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Easter Y’all
For many today, Easter was celebrated in their churches, with their families and in their homes. Such a wonderful opportunity to show love and care for those around us! Bonnets and Spring colors, Easter cantatas and the Hallelujah chorus and wonderful family photos!
Asbury Memorial Untied Methodist Church, Henry Street and Waters. I love contributing to the living cross in our church court yard.
Love to you all!
Let them come…
The Little children…
Forbid them not!
Easter Bonnet
Cross of Easter Lilies
Neal and I -
A Photo A Week Challenge: Sunset Thinking
A Photo A Week Challenge with the topic: Rise/Set.
Do you ever watch the sunset
And just sit and think about things
Just you and the sky and darkness
Giving your thoughts some wingsPerhaps you’ve got some troubles
And don’t know what to do
Or you just plain need to get away
To spend a little time with you
Sunset beauty makes you feel as though
Your life has meaning after all
To see a sight so extraordinary
Makes you feel capable, strong and tallIt’s funny how flashes of color
Like a sunset or sunrise can inspire
It can calm your inner self a bit
It’s a scene you can never tire
The serenity gives you a chance
To put things in perspective
Life can be overwhelming at times
And a sunset can be reflectiveSo when the sky lights up next time
Let your gaze do some drinking
Soak up all the amazing sights
And do some sunset thinking! -
Pac-Man Dreams
The electronic realm is slowly bleeding over into our reality.
One day while walking thought Inman Park, Atlanta, I saw what could only be a ghost! No, it was three! The figures seemed to hover and dance in mid air, but as I got closer, they were dancing on what was left of a brick wall.
Now standing immediately in front this wall, I realized this was another form of graffiti art that could be found all over Atlanta. This particular street artist adorned his work with hundreds of tiny square mirrors that reflected sunlight at different angles which produced the illusion of movement.
Anyone older than 30 should remember the gaming sensation Pac Man. Created in 1980, I loved playing this game, which should give my readers a rough estimate of my age. This electronic arcade style game became a worldwide fascination as millions stood in front of arcade machines trying frantically to beat the current high score. With the advent of home gaming systems, Pac Mac and his friends followed us home to our living rooms.
Playing the game was like this: I would spend hours racing around a maze chomping yellow dots, chasing bouncing fruit, all while avoiding 4 wobbly, floating ghosts which were in hot pursuit. If they catch you… “Game Over!”
Not to be forgotten, this public work of art prominently featured those ghosts that tirelessly guarded their digital home, the maze. Pinky, Blinky, Inky and Clyde were seen as the tyrants keeping poor old Pac Man from reaching his goal, maze domination. One mysterious unnamed ghostly figure had not yet materialized on the wall.
Now personally I liked this homage to a part of my childhood being displayed this way but not everyone thinks like me. For as I was standing in the dirt parking lot taking pictures from every angle, a gentleman just emerging from his parked car approached me expressing his take on the art.
This brick wall was situated at the end of a dirt parking lot adjacent to Krog Street Market. A repurposed steel mill warehouse now the hip gathering place for craft beers, burgers and sushi, even fine dining with outside seating under cool patio lighting. This guy did not appreciate a random “street punk,” as he put it, ruining the character of the space as many other artists had done throughout the city.
I let him rant because we all are entitled to our own interpretations of art, yet I feel he was missing the spirit these not so digital ghosts represented.
Maybe he could not access the childhood dreams that link us to our younger selves. Not striving or working hard to pay the mortgage, cell phone and dining tab…”check please!”
Maybe it was more about being a kid maneuvering through an electronic maze, chasing that damn bouncing fruit as Clyde, Blinky, Pinky and Inky blocked your every move, thus preparing you for adulthood.
Thank you anonymous graffiti artist, I miss my Pac Man dreams!
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People Portraits: Orchid Eyes
A portrait captures a moment that’s gone forever; they are impossible to reproduce. Street Photography: Orchid Eyes. My goal in this series is to create a really awesome frame of people existing right then because they honored me time to share their world.
Springtime is alive! We marvel at all the beauty that nature has to offer. Azaleas blooming, Dogwoods blossoming, brown withered branches sprouting tiny bright green leaves. One of the best places to find these marvels is your local botanical gardens. Savannah, GA has it own and chances are, if you live in a big enough town or city, there is one near you. Many colleges like Georgia Southern University in little Statesboro, GA had a good one.
I find myself in Atlanta often and during one of those visits Neal and I, seizing the perfect day as it was the first after a string of cold rainy days, ventured into the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The spring feature display was Orchid Daze!
What a glorious display! Orchids of every species. As I walked through the green house like building, I took pictures of many plants and hoped to find a portrait walking amongst the flowers.
I saw my next subject come into view under a canopy of orchids. Smiling and casually posing for a member of her group. “How do I get her to willingly stop for a moment in front of my lens?” I thought.
Her fashion and style were a perfect match with the floral extravaganza about us! After she walked past me 3 times and I could see how much she enjoyed the orchids. “Good vibes!”, I thought, and politely asked to frame her in a portrait.
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Lighthouses – the ups and downs
On a birthday trip to St. Augustine, Florida Neal and I toured the famous St. Augustine Light. At 165 feet, it is one of the few active lighthouses and I found it very cool to photograph the stairs both before and after my climb. 219 steps one way… up! The visuals are quite stunning!
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Ready… Set… CLIMB!
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Conversations on a Ferry
Ok, so the ferry ride to Cumberland Island National Seashore was not uneventful!
Neal and I planned this trip far in advance. We thought the day’s projected high temperature would mean the morning air around St Mary’s would have been warmer when we arrived from our 2 hour drive, but it was not. Good thing we packed our thicker coats. As we stood on the top deck of the ferry, it was evident that other passengers had similarly expected a sunny day and enjoyable weather.
But it was freezing cold up there! This would be a 45 minute ride for the record books! “Note to self”, I thought, “Arrive earlier to the ferry for a ride in the closed cabin as we return to the mainland.” 
I decided cold or not, seize the moment! Get to “snappin” some photos! Not always sure of how people would take to being photographed, I pointed my camera at everyone and waited to apologize at any disagreeable looks.
After a few moments I switched cameras and a lady with bright smile, beautiful blue scarf and sunglasses approached me. 
“I so hate it when this happens!” she exclaimed softly but with agitation in her voice. I questioned what she meant but thought it had to do with the small camera she wore around her neck that she was raising to eye level.
“After a few pictures, the storage is full.” A weariness in her voice. It seems that the night before she thought she had uploaded all that day’s photos to cloud but not being sure, she was not going to take the chance and delete the digital card. “I may lose that perfect shot and not know it!”, her defense. “But you look like you’re prepared.” She added pointing at my two cameras.Her name was Sandy from Maine. A novice photographer by her own admittance. And just enjoyed the idea of photography. I asked what she did with the photos. “Just shared a few here or there.” Sandy replied. I told her about my photoblog and passion and interest with photography. Also, that I would love to feature her as a guest photographer as I have done in the past. Sandy smiled as I fished out my business card and handed it to here. “May I take your picture to remember the moment?” I bade. I took 3.
I suggested upon her return purchasing a spare digital media card a little larger than she had. I am hoping Sandy sees my post and takes up on the offer of guest posting on my blog.
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I Lost My Soul on Cumberland Island
What a day! My first trip to historic Cumberland Island National Seashore.
Prep for the day’s jaunt was easy. Backpack (check!), insect repellent (check!), National Parks Passport (check!) tickets for ferry ride to the island (check!) lunch and water bottles (check that!) comfortable socks and hiking boots (double check!) shoes for strolling around St Mary’s afterwards (check check!)
We were ready and packed. The ride to Cumberland Island would take us one hour and forty-seven minutes from Savannah. Loaded up and fueled up we hit the road.
Previously to setting out on the excursion, Neal and I had watched a video on following a recommended 4 hour hiking trail, 4.3 miles, one obviously liked by many an outdoorsman before us, so we were game!
As expected, nothing could really prepare me for the raw beauty of this untamed natural treasure! Here I was, boots on the ground and eager to explore.
Shortly after leaving the base camp I spotted a sign. “Foot traffic only”. I could not resist the irony of the moment so I put my foot it.
(It was funny at that moment. Really!)
Breathtakingly huge old trees stretched their ancient limbs outward, and bushes of every type rustled as tiny birds flittered through them. Minutes turned into miles and trails into beach, boardwalks and 40 foot sand dunes. Lost in the glory of it all, hours had passed.
Those sandy slopes decided to claim their first victim on this day. My foot went in to the sand and half a boot came out, followed by a spray of pearly silky sand flung into the air by my partially hanging sole.
This cannot be happening! Such a rapturous day of freedom from cares and communion with nature, now my boot has a soul-splitting experience. I belted out wait, look what just happened”, as Neal was already half way up the sand dune. In my distress I exclaimed, “We must go back!”
My husband, not at all enthused by the prospect, assured me that he believed the blown boot could survive the final part of our 4 hour trek as we had traveled well beyond the halfway point. Rest and sanctuary would be just up the beach.As the fates would have it, several meters up the beach I had a soul splitting experience. Yes the sole departed, actually, completely from my left boot leaving only the insole held by the cloth that wrapped around my foot. I heard of losing one self in nature but this was ridiculous!
Not believing this could happen to me or that now I was sure I could not make back to base camp, my mind searched frantically for how “The law of Attraction” must be at play. I mean really? Really?! Really!! The squish scrunch sound of me trudging on the beach sand actually took me out of my head as we neared the striped pole marking our return to the wooded trails.
To my surprise and amazement, we saw several other nature lovers had abandoned their troubled foot gear along this path.
Back at the base camp I thought, “I only have to get back on that ferry then to the car and my troubles will be over.” In the rush to be first naturists back on the ferry, I was now leading a group of weary daytrippers to the sound of scritch, scuff, scratch all the way up the ramp on the boat. Leaving sandy outlines of my former left boot. Neal quietly assured me noone noticed but I mentally disagreed!
So now as we tell our wonderful story of Cumberland Island, this whole story seems humorous. A friend asked me, “So what you are saying is you lost your sole (soul) on Cumberland Island?” Yes I heartedly laughed!
#throwbackthursday #tt #thursday #throw #thoughfulthursday #sole #moral #cautionarytale #venturingout #soul-searching #LawofAttraction #NationalParks #NatureWalk #TheLostShoeChronicles #CumberlandIslandNationalSeashore #StMarys #rawbeauty #untamed #naturaltreasure #boots #miles #trails #beach #boardwalks #sanddunes #soleofboot
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People Portraits: Chrome Java Joe
A portrait captures a moment that’s gone forever; they are impossible to reproduce. Street Photography: Chrome Java Joe. My goal in this series is to create a really awesome frame of people existing right then because they honored me time to share their world.
I found myself walking through eclectic Inman Park after having a great experience at Revolution Donut (will review in another post) and like any good photographer my eye was ready.
The appeal of this part of town was its walking and biking paths, renovated warehouses, craft foods, repurposed iron works, graffiti-laden walls and historic homes and businesses, It would not be hard to get my next subject in front of my lens.
Like in many neighborhoods and cities, the coffee houses seem to be making a comeback. It was no different here in Inman Park. Yellow Chrome Coffee and Trading Goods.
Local folks gather for free Wi-Fi and the aroma of various roasted coffee beans and pastries. 
Snapping a couple of shots then panning right to a beautiful wall stroked and sprayed in vibrant colors, I almost missed Joe.
Joe, wearing black, was standing against a grey wall, Grey cup in hand, the look on his face was contentment or quiet introspection as he peered at the same graffitied tablo I had noticed before him.
Now his name wasn’t Joe but using coffee as literary reference, Joe fit and I thought I needed to capture this guy. Not being as bold as the tiny cup of espresso he held I introduced myself.
I need to remember to always have a business card on hand. Looking back at the moment, I could have done a lot with the subject and camera but I’m happy Joe let me share his caffeinated morning.
