You Say Hot Potato, I Say Hot Tomato

This summer has been one of the hottest on record. I happen to know this well, because over the last week I have been moving from my apartment into a house. In the past I thought that moving in the rain was the most unpleasant, but I happen to believe that 100+ degree heat is probably worse. I've done the math: One hour of labor in this heat warrants 10 minutes worth of napping. Needless to say, I've been napping a lot during the course of this move.

However, if there's one thing on this planet that loves the heat, it's the tomato plant. Call it a hunch, but when I envisioned my container garden for the summer, I knew that the tomato plant would be the star of the show. It took some careful planning, a gentle touch, and lots of good luck to get anything to grow this year. You see, my thumb isn't really green, but it wants to be. Last summer my plants took to the wind and fell off my balcony to the earth 20 feet below. Ouch. This year, I decided to start my plants from a seed all the way back in February, and just last week that hard work paid off as I plucked my first tomato. About 10 seconds after I took the picture, this little fella found his way under a salt shaker and into my tummy. Now his buddies are following suit.

Despite their awful effect on the working human body, the sun and heat have been gracious in allowing my 'mater plants to thrive.

Future History Makers

My "real" job is being an art teacher. For the last three years I have been refining my skills to enter the world as a certified professional k-12 art teacher. Last December I obtained my goal of becoming licensed by the state of North Carolina to teach art. When the summer draws to a close, I will begin my new career in a high school a few counties over, in a community much smaller than Charlotte (thank goodness, just in time to avoid all-things-Democratic-National-Convention). In the meantime, however, I'm fortunate enough to work with a non-profit art gallery as a summer art camp instructor. These children bring me so much joy. Not a day goes by where I don't recognize their innocence and purity as they pursue their ideas on the canvas. It dawned on that I'm an "old guy" now, teaching the future history makers. In one short week the children are able to create a wonderful take-home portfolio of work. Each Friday is the "opening" show, where their friends and family come to see their work on the gallery walls. This event is wonderful experience for the students, their families, and (selfishly...) me. Combining my love of photography with my new found love of education (I say new found because I was a terrible young student) my days are full, bright, and colorful.

Good Ole' Fashioned Fun

When I was young, one of my favorite things to do with my family was to go to baseball games. Decades later I'm still enjoying family-fun with my siblings, father, and my lovely wife. Honestly, baseball is one of the most boring things for me to watch on TV, but ironically it's one of most engaging spectator sports. Winston-Salem is lucky to have a great minor league team. The Winston-Salem Dash play in a new state-of-the-art stadium, and the few times I've made the trek across the state to see them play, all the seats are always full. The energy is high as a troupe of youngsters entertain the crowd with Bolt, the team mascot. The Dash are a winning team, both in their game record and their value to the city of Winston-Salem.

Wedding Season

Well, June is here. That means one thing. It's Wedding Season. That really didn't mean anything to me until I realized how popular June is for weddings. Monday marks my one year anniversary, and in planning for that amazing day with my lovely then-fiance, I quickly realized there is a premium for June weddings because all the vendors are booked to their ears. We managed to get away with a spectacularly beautiful wedding at a great price. I liken it to the castle at Disney World... absolutely gorgeous in photos, and you don't realize the scale of it until you walk up to it in person. The photographer at our wedding did a great job, but one of our favorites is from our own camera—taken by my sister-in-law as my wife and I re-entered our home after a long day.

I'm really looking forward to shooting weddings this summer. As I reflect upon my own wedding day, and all the weddings I attended last year, I know the deep feelings of joy associated with that special day. As summer heats up down here in the south, aisles across the world will heat with the power of love and commitment.

Aviation Celebration

Gone are the days of my youth when I traveled to the airport with my loved ones, walked down the terminal and stood by the window as I waited to wave 'bon voyage' to their departing flight. The folks who took that privilege away from me (you know who I'm talking about) have never been forgiven. But recently I learned about an awesome feature at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. It's simply called Airport Overlook. A small two-lane road meanders around the airport along the fence that separates the runways from... everything. At a mere half mile from the terminal a small, brown sign with an arrow points to the entrance to the medium-sized parking lot. Nestled a couple hundred yards from one of the airstrips, complete with a dozen benches and a few picnic tables, folks are able to observe planes taxiing, taking off, and landing. How much does this all-access pass cost, you ask? Nothing. This overlook is open 365 days a year, from 8:00am to 10:30 pm. Next time you have a friend or relative coming to the airport expecting you to pick them up, don't jam yourself into the Cell Phone lot awaiting their call. Instead, relax and watch their plane land from the comfort of a bench (or even your own car) in the far-less crowded Airport Overlook. And for those who are particularly daring, there is a sidewalk from the overlook parking lot that leads to a bench between the runway and the directional lights, in case you want to see the underbelly of the airplane as it takes off or lands! I didn't get a shot from that angle, but I hope to sooner than later!

Old School

Many moons ago one of my brothers presented me with a box of camera equipment that ranged from vintage to antique. All of the gear appears to be in working order, but I have yet to be certain that it exposes film properly. Enter the Kodak Brownie Flash Six-20. After doing a little research, I believe this camera was created sometime in the early-1940's. I showed up to a family gathering with this thing loaded up with a modified spool of 120 film (it 'only' accepts 620 film) and began taking pictures. My mom immediately recognized the camera and claimed it was hers when she was a little girl.

I already know that I enjoy shooting with this camera. It has all the 'classic' functions of the film cameras that people [born before 1985] would appreciate: A switch for 'close' or distant' photography, another for 'click' or 'bulb' (for low light), and the shutter button. I almost forgot to mention the film winder. It includes the threaded tripod mount, and it features a unique 'kick-stand' to properly level the lens for portrait photos. The top lacks the original leather handle,  but one of the two metal clips remains. The two little circles above the lens mounts an enormous flash (which I don't have) that looks a little bit like a Harley Davidson headlight. I prefer sunlight or studio lights over the mega-flash.

When I get the photos developed I will share them in a future posting, as well as information on the other pieces of equipment from 'the box.'

Low-Light Theatre

I have been fortunate to form a great relationship with Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance over the past several years. The kind folks there have given me the opportunity to photograph some of their recent shows. The three shows featured in this post are Altar Boyz, Violet, and Avenue Q. Despite the fact a good theatre (such as Theatre Alliance) has bright lights, this type of work is considered low-light photography. Seeing me working quickly to get the correct settings in the camera is quite comical, but I'm pretty sure the actors don't mind me fumbling with my equipment! They're busy getting their own business in order. I absolutely love the choices Theatre Alliance makes when it comes to show selections. Please check out their website. More shows to be posted soon!

Shooting Animals

I don't really care what creature it is. I love animals. Actually, I'll admit this right now: Horses scare the crap out of me. Right now I live with two dogs and a cat. I would have more, but I'm sure there would be a conflict waiting for me if I showed up with another "rescue" animal. I'm probably not alone on this one. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that all types of animals make fantastic subjects for photography. I narrowed down my collection of pet shots and wild animal shots to the following ten. Another fifty could make the list, but they may show up some other time on another post. 

Very Colorful Flowers

Not too long ago I paid a visit to my Mom's house to spend some time with her. My Dad was out of town on a business trip, so it felt nice to check in and make sure everything was going well. My Mom and I have a very close relationship, and ever since I moved out of town we haven't had the same opportunities to hang out. I'm so glad I stopped by. I immediately noticed her collection of brightly colored flowers sitting on the dining room table. I pulled out my camera, set the flowers up in nice natural light, and shot away. I also used a macro filter to give some detail to the beautiful (although artificial) color.

NEW: Updates thrice weekly!

The reason behind creating this blog was to observe my progress as a photographer through time. I have not been the best about updating it, so I decided I needed to change that. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (or near those days, anyway), I'm going to feature some type of photo shoot that I have recently completed, whether it's totally rad or not. Before long, there will be a wide range of images that showcase my point-of-view behind the lens. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I enjoy piloting it!

This photo is me at a fountain on the campus of UNC Charlotte in May of 2012. The background doesn't quite show it, but there is an enormous construction project going on that will eventually house the new football stadium and related facilities. Kickoff is set for 2013 season.