No time for the old

I spent this morning rummaging through some over looked images from my days in Mexico.  I came across this image and immediately I wanted to work on it.  What struck me was the old lady sitting with a worried and lonely look on her face, while the younger people sit with their backs towards her.  The contrast in the human condition of this scene makes the image.  Photography has the unique ability to capture a moment time time and freeze it.  That is what makes street photography so rewarding.  

Nature can restore

I spent a couple of weeks in the Georgia mountains recently.  I found many small streams to wade in and enjoy the cool and quiet surroundings.  After a few days of hiking and photographing alone, I found myself forgetting about the worries of the day.  Sadly we live in a culture where the media bombards us constantly with negative news and opinions.  Without realizing it, our thoughts are no longer our thoughts because of what we are exposed to each day. We are all aware of the many forms of pollution in our environment, light. air, noise, and waste pollution. But are we aware of the effects of pollution that is being constantly sent to our brains through the airways by TV, cellphone, and the internet.  You will  come to realize how your thoughts are impacted by these sources when you separate yourself from them. Do we really need to be constantly connected to this controlling force in our lives?  Take some time and disconnect once in awhile and reconnect with your own self generated thoughts.  It will help you find what is really important and where your focus should be for your life. 

Out traveling

 

After of months of sitting home and feeling sort of lost, I decided to take a drive.  I ended up traveling over 3,000 miles and going through 13 states.  I chose only to travel the secondary two lane roads and stay off the interstate highways.  I meandered about stopping in small towns and seeing how each one was different and talked with a few of the local people. I was driving through a small town in Georgia and caught the image of a man sitting on his front porch watching the few cars that pass by.  I knew I had to park and walk back to meet the man and ask to take his photograph.  As I approached I could see the house was old weather beaten, and his sitting position on the porch was where he spent most days.  His name was Benny and he was a soft spoken gentle man who was grateful to have someone to speak with for a few minutes.  It is these situations that are the most rewarding to me as a photographer.  They come completely unexpected and usually produce a meaningful image for me.  It is the simple things that I remember the most in my travels. The time to stop and talk with a complete stranger and make a friend, if only for a little while.  America is beautiful and full of wonderful people.  It only takes a trip to through the country to realize that.