Fall wildflowers in Clarkesville Georgia

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out-values all the utilities of the world."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

USMC Museum

Not sure what prompted me to take this; the man in the wheel chair, all alone in that huge space moved me, I suppose.

Taste of Clarkesville Sampling Photos

Taste of Clarkesville, Georgia photos

Having worked for a newspaper, I know there are certain photos required for web-extras, and always one to be used for a feature. No real 'extras' or even 'features' here because, believe it or not, shooting is hard work. A keen eye and quick thinking are required, not to mention the interruptions of taking names. For this shoot, I made it simple, lazy so to speak, and stuck with a  few 'snapshots' that were in my line of fire.

The cars started arriving early. This one is my favorite. Since 1971, I have owned 3 VWs. Wish I had kept one. Who knew?

Local restaurants got to show off their specialties.

There was something for everyone...

 This little girl takes a peak at her mom's camera after she took her photo. She seems pleased with the results...

This guys prefers to video his food while he is eating it.Get a load of the camera on his hat...

The food was good and photogenic...

Normally, I don't like people to pose for my cameras (grip and grins and people smiling into the camera are no-nos for big newspapers unless the photo will be used with a profile story), but this gal was so photogenic with her smile I didn't hesitate to snap.

Festival-goers had a chance to take a little taste of Clarkesville back home.

I did not stay for the full musical fare but the folk singer was excellent. Reminded me of days in my first VW.

There was steady stream of hungry participants throughout the festival...

Some restaurants inadvertently entertained the lines; I can't flip a pancake but I am a terrible cook. There is an art doing to doing what these chefs are doing.

The lines were steady and moved along well...

Each booth offered up tasty treats or drinks.

For those who were not old enough to partake of wine and beer, or who preferred something more tame, these little girls were in the business of selling lemonade.

My old job. I started to point my camera towards the booth where the lemonade gals descended from. There was a gaggle of excited kids serving up lemonade. Instead, I trained my camera on a photographer who worked for a publication. With so many people carrying cameras these days, how did I know he was with the media? The notepad gave him away. He was trying to get names of several of the children of whom he had just taken a photo. "Left to right." Besides deadlines and bad lighting, that was my most hated duty as a photographer.

Thank you to South State Bank for the nice seating and free water. You can tell by the leaves, they are not fake, that fall is in the air. Ya'll come to Clarkesville and enjoy the scenery!

Canines enjoyed the outing...

If you look carefully at the blue car, you will see a dog checking out the food and fellow canines. I think that is a greyhound. Of course, I was going for the crusin' car. The dog was a bonus.

Finally, a big thank you to the guys who keep us safe. Don't we sometimes take them for granted until we need them? People sometimes we forget that they are our first line of defense in case of an emergency.

Street Photographers

"A student of photography once asked me how I got up the nerve to put a camera in a stranger's face. I suppose if you have to question doing it you won't ever make a good photographer."

Two countries; two sets of strangers:

And a bonus photo for those for those who want to think about not thinking about it...

Just do it!

Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, Georgia

"There's something about holding a clay pot in your hands, one made with love, that warms the soul."

We love pots made by our friend master potter Matt Henderson, shown right. They last forever.

Remember when the price of oranges was...

Old jail turned into antique store

iPhone photo. Location: Pickens, SC, not far from Georgia line.

Demorest, Georgia fireworks brought to you by United Community Bank, July 4, 2014

Other than a click here, and a click there, it has been 2 years since I broke out my camera gear for an "event." Even after retirement, it still seems like work. Still, I could not take "just one photo," hence my small presentation of the 4th in small-town America. Thank you, United Community Bank for the firework display.

Lesson to newbie photographers: Location is the most important thing when shooting fireworks, at least when shooting for a newspaper. Knowing the location of the launching of the fireworks is equally important in determining where you set up your gear. Photo editors do not want to see explosions in the sky. They want people, foregrounds and backgrounds. I did not do my homework when scouting for a location and ended up on a dark hill with a rooftop below me. Great for viewing, but lousy for shooting. I left my strobes at home, purposely, and was not able to pop people into the frames. I had my 200 2.8 Nikon on a tripod but was too close, and so ended up shooting with 2 other hand-held cameras. Thank goodness there was no photo editor at the end of this shoot, nor any deadline. The beauty of retirement. If I shoot the fireworks next year, I will be more respectful of the location rule.

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Demorest, Georgia, home of Piedmont College

My normal photo essay would have included a ton of festival photos. This young gent sums up the 4th perfectly.

A few snaps at Piedmont College

When was the last time you bought 2 drinks for a dollar?

A few fireworks

  

Trivia: Ever wonder why there are no true "blue" fireworks (except in photoshop)? Because they are hard to make and crazy expensive. Most fireworks are primarily white, orange, and yellow, with a few violets, mauves, and greens thrown in for effect. You seldom see the "blues," even in New York or D.C. shows. When you see a lot of blue fireworks you know a city or country has paid dearly for them. Keep your eyes peeled on the 'round the world New Year's Eve fireworks. You are bound to see some affluent country strut the blues. I love 'em.