December 29, 2006
-
I Left You…
…At The Second Week
Of October that is!
I’m In Florida right now visiting my family for Christmas.
We’ll be driving “home” tomorrow just in time for me to
catch a flight to Newark, NJ for a 4 day business trip.
Suffice it to say, life is BUSY… Beautiful, brutal, and
brilliant as it may be
.
But, allow me to jump back into the tale of my past few months.
My last post ended with an eye catching moment on top of Mount
Kennesaw (more of a large hill really). To give my days justice,
I’ve done my best to capture as many pictures as possible… In order!
From the beginning of September, my dear friends Julie and Heather
had been driving up to Tennessee from Atlanta to visit our mutual
friend Wesley and I. After our trip to Savannah, we switched roles.
I’d had the chance to meet Julie’s family, and they offered me their
couch “anytime” so I immediately started spending a large portion
of my time down there… And what a great time it was!
On one of the many 2.5 hour trips down to visit, I spotted this Italian Beauty
setting up to pass me, so I grabbed my trusty camera and shot a “quick”
image… Before he disappeared over the horizon!
Lamborghinis are gorgeous, especially the new ones!
On the 11th, I was working on a project parked outside a coffee shop,
“borrowing” their internet while I waited for Julie to get out of class
at the art school where she teaches. Across the avenue from the coffee
shop was a gorgeous park, bespeckled with the yellow and red leaves
that swirled around the air, tossed by the cool Fall breeze.
Ironically, this one blew in my window, landed on my laptop, and wasn’t
even a “real” Apple leaf
After about an hour, I couldn’t take it anymore so I went for
a quick stroll around the park where I found this cool plant:
Anyone have any idea what it is?
After a few days in Atlanta, Julie and I ran back up to TN for the
weekend… An eventful one at that! The following photos are from
a few of our adventures up there.
Julie’s a photog as well, so she joined Emily and I on a photo-outing
one evening “on the town” in Dayton.
As we set out, we came upon the County Courthouse… Site of the
“Scopes Monkey Trial” in 1925 (cool story, cooler location) and I
decided to try the “rotating blur” trick I’d heard about.
No special effects in Photoshop, it’s a 1/8th second exposure,
handheld then rotated about 15 degrees… Came out pretty well!
And then, a better angle on the Courthouse… With a message:
And then, the next morning we made our way up narrow
backroads to the top of Dayton Mountain (This one’s a “real”
mountain, I promise)
Once we made it to the top, I captured a beautiful group of
wildflowers as they were swaying in the wind.
Technical note: I used a fairly small aperture [F11], in hopes of
getting more detail in the background, and I really like the way
it came out, though there is one distracting line in the bokeh…
Shot at 51mm.
From the Mountain we made our way back to Dayton where I
caught a picture of Julie stealing my coat, hat, AND magazine…
The Humanity!!
Then it was back to Atlanta with us, just in time for Church
Sunday morning at His Hands…
“Announcing…”
And in Children’s Church:
“Unrivaled Joy”
Then a few days later I ran back to Dayton for some business,
and a late night shoot with my buddy Blake, up on the Bryan
College campus… It was a rainy evening, and the precipitation
made for some really cool shots
“That Way…”
Blake… “Shooting for Christ”
A Poor Man’s Tripod…
Blake using a well placed lamp post.
And here’s what we were shooting at…
De’Lovely.
My last picture for this post is one I took after
a great Cracker Barrel dinner with my buddy Don.
“October Sky”
More posts forthcoming, please keep me in your Prayers…
I need it, as do those I love… So pray for all of us!
Let me know how I can be praying for you, and which
photo was your favorite today!!
Comments (45)
My favourite photo was definately of me, mmhm.
AND, if I recall correctly, you let me have that coat, and told me to read that magazine! The hat, I totally stole.
In all actuality, though, my favourite photo is the one of the mysterious plant in Woodstock park. Excellent colouring.
And you need a killer picture of Keagan on here, too. Man, what’s up with that?
i’m a sucker for cars. i’m gonna have to go w/ #1 haha.
Those were some great pictures!!! I loved the ones of the Bryan College campus, it made me excited to get back up there.
Just 1 1/2 more weeks!
Awesome pictures. :] “October Sky” is my favorite…
As usual, your photos are all fabulous. The rotated blur is incredible! I’m going to have to try that sometime. It’s my favorite from a technical standpoint.
The puffy red plants are one of the wierdest things I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what they are, either. That’s easily the most intriguing photo.
I love the others, too. I could go on and on about each one.
But the one that grabs me and won’t let go is the moon! There’s no logical reason, just pure emotion.
I feel like I’m always asking for something, but I have some big problems at the moment.
I had some extrordinary expenses in October, and I still haven’t caught up. I need to find a way to make some more money. Desperately!
I found out last week that I have a rare bone disease called Pagets. There is treatment, but I can’t get a doctors appointment, and in the meantime my bones are deteriorating. Permanently. I’ve been trying to get help for four months, and all I’ve gotten so far are tests. Whatever bone is lost due to delay in treatment now is gone forever. And it hurts!
And, as if all that weren’t enough, I came out of work last night, and the side of my car was caved in. Somebody hit it! They left contact info, but I haven’t been able to get in touch.
The money problems seemed like more than I could bear. Then the diagnosis was beyond the last straw, and I can’t deal with it. Since the car, last night, I’m just numb. I just can’t deal with it all.
great pictures!! great moon shot, I also like the first picture too
not sure if i like it too much lookswise, but i’m sure it’s a blast to drive. looks like there’s another car underneath it all.
Awesome trick with the rotating blur, dizzyfying that
Really like the mountain flowers too, smooth bokeh there.
Thanks for the comment. I’ll be rereading it over the next few weeks. I have a feeling it’s going to help a lot.
I still don’t really have a job, but I do have some work, although that will be going away soon.
But I do have the most wonderful apartment.
I’d do better at this if there were time to at least start to fix one thing before the next started.
AWESOME POST ERIC! just enough to wet my appetite for more!
Great pics! My favorite is “That way.”
They are all Beautiful! My favorites are the unknown flower, the moon , the arrows and the blurry courthouse one. Youv’e tried things I have only dreamed about. Too bad I dont have my nikon anymore.
P.s. You need to finish posting blogs about your cross country motorcycle trip, for me!!! lol.
Now for photo thoughts:
I so love that you will pick up your camera while drivng and snap a quick picture…I do it and it drives Bri nuts..good capture btw
got a love the contrast of organic and high tech
weird plant…classic eric dark, rich hues
A+ on the rotating blur!
the wild flowers totally made me smile…reminicent of the blue flowers on bri’s post
Julie looks like Dogger from Oliver Twist
….Now please tell me how you captured that sharp moon image…do you have a telephoto lens?
My favs are the Apple/leaf and the courthouse. Random thought on the weird plant…it might be a canna, after it’s bloomed and gone to seed…maybe.
hey, i was there for some of that. =) that was the night i scared the shit out of you. haha
i miss you a lot.
ryc~excellent crop and shop
looking forward to more photos and stories asap
Ooooh, sounds like you guys are moving right along! Beautiful pictures; I love the clarity.
I hope you’re enjoying a Christmas break.
I guess I can only say Happy New Year now that Christmas is gone (*wilts* 
). Aw, who cares. Merry Christmas.
Adios!
Shohna
I think my favorite was “the poor man’s tripod.” I love photos that play with light, and you often have those, but I especially like when there is just one source of light and the edges of the picture fade into blackness. (If you like paintings you hsould check out “The Repentant Magdalene” by Georges de la Tour. It’s of the baroque period, and very representative of it, but I love what is done with light, and it’s looks much more amazing in real life. It’s hanging in the National Gallery in D.C.)
If you could be praying for me, Wednesday at 6:00am I leave for Monterrey, Mexico, and I will be there for five months. It’s just a few days away and I am getting more and more nervous, but I want to trust the Lord and not fear, because I am going due to His leading and I know He is faithful. I don’t want my very human failings to hinder me from glorifying Him. So my prayer would be not that it will be easy/perfect/fun… etc. (Though I am sure parts of it will be) but that God would use me for His glory, in spite of myself.
Thanks Eric!
Hard to choose a favorite. I love the moon shot, ( I’m with Mary; how’d you do that?) the flower shot, the leaf shot (reminds me of that feather in Forrest Gump), the swirl shot (just plain cool) and the Julie shot. I definitely thought Charles Dickens when I saw that.
May the new year bring abundant joy and blessing to you and those in your circle of life and love.
Hey! Great pictures. I think I’d have to pick the moon shot.
Great pic of Julie…yeah I was totally out when you told me about the new post
Hey Eric, hurray for another post and wonderful pictures! I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season so far! We all did (all except for the sudden flu we all caught), we’re doing well now though. Thank the Lord!
I am going to have to pick three favorites. First is that mysterious redish plant. It is absolutely marvelous! Firstly for it’s uniqueness, secondly I love flowers, thirdly great capture! My second is the wild shasta daisies. They always look good though. I love wildflowers, and daisies. And lastly, and I’m really jealous, your “October Sky” shot. That moon is GORGEOUS! I have been trying to get a good moon capture for a long time. Could you PLEEEEESE explain how you did that one??? It’s so clear, upclose, and perfect. I’m truly amazed!
Thanks and have a wonderful New Years’ Eve! Be safe! ~ Stephanie
wonderful pictures!!!!!!!!!! have a wonderful new year!!!!!!!!!!
face!
i miss yours.
the post was rad…freakin awesome photo’s…as usual *snore*
ahh…i kid (about the snore part that is).
as for my favorite…i love the leaf on your laptop…sweet.
i’m in camera withdrawl…i got my own for christmas and i’m trying to use it and like it.
i’m such a spoiled little bastard after getting used to the rebel.
bah.
there’s no manual focus and the auto focus doesn’t seem to work…everything comes out blurry!
so frustrating.
ah well…i’ll live.
i love and miss you greatly.
be less busy sometime.
Alright Eric posts twice in one month!!! Love the pics. Julie looks better in the hat and coat than you do anyway, so nothing more to say about that. The courthouse shot looks like a scene from an acid trip…erm…not that I would know anything about that……nope not me…no sir, don’t know nothin about dropping acid. Moving right along….it’s a good post, thinks appear to be looking up for you old boy.
Blessings,
Lonnie
Is that profile pic of you? Very cool if it is or isn’t! LOL
Awesome pics!
Florida? Lucky! …My aunt and uncle/ cousins went there. Just because! But I heard that the weather on Christmas wasn’t that nice! LOL
I hope you have a VERY happy New Year! Wow….2007 already!
**hugs**
hey guys…long time, hey? seems that you’re doing well though
…no more motorbike accidents that i’m not aware of, right??
you are so right. family time is the best time. i’ve been having an amazing time.
ps. the pics are really really great….unveiled joy…hands down.
Hi Mr. Eric, Hard to pick favorites with your photos…I would say the wildflowers they are so bright and beautiful, shooting for Christ because of the lighting and images, and Julie because it is a fun shot. Profile is fun too…you looking short
Praying for you and your loved ones!
We are in the throes of packing and trying to move. Have the house almost packed…an enormous task after raising a family …trying to give away and throw away….but even that can prove difficult. Biggest prob. is we haven’t recieved the go-ahead from the place we applied to move to…so as of now we are praying and if you see this please join us in praying we have a new home to go to on Monday Jan 1st! Thanks! God bless you abundantly! Jenny
That flower looks a lot like a Canna, but I’m not really sure because I can’t see enough of the plant.
Beautiful pictures Erik. You get better and better. May all your journey be pleasant and may you walk with God. Hope this year brings you all your dreams and plans and makes them reality. Judi
Wow it’s been a while since you posted! You guys took some nice photos! I really like the one of the car in the side mirror. =)
happy new year. love the side mirror shot.
love the moon shot! just wanted to wish you a happy new year!!!
The picture of Julie is my favorite. The angles, framing and light were just perfect. And the shot seemed very candid.
*grinning* ryc on the ring photo~ yeah you would like that one, Bri took it using the manual focus on my camera ;-p
Btw, I was just outside looking at the full moon…I’m even more impressed with your moon image
Wow, you’re skilled!
I wish I had your talent, do you ever sell any of your prints? I’m sure they’d be in high demand!
As for a fave pic, I love the one with the person taking a picture, and the giant cross next to him.
Your photos are highly enjoyable. Congrats. :]
Thanks for the tip. I’m already taking the synthetic version. I don’t know what the difference between synthetic and natural is, but natural is usually better. I’ll check it out on the internet.
They don’t want to give me any more of this because it raises slightly the possibility of other problems. What they WANT to give me will kill me. Not raise probability of problems, but kill me as sure as shooting me through the stomach, and for the same reason. My digestive system just opens up and starts poaring our blood. And that hurts, too.
I’m going to see if I can get some more info on that right now.
I showed the courthouse picture to a friend of mine, http://www.xanga.com/alecknightman and we’ve decided to try it ourselves:) Should be interesting. (Eventually they’ll show up on our sites)
my fav is the courthouse pic, the message is tack on. great story as usual! that weird flower at first i thought looks like a bird of paradise flower, i dunno if that’s the correct name.. but it looks to be in post bloom.. i think its some relative of this flower: http://www.pbase.com/bunu324/image/58372669 which is pre-bloom.
el DIABLO!!!
Eric, please pray I find a way to get my house payment down to where I can live here the rest of my life. Judi
Great shots, the one of Julie is my favorite, it has a lot of character!!
RYC: Yeah I know….I can’t believe I did it, and of course I don’t have a back up for any of my numbers. I used to keep a hard copy phone book, but I lost that in one of my many moves!! I can’t win for losing when it comes to phones.
NYC??!! That is just cool! I’m all those “ous” words, you know envi “ous”, and jeal “ous”. Be careful, have a blast, take pictures, and don’t buy one of those “I (heart) NY” shirts. What business takes you to NYC?
Blessings,
Lonnie