St Simons Photo Retreat

Croquet, Jekyll Island                                                                       October, 2013

A few weeks ago Dale Niles and I led our first photo retreat on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia. We had a great time. Four participants spent a long weekend at a beach house with us. We got up early, stayed up late and talked photography all weekend. The photo on the blog Billions and Billions came from that weekend.

We are going back at the end of February. Email me if you are interested in coming along.

Janisse Ray

I cannot begin to explain how much I like Janisse Ray. She is a very kind and authentic southern writer. This afternoon I attended a reading at Clayton State University. Janisse read a spectacular essay on the disappearing rural south. I grew up in the rural south. When She spoke of the tiny little town post office -- I remembered the little Garrisonville post office where my grandmother would fill in when Miss Dorothy could not be there. Janisse's love for nature was sparked by her elementary school teacher. My love of the outdoors was sparked by my grandfathers. A little over a year ago I took a day-long writing workshop with Janisse in Peachtree City. She is a wonderful writer, instructor, and speaker.

Not only was I able to have a couple books signed this afternoon -- I got some awesome photos. At one point during her talk, she reached for a very well-loved and worn copy of Ecology of a Cracker Childhood. As she opened the book -- you could see it was filled with notes. She agreed to let me photograph the inside of the book.

 

Lone Pine

Lone Pine, Backyard                                                              September, 2013

It is not really a lone pine -- it just kind of looks like it.  There are two very tall pines in the woods behind our house. I don't really care for pines -- especially very tall, lonely ones. Ask me about a lighting strike sometime -- the kind that exploded light bulbs in the outside lights and scorched the wall in the garage.

Days I sit out on the deck grilling dinner and having a drink, I look at these pines. And even though I don't like them, I do kind of like them. The structure of the branches against a blah sky and the evening light makes me want to take a photo of it. So I did. And I have many times. This is my latest one that I like enough to show to someone.

Blue

Blue Rosette, JCP                                                                              April, 2013

I love the color blue. Sometimes I think it is my favorite color. But then I think about yellow, red, green, and orange, and that awesome purple the sky turns just before the sun comes up. Picking a favorite can be a challenge. Selecting photos to submit to a competition is a little like choosing a favorite. This time of year I start to think about my favorite images for that year. Asking me about a favorite photo is like asking what is my favorite color - or which of my dogs I have had was my favorite. 

One of my first thoughts for 2013 goes to this image. It is exactly what I like about taking photos. I was standing in J C Penney looking for something -- I have long since forgotten. But turned around to notice the prom dresses on display. I got out the iPhone and had some fun. This image is hanging now at Dogwood Gallery in Tyrone. I love it hanging on a wall. In my opinion it is perfection. The gray tones of the wall, tag, and crystals with just black, white, and blue. Add in the folds and frills of the netting and it is sweet and happy. I like sweet and happy -- and today I like blue.