Winter is here in Old Forge

This little girl came by for a bite to eat just while I was starting my computer work. How could I not resist feeding her and her friends.

NPPA Monthly News Clip Contest

Wow, it’s amazing what one finds when they google their own name! Apparently, I won first place in the Feature/Multiple Picture in August from NPPA. For my photo story I worked on this summer at The Charlotte Observer, entitled “Stepping Stones.”

I love shooting fashion!

Before coming to London I wanted to explore and shoot more fashion. However, I forgot how school often consumes my life and there just isn’t enough time in a day to do it all! I have less than a week left and plan to make the most out of it! Here are some images from two shoots I had one over the weekend and one from today. I am going for a high fashion winter theme.

Red Light District

Dating back to the 14th Century when sailors arrived in need of some female company, the district is full of sex shops, brothels, gay bars, cinemas, hotels and different kinds of museums. This infamous part of the city is a major tourist attraction. Each year, millions of visitors come to see this vibrant and exciting part of Amsterdam.

Word to the wise…be careful taking photos in this area. I didn’t do any researching beforehand and afterwards realize I was extremely lucky to have not been chased! Or to have had my camera smashed! I guess sometimes pimps come out and smash people’s cameras. I am trying to find laws for taking photos in Amsterdam. I am on a public sidewalk and if the girls don’t want to photographed then maybe they shouldn’t stand in the windows. Anyone else have any thoughts? I was yelled at and even one place shut their lights off! Crazy! 

How interesting swans live here too!

Rush Hour in London

I saw this last Wednesday night around 5 pm while waiting for a train to Holland. Liverpool Station was congestion with so many people it looked as if black ants took over! There was a signal failure with one of the trains and it caused minor delays in train service. And…you thought your commute  home was a nightmare!?! 

New photo story in the works!

 When most Londoners are either settling down for bed or already sleeping, for others, it is time to begin their day; this is true at Smithfield Meat Market. Everything begins and ends very early; the market opens at 4:00 am and closes at 10:00 am weekdays. However, the process of unloading meat starts around midnight or a few hours before. The purpose of the market is to supply inner city butchers, shops and restaurants with meat for the coming day. About 120,000 tons of meat product passes through about 42 meat traders located within the market.

I plan to create a photographic story documenting one of the only remaining great London markets, Smithfield Meat Market, by focusing on one of the meat traders, Greg Lawrence Wholesale Meat Co. Ltd. Smithfield Meat Market opened in the early 10^th century and has operated for over 800 years. It is the main meat market in London and the largest in the world covering about 10 acres of land. 

What do you think?

 

Remembrance Day aka Veteran’s Day (well in the States)

I finally saw the Queen and the other Royals!  Unfortunately, after waiting 3 1/2 hrs for the parade to start the military stood right in front of my view of the Cenotaph. So, like the rest of the crowd I has to stand on my tiptoes to get a glance of the Royal family; next time I will have to find a way to obtain a press pass.  Oh well, at least now I can say “I saw them,” even if it was just the tops of their heads!

Thank you to all the men and women who have served in the military. This time of year always makes reminds me of how lucky I am because of others who have given their lives for my freedom. Please take a moment to think about all the people who have lost their lives and are still dying in wars. 

Here are a few photos form Sunday and ones from the actually day, Wednesday,: 

 

 

Playing in photoshop

Miss Dark meets Mr. Night

This was a fashion shoot at a cemetery here in London. I joined a London Photo and Graphics group who meet on the weekend for different shoots. I have gone twice now and it is a great place to meet new people who share my love of photography! This shoot was about being creative and trying to make it feel as if  Miss “Loves hanging in the cemetery” meets Mr “Lost among the graveyards.” Imagine an encounter between them, him trying to escape, her trying to keep him there forever!

It was a great day working with amazing models who came well prepared in amazing outfits. However, our day was cut short when the police showed up and made us leave the cemetery. Every day is a new adventure in London! Here are a few of my shots, enjoy! I was so excited about today and couldn’t wait to post a few of these images; I will post more after I photoshop a few. Oh yeah, I had two of the models pose with the police car after we were asked to leave!

I could live in a castle

On Friday, I was off to see the spectacular white chalk cliffs of Dover overlooking the English Channel – a proud English symbol for those arriving and departing its shores. After the Battle of Hastings (1066) William the Conqueror strengthened this key fortification. The secret underground tunnels here date back to the middle ages and played an important role in defending England during World War 2.

Yeah, my first castle visit and it was amazing! There were so many nooks and crannies inside the castle, it was a blast exploring. I think this place would be the ultimate hide and seek building. If I was a young child who grew up in this era, I could understand how people could be hidden away. Lastly, you could see France across the English Channel, well I wasn’t sure if I actually saw it….the day was rainy and overcast. Can you see it in my photos?

Also, the war tunnels were unbelievable. The tunnels were shown just as they were in WW II with truly unique sound effects. It was as if we were in the war hearing sirens and voices filling the air. It gave me a new insight about the war and about what it might have been like to say goodbye to a loved one. This was a time of the unknown when someone could leave their house in the morning to find it bombed upon return home. The tunnels had chalk walls and pieces of flint which were 300 million years old. There were hand written messages on the walls filled with lovers names or just markings in an area to say they had been there. The boys who were stationed here were young and not well educated. This was expressed on the walls with  not so legible writing to pristine grammar and writing. Sorry, we weren’t allowed to take photos in the tunnels, but I hope you enjoy the castle.