The Rocker

This rocker belonged to my grandmother. When my mother turned 16 years old she ask her mother if she could go out. Since my mother was grounded at the time, my grandmother said no. My mother sat in this rocker and carved her initials in the top right arm of the chair, a defiant act.  Not sure what her punishment was for that or even why she was grounded in the first place. 

When we were going through the house to start clearing out, we ran across this rocker, dusty with no seat in it, covered with cobwebs, forgotten. I ask if I could have it. I brought it home and it sat in my garage for years. After my mother died I decided to have it refinished.  I instructed the refinisher to be sure he DID NOT disturb the initials that had been carved into it. It was the initials that I wanted most to keep.

My mother was something of a spitfire. I'm glad I heard this story, wish I knew the rest of it.

Photos that tell a story

I like street photography because it usually involves people watching. Some more interesting than others, like the ones that evoke an emotion.  I usually fabricate a story in my head about the person, wondering how much of it is true. 

This image is an example of evoking emotion to me, one of  protective instinct. I saw this young boy enter the subway car alone in New York and my first thought was that he was so young to be traveling New York by himself. His big eyes seemed so sad and he clutched so tightly to the bag he was carrying. He kept looking at the monitor that displayed the next stop on the route. He kept swinging his leg and fidgeting, seemed anxious. Where was he going?

Alone

This gentleman was sitting alone in a restaurant having a beer. I wondered if this was a regular stop for him on a daily or a weekly basis. Or maybe he was a tourist as I was, just stopping for a cold drink. He seemed deep in thought, occasionally looking out the window. What was he thinking?

The Regular

This young couple was entwined on this bench in over 90 degree weather. I thought the young lady may have been hurt because of the cloth she held in her hand.  It seemed so hot to be so close but it may have just been young love.

Comforting

Of course, this is what I see, you may see something entirely different. I hope I made you stop and think about it.

Proud to be an American

To me the Fourth of July brings to mind the American flag. 

A Day with a Three Year Old

I am three and the world is all about me

A friend of mine has a three year old granddaughter that I enjoy being with. When she was two, it seemed that she was constantly on the run and when I tried photographing her, I mainly got her backside as she was always running in the opposite direction. Now that she is three, she seems to enjoy when I photograph her and even commented last session "I am good at taking pictures" even though she was in front of the camera. She does love to pose but the images that I really love are the unexpected shots I got when she wasn't posing. We were supposed to be outside but as luck would have it, it was raining but we decided to see what we could get.

Look

Some of my favorite shots were taken while she was looking out a window into the woods. As she was sitting there, lost in her own world, she was spinning a story about a wolf and a little girl that she rattled on about as she sat there. I loved her imagination and we talked back and forth about what was happening. I was just happy to be allowed to be part of her world even for a short time. The great thing is she was not tuned into me and my camera.

Wonder

Fixing Her Hair

Young children are not as camera shy as older children or adults, more natural and uninhibited. Anxious to talk and tell you things like where they got a boo-boo. 

See my Boo-boo.

By the end of the day she was getting tired but was still receptive. I thought it best to end the shoot and come back another day when we could be outside. She looked like she was ready for a nap as well as myself and her Grammy.

Raining Outside, I 'm Bored

Boxer

                                                                     
                                          
                                      September 7, 2002-April 28, 2012

Boxer

Our cat, Boxer went into renal failure about 2 months ago and after struggling hard for his last week, we had to make the tough decision of considering euthanasia. The last week that he was with us I took over 150 pictures of him, wanting to preserve him, knowing the inevitable but not wanting to let him go.
It was nearly 10 years ago that I had taken my youngest son to a friends party and I was headed home when I passed a yard where 2 young boys were sitting with a cage with 3 kittens. They had a sign saying "free kittens". I stopped to take a look (we were cat less at that point). One of the boys said his Mom told him that he could not come back in the house until he got rid of all the kittens. To help him out I took one. My husband was out of town at the time so it was the perfect opprortunity.
When I brought him in the house he was immediately accepted by our children and our chocolate lab, Sadie. From the beginning he was a tough guy. He greeted Sadie by standing on his back legs and swatting at her nose with his front paws, hence his name, Boxer.
It has been a week since he has been gone and a lot of memories have been exchanged. We have seen him wrestle a snake while standing on his hind feet, he snagged on of his front fangs when he was just a kitten and had to have it pulled (with no anesthesia) which made his mouth a little lopsided, he was a hunter, yet kind enough to become the "big brother" to an abandoned kitten that my daughter found on the side of the road.
He was also a wonderful model for numerous photos over the past decade. I was reminising this week, looking back at old images. I had backed up all of my digital files and went to the archives to look for his kitten images. I started to get a little concerned when I couldn't find them, knowing that I had backed up everything because of a previous scare of almost loosing some other important images. (Note:very important to back up images). After a few panicked moments, I realized that I was still shooting film at the time that we got him, whew.
Boxer was not an affectionate cat.  He would sit near you but rarely on your lap. He had the longest whiskers, the prettiest green eyes and I was always amazed at how he kept the pads on his paws as pink as the day I brought him home (even though the were exposed daily to Georgia red clay).
He is missed.

Old Buildings

I am attracted to old buildings. There is something about them that exudes history. They have so much character, be it the structure itself or the textures. The textures may be original or those that have developed over time with decay. There are characteristics about older buildings that are different than todays structures.  I like this cast iron star which is a  cable anchor which supports the exterior walls. 

Star Anchor

It is kind of sad to see a building in demise. Sometimes I wonder if it could have been reused rather than building a new structure. 

I grew up in Lenoir, NC where furniture was a big industry. Almost everyone that lived there was associated in some way with furniture. I had a few summer jobs working in the factories there. Now when you go to Lenoir, you see a lot of empty factories. Times they are a changing as the song goes. 

Furniture Factory

Sometimes it is nostalgia that attracts me, like this photo of the Center Theater in Lenoir. I can look at it and remember events such as going to see a double feature of Dracula and Frankenstein with my younger brother. Or going to see Dr Zhivago with friends or first dates at the theater.

Center Theater

One day these buildings may no longer be standing and I would like to think that through my photographs I have preserved a memory or a piece of history.

Photography and Seinfeld

When I am shooting something like the photo below, I often think of Seinfeld, "a show about nothing".

Salt & Pepper

When photographing, the subject does not always need to be a grandiose subject, just everyday "nothing really special" items that spark an interest. Sometimes the subjects can be arranged uniquely or not. Since I am a visual person. one of the things I enjoy about photography is all the different perspectives of photographers which gives each one a uniqueness. Taking an everyday item, one that may seem mundane, often past over and preserving its image, making it more than "nothing".  I am so thankful for all photographers for visually sharing so many wonderful images of everyday life. It gives us all a chance to take a second look and possibly see it for the first time. All the nothing is actually something, maybe not grandiose but they make up a life. Sometimes it may even spark a memory in someone.

But hey, Seinfeld ran for 9 seasons and the reruns are still on.  There must be something to this "nothing".

Gone

Revisiting

Happy New Year!  Sometimes I get in a slump with my photography and I will go back and view some of my older images. In doing so I often find images that I really like but when taking so many photos they were passed over to go on to the next group of images. (Thank goodness for digital because at least I can organize images better than I did when I was shooting film) Sometimes when time has passed, I  look at things differently and may like an image better this time around.  This photo is one such image. When looking at this, I think it creates a story (which may be different for each person) but never the less a story is created. That is one reason I like it.

Approaching

Back Stoop

The Back Stoop, another image I took during the same visit to New York in 2010. I liked the simplicity of just one chair and again it kind of created a story for me. I thought of the person living in this apartment and even though it was a busy street the chair was set up on the back stoop to create a sort of retreat for the person to sit, relax and view the people passing by.

Moment of Peace

Also taken during the same trip. I was on the subway and this woman was so peaceful, didn't know if she was sleeping, meditating or just taking a moment to rest. I thought she was beautiful and wanted to capture that moment.

So, no matter the reason, revisit at your older images. You never know what you may find.

Merry Christmas

I love Christmas, the hustle and bustle, the decorations and lights, family togetherness. It also makes for some great photo ops too.  In the rush of the season here are some things to remember to help you get your shot:
1. If you are going out of town, don't forget to pack your camera.
2. Make sure you battery is charged and it is always a good idea to have a back up.
3. Consider the light in the room. A flash might be needed, or tripod(if there is time to set up) or I like using my 50mm because it is good in low light situations with f1.4. Aperture priority is also helpful because one minute you may be shooting a group where you want everyone in focus or the next minute you may be shooting the Christmas tree where you want the tree but the background out of focus.
4.Take photos of the preparation stages, cooking, gift wrapping, setting the table and so on. These are great story telling images that are not so posed.

5. Take pictures of family interactions, great memories recorded. Fill the frame, it gives more of an impact when your subjects are not in the distance. Take photos of everyone present.
6. Explore your neighborhood or town. Wonderful lights and sometimes interesting decorations.

7. Have someone include you in a photo or two. If you are like me, it is sometimes like I wasn't even at the event because I am always behind the camera.
8. After Christmas, I take pictures of my decorations. Makes things easier the next year.
9. And lastly, enjoy the holidays, take a breath and count your blessings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Happy shooting!

Take it when you see it!

Have you ever seen a shot and wished you had your camera. Opportunity missed. Or if you had your camera and you were in a hurry going somewhere and couldn't stop but regretted getting the shot later.  Sometimes these shots are unexpected treasures. Subjects you don't go looking for but present themselves.
A lot of the time the image can not be recaptured. When you see something worth photographing,(and you have your camera) take the shot! Sometimes the hesitation means losing the moment. The following photo was not the original shot that I saw. I saw a dog curled up on the chair fast asleep. And the Beware of Dog signed seemed humorous since the dog did not seem to be a threat. I did not take the shot immediately but turned around to pass back by and when I stopped, the dog gave meaning to the sign posted. I would have rather gotten the original image that I saw with the dog sleeping. This image is a little disturbing to me because I do not like seeing dogs chained up. I have passed by the house since this image was taken and the family and dog no longer live there. So no more sleeping dog image.

The point is, if you see it, take it. Other wise there may not be a next time. And even if the next time were to present itself, all elements of the original (lighting for instance) may not be the same.

Happy spontaneous shooting!

Clouds

When photographing nature or anything outside for that matter, clouds can make the image. Imagine the image below without the clouds....not as nice a photo.

Clouds add texture to a grey sky. They add interest to a blue sky. Clouds are very characteristic. Each day they are different. Somedays they look thick enough to walk on and some days they are just wisps in the sky. Clouds can also make interesting reflections in the window of buildings or in water, pond, stream, lake or puddle. They sometimes are dense enough to cast shadows. 

I remember as a child, laying on my back in the grass looking up at the sky trying to conjure up characters out of the shapes in the clouds. So now I always check the sky for cloud condition. 

Now that's a cloud!

    

Nature Undisturbed

Reaching Out

Nature photography is great because you get to be outside. Trees are another favorite subject . Different seasons, different weather, different times of day, so many factors change the subject. Each tree is unique. It can be from the same family such as oak or pine but it still brings it's own uniqueness, just as people do. Weather, wind, rain, sun-all factors in making each tree it's own individual self, just as we are changed by things that have happened in our lives that makes us each unique. Different shapes, bends, heights, all making each tree an individual.

A Little Bend

If you love being outside photographing in nature, check out an upcoming photography contest, Nature Undisturbed, 
This contest was started by Donna Rosser, the Barefoot Photographer  four years ago when she was approached by the Southern Conservation Trust to began a photo show that would benefit the trust. The show is scheduled to open March 17, 2011 at Dogwood Gallery where it began four years ago. The deadline for entry is Dec 17, 2011. 
Be a part of this event!

Sam's Lake Bird Sanctuary

Still Life Photography

Still life photography- the photography of inanimate objects purposefully arranged and lit.

Blueberries

I enjoy setting up still life shots. There is something satisfying about capturing something as I pictured it in my mind. I usually use natural light, sometimes setting up outdoors for more light.

Green Pea

I like what light direction and shadows add to the photo.

Cherry

                               or using available window light.

Morning Coffee

Sometimes setting up the shoot takes a different turn than the original plan. The original plan may not work for one reason or another, lighting, balance, colors whatever. just keep arranging until it works, like you pictured it in your mind.

 

People

The Crossword

People are interesting subjects for photographing. I will often use black and white so that the background is not distracting to the subject.

Blue Icing

Sometimes color is necessary and possibly a little gross.

                                                                                                                       Sometimes just part of a person is interesting, or the back instead of the front.

Teen Jeans

Polka Dots by the Sea

Adding texture to the photo can add to the feeling of the photo. (Grain and grunge textures were added here.)

And often people don't have to be the main subject to add to a photo. 

The Line Up

Every Wednesday                 

I often get a story in my mind about the people. I saw this couple eating quietly at their table. Just the way that they interacted you could see that they were so comfortable with each other. The interaction that they had with the waiters told me that eating at this establishment was something they did regularly. These people "spoke" to me and I had to capture this moment.

Keeping your eyes open

Sun Dancers

My perception of the world grows with my camera. Just the use of a camera encourages me to keep my eyes open. And sometimes, if I'm lucky, a picture will find me.  This is what happened the day that I took this picture. I did not go to Sam's Lake Bird Sanctuary to take this photo. I was just walking with my camera and the sunlight happened to point out this shot for me. It looked like 2 dancers to me, hence the name.

Here are more photos I have taken at Sam's Lake. 

Water Lily

Blue Ripples

Water Lilly 2

For more information about Sam's Lake please go to:https://www.sctlandtrust.org/community-preserves/sams-lake-nature-area