“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.”
―
In March, while I was taking a class (more about that in a future post), I was inspired by one of my instructor’s images to
“You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down”
―
As many of you know, I lost my mother, Nance Presson, April 6, the day after my 57th birthday. There is no doubt in my mind that she held on one more day so that I could spend one final birthday with her. I will always treasure this birthday.
Mom passed after an extended illness. She began receiving support from Hospice and Community Care of Rock Hill, SC, in November of 2019. Amazing Hospice helpers and our family have worked together since that date to help Mom live her life on her own terms.
Saturday was the first day
“The practice of art isn’t to make a living. It’s to make your soul grow.”
―
I always enjoy ways to practice and learn new skills to improve my photography.
For years, I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in a
“I think of myself as a writer who photographs. Images, for me, can be considered poems, short stories or essays. And I’ve always thought the best place for my photographs was inside books of my own creation.”
– Sam Abell
Last year I discovered the joys of taking photography classes online. While life was keeping me close to home, these classes were like a lifeline to the photographic community. One of the first classes I took was an online masterclass with
“When young photographers ask me what they should do, I always tell them to stay close to home.”
-Annie Leibovitz
Since life’s events have caused me to stay closer to home for the past two and a half years, I have found myself looking for subjects to photograph nearby. What I have found is the more I look, the more I see.
Although many are by now experiencing Zoom fatigue,
“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.”
– Steve McCurry
I took a bit of a break from working on my series, Caged. In this series, I am creating images at the Riverbanks Zoo located in Columbia, SC.
If you have ever visited Columbia, SC in the summer,
“A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is thereby a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.”
-Ansel Adams
At the end of each year, I take time to review my favorite images of the year and
“This is the season when people of all faiths and cultures are pushing back against the planetary darkness. We string bulbs, light bonfires, and light candles. And we sing.”
-Anita Diamant
While teaching in the elementary school classroom, this time of year was a joyous time learning how different cultures celebrate holidays. We spent a week
“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”
―
Each fall, one of my favorite places to photograph is Gibbs Gardens, located in Ball Ground, Georgia. I began visiting the garden to photograph the brilliant colors of fall in
