A moment in time.

This was taken in the "big" small town of Luverne, Alabama that Eric and I drove through during our journey to the Beach.
So many of the towns that we drove through - some that were made up of 3-4 mobile homes- were almost frozen in time.
Faded signs, painted on old general store walls, such as this sign, were just a piece of the era we drove into. So many of the towns still had old fashion gas pumps, soda machienes and good ol' fashion southern hospitality.
The only structures in the majority of the towns that had been build in the last 10 years are the churches.
The chapels are so beautiful down there, no doubt the buildings of pride for the towns.
Yet they all seemed so deserted, even at 1 in the afternoon on a Sunday.

Everything in the south has the overgrown feeling. A lush feeling of being alive, yet dead at the same time. The forests are wild, uncharted and barely controllable. Everything is so green, buildings covered in moss. Yet there is the abandoned, dead feeling - trees now living in a small house that has long been deserted by its owners. A roof, no longer protecting from the elements, collapsed by tree limbs, stretching for the sun.

I love the feeling I get from being in the South. So many of my childhood memories come from this wild, sleepy area.

Frustrating

Technology. It drives me crazy.
I am visiting family in Birmingham and I just love the
slow paced, stepping back in time feel.
old shacks over grown, 1960s signs still aglow in the evenings.
The old Taco Bell sign that has long since been replaced in Denver.

Yet, I cannot post anything because the pins in my card reader have bent. So there is no getting the photos off until I reach home. I am so bummed! and frustrated!

Summer Nights

One thing that I have been noticing since I "retired" from the position of Photo Editor, is the beauty in photos that may not tell stories.
Its refreshing to just take photos, instead of having to get the photo and tell the story. Though all photos tell a story, whether it is a sky, clearing from an afternoon rainstorm or a simple blade of grass. All photographs capture a moment that will never occur again. The ability to freeze a moment, happy or sad, has always been what I love most about photography. A simple summer evening where a group of old friends gather on a mediocre football field play till there is barely any light to see the ball. Summer is a time that I always hold dear to me, where everyone lightens up and just enjoys the moment they are experiencing.

I got to spend a nice afternoon at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and I was able to shoot a bit, which I have not done in over a week. I have been working at Stems quite frequently and I have not been shooting, which has been rather depressing. So today Eric and I took his visiting Grandparents to stroll among the blooms and the scents that entrance you into a whole different place. Who would ever think that the Gardens are located a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of Cherry Creek!
We were also blessed with perfect weather, slightly overcast with the sun peeking in and out every so often. The rain began to fall as we were pulling out of the parking lot, which will continue to make the vegetation thrive. Everything was so beautiful and colorful!

Well, Eric and I did it! Graduation took place on Sunday at the convention center in down town. It's amazing how the two of us came to find each other and be able to share this landmark day together. I plowed through Metro in four years and Eric took his time and truly experienced his college years. Yet Kemp and Lansing met somewhere in the middle of it all and got to sit next to each other during the commencement ceremony. We are both entering the world ready for anything. Eric has a possible job in creating his own sports show for Metro's Athletic department. It is still up in the air but we are crossing our fingers for the best! I am out in the world promoting my senior portraits and photography. I hope to get some freelance for newspapers as well, and I plan to just hold on for the ride!

Well, I'm off to the real world! Last Thursday I took Ryan and Alyssa out for a little photoshoot so I could have some portrait samples. My plan is to get some senior portrait sessions in this summer and hopefully get some weddings as well. Time to enter the real world of a bad economy and photojournalism job scarcity! Ry and Alyssa were great to work with and we got some stellar images out of the hour shoot!