the spot light

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Prima 1

When all of the waiting, the practice, and preparations are over, each girl gets her moment in the spotlight. Her time to show the audience what she has learned and what she can do.

White Tutu

Some moments are shared with other dancers and some lucky girls get the stage to themselves.

Slippered Feet

The older girls seem to focus on the smallest of gestures. Placing their feet just so. Moving their hands as elegantly as possible. In dance, it seems, perfection is in the smallest of details 

Tutu Contrast

Throughout the entire experience, I am often struck by the impact that dancing must have on the lives of these young girls. Dancing takes them from childhood, through their awkward teen years, and into adulthood. I wonder what they take with them. Do they gain grace and poise? Patience? Do they learn to work hard to achieve their goals? Do they become confident as they change from young girls to young women?

Did you grow up with dance lessons? How did they impact your life?

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the waiting is the worst part

the waiting is the worst part

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

The Waiting is the Worst Part

 

This weekend, I enjoyed my annual opportunity to shoot a dance recital from back stage. The dance instructor is also a dancer in my wife's belly dance troupe & generously invites me to shoot the practice day as well as the show. I am always awed by the natural back stage lighting combined with the girls as they begin the process of mentally preparing for their time on stage.

Each of them moves through their own preparation process, some moving silently through their dances, while others stand in silent contemplation.

 

Dancer B&W 1

 

Dancer B&W 2

 

Dancer B&W3

 

All of them are incredibly patient, knowing that their turn will come soon enough. Perhaps, this is a lesson for all of us in life. Be prepared and wait patiently, your turn to shine will come soon enough.

 

 

stairway to the second floor

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Mill Stairs

 

Nothing quite so interesting as a stairway to heaven. However, there is some very nice light and lines for you to enjoy. This one was taken in the Braselton Bros. mill in downtown Braselton, Georgia during last weeks vacation with my family. I'm sure that there are a few more images form the mill to come in the future, so stay tuned.

Tim

 

water and shadow

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Water and Shadow

 

I had been on a long hike along the river and through the woods when I became interested in the reflections of the trees. They seemed to be living on the surface of the fast moving current. You never know when a good image will present itself. This one has a nice painterly effect that I find appealing. I wasn't so sure about the B&W conversion at first. However, it's growing on me.

Tomorrow is Friday, so enjoy your Friday Eve.

Tim

 

have you seen my chicken?

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Have You Seen My Chicken?

 

Charlie was all in a huff as he walked up to me. "I can't find Clara" he sputtered. For those of you not in the know, Clara is Charlie's favorite chicken. He dotes on the bird, though I am not sure that Clara returns the favor, as she seems to regard Charlie as she would anybody else that fed her and snatched the eggs out from under her. 

There in lies the crux of the problem between Charlie and Clara. You see, Clara is just a chicken and likes to do chicken things. While, Charlie seems to regard the bird as you and I would a cat or a dog. Call as he might, Charlie will never get Clara to come running when he looks for her. She is too busy looking for bugs and worms to worry about Charlie. I'm not sure that Clara even knows she is named Clara.

So, while Charlie looked and searched for Clara, she kept on scratching and pecking. It's a tough path to go down, having a chicken for a pet.

 

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the 11:20 from indianapolis

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Gum Ball Machine and chairs

 

Sixty three year old Betsy Thompson sat in the waiting room. The 11:20 bus from Indianapolis was due to pull up any time now and she was very excited to board. This was her first trip away. She'd spent her entire life in Gary, never venturing far from home. Until Rick had unexpectedly passed away last June, Gary had been enough.  She and Rick were happy, had built a home and raised a family. Now, however, Betsy wanted more than anything to escape. The last year had been tough on her. Rick's death, the funeral, and even worse the pity she could see in the eyes of her friends and neighbors.

Soon that would all be behind her. As soon as the 11:20 arrived, Betsy could leave all of it behind. First was a week in Chicago with her brother Bill’s family. Then she would make her way by train and bus to San Jose. California! She could hardly imagine what California would be like. When her sister Ellie’s letter came, asking her to join come west, Betsy immediately pounced upon the invitation as the solution to all of her problems. California and Ellie. Would there be palm trees?  Did you see movie stars in California? She supposed that they were probably so common, that nobody paid them much attention. Maybe she would get to see Gary Cooper? If only that bus would get here. Where was that 11:20 from Indianapolis? Betsy wanted to start living again.

 

haley and the horses

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Maggie and Haley

 

I think you might remember little Haley from some of my previous posts. She is a remarkable little girl. An area that I have noticed Haley having an exceptional gift is with the horses on the farm. Not just the horses, anything equine, such as the mules and the donkeys seem to all love her.

 

Haley and Rose

 

The horses seem to universally ignore me and most other people. I could wave fresh clover and juggle apples while completely naked and they wouldn’t even glance in my direction. Haley on the other hand simply has to walk over to the fence and call their names. Soon, she has them all going all crazy for her affection.

 

Haley and Belle

 

I’ve noticed the “Haley Effect” on many occasions and have often wondered about her way with the horses. She doesn’t feed them treats . She does talk to them and she does pet them gently. Is it her gentleness or something else that they like about her?

 

Haley and Sarah 1

 

The Haley Effect only seems to apply to the equine breeds. Sarah, the resident barn cat, only tolerates Haley as much as she tolerates the rest of us. Pet her a little and scratch her ears a little more and she is about done with you.

 

Haley and Sarah 2

 

Once picked up, Sarah quickly frees herself and goes looking for someplace else to take her nap. The other farm animals just ignore Haley as they do the rest of us. The one exception might be Zack, the goat. Zack thinks he is a draft horse and that might be the reason he likes Haley. If she’s good enough for the rest of the horses, Zack figures she’s good enough for a goat-horse like him as well.

 

Who knows? However, as long as I see those horses become so affectionate in her presence, I will always find the reaction remarkable. Especially since they are never phased by somebody as wonderfully kind, good looking, intelligent, and friendly as me. Dumb assed horses. I don’t want to be your friends anyways. Me and the rest of.. I mean, me and the hogs are going to hang out in the sun for a while.

 

 

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evening pano

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Farm Evening Pano

 

This pano was taken one evening last week while on my way home from work. I stopped to get gas just a few miles from home. While I was filling the tank, I noticed that the light in the fields across the street was really nice. the day had been rainy, leaving mist in the distance. The soggy fields were black with moisture.

As much as the scene was about light, it was also about layers. The damp dark fields lead to the trees in the middle distance and finally to the two layers of distant trees on the far side of the farmland.

It seems, that over the years, I have developed this habit of seeing my surroundings with a photographer's eye, even while performing mundane tasks such as pumping gas.