Ho hum .. the days go by

I haven't posted much recently because there hasn't been much worth posting - meaning newsworthy stuff. Life is great, God is good, and I'm grateful for all my ho hum activities, but photographs of my desk at work and my dog being walked etc. would not be very interesting to most, not even to my devoted family in different parts of the world. Here's an image that I've been playing with though. I love the area and feel like it has potential for a great landscape shot, but somehow the light has not shown it to its full potential - yet. I will go back ..

The Wedding Player

I captured this at a wedding that I attended recently in Virginia. The ceremony took place in a Shenandoah meadow in soft evening light, and this young lady was playing classical pieces on the violin while we waited for the ceremony to begin. I just love the photo, so here it is.

Gideon's Bathtime

Happy Fathers Day!

God bless you Dad. I love you.

Saturday evening on the Stono

This was what the view was reduced to as a result of wildfires that are blazing in Southeast Georgia. The sun was completely obliterated by the smoke. I'm also posting this photo of Leigh and Matt taken last night.

Forest of Dead Trees

South of Charleston, just past Gardens Corner there is a wonderful scene of marsh and creeks, with dead trees standing like sentries at random intervals. I have wanted to stop and photograph this scene for years, but I've either been in a hurry to arrive somewhere else, or the light has been less than optimum. I headed down there after work the other day, knowing it would be high tide and hoping for some good light. Well, the light wasn't great, but I still like the shot. I think I will try it first thing in the morning when next the tides oblige.

Chasing the Moon (again)

Last evening I was on a mission to capture the moon rising over the lowcountry creeks and I sat and waited, swatting at the ubiquitous bugs who seemed intent on devouring me, perplexed as to why the moon was not rising on schedule. I finally realized that the level of haze on the horizon was totally obliterating any possibility of a moonrise sighting close to the horizon, which was what I was after. Finally I packed up my stuff and headed home, disappointed, but telling myself that if every planned shoot yielded a home run, it wouldn't be such a challenge, and I won't appreciate the special shots when I am lucky enough to nail them. This is what it should have looked like ...

Mabry Mill, Virginia

This is probably one of the most iconic, most widely photographed pieces of Americana in the country, so it's hard to do anything different with it. It's quaint, very picturesque, very historic, but hard to photograph because of its location relative to the light. Probably the best light is an overcast sky or even rain, which would saturate colors. The predominate colors (except during the fall) are green and brown - a tad blah, so I gave it a different look - another different look.

Found in Raphine, VA

On my way back from Winchester, Virginia, I detoured off the 11S through a small town called Raphine (they have a winery) to find the historic Wade's flour mill. I stopped to photograph this old pick-up sitting in the middle of a field on the way. Yes, I had some fun with it in Photoshop :)

Home Sweet Home

I guess I must really enjoy road trips because I seem to spend a lot of time driving. This last leg of my journey down the parkway started at Blowing Rock and ended at Asheville when I jumped back on the I-26 and headed for home around noon. This morning was a very early rise, 4:30 to be exact. I had a half hour drive to get to Beacon Heights, my staked out sunrise location, and another half an hour's hike to get to the top of the trail. I hadn't thought about the fact that I would be hiking in the dark, so it was by the grace of God that I got there safely, but the view from the top was absolutely worth it. After awhile, I turned back and got a couple of shots of the Linn Cove Viaduct. The parks people do a great job of maintaining this parkway, and all without any kind of toll to access these treasures. I don't know how they do it in this climate of aggressive budget cuts, but kudos to them.

More from the Parkway

Ethan and Sansanee's wedding was awesome and I will post a few pics soon. I haven't had time to do any sorting or editing because I have been working my way steadily down the entire Blue Ridge Parkway and making the most of all available light, which entails very early rising and falling asleep exhausted. Last night I stayed at the Woodberry Inn at Meadows of Dan in Virginia, and tonight (my last night away) I am staying at The Homestead Inn in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Early tomorrow morning I will start the final home stretch for Charleston. In the meantime, here are a couple more scenes from the journey before I head out for the last time today to catch the evening light.Sunrise near the Saddle/Rocky Knob outlook this morningMeem's Covered Bridge just of 11S near Mount Jackson in VirginiaWildflowers growing by the side of the roadHistoric Trails cabin at Smart View (MP153 approx.)

Northern Blue Ridge Parkway

I have a wedding to attend in Winchester, Virginia this weekend, so thought I would use the opportunity to explore the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today was a driving day, and not ideal for photography, but I did take a couple along the way. Hopefully I will discover some gems over the next few days ...Raven's Roost Overlook, MP11Fence and wildflowers along the roadsideOld logging train tracks at Yankee Horse Ridge, MP34View of field from James River Bridge, MP64