The 28th

Exactly five months from tonight, I will be married to Sandy. The girl I love will be my wife and I her husband. It will be the beginning of a totally new life for her and I, but I am completely at peace to be embarking on this adventure with her.

When I’m with Sandy, I feel at home…yet on vacation all at the same time. I’ve been telling her this a lot lately.

Earlier this evening, I received a phone call from her, she was getting ready to have dinner out with her Aunt and Cousin. She had called to let me know that she just bought her wedding dress. She said, “You’re going to love it!” “I’m sure I will”, I replied.

At the end of our short conversation, Sandy said to me, “I’m excited to marry you.”

…I’ve been letting those words sink into my heart all night.

Bliss

She's my "Bliss".

I got the idea for this image while sitting at my desk today, eating some chocolate. After work, I went to the grocery store, picked up some HERSHEY'S Bliss Dark Chocolates and brought my idea to life.

Leaf Filter

As I photographed with my Dad and cousin, Amy, this past Saturday up in Pennsylvania, creativity was flowing all around. At one point, I observed Amy holding a leaf up to her camera lens. With the bright, early evening sun shining through the leaf and her camera set on macro, I knew she would be capturing something beautiful and unique. I quickly termed her technique as using a “Leaf Filter”. She laughed and agreed.

Of course, I had to do some shots of my own using this technique as well. So, I did, and the above image is one of the results. As I reviewed this image on screen at my parent's house that night, my Dad commented about how cool the patterns were in the leaf. Patterns that were usually too small to really notice or appreciate.

Go on over to my cousin Amy’s photo blog to check out more of her shots from that day as well. When I watched her taking the image of her boyfriend, Justin, through a hole in a leaf, I was impressed. When I saw the final product on her camera’s review screen, I knew it was one of the shots of the day. Go check it out!

Alien World

Here’s an image from my archives, it was taken at least two years ago. I had noticed these flowers while walking around "Lake Mirror" in downtown Lakeland. As I was shooting some macro images of them, this bee happened upon the scene, being busy about his business. It was a chance encounter with this life form from a tiny world that ended up giving me a great image.

His world is alien to mine and mine to his.

Flower 2.0

I was messing around with an image I took the other day of a beautiful flower, trying to do something selective color. I wasn’t crazy about the rest of the elements in the photo except for the flower itself, though. So, I just created a black background and composed the flower where I wanted it. Nothing fancy, just something quick and easy.

There’s a quote that I wanted to share with all of you. I think everyone will relate to it, especially all you photographers and artists out there. It was at the bottom of an email I received from a business associate the other week.

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

- George Washington Carver (1864-1943)

When I read that quote, I first thought of photography and how a creatively composed image grabs the attention of others. I also thought of my favorite athletes, like Michael Jordan. He’s someone who revolutionized the game of Basketball with the way he played it.

Of course, this quote can be applied to any area of life. I just thought you would enjoy reading it and thinking of it in terms of photography as I did.

Sonny's BBQ

Ask any of my friends and they will tell you, that I love Sonny’s BBQ. About four years ago, my friend, Tim and I started going there on our lunch break occasionally. Sonny’s has a lunch special called “The Big Deal”, that has become one of my favorite lunches (or dinners for that matter). It consists of your choice of sliced beef, sliced pork, pulled pork, beef brisket, or sliced turkey (I usually get the sliced beef or pulled pork), on garlic toast (or regular bun, Tim always gets that) with a side of fries or beans. There are a few other sides, but I only choose one or the other of those two. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, your drink, which is a massive refillable cup, is included in this, making it the “Big Deal”. 99 percent of the time I get “Sweet Tea”.

I have frequented this eating establishment so often with Tim, that there are a few waitresses who usually know exactly what we are going to order. There have been times when our “Sweet Teas”, already in “To Go” cups, have been delivered to our table before we ever placed our orders.

I think the big draw for me is that “The Big Deal”, really is a great lunch special, only around seven dollars. That and the fact that I’m a “Meat and Sauce” guy. Give me some good meat and lots of spicy sauce to dip it in and I’m happy. The meat comes out dry which allows you to add your own sauce and choose how much is applied to the meal. Which brings me to the choice of sauces that Sonny’s offers. They are as follows: Mild, Sweet, Sizzilin Sweet, and Smokin. My favorites are the latter.

I definitely have a “process” to the way I go about eating “The Big Deal”. I usually always eat my fries first, as to avoid having cold fries, which are not good. Of course the fries have ketchup applied to them before they are consumed. I then take the top piece of garlic toast off of the sandwich and apply “Smokin” sauce to the meat. Put the bread back on, flip, and apply “Sizzilin Sweet” sauce to the other side. Then, pour “Smokin” sauce off to the side on the plate. I proceed to cut the sandwich in half and dip it into the sauce on the plate. Once I’ve finished half of the sandwich, I’ll pour some “Sizzilin Sweet” sauce onto the plate and dip the other half of the sandwich into it. So good!

Mix all of this with great conversation and you have a wonderful lunch! Once finished, I’ll leave the friendly waitress a nice tip and go pay for the delicious meal I just enjoyed.
I’ve had to have eaten there around 100 times by now, or at least it feels like I have. I was just talking with some friends the other day (while at Sonny’s), that I’ve probably used up the equivalent of one of the sauce bottles.

One of the tokens you usually receive at the end of a Sonny’s meal, are “Moist Towelettes”, so your hands don’t smell like a BBQ sandwich after lunch. Above are some extra towelettes that I’ve stored in the glove box of my car.

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name…or at least what you order.

Amethyst

Amethyst is the February birthstone, my birthstone. On Thursday the 22nd, I’ll celebrate my 28th birthday. As another year has passed, I think of something I was told last year as I talked with an older gentleman who is almost 80 years of age. He said to me, “It’s a blessing to grow old, that’s how I see it”. That statement stuck out to me, it was coming from someone who has seen a lot of life and has found every day of it to be a blessing and is still enjoying his life.

I consider myself to still be a young person and Lord willing, I still have many more years to experience on this earth. As time goes on, I realize more and more that each day is indeed a gift and a blessing.

The above image is of an Amethyst rock that I got when I was a kid. I went through a time of “rock collecting” and this is one that was bought at a “rock show”.

The Lone Dandelion

While visiting my parents in the mountains of Pennsylvania last year, I took a few nature walks with my camera. During one of those walks, high up on a ridge, I spotted this lone Dandelion beside the road. It was in the midst of very Big scenery and space. I already had an idea in the back of my mind of the type of shot I wanted to try.

I gave attention to a small living thing that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. It would have passed through it’s short life without ever being seen. But, I saw it, and now you do too.


Over 100 Posts!
This is post number 102, by the way! I just wanted to thank everyone who has visited my Blog over the last 100 posts! I enjoy reading your comments and checking out your sites as well! It’s a really fun community we have going here and I hope to continue to be a part of it. This is such a great creative outlet for me to share my images and my heart through my stories with you. Thank you for always coming back for more, you know you're always welcome here!

I want to continue to grow as a photographer, here’s to growing together through our Photo Blogs!

Three Nails

This image was captured during a hike I took with my close friends, David and Michele, in the Ocala National Forest here in Florida. This hike was a return visit to the Florida forest for me and Dave, but a first time experience for Michele.

The first time me and David took this six hour hike was during a very humid time of year. I remember Dave telling me to bring lots of water to drink and some snacks to eat. So, I brought a few fruit bars and a couple bottles of water. When we began our adventure early in the morning, the day was fresh and exciting as we trudged through the sandy terrain. Once in a while we would come upon a Banana Spider’s web draped across the walking path. Sometimes you wouldn’t know it was there until it was right in front of you. Weirdly, that was pretty much the only wildlife we saw in this particular forest.

By late morning, we found a hilly area off the beaten path that we decided to explore. I remember waiting quietly up on a hill with David as horse back riders passed by unaware of our presence. For a moment we imagined what it must have been like to be Native Americans getting ready to ambush passing by settlers. Of course there was no “ambushing” going on this day.

On the other side of this hill was a steep drop off and then another series of hilly terrain. Me and Dave took turns sliding down and jumping across to the adjacent embankment. Even though I’d been drinking lots of water and eating a few of the fruit bars that I had brought along, I had been sweating all morning and was beginning to lack proper amounts of sugar and salt in my body. Unbeknownst to me, dehydration was coming upon me. Pretty soon I began to feel noshes. The rest of the hike became a major challenge to me. David let me have some Gatorade, which I should have brought instead of water. He also gave me an energy bar, which I should have brought instead of those fruit bars. I finally made it out of there, and the challenge only added to the adventure and memories of that day.

The next time we went, it wasn’t any where near as hot. This hike was more pleasant and Michele came along with us.

The image above is of a cross that David wears all the time. I like this image because it shows an object that normally doesn’t get to be viewed in such detail. I also like how David just happened to be wearing red that day which can represent the blood that Christ shed on the cross for you and me.

Check out David’s illustration Blog, “Cartoon Ninja”!

I Remember

As I readied to pour milk into a cereal bowl a week ago, something within this simple action, triggered a memory. The expiration date on the milk jug read “Sep 11”. At that moment, I thought of how that particular date is now forever a reminder of the horror that took place in our nation that day as we were attacked.

I’ll never forget how my coworkers and I sat in disbelief as we heard news of a plane that flew into a building and then a second. We later heard news of “fires at the Pentagon”, news that wasn’t completely telling of what had actually happened there. America was under attack as we sat in our then windowless office. It almost took on a “Bomb Shelter” feel as we listened to the horrors that unfolded on the radio.

After hearing of death all morning, I remember telling my friend David of how I was just happy to be alive. I remember my girlfriend at the time, calling me up at work and asking me if I was alright. We’re in Florida, but with so much tragedy happening that morning, no one knew if they were completely safe!

I remember just sitting with the TV off that night, looking at photo albums with my girlfriend, just trying to take our minds off of the tragedies that had taken place that day. I had a worship CD that I had just bought, playing as well, it was a much needed listen and mental redirection.

I remember flying commercial airlines just four days after 9/11. I was scheduled to meet my family up north for vacation. My flight had already been moved ahead one day because of a hurricane that came through that Friday. A hurricane that probably got the least amount of attention that one has had in years before or since.

I remember the flight attendees being mostly male and paying close attention to everyone that boarded that plane. I also remember laying my head back against the head rest and thanking God for protecting us as we touched down at our destination.

I, like the rest of America will always remember the day that our freedom and every good thing we stand for was attacked.

I remember.

Hot Stuff

I really like spicy food. A good tasting hot pepper is like a thrill ride for your mouth! It’s taste is something that demands your attention! Your going to react in one way or another, you might even cry, but not tears of sadness or pain, (well, if hot enough, maybe pain) but just because hot peppers some how cause your tear ducts to fill up and thus your nose to run.

Some of my favorite hot peppers are Jalapenos and Greek peppers because they're Hot yet still have an enjoyable taste to them! They just keep me going back for more, one more BANG to my taste buds! One more ride down the roller coaster track! Please keep your hands inside the car...

Hot peppers also aid in helping out a food that might otherwise be bland or boring. If I’m not particularly excited about a certain dish that is laid before me, I’ll add some hot peppers or seeds of hot peppers, and presto, it’s now a more enjoyable dish! "Especially Delicious".

Just because I add hot stuff to something doesn't mean that I don’t already like the food though. Take Sonny’s BBQ for example, that’s some great smoked meat on some great garlic toast, but add “Smokin” and “Sizzilin Sweet” BBQ Sauce to it, and you’ve got the perfect lunch! Now that’s “Man food”.

Above is a jar that is residing in my fridge right now.

I think my mouth is starting to water, I'm actually kind of thirsty right now.

...and I Lift My Voice

Above is another image I captured at my parents house during one of my visits in 2005. It’s the handle on their kitchen sink. I like how the round chrome ball reflects almost a 360 degree reflection of all that’s around it. If you look closely you can see the window, the ceiling, the fridge, the sink and then it all repeats again. You can also see my arms resting on the sink to get the shot.

I can remember one Sunday afternoon when I was about 18 years old. I was doing Sunday lunch dishes at that very sink as my parents laid down for a nap. While I was alone in the quiet looking out through the window at the beautiful country, I began to sing softly the chorus “I Love You Lord”. If you don’t know the lyrics, they go: “I love you Lord and I lift my voice, to worship you, oh my soul, rejoice, take joy my King, in what you hear, let it be a sweet, sweet sound, in your ear.” It’s was just kind of a unique moment I had with God.

In recent times when I’ve sung that song in church, I think about how almost 10 years have passed since that day at the sink and here I am still singing that song to God. A lot of life has passed since my teens, but Jesus is still my Christ, my Lord, my God, my Savior, my Father. I have not always been faithful to Him or have pursued Him like I should, BUT, He has always been faithful to me and has always pursued me and His Grace has always been enough to cover me. That’s what I’ve learned over the course of my life thus far.

The Jumpman

I fell in love with sneakers when I was young boy. Every time my Mom or Gram would take me to a department store I would always want to go to the Sneaker section and check out all the sweet shoes. Back then my Mom would usually only buy me the “store brand”, like JC Penny’s “USA Olympics”, but that made the Nikes and other name brands all the more spectacular for me to drool over! There were a few times my Mom would buy me a name brand if it was on sale. You can imagine how thrilled I was at those times!

I mainly wear running style shoes now because of how comfortable they are for just chillin, but Basketball shoes are my first love. I remember going “Back to School Shopping” with my Mom before my 6th grade year. We went to a store called “Montgomery Ward” and they had Converse “Magic Johnson’s” on a good enough sale that my Mom was willing to buy them for me! It was the last pair he came out with before he retired in 1991. They were sweet shoes, I remember my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Witter commenting at least twice about how cool they were. Later that year I became a Jordan fan. I remember finding a red “Jumpman” shoelace clip (the Jumpman is the iconic Nike “Air Jordan” logo of Mike doing a stretch style dunk) on a seat at a McDonalds that some kid must have left behind. That was as close to owning a pair of Jordans that I was going to get back then! So, I proudly put it on the front lace of my “Magic Johnsons”. It was kind of the “Classic Confrontation” shoe as one of my friends called it. Jordan vs. Magic, like the 1991 NBA Finals!

Since I only had one clip, I had to choose which foot to place it on. So, I chose the left, because that’s my “lift off” foot when I do “lay-ups” in Basketball. See, there was even a method to my madness.

Now that I’m an adult, I can buy whatever sneaker I want to! I’ve purchased two pairs now of “Air Jordan” shoes over the last couple years and both are kept as near “Mint” as possible. My latest pair came with Jumpman shoelace clips! This time they're blue and I have the the whole pair. As a "throw back" to my youth, I wear them on the front lace of both shoes.

I took the image above last night, this was a shot I've been conceptualizing recently.