Blog

LE' MASQUERADE Project

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:13:00 -0500

By: Paula Showen

I wanted to start this year with a new project and contemplated ideas for several months. I needed something a little different for 2010, something that would hold my interest and be fun for people to view. It was while I was visiting New Orleans that the perfect idea finally came to me. I started collecting masks on my trip, masks of all colors and characteristics. I brought them all home and immediately started selecting models. I am so excited about this project! I've started it and have scheduled several shoots. I anticipate this project taking the entire year, but I am going to make the pictures available as I go. I also want to blog on the project for anyone who is interested in how I decided on the costume and poses. Each model will have their own section and I'll discuss the events of the actual shoot.

A few of the models were taken in 2009. I included them in this project, because of their unique personalities and because they are wearing really cool masks.

THE BRIDE - December 24, 2009

My first model was my daughter. I wanted to make sure to include her and wanted her to be the first model in my slide show. She's wearing the wedding dress from her failed marriage. The mask represents the fact that her former husband didn't know her. He didn't realize that she wasn't going to accept being treated anything less than she deserved. He didn't know that if he continued on the path that he was on, that she would leave him, which she did. Her hands, body position and facial expressions represent her leaving one life and beginning a new one. Their life was a masquerade.

Life for her has changed. She is settled in a new relationship and now has a beautiful baby boy. As we did this shoot, there was a high degree of discomfort that could only be resolved by putting the dress away and abandoning the shoot. There was a heaviness in the air and the shoot lasted all of 15 minutes with only a few shots taken. Honestly, I was the one that became uncomfortable. My daughter would do anything for me and my photography. I felt this was asking a bit much of her.

I now have the dress as a prop. It's a beautiful gown in dire need of cleaning!

MYSTERY WOMAN - 2009

She holds the purple mask, hiding most of her face, exposing only her eyes. The mask reflects in her eyes and the brilliance of the mask itself is intended to signify that she is withdrawn and fades into her quiet sullen place.

I’ve watched her grow from the typical spirited, vivacious child into a poised and quiet young woman. I noticed that she tends to hide her true inner self and feelings, making this an appropriate pose for her.

THE MASK MAKER - 2009

This is a very talented artist who specializes in mask sculpting. His masks sell in local galleries and tend to be on the dark side. He's young and creative. He wants to be a mortician someday.

One day, while working in the gallery, I noticed tattoo markings on his chest. He was wearing a button down shirt with the top buttons open. Only the very tip of the top portion of the tattoo was showing. I asked him what the tattoo was and and told me that it was a symbol of some legendary story that he followed when he was a child. I asked him to show it to me and when I saw it, I referred to it as a pentagram. I scolded him for branding himself with such a symbol and he argued that it was not a satanic symbol at all.

His masks all have a grotesque appearance. They are very dark and (if you ask me), very satanic. I asked if I could photograph him with his masks and bare chest. That was the best way to tell the whole story. I darkened the tattoo to give a sort of a 3-D or textured effect.

I hope to get the mask maker back for additional shoots with some of his newer works.

THE WARE WOLF - January 2010

I was looking at pictures from his Halloween party. There he was, a cat in a tux. I had mistaken his costume for that of a ware wolf. With utter excitement, a vision came into my mind of him sitting in a formal chair with his tuxedo on and a ware wolf mask. I would create a cloudy moonlit night behind him.

I invited him into my studio and created that image. He had brought along his lounging robe for which I had the perfect mask, so the ware wolf became the bird man!

THE ZEBRA - January 2010

This has to be the most fun shoot of all, so far! We laughed so hard at how really ridiculous the model felt and how funny the set-up looked.

I had this idea in my mind for probably a year now. I wanted to do this shoot so badly. The model is an artist and I've practically begged her to create a painting that I can lose some one's face in. Over and over we agreed to do it, but it never happened. So....I went out and purchased fabric and had her come to be the model. I'm hoping that sometime this year, we will actually do a project together that involves her beautiful work!

I asked her daughter to record snippets of this shoot that will be included in the slide show. Hopefully, we captured the comedy and fun.

THE BALLERINA - January 2010

I really don't have any particular reason for this. I just always wanted to shoot a ballerina. I hadn't really considered doing putting a mask on her.

I met this little ballerina when her family came to me to do their family portrait. I was impressed with them and especially her. She had so many interests, including flying. She does almost everything except ballet. Her mom was all into it and they went shopping for the costume and they came to do the shoot. When she walked in with the pink ballet outfit, I selected the biggest mask I owned. I just thought it was a twist to put the largest mask on the smallest model. She pulled it off very well and I was pleased with the results!

LADY'S GOT A GUN - January 2010

This is my friend, Cheryl. She is also a photographer and shoots primarily wildlife. She was telling me a story about being out on a desolate road, just leaving an area where she shoots her tropical birds. She had just put her expensive camera equipment into her car, when she noticed a car with two people had pulled in behind her, blocking her car. She was sure that they were there to rob her of her camera and lens. She managed to escape this traumatic scare, with no harm coming to her or her equipment.

She went home to tell her husband of the event and he told her that he was going to get her a gun and teach her how to use it. Well, that's all I needed to hear and suddenly, I found myself asking her to come pose for me, wearing a mask and holding her gun. When she agreed, I went shopping for the perfect mask for her. I pulled out my grandmother's fur coat and scheduled the shoot.

I was having so much fun with this shoot! Cheryl had me do her hair, we put the makeup on and within 20 minutes, I had tons of really awesome shots! It was hard to select the best, so there are several on my slide show!

Please check back. This project will be updated throughout the life of the project. Click this link to check it out:

LE' MASQUERADE:

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/f9lymSGG/1/4509727#imageID=89998980

2009 Photo Tour

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:12:00 -0400

We arrived in New Orleans on Saturday night, unloaded our bags and walked up to the French Quarter. We stayed in the Drury Inn and Bourbon Street was a straight shot and only about a mile and a half walk. We scouted out the area and then stopped in to a restaurant called Red Fish for dinner. We had delicious BBQ oysters for appetizer. That was my first experience with BBQ Oysters and we loved it! For my main course, I had pasta topped with sausage, crab and shrimp Jambalaya. The food was excellent and the restaurant was jammed! It seemed to be one of New Orleans favorites.

As we left the restaurant, we noticed a crowd of people surrounding a group of guys playing trombones and trumpets. The music was just as I had imagined one would hear on the streets of New Orleans. As I approached the crowd, I noticed several people dancing in the street...really getting into the mood of the atmosphere, I pulled out my camera and started shooting, hoping to capture the feeling of the moment.

After listening and watching, we bought one of their CDs and started checking out the shops along Bourbon Street. I couldn't help but notice the numerous adult stores in the area and how women, barely dressed, were standing just inside the doors, inviting people in. There were so many unusual characters walking these streets! There were people in costumes, people with painted faces asking if you want to take their pictures for a buck. There were people so drunk they could hardly walk. As a matter of fact, one guy was so intoxicated that he kept banging into walls and tripping all over the place. He finally fell smack down on the pavement and banged his head so hard he knocked himself out. The parametics came and made sure he went to the hospital, in spite of his arguement that he was just fine. It was clear that he was far from fine.

On Sunday morning, we walked down to a breakfast restaurant called "Mother's". It was a short walk from our hotel and it was on my list of places to try. When we arrived, we stood in a long line. This place came highly recommended by a friend and she suggested that I order "Grits with Debris". I had no idea what debris was and intentionally didn't ask. I wanted to be surprised and I was! The dish is grits served with a heaping mound of shredded beef. The juices from the beef are served over the grits, like gravey on potatoes. At first, I was disappointed, because there went my "no red meat" rule, but it was a tastey dish. My husband ordered an omlet and grits...wanting to play it safe.

We spent the day walking up and down the streets of the French Quarter, stopping in art galleries and novelty stores. We also visited a voodoo shop, which was interesting. Another suggestion that I added to my list was not to miss the voodoo shops, so I made sure to visit a few. They kind of gave me the creeps, but I figured since it's October and Halloween is close....why not? Again, a source of interesting people.

We found a photography gallery that really excited me! There were pieces by my favorite photographers; Diane Arbus, Annie Liebovitz and Ansel Adams. I could have spent forever in there. The name of it is "A Gallery for Fine Photography", located on St. Charles.

As we continued our walk, we realized that musicians in the streets are very common. There were musicians or performers on almost every corner! There was jazz, country, rock, classical guitar and dancers. There was a family (mom, dad and daughter) playing jazz music. Mom sang and the little girl played the drums. We also met a man who called himself "Doc" Lewis. Doc told us that he graduated Oxford with a Phd. He also travelled with Miles Davis and many other of the older jazz musicians, He travelled the country and could tell us the streets and locations. He was so interesting to listen to. Now I have no idea if it was all for real, but I had a feeling that it was true. Then I asked why he was here, playing on a street corner, he said..."It makes me happy".

We were on our way to a restaurant that was recommended called Acme Oyster House. We asked Doc where it was and he told us to go to Oceana, a local favorite. He said Acme was good, but Oceana was even better. He said that Acme had atmosphere, but Oceana had great Jambalaya and Gumbo, so that's where we had dinner. Doc was right....the food was out of this world! We both had the New Orleans sampler. The dish consisted of jambalaya, shrimp and crawfish gumbo, red beans and rice and sausage. Great meal!!!

After dinner, we stopped to watch a couple of guys doing the old robot move thing. One painted himself gold and the other was painted silver. I think I was more interested in how silly they looked rather than their talent (or lack of). They were not that good at what they did, but they were entertaining and a little goofy.

As we walked, we saw a clump of people moving about. Again, with my camera....I got right in the middle of it to see what was going on. There were camera men following an attractive girl as she walked down the streets. I heard them asking for releases as they went. When the people asked what it was for, they were told that they were making a music video for a group and the story line is about a girl who grew up on the streets. If anyone sees something like that, let me know. My husband said that it was probably a porn movie! Her pictures are in my slideshows.

Next, we saw a fight break out. During the day, there was a football game, New Orleans Saints v.s. New York Giants. The Saints won, so the streets were really bursting with energy!!! So, the police were mounted high in the air on look out. They were prepared for riots! When they noticed the fight, they were right there on the spot, breaking up the dispute. I have to say that I was impressed with their law enforcement! Anyway, the streets were getting a little out of control, so we made our way back to the hotel and called it a night.

The next morning, we headed to the famous cemetery, just outside of the French Quarter. After spending some time there, we thought about heading to Dookie Chase's for the best fried chicken in America. As we started walking in that direction, we realized that it was not a comfortable environment, so we stopped in at the visitor's station to make sure we were going the right way. Well...the lady there was very clear about that not being a place where we would want to go and pointed out a great place for gumbo, strongly suggesting that we try it, so without her really saying not to go there, we got the message and dropped the dookie Chase idea and went where she had suggested. I have to say.....I was not in the least bit disappointed! We enjoyed chicken andouille gumbo, french bread and a nice Pinot Griggio at a place called "Gumbo Shop". It was incredible! French atmosphere, very artsy and great food!

As we walked the streets, the mixed aroma of garbage, urine and stale vomit was beginning to get on my nerves. It was over whelming, probably because of the large crowd that filled the streets post game the night before. We decided to get out of there and head to the French Market for the rest of the day. It was a long walk, but we needed to walk off all the calories we had been eating.

French Market was a fun experience! Artists line their work up along the outer perimeter of the square where the St Louis Cathedral stands. We walked along the river and entered the French Market area, dropping in to a few of the little shops and then to all the merchants inside the market. On our way back, we went inside the cathedral to view the beautiful murals, stained glass and artifacts. The photos do not do it justice! It is simply amazing.

Having had enough of New Orleans, the crowds, the strange people and the stench, Monday evening, we decided that we would get back on the road and head to where ever the car took us. I am very glad that we experienced New Orleans, but I don't think I'll ever go back. There was so much to see, but half of it was depressing and a little too "on the edge" for us. Too much drinking, drugs and poverty. Then again, we are not young and we tend to be on the conservative side. While I truly loved the culinary arts, the fine art galleries, the cathedral and the French Market, there was just too much that we didn't enjoy. It truly made me appreciate my life style and environment.

We headed out of New Orleans and headed west toward Baton Rouge. Along the path, we noticed a sign for Houmas House and we happened to have a brochure. It looked like a great find, so we turned off to tour it.

It's an old Louisiana sugar plantation. The first owners of the plantation were the indigenous Houmas Indians, who were given a land grant to occupy the fertile plain between the Mississippi and Lake Maurepas to the north. That's where it's name came from.

The Houmas sold the land to Maurice Conway and Alexander Latil in the mid 1700's

The original French Provincial house that Latil erected on the property in is situated directly behind the Mansion, adjoined by a carriageway to the grand home described during its antebellum heyday as "The Sugar Palace." The original home was later used as living quarters for the staff that served the great house.

For complete history, click here: http://www.houmashouse.com/history.htm

We toured the gardens and enjoyed an awesome lunch in their restaurant. Our lunch was the best meal of the trip, believe or not! I had pumpkin bisque soup with corn and crawfish with a smoked turkey sandwich with brie cheese and fig spread on multi-grain bread. The food was absolutely delicious!

The gardens were filled with exotic plants as well as those native to the area. I enjoyed shooting there.

Once we finished our tour of the plantation, we headed north on highway 65. My husband thought it might be cool to find a river boat and travel down the Mississippi. Highway 65 on the Louisianna side is a disasterous road to drive and pardon me to all those both living in Louisiana and those who love the State, but the roads are poorly marked and difficult to travel. We found every road that we travelled in that State to be poorly marked and mostly in rough shape. I guess it's evidence of the fact that the State is poor and road funding must be the last on their list to budget.

Since we hated that drive....long stretches of empty land, no gas stations and no food stops...we crossed over to highway 61 in Mississippi as soon as we could. That's where I found Mammy! It was an old structure that was probably built in the 40's. The building base was round and formed the skirt of a black woman. The building advertised jams and jellies and appeared to still be in business.

Next, we found ourselves in Natchez, Mississippi where we saw the Mississippi National cemetery and the Isle of Capri river boat. Both sites made great photos! Unfortunately, the Isle of Capri was a gambling boat and since we don't gamble, that find was basically useless.

That night, we scrapped the idea of following the Mississippi, because it was a pretty dull drive. We found ourselves missing the Mountains and headed for Chattanooga, TN! We just can't help ourselves....the mountains were calling our names!

When we FINALLY arrived (about 7 hours of driving...), we had a difficult time finding an available hotel and finally settled in at a Ramada Inn. We had become spoiled on this trip, because every hotel we stayed in was very nice....new suites with comfortable beds. This place was clean and decent, but way below our standards for this trip. Sleeping was very difficult because of the noise of traffic and lights that blasted in around the cracks of the curtains. We woke up the next day just as tired as we were the night before.

We headed up Signal Mountain for some apple cider and to buy our usual jams and jellies. From there, we went to Look Out Mountain where I got some great shots from our cave tour at Ruby Falls.

By this time, we had all the travelling we could take and just headed home. That drive was the most difficult drive of the trip! We went straight home and arrived at 6AM after an all nighter!

All was not lost, however.....my husband and I had fun just being together. Since we were both miserable, we bonded. As my son said.....Misery loves company. Well....that's it. I can honestly tell people that I would not travel to Lousianna again and trying to find a river boat on the Mississippi that isn't used for gambling will take some careful planning and preparation. There is a great river boat on the Lake in Chatanooga though!

Here are a few more recipes for you. Hope you enjoy the slideshows!!!!

By the way....photo tour is just another term for vacation photos, so excuse the quality of the shots!

New Orleans - French Quarter

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/dcLPCK0M/1/4401264#imageID=84259573

New Orleans - Cemetary

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/FXHUrnHi/1/4401628#imageID=84319635

New Orleans - French Market

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/g9kS5X2T/1/4402491#imageID=84329118

The Drive: Houmas House, Mississippi Route 65 and the river, Ruby Falls in Chatanooga

http://albums.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?i=1&db=1&pw=TOvxCp3f&a_id=4404243&s_id=4822086

NEW ORLEANS RECIPES:

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Gumbo with chicken, ham, sausage and shrimp

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup chopped celery

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 pound cubed cooked ham

1/2 pound cubed cooked chicken

1/2 pound cubed smoked sausage

2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid

2 cups beef broth

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 cups uncooked white rice

1/2 pound salad shrimp

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add celery, bell pepper, and onion to the bacon drippings, and cook until tender.

Add the ham, chicken and sausage to the pot, and pour in the tomatoes, beef broth and chicken broth. Season with thyme and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Stir in the shrimp and bacon just before serving, and heat through. If you use uncooked shrimp, let it cook for about 5 minutes before serving.

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Cajun Style Red Beans and Rice

1 Pound Of Dry Red Kidney Beans

1 Or 2 Ham Hocks, smoked are okay to use

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Bay Leafs

1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Large Yellow Onion Diced Fine

2 Celery Stalks Diced Fine

1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Garlic

Canned Chicken Broth As Needed

2 Pound Of Smoked Sausage Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces

Place the beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with water. Soak your beans over night adding more water as needed.

Okay now that you have soaked the beans over night drain your beans well and place in a large pot with lid. Into the pot place chicken broth until your beans are well covered. Add in your salt, pepper, ham hocks, and hot sauce and start to cooking on low heat. Saute the onions, celery and garlic in olive oil until the onions are done but not brown. Add to the beans. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours stirring often to make sure your beans don't stick. Add your sausage in during the last 1 hour of cooking time. Do not add water. If you need more liquid add chicken broth. You want to serve these beans over hot buttered rice. And guess what you just made the worlds best red beans and rice.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking time stir in powdered cayenne pepper.

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Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

3/4 Cup A.P. Flour

4 Tbsp Creole Seasoning

1 Cup Onions, Diced

1/2 Cup Green Bell Pepper, Diced

1/2 Cup Celery, Diced

1 1/2 Cups Andouille, Cubed

1 Cup Fresh Okra, Cut into 1/2 inch rounds

3 Tbsp Garlic, Chopped

6 Cups cold Chicken Stock

3 Fresh Bay Leaves

1 1/2 Cups Bite size pieces of Raw Chicken Thigh*

2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Hot Sauce to taste

Kosher Salt to taste, if necessary

2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, finely Chopped

1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions

Mix your onion, celery, and bell pepper together: The Holy Trinity

Heat the oil in a cast iron dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a milk chocolate Roux (making a Roux). Add the Andouille, 1 Tbsp of Seasoning, and 3/4 of the Holy Trinity, cook, stirring often, for about ten minutes or until the vegetables soften. Add the Okra, cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cold stock, remaining seasoning, and Garlic. Bring to a Boil. Bring this down to a simmer and let it go for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. About 10-15 minutes before you're ready to serve, add the Chicken, Worcestershire, Hot Sauce, Parsley, and 1/2 of the Green Onions. When the chicken is cooked through, garnish with Green Onions and serve with Boiled Rice, Crusty French Bread, and a good cold beer (I like Dixie or Abita Amber).

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Covering a Baby's Birth

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:42:00 -0400

One of the most beautiful experiences of my life!!! I can't seem to stop thinking about it and feel very compelled to blog about it.

First of all, the parent's and their entire family are awesome people. I felt so at home with them and found myself so in awe of how close this family is. The grandmothers, sisters, brothers, nieces...everyone stayed at the hospital for the entire 13 hours, waiting to find out if the baby is a girl or boy. That's right, the parents did not know the sex of their child until she was born. That is only the second set of parents that I have met who did not know the baby's sex until birth and the other set of parents are the brother and sister-in-law of this expectant mother.

The birth started out with Mom smiling and excited, knowing that she would soon meet her newborn child. She was glowing with anticipation and Dad was equally as excited. Initially, I could tell that Dad didn't really know exactly how to help his wife as the pains began, not yet intense. As time passed and the pains progressed, he was learning very quickly what she needed. He seemed to want to do something to ease her pain, but feeling helpless, did the best he could at the time.

I remained quiet and studied every move, catching the emotion throughout the night. It wasn't long before Mom began to feel the contractions building and the pain became more intense with each minute. The human body is so amazing when you consider how it functions during the birthing process. It's that change that takes place that amazes me. The bones actually shifting to make room for a child to emerge into the bright noisy world and there I stand with my camera flashing right into her little face.

When she was born, she was not a happy little camper! She wailed and frowned so emphatically. She did that until she heard her Daddy's voice. She was suddenly quiet as she strained to focus on the face that belonged to one of the voices she heard so regularly during the preceding 9 months.

Anyway, after the pain intensified and hours had passed, Mom was in some very serious pain and Dad said something that brought tears to my eyes. He looked at his wife and told her that even after all this, she was still beautiful. I sat there quietly, thinking to myself that these were two very lucky people. They share a very special relationship that not many people have these days.

Once baby was warmed, cleaned and settled, I asked that she be given to her Mom for more shots. The baby was now content, trying so hard to focus on Mom and Dad. I could tell she was very comforted by being in her Mother's arms. I wanted some shots before the family came in.

What a life changing experience! I think I've found my calling in life. I loved every minute of every hour and hope to do so many more! Thank you so much Mom and Dad! Enjoy your little bundle of Joy!

2008 Photo Tour

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:54:42 -0500

We needed a break?time for our 2008 Photo Tour! We wanted to get up to North Carolina for the change in colors and to ride the parkway. We had discussed taking a different tour?you know, some place other than our annual trip to North Carolina, but we couldn?t resist going back. We promised each other that next year?s tour would take us to some other destination, because it seems that every year we end up in the Blue Ridge or Smoky Mountains.

I called a hotel in Murphy about a week in advance and found out that the leaves were still there! The reservation agent told me that the colors were not as vibrant as past year?s, but there were definitely nice colors and the weather was great! That?s all I needed to know!

We headed up on Friday night and only made it as far as Atlanta. On Saturday morning, we drove around Atlanta and caught some interesting shots of people and buildings. The only problem was the weather was quickly changing and dark dramatic clouds were rolling in. There was a drop in temperature, which made standing outside for any length of time very difficult. The locals didn?t seem to have a problem, but remember?we?re from Florida and temperatures in the 30?s is almost intolerable to us. After a few hours and a hot cup of coffee, we continued our tour into Murphy, North Carolina.

It was cold in Murphy, too. Not only cold, but bare and brown! The leaves were no longer there and the trees were bare naked! After the disappointment passed, I told my husband that we were calling this tour, ?The Bare Naked Tree? tour. Bare trees are beautiful in a different sort of way. Some of my bare tree shots are pretty cool!

We arrived in time for dinner and ate at our favorite Murphy restaurant, ?Shoe Booties?. Our favorite dish is the Bourbon Almond Crusted Chicken (their specialty). It?s actually the best I?ve ever eaten! That night was the most excitement we had during our very long two day stay in Murphy. It is a desolate boring little farming town. The waitresses and the farmers all long to leave, but find themselves stuck there This is absolutely disturbing for us, considering we have an acre of land that we plan to build on for our retirement home. Anybody want to buy an acre in Murphy???? It has a grocery store, a Wal-Mart (of course), a few restaurants and a trading post! Oh?and they just passed the liqueur law there, so you can order a drink in a restaurant now!!! If you do plan to visit Murphy, there is another pretty good place to eat called Brother?s. It?s real down home Southern Style cooking. I love the sweet potato fries!

Our next destination was Asheville, with a stop in Waynesville for apple cider and apple cookies. We stopped at Barber?s Apple Orchard off 19/23 on Old Balsam Rd. The apple trees are all bare, but the barn is filled with at least 5 different varieties of apples. I bought apples for Thanksgiving. I use them in my stuffing and I love to make applesauce to have with our dinner.

We arrived in Asheville at 3pm and went directly to the Biltmore House. It was very cold in Asheville, in the upper 30?s. The garden?s were empty and brown. Not much to look at outside, but inside there were Christmas trees everywhere! There was a huge beautiful tree in the dining room and smaller trees in every other room. The library had a row of trees?five or six, I think! It was gorgeous. Unfortunately, they don?t allow photography inside. After touring the home and taking plenty of photos outside, we headed to the vineyard to see the wine barrels and participate in the wine tasting. We left there with four bottles of North Carolina grown, Biltmore wines and several shots of the tanks, barrels and private collection cellar wines. From there, we ate dinner in the Bistro, directly across from the wine building.

I was very disappointed in the dinner we had. We both ordered baked chicken, which was served with mashed potato and string beans. We also ordered a glass of wine. Since we had already purchased four bottles of wine, we felt that we could have gone to Boston Market, ordered their chicken and mashed potatoes, corked our wine and had a better meal and a fraction of the price! It just was not that impressive. Oh, don?t let me forget to mention that our waiter was less than cordial. I suppose that the attraction is the Biltmore house and the vineyard and not the fine dining. I should probably not have expected much, but I did.

That was the extent of our visit in Asheville. From the Biltmore, we drove as far as we could toward the Blowing Rock area. We spent that night in Hickory. Hickory is awesome! That?s where we wish our land was. Anybody wanting a gorgeous wooded acre in Murphy?let me know!

The next morning, we headed to Catawba, which is not far from Hickory. I wanted to photograph the Bunker Hill covered bridge and Murray?s Mill. These are two historic sites that I have not yet shot and I was very eager to see them. We arrived first at the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge location. The gates were padlocked and a sign was posted, ?Closed Tuesdays?. UGH! This was Tuesday and we weren?t going to be anywhere near here again during this trip. I got over it almost as quickly as the fact that the trees were bare, because I knew that Blowing Rock was next and I would be riding the Blue Ridge Parkway in a matter of hours!

Anyway, I anticipated that Murray?s Mill was probably also closed, but we decided to drive there and check. Sure enough?it was closed, but I was able to at least photograph it. It?s a beautiful mill, probably one of my favorites. It has an Americana appeal to it. Most mills that I?ve shot have been of wood construction. This mill is a brick structure, built in 1913. Also on the grounds is the Murray and Mingus general store, built in the 1890?s. I shot both buildings.

Finally, we were on our way to Blowing Rock! The drive from Hickory is a constant incline to the top. As we climbed, the temperature dropped and when we finally arrived, the temperature was in the mid 20?s and there was snow! That day was the first snow they?ve had in at least four years. Very cool! I was going to get to shoot it!

We went and checked in to our room. We have been staying at ?The Homestead Inn? since 1998. It?s a quaint little place, the rooms are not very spacious, but they are very comfortable! Each room is uniquely decorated country style with big fluffy quilts on the bed, serene country paintings on the knotty pine walls, thick soft mattresses and lots of fluffy pillows. You can get a room with a fireplace and Jacuzzi tub. We didn?t this trip, because the rooms were already reserved. Maybe next year?oh wait, next year we will be going someplace else??.. I forgot!

Anyway, we were starved, so we went to ?The Canyons? for an early dinner. That place has the best view in Blowing Rock?.the best view anywhere, actually. The food is good, too. We each had something from their Mexican selection of dishes. When we finished, we headed up the Blue Ridge Parkway for an hour or so of driving and shooting. That was the highlight of this trip, as far as I was concerned. We headed up and drove no more than 10 minutes when we were faced with a locked gate and a detour sign. Detour, right! Detour right back down and off the parkway. The mountains were closed! Is that possible? They close the mountains?

Apparently so! We started back down and on the way, stopped at Cone?s Mansion. It?s a large beautiful home overlooking the Blowing Rock. We got out of the car and walked around shooting snow scenes. It was so cold!!! My hands were freezing and I couldn?t feel my ears. We walked quite a distance from the car and when we realized how terribly cold we were, it was a major effort to head back, but there were no other options. I was thinking about how lucky I am to be living in Florida where the temperature doesn?t drop that low for more than a few days at a time. Hmmmmm?maybe we should reconsider property up there at all????? No wonder people retire to Florida!!!

The next morning, we woke up and eagerly headed back for the parkway, hoping that it would be reopened. We were in luck, or so we thought. We reached the same location where we arrived at the locked gate and it was open! We continued on our journey and were able to stop and shoot at a few different lookout points. Our luck ran out when we hit another locked gate. We were again detoured down the mountain and found that we had actually not gone much further than the night before.

We headed to Boone and Valley Crucis where we shot a covered bridge and then took a walk down memory lane in the Mast General Store. I wanted to get a shot of the store and went across the street to fit the store into the shot (which reminds me, I need a good wide angle lens!). I was shooting with my 24-105 f4.0/L lens and was having trouble fitting the store into the image, so I kept backing up until I could see that it was going to fit. All of a sudden, I felt my heel slipping and turned to look over my left shoulder. When I looked down, I was already in the process of falling into a deep (possibly 6 ft) hole that had a large rock and about a foot of water at the bottom. It?s amazing how many thoughts fly through your head in a split second!!! I knew if I fell, I was certainly going to be seriously hurt, so I twisted my body to the left and aimed my right foot toward the outer edge of the hole, missing it by a fraction of an inch. Lucky for me, there was a little ledge just below the hole?s edge and STOMP, STOMP?.I managed to step right then left on that very edge and forced my body to the right, hitting the gravel/paved ground to the right of the hole. I landed on my right side with a thump, just in time to see my camera land on the pavement, right in front of my face! Again, amazing how many thoughts fly through the mind in this kind of situation! I wear my camera around my neck, to avoid dropping it. When I fell, the camera was forced the opposite direction, causing it to land just after I hit the ground.

I laid there for what seemed several minutes, but I?m sure it was seconds. All I could think was when I pick up that camera, it?s going to be broken! I gently picked it up and gave it a slight shake. No rattles, no loose pieces, nothing left on the pavement, was I to be so lucky? I was shaking pretty badly?I guess fear of a broken camera and because of the fall I had just taken. I was very worried as I shot off some images and reviewed them on the display?.they seemed OK. Apparently, the only damage to the camera was a few small scratches on the casing. I was lucky!!! The only injury to me was bruising on my hip and a pulled muscle in my arm. Today, only four days later, the arm is pretty much pain free and the bruise is lighter! I was so relieved!!! I have to digress here for a moment?. This fall made me think about my life long best friend (and cousin), who passed away last March. She laughed every single time she witnessed someone falling. She laughed for days after Fidel Castro fell on steps. Every time they replayed it, she would call me hysterically laughing. She laughed when Miss America fell in Mexico and she laughed when I fell some years ago. I could hear her laughing at me this time, too!

OK, anyway?.On with our trip!!!

The next day, it was time to check out and move on. We decided to give the parkway one last try and got further, but again hit a locked gate and had to come down. We stopped in a town and asked why the gates were still closed. We thought it was due to snow and ice, but found out that the road is closed due to road damage. Here is the information:

Parkway closed from Milepost 367.6 to 355.3: A rockslide and roadway failure has closed the Blue Ridge Parkway to all activities including foot traffic and bicycling between the entrance to Craggy Gardens Picnic Area and the entrance to Mount Mitchell State Park. The picnic area is accessible driving north from the Asheville area and the state park is accessible via the NC Highway 80 entrance to the Parkway. This road closure will remain in effect until late spring 2009.

Wish we read that BEFORE we went?..although, it would not have changed our plans at all!

We came down from the mountains and headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Why, I don?t know! It isn?t my kind of place at all. It is so commercial and even the lighthouse has a restaurant attached to it. I felt like I was in Boca Raton or Ft. Lauderdale. The road leading to the lighthouse is filled with golf communities and establishments for the wealthy. I took my shot at the lighthouse top and left as quickly as we arrived. We headed from there to Savannah, Georgia.

In Savannah, we enjoyed the river walk area and ate at a great place called Huey?s. The food was excellent! It was a New Orleans style place offering Cajun cuisine. We both had crab cake sandwiches. Our server offered her southern hospitality with a smile! She was a very cute young lady named Courtney (hope I?m spelling it correctly). I took a picture of her, but unfortunately, it is out of focus! UGH!!!

From there, we went to Tybee Island to get some shots of the lighthouse. All in all, I got great shots of a sailing vessel in the port, some of the historic architecture and the lighthouse! We loved Savannah!

From there, we went straight home. I?m refreshed and feeling great! It was an awesome trip! Today, I?m listening to the news and they keep talking about the unseasonable snow and weather being experienced by the people in North Carolina. I think to myself?.and yeah, I got to shoot it!

Next year, we may do the East Coast?maybe follow I-95 all the way up as far as we can go considering the amount of time and money we have to spend.

Photos can be viewed at:

http://photos.showmar.com/p983295246

Aged/Worn Photo and Grunge Border

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:48:03 -0400

Having run across some pretty awesome images where the artists had made the image look really old and aged, I started digging around on the Internet and talking to a friend. Together, we found some tutorials that helped me accomplish some pretty cool stuff. It actually kept me busy for a few days. I was looking all over the place for stuff to shoot in my studio (still life), just so I could apply this cool technique!

This is a link to the one I think is the best.

http://www.drquincy.com/resources/tutorials/photoshop/agedwornphoto/

I don't really like doing all this stuff, because I just like plain ordinary well shot photography. It's just lately, I've wanted to play and that's what I did!

I also found this pretty cool tutorial on creating a grunge border....it also works VERY COOL! Check it out:

http://www.kirupa.com/motiongraphics/grunge_border.htm

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Actions for PhotoShop

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:47:41 -0400

ACTIONS FOR PHOTOSHOP

Here are some of the PhotoShop effects that I promised. I originally planned to use these effects on some of my images, but the web page does a fantastic job showing you samples of what the effects can do.

If you don't know how to load your actions, here is a quick explanation:

1. download the effect. You will usually have to unzip it, so have winzip software available.

2. unzip and extract the action file into a folder that you've set up. It doesn't have to be any specific folder, just one where you will keep your actions.

3. Open PhotoShop and click on WINDOWS on your top tool bar. If ACTIONS does not have a check mark, click it. This will toggle on your check mark and will bring up your actions window.

4. From the actions window, there is a small arrow located in the upper right corner. Click the arrow and then select LOAD ACTIONS...

5. Locate the folder where you saved the unzipped action and click it.

Do these steps for every action you download.

Click here to review and dowload the actions:

http://www.atncentral.com/download.htm

Here's another interesting effect?.. I picked it up somewhere on the internet, but don't know where. It works very well! It's the "Dream" effect:

Step 1:
Open the image in photoshop.

Step 2:
Duplicate the layer 1 (or background) by pressing ctrl+J or going to Layers> New > Layer via Copy. Rename the layer Duplicate 1.

Step 3:
You need to apply the Gaussian Blur to it. Go to Filters> Blur> and Gaussian Blur. Apply a setting of about 7.0. The blur mainly depends on your image size.

Step 4:
In your layers pallette, set the mode for the layer named "duplicate 1" to lighten.

Step 5:
You need to duplicate the original layer again. Do this by clicking on the original layer (or background layer) and then pressing Ctrl+J or Layers>New Layer. rename the newly created layer "duplicate 2" and drag it over duplicate 1 layer.

Step 6: Apply the gaussian blur to the layer "duplicate 2". (about 7.0 blur)

Step 7: Now change the blend mode of the layer "duplicate 2" to Overlay.

Have fun!!!

Canon EF 300mm 1:2.8 L IS USM lens with a 2X extendor

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:45:54 -0400

My experience with Canon EF 300mm 1:2.8 L IS USM lens with a 2X extendor

Yesterday, I rented a Canon EF 300mm 1:2.8 L IS USM lens with a 2X extendor and what a Canon it is!!! That thing is really heavy!

Anyway....I grabbed my camera, tripod and the lens and headed out the door to shoot some Florida seabirds. I headed to Honeymoon Island in search of osprey in the wooded area and egrets on the coastal area. There was not a bird in sight! That is, other than the common seagulls and there weren't that many of them!

After an hour of sitting tight and waiting for a bird to fly in, I packed up my equipment and headed to the fishing pier on the Anclote river. That has been a favorite spot of mine for shooting my very favorite bird...the pelican. When I got there, the pier was loaded with fishermen, but not one sing pelican in sight.

By this time, my hopes were shattered and I found myself looking for ANYTHING to shoot, just to try out this lens. All of a sudden, I noticed a huge army of fiddler crabs....ok, so I got desperate.....

So, during this entire day and after a $50 rental....I came up with nothing worth while. I did, however, learn that I really would like to have a lens like this. One day of rental really isn't enough time to learn how to use it, but I got enough time with it to realize how really cool it is!

I want more!!! I will have to do this again next month!

EFFECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Mon, 26 May 2008 00:58:58 -0400

I think it's time that I address some of the questions that I've received regarding effects. I've had several requests for information on certain effects that I've used on images featured on my web page. I have neglected to answer some of the questions, not because I don't want to share, but because I kind of feel a little embarrassed for using them and a little preoccupied with wanting to achieve perfection without effects.

The latest question came from an outstanding photographer and it amazes me that he had any interest in effects at all. His work simply blows me away! Anyway, I responded by telling him not so much about my effects, but rather how I feel about using them. Now I'm not talking about layering or basic editing...I mean effects that turn a photographic image into a painting or something along that nature. You see....my goal is to achieve the most perfect, clear, pristine, focused, best composition possible! I've learned a lot, but I have a long way to go. That is my primary focus (no pun intended).

I don't really want to be labeled as someone who uses "cool" effects. I want to be the person who composes great images. But, as luck would have it, it seems that it's my effects that catch people's eye. The funny thing is, they're mostly all discovered and downloaded. They're nothing great. You just have to know which "plug-in or effect" to use on each image. I find something and play with it until I achieve what I want. Over the next few weeks, I'll be providing that information, with examples. With that promised, I would like to take this time to explain a few things about the use of artistic effects.

I use artistic effects for images that I show in galleries. My intent is to create something artistic, because people tend to buy something that doesn't look real. It can be a photograph, but it has to be different. It has to look like it was "created", not shot. It has to have an artistic look about it, because many people (including traditional artists), don't view photography as an art. I know?that's very disturbing, but for the most part?true. I worked for years, both as a volunteer and as a paid staff member for the Progress Energy Gallery in New Port Richey and this is the trend I've noticed. I was doing OK as far as selling artistic prints in galleries, however, the economy is changing and so is what people spend money on. Gallery sales are down?way down. I don't mean just for me, but for many, many artists.

You may be thinking?that's in New Port Richey, what about other galleries. Well, I can't answer that, but I can tell you that I know many other gallery owners who are all saying the same thing. That's still local. I have no idea what the trends are in cities outside of Tampa Bay and I certainly have no idea about galleries in other States. I can say that I spend far more in printing, framing and matting that I get back in sales.

I am only mentioning this in case you are interested in effects so that you can create master pieces and spend tons of money in preparation for gallery shows. It's not that lucrative.

I try very hard to get nice quality shots and I make more money selling stock photos (locally) and doing portrait work. The gallery sales are really down in this economy, but what people seem to be coming to me for are either family portraits (newborns, family, elder parents, etc), because it gives them something to feel good about during a bad economy OR they want bio shots for books or products they are trying to sell...photos for business purposes. Also, many people are trying to sell something...(anything) via the Internet and seem to feel that they need some portraits to post on web pages. I also sell portraits to people who have just gone through divorce, due to financial strain. They are going onto web matching services and want pictures (this may sound strange, but it's true).

Wedding photography is a great source of income, however, it can be very stressful. I will only do weddings with a partner. I would be devistated if halfway during a wedding, my equipment fails. I also have two cameras on hand.

I also do photo shoots for local hospitals and doctors. I do various shots for surgeons who want to use the shots in their medical portfolio. I also go out and shoot patients for hospitals doing magazines and billboards to advertise their services.

If I could recommend anything out of all the mistakes and the learning that I have done....I would suggest that photographers take a look at the stock photo industry. There is TONS of competition, but if you get a niche going...there is so much money to be made. I've heard so many success stories out of stock photography. I would also stay clear of the gallery scene unless it's just to advertise your work. If you make sales, let it be a bonus for you. Don't go into it planning to sell enough to get your money back.

If you feel that the effects are still something you want to pursue, I say have fun with it! It's fun to play around with and see what cool images you can come up with. And, who knows?.one day the market for artistic photography might rise again and with all the practice, you'll be ready!

All I can say is, I just love photography and I love to give people something that they'll cherish forever. That is their portraits....especially the babies. I LOVE the babies! And, by the way, I am not an expert with the effects?.I'll just let you in on what I know?.that's the best I can do.

I'd love to hear some opinions on the use of effects. What do other photographers feel?

Anyway.....till next time?? Keep shooting!

Eliminate Camera Shake

Sat, 17 May 2008 13:10:59 -0400

A friend sent me this..... It's a great idea!

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1041948/1_image_stabilizer_for_any_camera_lose_the_tripod/

About this blog....

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 13:30:48 -0500

I use my blog to post entries about my travels, photo shoots and little tid-bits of information regarding my experiences as a photographer as well as little things I've learned that might help others.

Please feel free to post anything that might help clarify issues or if you'd even like to post one of your own experiences!

Thanks for visiting.