Five Ways Out

Another stop on the Mebane Photowalk was a laundromat. In a bit of a crazy random happenstance, inside was a slightly awkward new couple enjoying what looked to be frozen yogurt.

Crossing Back

On the eve of the Pig Pickin', the Mrs. and I decided to do a bit of a photowalk in downtown Mebane. For a little NC town that you've probably never heard of, it is actually quite nice. We ventured to the other side of the tracks (or were we venturing from the other side of the tracks?) and on the way I took this shot.

Jason

Portraits are the type of photography at which I feel most weak. I don't like taking them, and when I do, I am usually not happy with the results. If you look through this blog or my photostream, you'll notice there are more pictures of Lego people than there are of actual people.

Because of this, I need to take more portraits. Also because of this, when I do get one that I think is decent, I'm happy to share. And so I bring you Jason. He is one of the regular cast of characters that I see yearly at my brother's pig pickin'

Blink!

It has been a while since "the boy" has shown up here, so I figured it was about time. This shot was taken at his sister's U6 soccer game. The nice thing about U6 soccer is that there are plenty of opportunities to photograph other things without much risk of missing anything good on the pitch.

When You Thought It Was Safe

Ah, chrome. Before it was a web browser, it was a fun shiny part of many a car. Now you need to go to a museum to see it. At least I did. The Smithsonian American History Museum. This picture was taken before Ben Stiller showed up and everything came to life, btw.

To the Sun

The Washington Monument is one of the most recognized landmarks in Washington DC. It is also one of the most photographed. (You can see some of my shots of it here). Because of this, it can be hard to take an interesting and unique shot, especially in the middle of the afternoon when the bright sunlight is not your friend.

Motionless One

Inside the Smithsonian Museum of American History is an odd statue of George Washington done up like an ancient Greek dude, or perhaps a less ancient frat boy going to a toga party. This statue was done by some Italian artist, and when it arrived in DC, lets just say it was not what was expected. The leaders of the day must have looked on this mostly naked man art not unlike the mom from A Christmas Story looked at the ladies leg lamp. Anyway, this is his hand, and I think he is posed like this because he was in fact, #1. Either that, or he is indicated on what denomination of money he is featured.

Flamingo

On the day my lovely wife turned [redacted], this flamingo, along with [redacted] of his friends were waiting on the front yard. A sign of the times is that she did not discover this flamboyant flamingo flock by looking out the window. No, she discovered these via Facebook, where the erstwhile flamingo planters had recorded the deed. (I should mention it was dark outside when she arose, because the way my wife celebrates her birthday is to get up before dawn and run a half-marathon).

Final Exit

On the other side of this door is New York City - East Broadway at the Manhattan Bridge - right in the chaotic heart of a Chinatown morning. People are hurrying in all directions as vendors unload truckfuls of mysterious produce and other unknown wonders while cars and trains pass by noisily on the bridge. This side of the door holds quiet and calm, but that all changes as you pass through, and there is no going back.

Jazz Club

I must have walked pass the door to this jazz club in Greenwich Village three times before I finally decided to take a chance and go in. As much as I like jazz and new experiences, it felt a bit weird to go into a place like this by myself. I am so glad that I did. B.D. Lenz Group played the exact kind of funky cool tunes that I needed to get out of my own head for a while and lose myself to the night.