Cows, cows, cows...

We recently went to Legare Farms with the kids and took a hay ride.   There were cows everywhere and I loved them!  I forgot what great photo subjects they make.  Here are a few pics from the ride.

Of course my little girl loved them too!

Summer...

 I recently returned from several weeks in Virginia, and nothing says summer to me quite like being in Bath County, VA.  I've been going to my family's cabin there my whole life and it is a place dear to my heart.  It is in a rural area in the beautiful Allegheny Mountains in southwest Virginia.  It's where I go to relax, clear my head, and have fun with my family.  The cabin sits along the Cowpasture River and our days are filled with river trips, fishing, swimming, hiking and lots of wonderful meals.  My dad has a large vegetable garden, or we bring lots of fresh produce from the Roanoke City Farmer's Market.  We spent the 4th of July there and had quite a feast.  It was a happy 4th...

Getting the table ready for our independence day dinner

And all the sides...

 

 

And the main course, yum!!! Shipped all the way from Maine by Simply Lobsters.

Ended the evening watching lightning bugs (along with the trusty Little Tikes cozy coupe, which was never too far away)

Time for bed, good night...

Cumberland Island, GA

So, I have not been good about posting to my blog!  My summer resolution is to post more often.  I am headed to the beautiful mountains of Virginia in a few weeks, so should have lots to photograph and share.  In the mean time, I wanted to share some photos I took during a very quick visit to Cumberland Island, GA.  It is absolutely beautiful and I am hoping to make a longer trip this fall when it's not so hot.  The island is filled with quintessential southern, coastal landscapes and also has some beautiful old mansions from the days when the Carnegie family owned the island.  Since I love documenting places that seem to be forgotten in time, I was absolutely thrilled when I saw these old structures.  What a beautiful place, I can't wait until my next visit when I have a little more time to photograph and explore...
Here's the path leading to Sea Camp where we stayed the night.

The Dungeness mansion was built by the Carnegie family starting in 1884.  Sadly, it burned in 1959.  If only I could have seen it in it's heyday!  I imagine it was very "Great Gatsby".  Here's my photo of the mansion in it's current state and an historical photo via Wikipedia prior to the fire.

 

The mansion at sunrise...

This is another structure adjacent to the mansion, I'm not sure what it was originally.  Apparently there were approximately 40 smaller buildings around the mansion to house the servants who worked there.  Not sure if this is one of those, or something else.  Either way, I loved it!

The FSA and Hwy 78

I've always been a huge fan of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographers.  They were a group of photographers hired by the US government during the Depression to document rural America.  You can read more about it here on Wikipedia. This is a unique program which produced some extraordinary photography.  I first became aware of the FSA photographers during a contemporary art class during college.  I chose to do my term paper on photographer Dorothea Lange.  She remains one of my favorite photographers to this day and I feel a huge influence from her work.  Here is an early photo of Dorothea Lange in her trademark stance, photographing atop her vehicle with her large view camera.

Dorothea Lange

 Probably Mrs. Lange's most famous photograph and one that came to symbolize the plight of many Americans during the Depression is the "Migrant Mother" photograph here:

Florence Leona Christie, age 32 by Dorothea Lange

It's hard to believe this woman was only 32 years old.

While these images are heartbreaking, they are compelling and beautiful at the same time.  They depict a very different time in America and give us a glimpse in to small town American life.  I was reminded of these photographs last weekend during a drive to Atlanta.  I decided to take a different route. Rather than going interstate highway the whole time, I took Highway 78 to Augusta.  Highway 78 is 2 lanes most of the way and runs through several small South Carolina towns adjacent to the railroad much of the time.  I love old places and buildings, so this was right up my alley.  I must say it was a bit sad though.  I imagine when the railroad was running heavily that these were rather bustling towns; still small, but much more full of life.  Once the railroad stopped being the primary revenue source and bringing people through town, and the interstates were built; many of these towns all but vanished.  I know this is nothing new, it's happened all over America.  It brought to mind images like this one by Walker Evans of what these towns must have been like during more populated and prosperous times.

Roadside Stand near Birmingham, Alabama, 1936 by Walker Evans

Here's what I saw along the way going through Ridgeville, St. George, Bamberg, Denmark, and Blackville, SC...

 

Highway 17

I am excited to begin my adventure in to the world of blogging.  Thought I would begin by blogging about one my favorite things, road trips - I find they are the perfect opportunity to get the creative juices flowing and just get out there and photograph.  I am headed to Cumberland Island this weekend and Atlanta in a few weeks, so am looking forward to some upcoming trips and shooting.  One of my favorite roads to photograph is Highway 17 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_17, which runs along the coast of South Carolina.  It is filled with all kinds of old things and I particularly love old things; especially falling down buildings, signage and funky road side restaurants and junk shops.  Highway 17 is a good place to find these! Here are a few shots from the road using the always fun lensbaby http://www.lensbaby.com/#0 ...

And then an old favorite from a different road trip on 17 South on the way to Beaufort