The Shots: Sunset Arch, Abbey Road at the Arch, and Leaves & Steel

In addition to Gateway Stroll, I snagged some other great shots while in St. Louis last year.  While writing my previous STL entry, I discovered that the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was holding a photo contest.  I sent off my entries and hoped for the best.

I was recently notified that three of my photos were selected as Honorable Mention recipients, one in each category.  I am beyond thrilled to be included with so many other great photographers.

Here are the selected entries:

Architecture: Sunset Arch

Landscape: Abbey Road at the Arch

Nature: Leaves & Steel

Hurricane Irene

Here in the Research Triangle, we're on the western edges of the storm, contending with mostly winds and the occasional downpour.  We have some power outages, maybe some creeks or ponds will break their banks, but for the most part, this will probably be just another day to hunker down and then we'll go back to living our normal lives tomorrow after the cloud bands have passed us by.

Further east, it is a different story.  Making landfall near Cape Lookout, Irene is marching across the eastern third of the state, wreaking havoc on the Outer Banks, the sounds, and the small towns that dot the landscape.

Our Governor Bev Perdue summed it up best:

"We're preparing for the worst & praying for the best.  That's what we do here in North Carolina."

The Events: Naked & Hungry at the Spa at Bell House

This past Friday, Spa at Bell House in Pittsboro, NC hosted my friend Ashley Memory for another reading from her upcoming novel, Naked & Hungry.  Spa at Bell House offers a variety of services to provide complete wellness care and those in attendance received chair massages to help unwind & be ready for an evening of literary entertainment.

As we sat on the charming front porch, enjoying sweets, sweet tea, and each others' sweet company, Ashley read us a pair of passages featuring the character of Margaret, a high-strung gal who so desperately needs a day to kick back and relax.

In case you missed it, mark your calendar for October 21 when Ashley returns to Spa at Bell House, this time with crepes.

The Series: Sunsets

I've always had a thing for sunsets.

It seems strange.  I've usually lived on the east side of things: the eastern coast of Florida, the eastern part of Iowa, the eastern seaboard.  I'm much more a morning lark than night owl; sunrise is my favorite time of day.

But sunsets are an entirely different kind of magic.

Depending on the weather, the air quality, the temperature, or your elevation, sunsets can be anything from mundane to extraordinary. 

Shooting them can be tough, as sometimes they're so fleeting or change so rapidly that you have to work quickly.  But this is a chance to experiment with your ISO settings, filters, and exposure to capture that scene in all its beauty.

Sunset from a plane; over Jacksonville, FL

Sunset over Blue Ridge Mountains; Asheville, NC

Sunset over Iowa City, IA

Sky on Fire; Durham, NC