Raleigh Project (Continuing)

I'm currently working on a project through August highlighting ...what else... the City of Oaks!  Trying to get photographs of each of the various college and universities here locally, but have to be careful not highlighting one over another.  Difficult.  I ran out tonight after dinner at PR's with my biker buddies.  Great sky.

Painting again.

My third painting finished...and the first by just looking at a scene in front of me.  The challenge lay in the fact that it took me three days to paint while I was at the beach.  During that time obviously the weather and subsequent clouds changed dramatically.  I had to work towards an impression of the scene (I guess that's why it's called impressionism) something that I have always tried to do with my photography, although often having to settle for the specific moment.  This allows me to portray what I want.

Blue Collar - Continuing Series

I had wanted to go up in the pilot house of the Southport ferry on several occasions, but never asked before today.  Chuck (second photograph) was taking a break in the main cabin and I asked if I could take his photo for my series.   I then asked if maybe I could go up into the pilot house and photograph the pilot who in this case was MaryBeth Ray...who along with piloting the ferry also ran a paddle board teaching operation.  Ron Hilton or "Nor" as he was called looks like the seasoned veteran he probably is.

 Bo, was sent over to the condo from the HVAC company.  He was the the shop guy that worked with all the sheet metal.  He was obviously a tough hand at metalwork.  "I use the most expensive tape in the world...Duct tape!" he laughed.

I stopped off in Elizabethtown in order to get a bite for lunch and found the Corner Cafe right smack in downtown.  I had initially walked into a Sushi place, but decided I can't go to a small North Carolina town and have Sushi.  The Corner Cafe was obviously the local hangout and an establishment that had been around for a while.  It's also some place I could get breakfast for lunch.  Pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast.  I was served by Teresa, Randy, and Maachah who definitely qualified for the blue collar workers series.  They stayed busy.  Before leaving I had to chat with Michael, a retired teacher and football coach from the area.  We enjoyed chatting about the Valvano days at NC State.  

Former Governor Jim Holshouser dies at 78.

Painting Number 2

Having taken almost 6 months and 150 hours to finish my first painting(http://simongphoto.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-first-attempt-at-painting.html), I wanted to complete something in a much shorter period of time.  Well it started out as a week, but really took 2 weeks.  After showing it to my art instructor, 88 year old John, he suggested it still needed some work, so I spent another few sessions with it.  I'm finished now as far as I'm concerned.  On to the next project.

A little while with Rick.

Rick and I have worked together many times over the years.  A trained and practicing medical professional, he diverted a number of years to being a professional photographer.  Living on a small farm out in the county, I thought it a good time to go visit and take some pictures not only of a nice setting, but also of a good friend.  There was plenty to see along the ride out and back and will add more pictures in the next few days. Rick continues to shoot great images and works at WakeMed in Raleigh.

I left Rick and traveled back into town the back way down country roads that although are built up with suburban homes still have that country flavor.  While stopping at the Village Grocery store on Buffaloe road, I met Julie who was willing to wear a house coat to get some supplies.   Obviously people know Julie, one car full of friends making sure she wasn't talking too much due to recent surgery or some such...another just saying hey!  She didn't care what people thought.  "Life is too short...and we just don't know how lucky we are to have the freedoms we do" she says.  A "promising writer", Julie has already finished a book on her life.  Having to deal with married life at 16...divorce...the loss of her children to her ex-husband...the recovery or kidnapping back of her children and the subsequent jail time that followed wasn't something that she minded sharing with a stranger.  Now with two children in college and two more at home, she is president of her local homeowners association and very active in the kids school PTA.
"Everyday I am amazed that I can open a refrigerator and there is all this stuff" she says.  We don't realize how important those freedoms are and they can be lost.
I am always struck by the stories that I get meeting people in passing.  It's the camera that allows me to connect, but although I usually make a nice photograph out of it, for me personally it's the story of the person that I most remember and appreciate.

Tim. RotoRooter Plumber. Blue Collar Series Continued...

Tim had a hard time trying to fix my water heater, but I enjoyed talking to him about his football days.  Having played at Millbrook High School in the early 80's, he knew many of the players that went on to play at NC State and other schools.