The Sites: Playmakers Theatre

The Playmakers Theater stands at the center of the UNC campus, a Greek Revival building surrounded by the staunch architecture of the University's historic architectural core.  Under the columns of its facade, two windows face out onto Bynum Circle, which, along with Bynum Fountain, serves as a popular crossroad on campus.

As the seasons change, the trees on campus flush with color, framing the circle in a setting of natural fire.

The doors to the theater stand guard against the elements.

But the window on the front is my favorite subject on a campus rife with material:

Winter

Autumn

Spring/Summer

The Shots: Giraffe Eyelash

Paired with my affection for aquariums is a zeal for zoos.


On my recent trip to Chicago, I found myself free of scheduled obligations on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  I was meeting a friend for dinner that evening up in her neighborhood near Lincoln Park, so it seemed logical to spend the day at the Lincoln Park Zoo.


On all my previous trips to Chicago, I'd never made it to the zoo.  Now, having been, I can't imagine not going every time I'm there.


The African Journey occupies most of the northern end of the park, with both exterior and interior habitats (for some reason, the polar bears are up here as well, while the lions are more towards the center by the entrances, an arrangement that only now just strikes me as odd).  In the interior habitat, somewhere between the spoonbills and the meerkats, there is an observation area for the giraffes.


Creatures of ridiculous beauty, giraffes are incredibly fun to photograph: between the interesting angles of their bodies and the expressiveness of their faces, they have so many details to capture.


On this particular day, one of the giraffes was making a meal for herself out of the moss growing along a rocky outcrop adjacent to the observation window.  I attempted to capture an action shot of sorts, trying to catch her tongue as it crept through the nooks and crannies in search of a snack, but nothing quite came out as I'd hoped.


As she bent to drink from an elevated fountain immediately outside the glass barrier, I received something even better:

The Series: Duke

Each year for Thanksgiving, I travel to South Carolina to meet family & friends for a weekend of food, cards, and some much needed down time.  Our hosts have a beautiful Chow Chow named Duke, who reigns over the yard like a queen.  With the equally beautiful weather, I spent some time outside with Duke & my camera:

The Shot: Mississippi River Sunrise

It's not just about sunsets.


Sunrise is actually my favorite time of day.  The promise of a new beginning, the unlimited possibility to start anew, light returning to a dark world -- these are the metaphors of the sunrise that resonate with me.


A recent trip to New Orleans found me meandering along the banks of the Mississippi one morning, just as the city was starting to awaken.  At this point in its path, the river is wide, like it is back in Iowa, but the geography feels off.  Here, the river is to the east, not the south; it flows from right to left, rather than left to right.  It is at once the same and different, just like every other river I've traveled along, but this one is different.


If ever one could possess a river, the Mississippi would be mine.


Standing there on the levee, it is impossible not to think about the destruction that swamped this city barely six years ago.  It is impossible not to appreciate the power of the water as it flows majestically to the Gulf, slowing at this point in its travels as the grade of the land lessens and it prepares to drop its sediments into its ever-shifting delta. 


But standing there at sunrise, watching the light dance across the water, it is impossible not to be in awe:

The Trips: Fall 2011

You may have noticed I haven't posted in a few weeks.


I've been on the road, criss-crossing the state and the country for the past two months, but am now settling back into my home base in North Carolina for an extended period.  


From Atlanta to New Orleans to the Sandhills to Chicago, I've put in a lot of long days at work, but still managed to eek out some time to explore.


Here a preview of what's coming:

The Collections: New Additions

New photos have been added to Architecture, Fauna, Nature, People, and Place.  Please use the links to the right to explore at your leisure.

The Sites: Fearrington Village

Fearrington Village is a community nestled in north eastern Chatham County that boasts fine dining, local artists, and - perhaps their most famous residents - a herd of Belted Galloway cattle.  


After having driven past it countless times, I finally had the opportunity to visit twice in as many days, which gave me a chance to get up close & personal with the locals:

The Events: the Official Launch of Naked & Hungry

This past weekend, I headed to McIntyre's Fine Books in Fearrington Village for the official launch of Naked & Hungry:

Naked and Hungry will be published by Ingalls Publishing Group in Boone, N.C., and available for purchase through your local bookstores starting on November 1, 2011.

You can also pre-order a copy directly from Barnes and Noble and have it shipped directly to your home.

Pre-order Naked and Hungry Today!

The Shot: Live Oak & Mardi Gras Beads

I recently returned from a week in New Orleans.  Among the iconic images from the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and the Mississippi River, I found one sight that, for me, captured the spirit of the city better than anything I'd seen before:

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

The Collections: New Additions

New shots have been added to Architecture, Flora, Food, Nature, People, and Place.  Please use the links to the right to explore the collections.

The Sites: New York City - Historic Building Day

Last year, I traveled to New York City for an extended weekend.  It was an opportunity to visit a friend I hadn't seen in years and finally explore a city I'd previously only experienced through its airports.


Each day was a different theme, either intentionally or by serendipity: Museum Day, Family History Day, Solemn Remembrance Day.  Because it was New York City, every day was Delicious Food Day.


My favorite was Historic Building Day.


There are few cities in the US - and arguably the world - that contain so many iconic images and places.  From the arts to politics to transportation to architecture, simply walking through the city is like walking through a giant cultural museum.


We'd already spent some time wandering the West Village, sitting in Washington Square Park under the shadow of the Empire State Building.  

We'd walked across the Brooklyn Bridge at night, with the Manhattan skyline beckoning us as we came ever closer.  

But Historic Building Day was a tour of some of the best gems to find in the city, both for the sheer beauty of the architecture as well as for the cultural mystique that they hold.

New York Public Library

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Grand Central Station

Flags of the United Nations

Rockefeller Center

Audrey Hepburn's hangout

Solow Building

Lincoln Center

The Tips: Perspective

In life as well as in art, perspective is a very valuable thing.

Framing & your zoom lens are two of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for taking great photos.  Sometimes it's best just to try and capture the scene in front of you as is, such as a landscape or a wider architectural shot or a skyline.

Blue Ridge Mountains; near Asheville, NC

Venus flytraps; Chapel Hill, NC

Other times, zooming in can shift the entire dynamic of the photo, where you can make the big seem small, the small seem big, or highlight the details that would otherwise be overlooked.

Riverfront Bench; Elizabeth City, NC

When I was a kid, I used to get a magazine where the back cover was an extremely zoomed photo of something; the puzzle was to guess what it was.  It was usually something innocuous, like a zipper or the wing of a bird, but it was my favorite part.  I'd like to think those puzzles helped lay the groundwork for my photography style, as I get really excited about finding those minor details that pack major visual punch.


Shifting your framing & employing your zoom can help make a good picture a great picture.  You may also need to be a little adventurous with your positioning: could that picture be better if you climbed up/over something or crouched under to peer through something else?  (Of course, be sure that you are always keeping an eye on your own safety, as well as honoring laws & regulations!)  Walk around your subjects if you can; you may find your own photo puzzle.

Flaming Wing; NC Zoo; Asheboro, NC

The Projects: Portraiture with Ashley Memory

Over the past few months, I've posted a few times about events for my friend Ashley Memory and her upcoming novel, Naked & Hungry.  

While working with Ashley on stock photography projects, she asked me if I'd consider doing some headshots to assist in promoting her novel.  As you can see from my collections, I'm not exactly a portrait photographer - and I don't really see myself going in that direction at the moment - but it sounded like a good way to expand my skill set and get some experience with a very sympathetic and understanding client. 

We've done several morning shoots, with locations including the NC Arboretum and the Forest Theater on the UNC campus, as well as Ashley's house in Pittsboro with gorgeous fall foliage as a backdrop.  We've gotten a little more adventurous each time and our third session at the Forest Theater produced the author's photo for her book cover.

In addition to the skill development side of things, this has also given me some of my favorite shots, even if they're not going on any book jackets any time soon.