Revisiting Textures

Pack Monument, Asheville, NC  -  2011

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I haven't done anything with textures on my photos in a while, so I did some experimenting with this photo I made of the Pack Monument last April. I see others' photos with texture overlays that look so good, but I have a hard time coming up with results that satisfy me. It takes the right combination of texture, blend mode, opacity, and color to get it right. That means a lot of experimenting, and for me, a lot of frustration. Maybe that's why I don't use textures more often!

Street Musician 2

Bass Player, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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Stuck In My Head

Psalm 116:9 

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One of the responsive readings at my Mother's funeral contained this verse from the Psalms, and it just stuck in my mind. I imagined a scene similar to this one of people walking through their daily routines, too busy to remember or consider the God who loves them. This verse concisely summed for me up what life should be about: living before the Lord; living in conscious recognition of His presence. In the mundane routines of everyday life, He is there. So much busyness, noise, and activity often causes me to forget that.

Funerals remind us of how fleeting life can be. Many die so young. My Mother lived to be 81, but what is that against the background of eternity? I'm thankful that I was reminded at her funeral of how I should live while I am in the land of the living.

From The Archives

Dry Falls, Nantahala National Forest, NC  -  2005

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For the next few weekends I'll be busy cleaning out my Mother's belongings from her house in Knoxville. That doesn't leave much time for photography outings. So I went back to this photo of Dry Falls I made back in February, 2005. If you look at the enlarged version, you can see icicles on the rim of the cliff. Hopefully, we'll have all these necessary chores behind us soon, and I'll be able to get back into the forest with my camera again.

Not This Winter

Our House In The Snow, Canton, NC  -  2009

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I've been too busy with other matters concerning my Mother's illness and recent death to have much time for photography in recent months. So I was looking for some older favorites to re-post on My Viewfinder when I came across this photo from December, 2009. It reminded me of how mild a winter we're having this year. Last Saturday was our heaviest snowfall so far - barely enough to cover the grass. Compare that to this 10" dump we got in 2009! I'm not complaining because I'm actually expected to go to work in this kind of mess. The milder temperatures and lack of snow are fine with me!

Decoration Choices

Gargoyle, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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We found this statue outside a home in a warehouse district of Asheville. Someone evidently thought it would be a nice touch to make their home more visually appealing. Or maybe their intent was just the opposite, a way of dissuading visitors. Either way, I thought it was an interesting choice of "art" to decorate one's home, and just another example of why Asheville is just a little, well, different.

The Rebounding Economy

Hiring Scoopers, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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Marble-hard evidence that President Obama's economic policies are leading to new jobs.

On The Streets Of Asheville

Street Trio, Asheville, NC  -  2012

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On one of my Sunday afternoon photo walks in downtown Asheville, I came across this trio performing in front of the Woolworth  Walk. Normally the streets of Asheville are strangely quiet in the cold of January, but this day was an extremely mild one, so there were several street performers in the area. This group was one of the better ones I've heard, and had attracted quite a crowd.

Pelican and Gull

Pelican and Gull, New Orleans, LA  -  2012

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Viewing The Ruins

Bucktown Ruins, New Orleans, LA  -  2012

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This is the remains of an ornate railing that once surrounded the harbor at Bucktown on the New Orleans lakefront. Bucktown was area of restaurants and nightclubs that was mostly wiped out by Katrina. This railing, that I'm guessing was built in the very early 20th century, has been battered by waves and the debris of the restaurants that once stood over the waters of Lake Ponchartrain. Except for a few restaurants on the Jefferson Parish side, Bucktown is now an area of vacant lots and empty pilings out in the water. Seagulls and pelicans now fish and nest where crowds of tourists and locals once roamed looking for food and entertainment.

Not In The Mood

Hotel Fountain, Metairie, LA  -  2012

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I just returned from a trip to New Orleans to attend my Mother's funeral. Of course, I brought my camera on the trip, but there wasn't much time for sight-seeing. After the funeral planning was completed, we had a little time to kill Monday afternoon, so we drove around town for a little while, looking at how some things had changed since Katrina. New Orleans is a paradise for photography, but I found I wasn't much in the mood for pictures that day. In fact, I only made 33 exposures on the entire 4 day trip. Normally, that could be an hour's take.

I made this photo of a fountain in the courtyard of the hotel where we stayed. It was in a quiet place where I sat a few times to think and pray. There's just something about the sound of the water flowing in the fountain that was very soothing.

Goodbye, Mom!

Joyce J Roberts

June 29, 1930 - February 3, 2012

My Mother finally succumbed to her long battle with lung disease yesterday. After two lengthy stays in the hospital, she had been receiving hospice care at my brother's home in Georgia for the past four weeks. She had been holding her own until a few days ago, but finally her weakened heart and lungs could do no more, and she drifted peacefully off into eternity early yesterday morning.

We'll certainly miss her, but there's a sense in which I'm relieved that her struggle just to breathe is over. I know toward the end she was very tired, and frustrated that she could no longer do anything for herself. She spent most of her last couple of days sleeping, and at least that made her final days and hours a little less of a struggle.

The above photo was made when she was still Joyce Johnstone back in 1956. This was her engagement photo, the one that was placed in the newspaper with her engagement announcement. She and my Dad were married in April, 1957, and I arrived 11 months later. I only came across this photo recently, and I think it's one of my favorites - Mom in her prime!

Mom had requested that she be returned to New Orleans to be buried next to my Dad, so we'll be making the trip down there tomorrow to prepare for her funeral. As usually happens at these events, we'll recall old stories and memories, and celebrate a life that was filled with love. It will be both a sad and joyous occasion, but one that we all need to experience in order to be able to carry on with life.

Goodbye, Mom. I love you, and I'll miss you!

Back Alley Graffiti

 You have to go into the alleys to find the good stuff! (Click on photos to enlarge.)