• landscape,  mountains,  Smoky Mountains National Park,  sunrises

    Something from the Past

    August 7, 2019

    This is another HDR image from a trip back in 2003 to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is a sunset image taken on the Foothills Parkway. This image is a merging of three images exposed plus and minus 2/3 stop. I took it prior to any knowledge of HDR. My reason for the multiple exposures was to make sure I had a good exposure. It was taken with my first DSLR, a Nikon D100 and the Nikon 80-400mm lens. It wasn’t a day or two later that I dropped that lens and destroyed it. I pretty much bent it in the middle. Lesson learned was to make sure the camera and lens are securely fastened to your tripod before picking up your tripod. I ended up shooting the rest of the trip with one lens, a Sigma 24-85mm f2.8-4.0 lens.

    Read More
  • Black and White,  coffee shops,  sunrises

    Rereading

    June 19, 2019
    Morning sunrise at a local coffee shop

    “A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” Steven Pressfield, Do the Work

    I’ve been rereading a couple of Steven Pressfield’s books on creating art and what stops us from being creative. Thus the quote above.

    Read More
  • coffee shops,  lifestyles,  sunrises

    Morning Chai

    May 2, 2019

    Finally, this morning had that feeling of spring. This was taken from the patio of Bindles Coffee. A few minutes earlier the sky was red and pink as I drove to the coffee shop. I took this image before I went in. It was quiet with few people when I got here but it has quickly become busy and noisy. I will attribute that to the beautiful morning and the feel of spring.

    On cold mornings they turn on the gas fire pit and people will sit around to discuss the world’s woes or how their child is doing on the soccer team. My drink of choice this morning was a chai latte. Perfect.

    Read More
  • architecture,  Black and White,  coffee shops,  Documentary/Street,  window

    Routes Served

    March 28, 2019

    “Other voices easily drown out our own before we can really hear it. And this applies whether you hear positive or negative reactions; both are dangerous to us. Positive feedback too soon will stop us moving forward or going deeper. It’ll stop us at the low-hanging fruit and the first, most obvious iterations, and our work won’t have a chance at getting honed.  And negative reactions or feedback can stop us just as quickly when that feedback often only means “this work isn’t for me” and has nothing to do with how authentic or good it might actually be.” David DuChemin

    Took the early bus this morning to campus and now at the Lory Student Center. I came early to have some time to write and a bit of quiet before the students begin dragging themselves in to classes. I will meet a good friend for coffee who teaches philosophy at 9:00. It seems to be a beautiful day, almost reaching 70 degrees before we have rain later this evening.

    I relate to David’s quote as I have for most of my life been one who wants the approval of others. Hopefully, I’ve moved beyond the need for approval of others to validate who I am, at anything. At one time acquiring the comments and likes determined the quality of my images. I’m aware there are times when I post an image too early, before it’s time, looking for approval of a poor image, or I just want to post an image. What I get from his quote is the need to listen more to the voice within in all areas of life. I’m a work in process, taking my own routes, as are my images.

    Read More
  • Cityscapes/Urban,  Documentary/Street

    Voted

    November 2, 2018

    Early Morning at the Bus Stop
    Early Morning at the Bus Stop

    The first bus arrives at 7:02 am when it is quiet, dark, cold and empty.  The second bus arrives 30 minutes later and will be crowded. This will look different next week when we change our clocks back. Still not sure I like this time change.

    It took some study time to understand the issues on our ballets but I’m done and turned my ballet in. Voted!

    Read More
  • coffee shops,  sunrises

    Warm fire at Bindles and morning sunrise

    October 7, 2018

    Warm fire at Bindles and morning sunrise
    Warm fire at Bindles and morning sunrise

    Not many coffee shops have a circular gas fire pit outside their door. If you get there early enough you can sit on the patio and watch the sun rise while sipping on a coffee. Today has not been that kind of day as it’s been cloudy with light rain most of the day. They are predicting the rain to change to a mix of snow and rain after midnight and into the morning. Probably not going to sit by the fire pit in the morning if that’s the case.

    Read More
  • Cityscapes/Urban,  flowers,  sunrises

    September 25, 2018

    Sunrise and the Daisies
    Sunrise and the Daisies

    We have our first frost warning of the 2018 fall season tonight. Good-by summer. These daisies are located on the median strip at the north entrance of campus. I walk by this spot each morning I walk to Mugs coffee shop. I like how the school landscapers change these flowers throughout the summer season at this spot It is never the same. I posted an image of tulips earlier in the summer that were in this same spot. Feels like I have a personal gardener. 

    Read More