open

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

Somewhere between Athens and Winder, GA is a cross roads full of antique stores. There is also this one shop that my father can’t resist. In an old industrial building is a store that is stocked with the kind of junk that Odd Lots turned down. Next to a pallet sized box full of men’s tightie whities you’ll find a shelf full of odd bits of rope and a bin full of rainbow colored canvas tarps.

On this particular trip, dad walked away with some sanding belts and a box of steel wool. Because, no man goes without steel wool and sanding belts. It’s written in the Man Book. Go look it up.

Have a great day.

 

Jim and Charlie and Charlie and Jimmy

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

Yesterday, Jim and Charlie hitched up Charlie and Jimmy to plant corn using the old 1930s era IH seeder. Farm tractors did not become common until after the Second World War and this would have been a common sight until the late 1940s. Trivia behind us, yesterday was a perfect day to be outside in the sunshine. The sky was full of big puffy clouds and there was a cool breeze. And of course, with Charlie around (the man, not the horse), there were plenty of jokes to keep us entertained.

 

 

The Charlies and Jims were planting butcher blood corn. I included a picture of the seed so that you can see how beautiful it is.

 

 

Every so often, Charlie and Noland would check the seed to ensure the old machine was working as it should. Old machines need constant watching and adjustment.

 

 

 

I know that you are wondering about the horses’ names. Legend has it (we only have the word of Jim and Charlie), they were visiting an Amish farmer while looking for a new pair of draft horses. When the farmer mentioned the horses were named Charlie and Jimmy, they bought them on the spot. I think it is just as likely that the two jokesters named the horses on the way home. You never know with those two.

Have a great day.

the dog woods are blooming

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Columns and Dogwood

 

They are not the first signs of spring. There are a lot of flowering trees that show off their color long before the dogwoods. The fruit trees are flowering. The red bud has long given us its purpleish petals.  However, the flowering dogwood is one of my favorites. The whites are now in full bloom and the pinks are not far behind. Dogwoods are here to tell us that the winter is now behind us and warmer weather is here to stay.

This well groomed specimen from the Dayton Art Institute is one of my favorite examples. It is airy and the blooms are spectacular.

Have a great day.

 

what a wet week it has been

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Wet Leaves

 

Here in Ohio, it's been a cold wet week. We are in that transitional period of early spring when we are teased by a day or two of warmth and sunshine, just to be brought back to reality by cold and chilly wind borne rain. 

Still, winter's freezes and snow are behind us. The spring flowers and flowering trees are doing their best to lift our spirits with the hope of a warm summer to come.

Today promises to be a sunnier and warmer day. I hope yours is spectacular. 

Have a great week ahead.

 

panning: try, try, and try again

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Panning is otherwise known as the biggest test to my patience. I am not practiced at it and as a result, I am not good at it.

On a recent trip to Florida, I had the opportunity to photograph an amazing bird rookery. I thought the location and subject would be the perfect opportunity for me to practice panning. Truth be told, it was good practice. However the two hairs left on my bald head are now long gone. Most of the hundreds of photos that I took on that outing look just like the one shown below.

 

Missed Pan

 

I walked away with more than my share of out of focus bits of birds. Was the time well spent? I wouldn't have traded that day for anything. I got to spend time with my one of a kind Uncle Eddie, and at the end of the day, I walked away with a handful of images like the one below.

 

X Ray Wings

 

What do you know, my parents are right, practice makes perfect.

What part of your photography do you struggle with?

Make a point to practice. Put yourself in locations and in position to work on your weaknesses. Sure, you will shoot a lot of terrible pictures, but eventually you will get that first great shot. After enough practice, you will regularly get the great shots you you want.

Have a great day folks.

 

working your subject

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

A common mistake made by inexperienced photographers is to not work their subject. How many times have you (or someone you are with) just taken the shot as soon as you stumbled upon the scene and then simply moved on? Instead, you should explore your subject. Try to envision what it would look like from a different angle. Walk around it. Get down low or up high.

Each of the following images was taken of the same ramp system in Atlanta’s High Museum of Art. Notice how I did take the straight on shot. However, I then started moving around and exploring the ramps from different directions and heights.

 

 

I climbed to the top floor and discovered these wonderful converging lines.

 

 

I then shifted over a few feet and discovered that I could get the line of the top rail to cross over the other lines.

 

 

I even walked into the ramps and started to see something completely different.

 

 

My point is that you need to work your subject and engage your imagination. If I hadn’t taken the time to explore this ramp system, I would have never discovered the wonderful lines and tones that it contained.

The next time you approach a scene, take the time to go the extra step. You just might be surprised by what you discover.

 

mini dresses

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

Not what you expect of a post named “mini dresses”? These miniature costumes stand about two feet tall and were created by a Dayton professor. She used the dimunative dresses as teaching aids for her students. That is a kind of dedication to her students that you can’t help but admire.

Do you have great stories about a dedicated teacher that made a difference in your life? I was lucky to have an English teacher named Miss Case, who taught me the joy of reading for pleasure.

Have a great day, folks.

 

a walk in the spring woods

Posted on by Tim McMurdo
 
Virginia Bluebell
Virginia Bluebell
 
Dutchman's Breeches
Dutchman's Breeches
 
 
 
In yesterday's post, I mentioned that Thursday included a long hike in Clifton Gorge. The gorge was carved out by the Little Miami river, whose banks are heavily wooded. This time of year, the leaves on the trees and bushes have barely begun to emerge, leaving the spring flowers exposed for the eye to see.
 
The Trillium (both white and red) is just beginning to bloom along with the Virginia Bluebell. It won't be long before the woods are carpeted with white and blue. For two weeks or so, the gorge will be full of color.
 
One of my favorites is Dutchman's Breeches, a plant that lives on the side of the limestone boulders and displays small drop like white flowers that have the shape of….well, they are shaped like a Dutchman's breeches.
 
There are many thousands of species of flowering wild flowers and plants in the gorge. I can identify many of them. However, I've included two of my favorites in hopes that you can identify them. You can view them in the last two photos. The small bamboo like plant grows to about 18 inches tall and grows under the trees near the river banks.
 
I hope all of you have a great day. I'll bring more photos of the gorge's wild flowers the next time that I visit.
 

 

 

fallen tree

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

 

Thursday, I had a long walk in Clifton Gorge, a state nature preserve located about twenty minutes south of me. It's one of the rights of spring that help to get me out of the winter funk that weighs on me during the long dark months.

During my walk, I came across this fallen tree with its broken branches radiating outwards like the pins on the cylinder inside of a music box. In its day, the tree's branches were full of the music of birds, squirrels, and the sound to the wind whipping through its branches. Perhaps the staccato sound of a wood pecker looking for a meal echoed from its trunk.

This tree's music is silent. Not everything emerges from the long winter unscathed. Time demands its due. I emerged from my winter a bit worn and ragged, but I get to embrace the spring with my senses tingling and that is good enough for me.