When he tells his stories through photographs he is recreating a past life that hangs in wispy memories. More often than not, those memories are dark and contain painful images. Perhaps he is trying to reconstruct a world he wishes to understand, but remains out of reach. Perhaps he wants the viewer to decide what criteria equates to a good life. Berthieâ€™s photograph is but one in a series of Appalachian life recreations caught somewhere between pain and celebration, truth and fiction.