Thursday, April 28, 2011

Tornado

So I am not going to post any horrific images of damaged houses and cars, or anything like that. CNN and the others have plenty of them. I just wanted to share some of my thoughts.

I don't really stop to think about the damage caused by these monstrous storms. It is always kind of like an out of sight, out of mind attitude. But I started wondering about the things that can never be replaced. Thankfully, none of the people in my life were injured or killed. Only a few lost their homes. A few others had minor damage or trees lost.

But what about the things that cannot be replaced. We as humans tend to attach significant value based on the history of objects or places. Think about all the emotional attachment that was lost, not because the thing can't be replaced, but because it will never be the thing they grew up with.

Maybe I am just getting sentimental, but I hurt for the ones that dealing with losses. Maybe they have lost loved ones. At last count I heard, the Chattanooga area had 27 deaths and that number was expected to climb. Numerous others lost all their worldly possessions. Some of those lost the home they grew up in or the tree where their their children played.

I am sharing these pictures not because they do justice to the damage, but because I think it illustrates my point. This tree had been standing for decades. Certainly before I was ever born. Now it is just on the ground, waiting to be cut up and hauled away. I was not wanting to make these into pictures of me, but somehow the first two didn't convey the massiveness of this tree. Those of you that have had the chance to see me in real life know that I am not exactly the smallest person. But check out how dwarfed I am next to this behemoth... The root ball pulled up out of the ground was easily 9 feet tall.



Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Nathan and Alisha continued

Hey guys. It has been a busy week for me. Too be completely frank, I am kind of recuperating from the weekend. Lots of activities, movement, and running means lots of distraction. One of my highlights (aside from the obvious spending time with my kids) was taking pictures for my cousin and his wife. I showed off a few the other day. I thought I would share at least a couple more.

Focus is a little soft, but I think it works with the Orton effect. We were standing around (ok, I was panicking and trying to make sure I didn't forget any of my shots) and I noticed  the light hitting Alisha's eyes. It was just an impromptu "wait right there! Hold that pose!" photo opp.


These next two were more of the stereotypical "showing off the belly" type posing. I like the twist in the first one of having Nathan giving the thumb's up. Kind of fun in my humble opinion. The next one was the "full on see how big the belly looks, let it all hang out, here it is in all it's glory..." shot. Probably never end up hanging on a wall, but good to have for future reference.


This last one was a combo shot that was kind of a new thing for me. I have seen it work for other people, but I am still trying to find a technique that works for me. What do you guys think? Does it work for you?

Monday, April 25, 2011

And the winner is....

...Rebecca!

Ruthie picked your number on her way to school this morning. She won her choice of picture in any size up to an 8 by 12. Thanks again to all who participated!

And for everyone else, don't forget that the free download is still available here. Check it out and tell your friends!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Nathan and Alisha




Every once in a while, I step outside my normal scope of operations. In this case, it was maternity pictures. Those that know me well know that I don't exactly exude the sensitive "maternal" type of artist. However, I think it turned out well. What do you think? I have a few more that I am working on. I will share a few more later on through the week.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spring Baseball



Had the opportunity to go to a local AA ballgame today. My daughter's class went to the morning game. How do you like the shots? The stands were pretty empty since it was a 11 am game on a Wednesday morning, but the kids had a great time. One of the local players tossed a ball up into the stands and I was able to pick it up. My girl sure was excited to get it, even though she doesn't even like baseball.

How is your week going? Don't forget about the give-away. There are still a couple more days to get signed up. Check it out here if you have not already done so!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Mini Golf




Nothing special today. Just hanging with the kiddos. Good times with lots of laughter. It was a pretty rough course, probably something I would not do again let alone recommend, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Time with people you love can make just about anything better.

Don't forget, there is still time to get in on the April give-away. Check it out here. Hope you guys are doing well. Drop me a line, or leave me a comment. How is your week going?

Friday, April 15, 2011

Storm from my back porch


So not the best scenery, but just a tidbit of the storm view from my back yard. Thought I would share.

By the way, don't forget about the April contest. You can find it here. Sign up and tell all your friends as well!

April Photo Give-away!

Alright people! It is that time again. Last month was a huge success, so I am hoping for a repeat this month. Go ahead and limber  up your fingers and get ready to do some typing! :-)

This month, you can choose any size up to an 8 by 12 of one of the following:

Downtown Chattanooga
Hunter Art Museum and Walnut Street Bridge
Spring Redbud Tree

It will be same rules as the last one. You can enter by sharing this link on Facebook, by becoming a follower, or by subscribing via Feedburner. Just like last time, when you do any of the above, email me (damoncorwine@gmail.com) or comment on this post so I can get your name in the drawing. This will run through April 23rd, so there is lots of time to get in on this. On the 24th, I will have my kids pick a random number and that person will be the winner.

I am pretty excited about these! Can't wait to see how it goes. So without further ado... Contest officially started!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Pictures for picture's sake...


So, I realize these are not the most compelling subjects, but I kind of like how they turned out. I needed to take some new pictures today. While I have been "keying" on landscapes (sorry, couldn't resist), You can only take the same picture with the same lighting so many times...

Here are a couple more of some things that people don't normally pay attention to... Thanks for looking. Let me know what you think...




Sunday, April 10, 2011

Cherry Blossoms



The apartment where I am staying has Kwanzan tree in the back yard. It is a member of the Cherry tree family, but it doesn't have the flowered petals. Instead, it has flowering buds. What do you think? I like the color (even if it doesn't really suit my personality...)

Friday, April 8, 2011

Which do you like better? A or B?

A

B

Same picture, treated two different ways. Which one do you like better?

Don't forget the free download here. I have received good feedback so far about it, so I am thinking this will become a more regular occurrence. I have seen it down like I did it this last time. Another guy does it with a monthly Calendar in the corner. Not so attached to either, just kind of wondering if there are any preferences out there. Let me know.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Free Download!!!


Hey guys! This is another one of the images from last night. I wanted to put it out there as a FREE DOWNLOAD! That's right. Just right click on the file above for a free full resolution copy of the picture. Just my way of saying thanks for sticking around. Copy it, print it, share it. It is yours to do with as you will. Just let me ask you this... Who loves ya, baby?!?!?

Just a quick note on the technical. This is a standard 4 by 6 format, so it will print in a 4x6 or 8x12 without any cutting or cropping. If you want a 5 by 7 or 8 by 10, you will lose some of the edges. Should be ready to roll for a desktop background though... If you choose to get it printed, I recommend using a reputable printer. Most Walmart or Walgreen's do a fine job for snapshots, but colors get a little wonky on jobs like this...

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Spending time downtown


Hey guys! Spent some time downtown tonight. This one is the first of several that I will be posting, but it is late and I have to be up early... so this will need to be enough for now. Hope you like. Let me know what  you think. I tried a new process on this one, so see if you can guess what it is. This one might make it on the short list for the give away this month. :-)

Monday, April 4, 2011

The Man in the Mirror


Every once in a while, you see something that makes you stop and think. Too frequently, I tend to pass right by and not take in the things that should make me pause. 

When I saw this man walking down the street, I knew I wanted a picture of him. But I couldn't get me, the camera, and the composition lined up quickly enough to get the right shot. After I had given up and started to load myself into the truck, I saw this in my mirror. I grabbed my camera and pushed the shutter on whatever settings were input from the last shot. 

For me, it has a very emotional reaction. My first response is one that I talked about earlier. Sometimes though, it seems like we plow through life regardless of the wreckage we leave behind in other people's lives. Life is about living each moment, but more often than not, that moment is defined by the ones that led up to it. Look around. See where you have come from. Know where you are going. What do you think? What do you see in this sliver of time?

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Couple more of the Dome



Just a couple more from yesterday. These are more in line with what I was trying to do with the first image. Not sure which of the series I like better. There is just something about how the first picture is off kilter that keeps me coming back to it. How about you guys?

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Dome Building


Just a different look at a familiar site downtown. Didn't quite turn out the way I had it figured, but I kind of like it anyway. What do you think?

Friday, April 1, 2011

Seeing the whole picture...


I normally look at the color in pictures. I like the bright, flashy lights, or the deep, rich hues. But if that was all that it took to make a cool picture, I would be content with color panels hanging all over my walls. So not the case...
In this picture, you see Pensacola Lighthouse silhouetted by the fading sunset. Light streams through the clouds, reaching back like fingers to desperately clasp the last moments of the fading day. The details make a difference...