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Wise Men Still Seek Him

2009-12-25T05:57:00.005-05:00

While many decry the commercialism that seems to have all but gobbled up Christmas, I still see glimmers of the real Christmas here and there. This restaurant in Murphy, NC, part of a regional chain, makes the best chicken strips I've ever eaten, and I love their bourbon chicken sandwich. On top of making great food, they also remember what Christmas is really all about.

While some businesses won't even let their employees say "Merry Christmas" anymore for fear of offending somebody, Zaxby's puts the real Christmas message right on their sign for all to see. Thanks, Zaxby's, for making great chicken, and for refusing to cower before the politically correct crowd. Christmas is about Jesus, and that will never change.

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T06:03:00.003-05:00

I pray that all the peace and joy that only Jesus can bring will be yours this season, and throughout the coming year!

A Gift From Christmas Past

2009-12-23T05:45:00.004-05:00

Several years back I received this pitcher made by my oldest daughter in a school art class as a Christmas gift. As you can see, it has a hand for a spout. It's rather, er, unique, I think. Whenever I see it I am reminded of Heather's imagination and penchant for being a little different. I like those kind of gifts, don't you?(Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Christmas Thought

"The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable."

- Ralph W. Sockman

Hiding From The Dogs

2009-12-22T05:55:00.005-05:00

Fire Hydrant In Snow, Canton , NC - 2009
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

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A Christmas Thought

"The universal joy of Christmas is certainly wonderful. We ring the bells when princes are born, or toll a mournful dirge when great men pass away. Nations have their red-letter days, their carnivals and festivals, but once in the year and only once, the whole world stands still to celebrate the advent of a life. Only Jesus of Nazereth claims this world-wide, undying remembrance. You cannot cut Christmas out of the Calendar, nor out of the heart of the world."

- Anonymous

Snowy Fence

2009-12-21T05:58:00.003-05:00

Rail Fence, Canton, NC - 2009
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

_____________________

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

- Henry David Thoreau

Taking Winter's Best Shot

2009-12-20T06:57:00.003-05:00

Grass in Snow, Canton, NC - 2009
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Big Snow

2009-12-19T06:02:00.004-05:00

After several winters of minimal snowfall, we finally got a big one. By dusk yesterday we had gotten over 13" at my house. It's the most snow we've seen since we moved to NC 10 years ago, and radio news reports say it's the most the region has gotten since the big blizzard of 1993. My friend Phil, who lives in Alaska, says we topped the 7" they got yesterday. This is my front yard, lit only by street light, at 5 AM this morning. And yes, I always get up that early. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

My camera battery is on the charger now, and when it gets light enough to venture out, I know how I'll be spending my Saturday morning.

Big Easy Christmas

2009-12-15T07:04:00.002-05:00

Christmas on Royal Street, New Orleans, LA - 2004
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Equivalents

2009-12-14T06:48:00.005-05:00

After I made this cloud photograph, it made me think of some famous cloud photos. Those who are familiar with the history of photography will know a little bit about Alfred Stieglitz and his series of cloud photographs made between 1925-1934 that he he called "Equivalents". They are generally recognized as the first photographs intended to free the subject matter from literal interpretation, and are some of the first completely abstract photographic works of art. Apparently, the clouds were a metaphor for something else (hence, the term "equivalents"), although it's anybody's guess what Stieglitz was thinking when he made the photographs. Many claim to understand the Equivalents, but to me they are just OK photos of clouds. Perhaps that makes me a rube when it come to art, but at least I'm an honest rube.

Equivalent, Alfred Stieglitz, 1925

Oh, what was I thinking when I made my cloud photograph? I just thought it was a pretty cloud.

Cover Shot

2009-12-12T06:51:00.003-05:00

Emma, the daughter of some friends from church, has been a regular in front of my camera since she was a baby. And every year to mark her birthday, I put her on the cover of a magazine. Emma turned six recently, and to reflect her budding interest in drawing and painting, I decided to put her (and her mother, heh, heh!) on the cover of American Artist magazine. Happy Birthday, Emma! (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Source of Refreshment

2009-12-11T05:59:00.003-05:00

I had been feeling a little dry spiritually lately when I came across this verse from the book of Proverbs. It is another reminder of the biblical principle that we enrich our lives not by grasping and hoarding, but by giving of ourselves to others. It was just what I need to be reminded of right now, so I decided to add it to my ongoing series of Scripture B&W photos. Perhaps it's also a thought we all need to remember as Christmas approaches. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Shaken, Not Stirred

2009-12-10T06:48:00.004-05:00

From time to time I come across the work of someone who uses intentional camera shake to create a photographic abstract. They all say the same thing, that it's more misses than hits trying to do this. Just shaking the camera during exposure won't produce a masterpiece. You have to hit on the right combination of shake, composition, lighting, and color. Too much or too little shake, and it's a miss. Likewise, controlling the other three factors is hard with a moving camera. Fortunately, with digital it doesn't cost anything to experiment because you'll be dumping most of your efforts into the recycle bin. This was the best of my many attempts using this technique on some Fall foliage this past October. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

A Toy With Purpose

2009-12-09T06:34:00.006-05:00

A product shot today - my new mountain bike, complete with mud on the tires from my first ride. (Click on photo to enlarge.) I had finally built up enough safety points at work to get something better than a new toaster, so I decided to order this. It's a really nice bike: lightweight alloy rims, coil spring front suspension, and 18 speed Shimano gearing. And it's not as frivolous an acquisition as it might appear at first. There's a plan.

First, I'm counting this as my Christmas present this year, freeing up money in the Christmas budget for the rest of the family. (I thought it would be a good idea to work that angle in first.)

Next, I hope to use this thing as a way to get back into better shape. My job is anything but sedentary, but I don't do any aerobic activity either. On my last lengthy hike, I noticed I was getting a winded a little sooner than I used to. I used to enjoy riding before I got married, so I hope I'll be able to do it often enough to be beneficial to my health.

Finally, the photography angle. Often, I see a scene that I want to photograph, but there's no safe place to pull over and stop. Mountain roads usually don't have much of a shoulder. If I carry the bike in the back of my pick-up, I can ride back to the place I want to photograph after I find a safe place to park my truck. At least that's the plan. I already use a photo backpack, so I'll just have to get some kind of rack so I can carry my tripod.

Now what's he doing?

2009-12-08T07:35:00.002-05:00

Noble just can't figure out why his master walks around with that black box pressed up against his face. Humans - go figure. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Winter Branches

2009-12-07T06:55:00.001-05:00

Winter Branches, Waynesville, NC - 2009

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

So Cold

2009-12-06T06:19:00.003-05:00

Green Hill Cemetery, Waynesville, NC - 2009
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

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"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not, and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Potential

2009-12-04T05:36:00.003-05:00

What will these little hands hold one day? A surgeon's scalpel? An artist's brush? A writer's pen? A judge's gavel? A patient's hand? Little hands give us hope for the future. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
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"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."

- Winston Churchill

Self-timer Portrait

2009-11-29T13:23:00.002-05:00

We decided to do a family portrait while my oldest daughter was home from college for the Thanksgiving weekend. This was done with the self-timer in my basement studio. L to R, Heather, me, Theresa, and Courtney.

Over-achievers

2009-11-28T06:15:00.003-05:00

Nobody expected our hometown Pisgah Bears to make it to the third round of the state playoffs, but with grit and determination, they did. Last night the clock struck midnight for the Bears as they went down to the much faster Salisbury Hornets 35-7. We'll get 'em next year, Bears! (Click on photo to enlarge.)

I chose this static photo from last night's game to post because in the relatively dim light of a high school stadium I couldn't freeze the action even at ISO 1600. My Olympus E-510 does great on the subjects I usually shoot, but if I was a sports photographer I'd definitely need a camera and lens with more speed.

Give Thanks

2009-11-26T06:55:00.002-05:00

In My Father's Hands

2009-11-24T06:09:00.002-05:00

Coneflower

2009-11-19T06:50:00.002-05:00

Cone Flower, Clyde, NC - 2004
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Belated Happy Birthday

2009-11-18T06:32:00.003-05:00

A belated Happy Birthday to one of my photographic heroes, Walker Evans. Mr. Evans was born on November 3, 1903 and passed away in 1975. I never tire of looking at his photos, especially those he made in the 1930s. In this photo of the Open Door kitchen for the homeless in Waynesville, I tried to emulate his documentary style. (Click on photo to enlarge.) Happy Birthday Walker!

Hot Rod Reflection

2009-11-17T05:29:00.002-05:00

Hot Rods, Cherokee, NC - 2006

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Sisters

2009-11-16T07:33:00.003-05:00

People pictures are easy. Portraits are difficult. The difference? Portraits should reveal more than just what somebody looks like. A portrait should reveal some of the subject's personality, or tell us about their activities or relationships. Big, toothy grins are not required, or usually, even desired. Portraits take time. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
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"If it's a likeness, alone, it's not a success. If, through my portraits, you can come to know the subjects more meaningfully, if it synthesizes your feelings toward someone whose work has imprinted itself on your mind--if you see a photograph and say, 'Yes, this is the person,' with a little new insight--that is a beautiful experience."

- Yousuf Karsh

_____ My Viewfinder _____

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Merry Christmas

A Gift From Christmas Past

Hiding From The Dogs

Snowy Fence

Taking Winter's Best Shot

The Big Snow

Big Easy Christmas

Equivalents

Cover Shot

The Source of Refreshment

Shaken, Not Stirred

A Toy With Purpose

Now what's he doing?

Winter Branches

So Cold

Potential

Self-timer Portrait

Over-achievers

Give Thanks

In My Father's Hands

Coneflower

Belated Happy Birthday

Hot Rod Reflection

Sisters

_ My Viewfinder _