• Candid Portraits,  People/Portraits

    Early Thanksgiving

    Shelley's Girls
    Shelley’s Girls

    Sunday morning. It is cloudy, cold and a few flakes of the white stuff is falling. The flat grey sky does have the dull look to it today, rather looking more like the skies I’m familiar with back in Colorado. There is texture and distinct shapes to them. I watched the American flag at the entrance to my apartments as it swayed in the stiff wind showing its stars and stripes. And, oh how that wind makes it colder. I am at a favorite coffee shop to enjoy a hot mocha and use the internet.

    One of my roommates, Shelley and her two daughters, celebrated their Thanksgiving yesterday. OMG! Shelley and the girls cooked up turkey and ham with all the fixings and I mean fix’ins: mashed tators, yams, corn, green beans, Chelsea’s beets, macaroni and cheese, salad and followed by desserts. There was so much food we were running out of bowls and spoons and space in our small kitchen. There was no way we could eat at the table as there was not room, so some of us found a place on the floor. And, of course I was forced to eat along with them, including the dessert! Here is a snapshot of Shelley’s daughters with plates of food.

  • Candid Portraits,  People/Portraits

    Daydreaming

    Daydreaming

    Ever see someone daydreaming and wonder where they have gone? Even today while having lunch with a friend she just took off in her thoughts and left our table. I’ve done it.

    Wikipedia says, “Daydreaming may take the form of a train of thought, leading the daydreamer away from being aware of his or her immediate surroundings, and concentrating more and more on these new directions of thought.” Yep, that’s happened to me and to the woman in this photo. I can find myself roaming in thoughts when reading, in my prayer time or mediation. In the past it was looked down upon but today we have more acceptance of it, acknowledging that some creative artists use it to write their music or story or create their art. NPR even has their companion-blog titled Daydreaming.

    I like this image because she is so focused in her thoughts. She does not seem distraught but peaceful. Did the book she was reading take her to some far off place of fantasy or are there situations in her life that keep her mind busy with the future or past? It was taken at the airport as she waited for her flight. I used the selection tool in Elements to isolate and focus on her face.

  • Candid Portraits,  Travel

    The Piano Player

    The Piano Player
    The Piano Player

    Centrally located in the food court at the Charlotte Airport is a piano. While waiting for a flight we listened to this man play a few songs. His music was relaxing and comforting especially in the hustle and bustle of airport travel. I really liked the setting; how he was dressed (love the cap) and especially the light. With all the busyness of the airport it was difficult to just get him and the piano. I tried to get as many images as possible, looking for angles to remove disruptive background and yet include both him and the piano. This is the image I selected to post because to me it shows his enjoyment of playing and his focus. He seems so relaxed. I also thought he was pretty good.

  • Candid Portraits,  quotes,  Travel

    Trust

    Trust
    Trust

    “The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust.”

    Henry L. Stimson US politician (1867 – 1950)

    I encountered these guys in Nashville. Not sure what was going on but one was covering the others eyes and leading him across the street. I’d call that trust or one too many beers.

  • Candid Portraits,  People/Portraits,  Photography,  Travel

    Naked Cowboy

    Naked Cowboy
    Naked Cowboy

    A couple of my crew members and I took the train from Long Island, near Rockville Center, into Manhattan and spent most of Sunday afternoon watching people. New York has a few interesting people to watch. One of the interesting resident characters is the Naked Cowboy. He was a strumming his guitar and bellowing out his song, stopping every once in awhile to hug a woman or two and pocket the money. He draws a crowd while on the streets and has reportedly made as much a $1000 in a day. Wonder if he wears any socks.

  • Candid Portraits,  Travel

    Music in Nashville

    Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar
    Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar

    We took a taxi to downtown Nashville on one of our overnights last week. Dana suggested BBQ so we found a place on Broadway called Jacks Bar-B-Que and put down some ribs, brisket and all the fix’ in. After a few good burps and belches we took to the streets to walk it off. It was my first time in downtown Nashville and found Lower Broadway area to be very interesting. The streets are lined on either side with bars and lounges, souvenir shops, western wear shops and restaurants. Many of the bars had open doors where the live music poured out into the streets, inviting you to come in and enjoy. What else would you expect in Nashville.

    Tom had a high school friend named Jim who was playing in place a called the Big Bang, a dueling piano bar. So we made our way over and listened to some pretty good music. Lots of energy in that place. As I had my camera with me I took a few photos to see how the D300 would do with high ISO. I shot with and without flash and was not too pleased with my results, so I converted this image to B/W. This is Jim with his reflection in a mirror as he gets into the music.