365 Photo Challenge
Loads of images to go through. Long weekend. Very little sleep. Horrific road conditions on the way home. Still had a good time. Thank goodness for that ingenious invention – the rumble strip.
For the last 40 miles of my trip the rumble strip was the only way I could tell where I was. This is I-66 in VA. Average speed was about 30 miles an hour from Richmond to Winchester!
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”
So after a botched attempt to shoot a marathon this morning in DC, I figured I’d take the time and go on a proper photo shoot – and apparently it revolved around lighthouses.
My Lemonade…
The Drum Point Lighthouse at the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland | Order a print of this image.
The staircase (190 steps) of the original Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia Beach | Order a print of this image.
The middle of nowhere. The middle of the country. The middle of the road. And just past the middle of our RV trip.
Took a little digging, but I found the exact spot we stopped for some photos!
One of our favorite places to visit is WIlliamsburg and the last time we ventured out a little further than usual and found this place. Needless to say there’s a ton of history in this area and we’d never been to this site before. And as always, great photo opportunities everywhere we went.
This is where I took this one | Order a print of this image.
While everybody was taking photos inside, I figured I’d be different and shoot the outside, which is just as photogenic. I really wanted to shoot the sunset from the tower, but it closed at 4:30 so this was a decent consolation. I’ve got so many more images to work my way through, but this one really caught my eye as I looked through my library.
The Udvar Hazy Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, VA. Order a print of this image.
I heard myself vocalize it today. I’m a photographer. I had a friend suggest that I collect unemployment while I search for a job. And I heard myself say that I’m not sure I want to look right now. I’m a photographer. At least for now. Life is certainly going to throw curveballs at you from time to time and this one has been a whopper, but I think I’ve created a path that I’m going to follow and see where this crazy adventure takes me. As long as I’ve got access to my cameras and a nice day for a bike ride, I’ll be good for now.
Thanks Carla.
Order a print of this image.
There in the darkest night of the soul
There in the sweetest songs of victory
Your grace finds me
Yes Your grace finds me– Matt Redman, “Your Grace Finds Me”
To me, when I see this, I see a perfect desktop background image. Order a print of this image (or download it for your desktop).
This image certainly conjures up many different emotions with so many different people, but one thing is for certain – it will forever be a part of our nation’s history. It certainly is an impressive piece of machinery and takes up a sizable portion of the floor!
On 6 August 1945, during the final stages of World War II, The Enola Gay became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb.
Didn’t really like to have to shoot through the glass, but this thing is so picturesque! Order a print of this image.
As I make my way through some new interior church shoots I wanted to apply some of my new-found techniques to an older photo of my church. I discovered it’s not ALL about techniques and post-processing (actually I knew this going in). This is in direct response to that pocket of folks who believe that all the post-processing work that’s all the rage now is cheating. I’m here to say that the post-processing will certainly bring out the best in an image, but if you don’t start with a decent image (tack-sharp, great composition, interesting subject matter, etc.) you’re not going to get very far. I’m satisfied with the edit of this image, but I wish I had a better image to begin with.
The main sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church, Winchester. Order a print of this image.
I must have some inner urge to photograph the interior of buildings these days. And there’s certainly a huge opportunity for that when you live in an historic town like I do. Granted, Shenandoah University isn’t a really old university, but it does have some great buildings.
Goodson Chapel Recital Hall. Order a print of this image.
I’ve always loved the novelty of this floor and figured I’d shoot some images while I was there last week.
Winchester has gone through many changes, but a lot of the current city has been the way it is ever since I moved here. For instance, I don’t remember Handley High School before the current renovations (I think I went into the school one time – not enough to remember what it was like). I also don’t know what the Handley Library looked like before it’s most current round of updates in 2001. But I do know that this room is the coolest in the library – if I were a kid now, I’d be hanging out in here.
This is the “Teen” section of the Handley regional Library in Winchester. I love all the textures in here. Order a print of this image.
“…sometimes I like to close my eyes,
And imagine what it’d be like when summer does come.”– Olaf the snowman
I’m slowly making my way through the downtown buildings in Winchester and I’m diggin’ all the shoots and fascinating architecture I’m seeing. I really wish I’d known how to shoot back when we went to England. Anyway…
I usually don’t engage in altering an image’s content, but this time I did. Various things in the original image just seemed distracting so I went ahead and removed them (things like thermostat controls, light switches and literature racks). I’d have to put them back in if I were to submit this image for any major contest, though.
Enjoy.
The Boyd Chapel at First Presbyterian Church in Winchester, VA. Among other gatherings, this space lends itself to the 7:30 am worship service each Sunday. Order a print of this image.
So here’s the scene – we’re driving back from the district band assessment at Sherando High School (where the Handley Band got a superior rating, btw!) and we’re going to wash the car. The manual one where you have to brave the elements and actually wash your own car. But all the bays are taken, and some are closed, so we decide it’s no big deal and start driving out. As we drive by the empty bays I see a fascinating (that’s a relative term, I know, ‘cuz I’m visually fascinated by weird and mundane stuff) image that I want to capture. Now, keep in mind, a couple of the bays are closed off with cones, but still accessible and that’s where I see my image. I start snapping photos and some guy drives right up to me, rolls down his window and starts shouting for me to come over to him. I oblige and he starts interrogating me about why I was taking pictures. I told him, simply, that I’m a photographer and I saw something fascinating and wanted to take pictures. Simple enough.
His response – “There’s no reason to take any pictures!”
My reply – “I can and I will.”
I spent a little extra time taking more pictures than I’ll probably want just for spite.
The word “stacks” just reminds me of a library. I literally could have spent another couple hours in this building (and will probably go back just to shoot). I’m having fun going all “Right-Brain” on these images!
I now know what people are talking about when they say they get lost in their work. I’ve just been playing around with more images and it’s all-of-a-sudden 1 in the morning! Anyway, I’m really digging this Lightroom workflow and am just grabbing any and every image to see what I can do with it.
Here’s one I did a couple years ago…
And here’s the revisit…
I know the saying is actually “Before-After,” but here’s my OCD coming through. People read from left to right and the image portrays an after image morphing into a before shot (and it’s alphabetical). Anyway…
March marks my 5th year as “Production Manager” (I kinda just gave myself that title, but it’s pretty accurate) at my church as I’ve overseen the A/V booth since we launched the New Stone Gathering service in 2009! And here’s where having a crap-ton of photos laying around comes in handy.
Before…
…after…
…and combined.
I took Waldo (my awesome dog) to the park today for our morning walk. As always, I brought my camera. But the day was dreary and there was a little bit of snow (not enough to look any good) so I wasn’t sure what kinds of photos I’d get. Then we kind of stumbled on the ducks. So I put all my gear down and get into a shooting stance (more like an awkward squat) to shoot some ducks.
I suddenly hear a massive fluttering underneath me (I was perched on a bridge). I almost dropped my camera, but then had to laugh because Waldo had discovered his inner hunting dog! It was awesome – not the picture, but the moment.
What is it that’s making me really want to go inside?
Cedarmeade Studios 