I was getting tired of my desktop wallpaper and decided it was time for something new. But then I had two photos I really liked and couldn’t decide. So guess what? Two for the price of one! 🙂
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!
Kathy & I recently spent a week at the beach in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Since we got back I’ve had so much going on that I haven’t had a chance to process and post any photos. I didn’t take many photos on the beach proper, but did take my camera with me to dinner and other outings. Here are a few picks from my first pass through the folder.
We don’t get to do it as often as we might like, but Kathy & I enjoy taking day trips to places that are just an hour or two from home. We visited West Jefferson, NC a few weeks ago for the first time in several years, having previously visited to photograph the town for a magazine assignment.
West Jefferson is a nice mountain town, just busy enough to not be considered “sleepy,” but not as zoo-crazy as a place like Boone or Blowing Rock. Needless to say, that was one of the things we remembered about West Jefferson, and was one of the reasons we wanted to go back.
One of the notable things about West Jefferson is all of the murals on the sides of the buildings. The scenes are varied, but generally reflect the history of the town or are some kind of artistic or humanitarian expression. There are a number of interesting shops and art galleries, and even a photography gallery.
I naturally had my camera with me, and while many of my photos would not be considered “Chamber of Commerce” shots, I had fun finding the things I like to find and capturing them with my camera.
We found it an interesting place to spend the day, and ended up coming home via the Blue Ridge Parkway which crosses nearby. It was a nice place to visit and one we hope to return to again soon.
It’s been a little while since I posted, and I am working on getting caught up from a week at the beach. This is a photo from our visit to Hilton Head in February, and I’ll have some current photos from our most recent adventure real soon!
Kathy & I made a late afternoon stop this past Saturday at the Little Glade Mill Pond along the Blue Ridge Parkway, not too far from the intersection with US21. The light was right, the colors were great and I mixed up the fuzzy and the sharp. I don’t get to pull out the 55-200 often, but it was just the ticket for this group of photos.
I’ve got a few more, so there may be a follow up post. Stay tuned!
Trying to get better at just posting pictures when I don’t have a lot of words. Whew….!
Some random photos from around Western NC a few weekends ago.
Public Art in Waynesville, North Carolina
Kathy & I took a quick jaunt over Easter to visit some of our friends in Belhaven and Washington, NC. It was a quick trip and we didn’t see everyone, but we did manage to buy some wine from our favorite Wine Guy, and I was able to take a few photos. We’re planning a return in July and will be sure to look up the rest (SN).
A couple of weeks ago I was able to take advantage of a “clearance” sale on the Fuji E-X2 and picked one up as a backup to my X-T1. I don’t do a lot of events, but when I do I know it is prudent to have a spare camera, just in case. Adorama had the E-X2 body and the wonderful 18-55 zoom lens on sale for what amounted to $200 for the body. As much as I would love to have an X-Pro 2, and as aware as I am that the X-T2 is right around the corner, I have placed a self-imposed moratorium on the upgrade cycle and am planning to stand firm for a while. But I still don’t have all the lenses, so…. 😉
So here is a little sampler of photos taken with my “backup” kit. No slouch for sure, especially with a nice lens. Looking forward to using it some more.
One of the things I love to do when we travel is seek out old railroad stations. They are especially prevalent in rural areas of North and South Carolina, and I have found them in Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, as well.
One of the stations we pass by on a regular basis is the station in Branchville, SC. It’s on one of the “slow-cuts” we like to take when we are headed to Hilton Head and want to get off the freeway. I’ve taken pictures there before, and have been particularly interested in the old freight depot that sits across the tracks. It is in pretty sad shape, but a few years ago was given a new roof, and while I don’t know for sure I am hopeful that some funding will find its way there to complete the restoration. Both buildings are beautiful and reflect the good old days of American railroading.
According to one of the signs there, Branchville was on the first commercial railway, from Charleston to Hamburg, SC. Construction began in Charleston in 1829 and was completed to Hamburg in 1833. The distance was 136 miles and at the time was the longest railroad in the world and twice as long as any in the United States.
The railroad branched out from Branchville to Orangeburg in 1840, and Branchville became the first railroad junction in the world.
The Branchville Depot was built in 1877 and featured a dining room there trains would stop for breakfast and dinner. It claims the distinction of having had three former US Presidents dine there: President William McKinley, President Theodore Roosevelt and President Howard Taft.
The depot today is a symbol of Branchville’s rich railroad history and contains Branchville’s Railroad Shrine and Museum and a restaurant. It seems that we have never been there when either was open, but at some point I will be sure to get inside and look around.
We’ve been home a week now, but Kathy & I recently spent a week on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. It’s one of our favorite getaway destinations any time of year. It was a little early in the season and we knew we ran the risk of cold weather, but we needed to get away. So we went, it was nice and now we’re counting down to the next adventure. In the meantime, there are photos!
The beach is one of the few places that calls my name so irresistibly that I have no problem hauling myself out of bed before sunrise. Because I don’t have to get in the car and drive anywhere, I can stumble out of the bed, dress, grab my gear and be out to the beach in about 15 minutes.
One of my favorite things is taking advantage of the low light and great color to make motion blur photos. They have become a bit of a “signature” for me, and interestingly the motion blur abstracts are the photos that have sold best recently.
This is a mix of a few blurry and sharp photos from our week at the beach. I’ve got a lot more work to do but was overdue for a post, so here it is!
