UNTITLED 1

Seriously? I honestly don't know what to call this. The photography? Piece of cake. Titling? Well, sometimes it just boggles my mind.

But the trip, the trip to get this photo was unbelievable. It started on the Canal Walk in Richmond, VA, by Tredegar Iron Works (now the Civil War Museum) and ended on Belle Isle.

Tredegar Iron Works has all this beautiful, black, industrial ironwork that makes for wonderful shots. I've been working with black and white lately and there's nothing like industry to make a great black an white. I only touched the surface.

Belle Isle was once a prison for Union Soldiers (a pretty nasty prison from the historic markers around the place) and served many other functions before it became a city park. It's a great point of exploration. I only walked a small part of the island and will definitely return.

The whole place is surround by the James River which in and of itself is a beautiful body of water. Over the next few weeks, I'll share some of what I found.

PERIGEE MOON

It took a while for it to get over whatever horizon it was rising from. I was looking for it since 7:00pm. I gave up. Comfortably lounging in bed in my pj's reading, I knew this moon was out there. It called. So I traded in the comfort of my pj's for the comfort of my sweats around 10:30pm, and there behind the tree branches...it was well worth trading the comfort.

These are the first shots I've ever taken of the moon and they were a joy of an experiment. Though the real experiment was working all the functions of the camera in the dark. I knew it better than I thought.

This is the moon at perigee, it's shortest distance from the earth.

A DAY AT THE REFUGE

Last Sunday I spent a couple hours out at Rikki's Refuge. I've been hanging out there since 2003, snapping shots and playing with the animals. For me, it's a great day out in the country; peaceful, quiet, with all sorts of animals hanging out and vying for attention. It's enough to relieve any stress.

Now, it's been a couple of years since I've been out to Rikki's, so I had a chance to see some of my old buddies and meet some new ones.

Tomi has always been one of my favorites out at Rikki's (and yes, I do have favorites) and since I've been going out to Rikki's, I've never been able to get a decent shot of Tomi. The day I went out, she had play yard privileges and therefore, she wasn't jumping on me for attention (she was actually more interested in peeing on everything in the yard).

 

I've always enjoyed going into the cat runs. There's usually a mix of ultra friendly cats with shy ones. I didn't hit the feral runs this day, stuck with the friendlies, and while shooting in one run, the cats next door were just waiting my arrival. But I know these cats. The minute you open the door, they want to escape into the big, wide world. And these guys were waiting, clustered by the door, meowing for their chance.

I met Miles. I'm not sure that I've ever met Miles. He was fun to hang out with. Well, actually, he followed me around. Then when it was time to take his picture, he'd be right on top of the camera. Unfortunately, with animals, you can't tell them to step back, and when I tried to step back, well, Miles continued to step forward.

Petunia. She's the only non pot bellied pig at Rikki's. I remember when Petunia was a wee babe and she squealed so loud you could probably hear her for miles when someone picked her up. I saw her out in the distance of Piggy Paradise, called her name and she came running. She's a very friendly pig.

This guy here is a newbie. His name is Prince. He's spoiled and was sort of kicked out of the litter, so he was basically raised by human hands. I was talking to Lena (the Refuge's manager) and we were commenting on how cute he was. I said I think it's because he has different markings, you know, that brown streak over his snout. Well, turns out that brown streak is actually white, but Prince likes to root in the mud so much, the white just disappears.

The rabbits have always been a favorite, and challenge to photograph. They run as soon as you get into position to take the shot. I've learned over time to keep the zoom on the camera and how much distance I need between myself and them to get the shot.

Rikki's will be hosting Bunny Bonanza on Saturday, April 16th from 1-5 pm. It's a family day at the Refuge with fun and games, an Easter Egg hunt, a magic show, face painting and more. It's a great way to spend the day with your kids and teach them about saving animals.

Lena warned me about the ram before I did my rounds. I went over to Horsey Haven to see what Greta Garbo and Candy were up to when suddenly this guy shows up out of nowhere. I wanted to get a decent shot without being plowed to the ground, so I climbed the fence and shot. He was a curious little being.

And this is Snoop. He's new to Rikki's since my last outing, and he's a load of fun. I asked Lena if he got his name because he was into everything, checking out anything he could find. Lena told me he came with that, but I have to wonder. He's a playful, sweet, loving pup who gives a lot of love. You can't help but want to get on the ground and be part of his world.


So if you get a chance, head on out to Rikki's Refuge. They have monthly tours and Sunday mini tours where you can interact with the animals and learn about how Rikki's came to be. Call or check out the calendar before heading out to make sure there have been no changes in the schedule. The animals take priority at Rikki's and sometimes events need to be canceled to care for the critters.

And if you live too far away for a tour but love the animals anyway, consider sending a donation to help support the 1,200+ animals that call Rikki's home.

NAMASTE

I recently spent some time at Studio D Yoga in Richmond, VA working with owner Debbie Segebart to create a business portrait for her marketing campaign. From start to finish, it was a calming experience.

Walking into Studio D Yoga, the moment I crossed over the threshold, a peace settled within. Debbie's studio is filled with warming colors and exotic scents (peppermint that day - I learned it has a calming affect) that relieve any trace of anxiety or frustration clinging from the negative remnants of the outside world. I knew immediately the image I wanted to capture.

Debbie has a beautiful, sly grin, which maybe comes from knowing the world of inner peace, and this was the look we needed. From a marketing angle, Debbie's business portrait needed to relay confidence and calm with a bit of fun tied in. We accomplished this with a variety of angles.

Okay, admittedly, the mug shot style shot was for an ID badge (Debbie provides yoga therapy for Tucker Psychiatric Clinic), but I really liked the look of this image.

Thanks to Debbie of Studio D Yoga for the peaceful day.

THE ESOTERIC PHOTOGRAPHER

This week's pick is Goin' Nowhere.

While sitting on the side of the street shooting mailboxes, I was patiently waiting for traffic to break (we photographers need to learn a great deal of patience), glancing to the left, to the left, to the left (it was a one way street), watching as one car after another rolled over the blacktop (might have been cobblestone - was in an old part of town), and as I'm looking, there's the bike sitting there, locked onto the post of a street sign, and it dawns on me as I'm waiting for the traffic break, that the chain and petal of this bike would make a great shot.

So I turn more to the left, eye to the viewfinder, and there's a flat rear tire, which means the bike isn't going anywhere (the lock just ensured that it wouldn't be carried away).

What's all this about. There's story here. From the moment I began photography, it has always been stressed to know the story you're telling with your shot. Well, my artist's statement is very basic.

I don't know why I take the photographs that I do. Something catches my eye; something touches my soul. I shoot. It's that simple.

Therefore, I often don't tell a story. I don't always know what the story is. Maybe the story is from a past life (I take a lot of old world shots, images that come from a time before I was born...or I make them into images that come from a time before I was born). When I see these things, something shifts inside of me; I have to capture it. I don't know why, I just know I have to capture it.

But Goin' Nowhere has a story. The tire is flat, it's locked to the sign post. It's going nowhere. End of story.

Ah, such is the life of the esoteric photographer.