sjfphotography: *fine art images *natural light portraits *greeting cards


Tuesday, May 31, 2016

ola, ora and otis
 
The odds of triplets is about .01%, perhaps higher in 1909.  Otis and Ora did not survive the birth; Ola lived about two weeks. After 107 years, who still puts flowers on the grave?
 
Collier Cemetery
Bledsoe County, Tennessee
5.28.2016

Sunday, May 29, 2016

eternal camping ground
 
During the Civil War, Chattanooga became an important target for both the Union and the Confederacy.  In 1863, the cemetery opened with the interment of casualties from the Battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga, including nearly 1,800 unknowns.  Other early burials came from Athens, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and along the route of Sherman’s march to Atlanta.  In 1867, the site was officially designated a national cemetery. Chattanooga National Cemetery is the final resting place for seven recipients of the Medal of Honor. The cemetery also contains the remains of 108 World War II prisoners of war, from Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. 
 
Chattaooga, Tennesse



Saturday, May 28, 2016

Worthington cemetery
 
As a frequent visitor to country cemeteries, I appreciate the amenity of a concrete block outhouse.  However, I still prefer to "water the wildflowers."
 
Worthington Cemetery
Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Friday, May 27, 2016

love bugs
 
This isn't a great photograph but it's an outstanding picture.  It was the best I could do while pulling to the side of a busy highway by the Tennessee Highway Patrol office!.  Imagine being pulled over by a Volkswagen Beetle!  To be fair, there is a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga and the trooper vehicles I saw on the streets were Ford Interceptors.
 
Tennessee Highway Patrol
Cummings Highway
Chattanooga, TN


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

 
walnut street bridge
 
Qhen built in 1890, the 2,376 feet Walnut Street Bridge over the Tennessee River connected downtown Chattanooga with the north bank. .  The Walnut Street Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1990. Now a pedestrian bridge, the structure is part of the historic arts district.

Wal

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

moon pie and RC cola
 
Everybody knows Moon Pie goes best with RC Cola!.  After dinner tonight we walked along Broad Street  and stopped in the Moon Pie Bakery, an institution in Chattanooga since 1917.  It all began in 1917 when a Kentucky coal miner asked the traveling salesman for a snack “as big as the moon.” Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history.  Also known as the caviar and champagne of the South!
 
Moon Pie General Store
Chattonooga, Tennessee

Monday, May 23, 2016







Osgoode Hall fence
 
From Queen Street it looks like a typical iron fence but once inside the parklike grounds of Osgoode Hall, the intricate and ornate supports for the fence are noted.  Osgoode Hall is a Toronto heritage site representing the judicial institution in Ontario and is an excellent example of Neoclassical style -- but the fence was my favorite part.  The Fence and Gates were erected by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1867.  To enter the grounds one must maneuver through the "kissing gates"-- two panels in a V shape with a small opening at the narrow end.  If another person where passing through the in the opposite direction, at one point they directly faced each other, providing a kissable moment.  A more mundane story calls them "cow gates"; however, there weren't many meandering cows in downtown Toronto in the mid-1860s! 
 
Osgoode Hall
Toronto, Ontario
5.16.2016




Sunday, May 22, 2016

doggie in the window
 
The "call for entries" for the 7th annual "Putting on the Dog" exhibit at the International Cultural Center has closed.  This was on my "maybe" list but I decided not to submit.  It's a perfectly framed golden retriever in an RV-- but probably not what the judges are looking for!  Stay tuned for entries selected and exhibit dates.
 
 
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
9.18.2015


Saturday, May 21, 2016

nature walk
 
Cloudy skies surrendered to sunshine this morning as we walked around the Lubbock Lake Landmark.  Publicized as a "photography workshop" of the native wildflowers and the wildlife of the archaeological lake site, the group consisted of birders, master naturalists and a few photographers.  I should have taken notes as terms such as "black crowned night heron" and "purple thread awn" were thrown about!  Thanks to the Landmark for this Oasis on the Plains Lecture Series event and to Kippra Hopper, tour guide.
 
 
 
Lubbock Lake Landmark
Lubbock, Texas

Thursday, May 19, 2016

distillery dodge
 
Leave it to me to find a rusty, old truck in trendy Toronto. The Distillery District housed Canada's largest distillery from 1832 to 1991.  Then the brick and stone buildings were turned into shops, galleries and restaurants.  The leftover Dodge was kept as an industrial art installation.  The brick background is a contrast to the weedy pastures where I usually find old trucks!. 

Distillery Historic District
Toronto, Ontario
5.14.2016

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

the audience
 
The Audience is a set of two original sculptural art installations placed on the northeast and northwest corners of the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The exuberant fans, created by  Canadian artist Michael Snow, greet visitors with variations of fan behavior.  During my visit to Toronto, I resembled the photographer, with camera glued to face.  I became an exuberant fan of Toronto.
 
 
Rogers Centre
Toronto, Ontario
5.16.2016


Monday, May 16, 2016

you are here
 
With this morning's sunshine, droves of people in tour buses descended upon Phillips Square to have their photo taken (often with a selfie stick) at the Toronto sign.  Installed in 2015 for the Pan-American Games. the sign proved so popular that it's now permanent.  There are red  footprints indicating the best places to stand and people are encouraged to share at #share3DTO (if you're into that!).
 
Phillips Square
Toronto, Ontario

Sunday, May 15, 2016

union station
 
We arrived in Toronto at Union Station after taking the express train from the airport.  Today I traveled from Union Station on the subway.  Union Station opened in 1927 and boasts of a Great Hall.  Unfortunately during my visit the Great Hall was undergoing revitalization and was filled with scaffolding and draping.  It was a major disappointment. 
 
Toronto, ONT
 
 


Saturday, May 14, 2016

flatiron building
 
The flatiron building wedged between Front Street and Wellington Street is a historic landmark of Toronto.  The Gooderham Building was completed in 1892.  Today it is surrounded by skyscrapers of the Financial District.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Toronto skyline
 
The Toronto skyline is dominated by the CN Tower, highest in the western hemisphere, and the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.  The city is impressive from a boat ride on Lake Ontario.  The flight paths of the Billy Bishop City Airport, ninth busiest in Canada, descend over Toronto to land on an island.
 


Thursday, May 12, 2016

king street
 
After a relatively uneventful trip, we arrived in Toronto about dusk.  A stroll in the Entertainment District found a delightful Italian restaurant La Fenice.  We sat and watched the activities along King Street.
 
King Street
Toronto, Ontario

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

the lighthouse keeper's garden
 
From atop the Tybee Island Lighthouse
Tybee Island, Georgia
4.20.2016

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

manual typewriter
 
Whether it's vintage, repurposed, retro, kitschy or just plain junque, you can find it at the Fish Art Gallerie on Tybee Island.  This vignette brought to mind Mrs. James, the high school typing teacher.  Did your hands have the right arch over the keyboard or did you slump?  Manual typewriters (even those electric Selectrics) have gone the way of the dinosaur.  And typing has become keyboarding, an elementary school skill.  Who cares that I once could type 90 wpm?
 
Fish Art Gallerie
Tybee Island,Georgia
4.20.2016

Monday, May 9, 2016

early morning flight
 
One of the pleasures in visiting my friends at the lake is sitting on the porch and watching the birds over the water.
 
Eagle Mountain Lake
Azle, Texas
5.6.2016

Sunday, May 8, 2016

chandor chinese bridge
 
Douglas Chandor, an English artist, married  local girl Ina Kuteman in 1934 and they settled in her hometown of Weatherford.  They surrounded their home with English and Chinese-themed gardens.  Today Chandor Gardens are open to the public.  I hadn't heard of either the artist nor the gardens, but enjoyed visiting this picturesque setting in the Historic District.  And because last Friday was National Garden Day, my take-home gift was a small Natchez crape myrtle -- already planted in my yard!
 
Weatherford, Texas
5.6.2016
 


Saturday, May 7, 2016

barn on dill road
 
We had a nice afternoon searching out old cemeteries.  Parker County has 112 or so listed. We discovered this delightful old barn enroute to Veal Station Cemetery.
 
Dill Road
Parker County, Texas
5.6.2016

Friday, May 6, 2016

water buffalo?
in Azle, Texas?
You're kidding.
 
 
 
 
Azle, Texas


Thursday, May 5, 2016

abandoned on ross lane
 
Across Ross Lane from my friend's property is this junked 1956 Chevy station wagon.  I would have taken another photo from another perspective but the snarling dogs keep me in the car.
 
Wise County, Texas

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

pit master
 
Tonight cuisine won out over photography.  At Hard Eight BBQ the maĆ®tre d' wears a t-shirt and the pit master serves you right from his grill. You pay by the pound for whatever you choose. I had ribs, brisket, sausage, corn-on-the-cob and cold beer. Certainly a square meal at the "square pair."
 
Coppell, Texas

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

beach reflections
 
Today was cloudy with false promises of rain so I stayed inside and worked on my Georgia coast  images. Since it was a great  "photocation" with photographer friends, I have a few pictures to process (OK, there's 700 or so!)
 
St. Simon Island, Georgia
4.24.2016

Monday, May 2, 2016

hampton point marina
 
St. Simon Island, Georgia
4.21.2016

Sunday, May 1, 2016

beach umbrella
 
St. Simon Island, Georgia
4.24.2016