucky University.

Each year, the workshop goes to a different small town in Kentucky or Tennessee and spends nearly five days documenting life there in pictures, video, audio and words. By the time the all-volunteer faculty and staff pack up on Sunday afternoon, an army of student and professional journalists has produced a Web site, a framed gallery show, a book almost ready to publish and several video and multimedia pieces.

The workshop’s product is a fascinating reflection of each town. And the process that creates that product is an annual reminder of why I got into this business: to tell interesting stories of real people and their lives. Other faculty and staff members — who come from some of the nation’s most prestigious newspapers, magazines and multimedia production companies — always say the same thing. We learn more from each other and the students than we teach. We come home exhausted, but professionally recharged.

Check out this year’s workshop experience at: www.mountainworkshops.org.