Learning

While I didn't mind studying history in school and college, it never really grabbed my attention either.  Now, living in "The South," I have found such constant reminders of the history of this area that it is impossible not to become fascinated.  Two weeks ago it was a visit to Mt. Carmel, SC which is near the site of the first battle of the Revolutionary War in South Carolina.  Yesterday it was The Old Shiloh Schoolhouse near the shore of Lake Hartwell but built and used long before there was a Lake Hartwell.

Wherever I go off the mail highways, there is history here.  It's not just in  Charleston or the coast, but way up here in the Piedmont/Upstate, and the lesson I see over and over is....Nothing is a certain as Change!

Mt. Carmel still has a  post office, but no real town any longer.  Lake Hartwell swallowed up a lot of history and now is shrinking and exposing some of what was under water for years.

I'm glad I can still find some of these places and preserve the images for awhile longer.

Pondering Photography

On a longish drive coming back from shooting today I was thinking about why I love photography so much.  I think it is a number of things, but the first that came to mind is that I am learning what I like (to shoot) and then gaining some understanding of myself from that.   I love reflections like water and windows but also love shadows, and I think they go together.  They both show something beyond what we notice in passing, the things we have to look deeper to find.  Often quite beautiful or surprising, and right there waiting to be found.

Everyone loves flowers, so I don't need to examine that one too closely.  Rust?  Here I'm not sure except that it really can be interesting and beautiful.

From this process I think I understand that taking photos helps me appreciate the subtle and amazing beauty all around us and to try my best to capture it to share.  Gosh, this sounds like I may have arrived at my philosophy!

So, to share one image from today.  Several years ago I found an old barn I love.   It's a long haul from here but I've visited it 3 times now - and each time am so happy to find it yet standing.  Today I thought that some of the structure of the 2nd floor looked like a pagoda.  I worked with this image to try to bring that out.

Long time gone....

Wow, it's been too long since I posted anything, but not for lack of being busy with photography.  Trucks, railroads, flowers, getting threatened with arrest, shadows...the list goes on.  Oh, and taking up curling.   

This is a shot I took when I was directed down the wrong road in Pickens, SC.  This church and high power wires were off the road I was on by mistake.  I went back with camera a few days later.  It's titled "High(er) Power. 

An American Beauty

An American Beauty for those of us who were young and crazy in the 50's. Perhaps the cream of the crop: 1955 Chevy! This one sits with its friends in a yard along Hwy 55 in the upstate South Carolina just south of the NC line. Still proudly flying the stars and stripes!

It has been digitally painted and has reclaimed some of it's past glory, and, in fact, may have gained some with age (like the rest/rust of us)

It turns out that old cars lend themselves to photography and give us a chance to preserve their charm and nostalgia for a few more generations. Enjoy!

This and any other photograph you see on our site are available for purchase. We will soon have an internet site, but in the meantime, we can be contacted at backroadsandaliways@gmail.com

Nice folk

I wrote the other day about all the great pictures we were able to take on our way home from Wake Forest. I haven't had a chance to do much, but Wayne has "painted" a few. He also borrowed a sky to add to the drama. Enjoy.

Oh, this is at an old farm along a road we took by mistake. When we got to the "entering NC" sign we turned around and got to stop here and shoot to our hearts content. More to follow.

And sometimes....

And sometimes it's just nice to take a nice photograph of someone you love! In addition to the hundreds of the teams this year, some are just special. Great game, Tyler!

fun with photoshop

I went exploring the far northwest corner of South Carolina last week and discovered a nice park in Oconee County: Chau Ram outside of Westminister. I got a few nice shots of my grandsons kicking the water and played with this one in particular. No real trick to it and I really like the results.
I merely isolate the legs and feet then accented the edges of the water and saturated it.

Closer to home

When I first moved to Greenville 4 years ago, I went to a Sierra Club meeting and learned about a proposed new park in the county. At that point it was just a gleam in the eye of a few environmentalist. I quickly made a trip down to explore and loved the setting of wide river, shoals and the remains of old industrial buildings.

Yesterday I took my grandsons there to explore after learning that within a year it will be the site of our new park: Cedar Falls. The boys had a blast and I got some lovely pictures of the river after several weeks of daily rain.

Water is always fun and challenging but lends itself to all kinds of artistry. We are fortunate to have such a great recreational resource in our back yard.

This photo was converted to black and white on an "infrared" selection which gives it an interesting dimension.

By request

I thought I'd post a before and after view of a shot I took last week. The first is the shot as I took it and the second is inverted with photoshop then I messed with the hue. Many photos don't work well with this technique, but then I find the one that does. Once the picture is inverted, it can be changed to almost any color. Fun!

Movie set

We took a ride south and east of Simpsonville on Saturday late in the afternoon. The weather was beautiful and the light just right. As always happens, we found lots of beautiful and interesting places - and some friendly pigs. The most interesting place was this old house standing back off the road. Clearly it was once a large farmhouse, but like so many others, has given in to time and neglect. It looks like a movie set for a dust bowl saga or a horror flick. I'm sure it has stories to tell.

Explanation

As we ride around shooting photos, we often stop to see farm animals - many pictures to follow over time. One Sunday, not long ago, we came across several cute donkeys who came over to the fence to say HI and have their noses scratched. The one on our blog header was the most curious and reminds us of Alfred E. Neuman..."What, me worry?" His cheerful disposition and friendliness earned him the starring role on the blog.

Sunday rambling

This is the beautifully restored Campbell's Covered Bridge outside Landrum, SC. Off the beaten path, but if you follow signs to landmarks, you find places like this. When we explore the backroads and alleyways, we slow down and look around us. Way back when we were young and everyone seemed to have more time, we would take rambling Sunday drives and discover the hidden beauties.