What catches your eye?

Charleston Window, Charleston, SC  -  2012

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

There is much to grab one's eye in this photo of a window on a home in Charelston, SC. The bright colors, the contrasty lighting, the pretty window box of flowers - all are attention grabbers for anyone walking past this window. However, what originally caught my eye was the little pig in the window. It made me think that at least one resident of this home was a pork lover, perhaps even a BBQ fan, like me. Even though I'd never met anyone who lived in this home, I felt there was a connection nonetheless. So, click! 

Virtual Photo Albums

Lone Tree, Cherokee County, NC  -  2005

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In the old days (pre-digital photography), we kept some photos in albums, but many remained in the envelopes from whatever photo processor we used. This made it hard to find specific photos, and the rest were largely forgotten.

Today, we have it much easier. Using any one of the scores of image viewing and sorting programs available, we can easily find and view our photos. My favorite is FastStone Image Viewer (http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm), a program I have used for several years now. It's great for doing initial sorting and editing after I download from my camera to my computer. It also has some pretty good editing tools to make adjustments to your photos if you don't have a program like Photoshop. And one other great feature: it's FREE!

While scrolling through my photos with FastStone, I came across the photo above that I made back in 2005. It's one of my favorites, so I chose to post it today. In my pre-digital days, this one may have been forgotten, tucked away in an envelope in a drawer somewhere. Today, I can find it easily.

What can I say about it?

Portal, Asheville, NC  -  2016

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Several posts back I mentioned how I had gotten lazy about posting photos to My Viewfinder 2, and instead, just posted them on Facebook. When I post a photo on Facebook, I don't feel like I have to write anything except maybe a short caption or title. On a photo blog, it just doesn't seem like a proper post unless I write something too.

But what to write? I like to think that my photos can stand on their own, without me having to explain what or why. Realistically, I know that's not always true. To make things worse, I don't always know if I am helping by answering those questions. The above photo is an example of that. It is the interior of a small dress shop in downtown Asheville. It was closed on a Sunday afternoon, so I made the photo by pressing my camera against the front window. The mirror in the back of the shop reflected the street scene behind me, but suggested to me a portal into another world. Now, by giving that explanation, have I weakened my photo by not letting the viewer come to his own conclusions? Yeah, that's the struggle I sometimes have with posting my work to a photo blog versus just slapping something up on Facebook.

"Even a fool is thought wise if he remains silent."  -  Solomon

Private Party

Private, Asheville, NC  -  2016

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The Right Kind Of Light

BB&T At Sunset, Asheville, NC  -  2016

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On an overcast Sunday, the clouds parted for a moment to let the late afternoon sun hit the BB&T Building in Asheville. I was on my way back to my truck to head home for the day when that normally drab building lit up like a golden temple. It's amazing the difference the right kind of light can make.

Calla Lilies

First One, Canton, NC  -  2016

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I saw my first Calla Lilies several years ago on the campus of Haywood Community College, and they immediately became one of my favorite flowers to photograph. The folds and curves of this species give the photographer something different and beautiful from every angle. Knowing my fascination with this flower, my wife planted some for me in her flower garden. This one is the first bloom for this year.

I don't often discuss gear on this blog, but I feel I have to mention that this photo was made with the little Lumix point and shoot that I bought last December. Although it has some limitations and cannot completely replace my DSLRs, I continue to be amazed at the quality of photo I have been able to produce with this little camera.

Eye-Catching Color

Red Door, Asheville, NC  -  2016

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

When I saw this combinations of bright colors, I was reminded of some of the work of photographer Joel Meyerowitz. In the 1960s, Meyerowitz was one of the early advocates of the use of color at a time when only black and white photography was considered worthy of being called "art". His book, Cape Light, a 1979 collection of photographs made on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has become a classic of color photography, and was very influential in color's acceptance by the art world. Is my photo "art"? I don't know, but I like the colors!