Time to Say Goodbye to Nonna

As a photographer, I believe that I am a keeper of sacred images. As hokey as that sounds, you never know which will be the last frame you will snap of someone you love or another family's cherished matriarch.

This was the case of Joan Mitchell Jenkins who passed away this week after several years of fighting life-threatening diseases. I would like to celebrate what I knew about her.

When I met Joan, she was already battling debilitating health issues. This was extremely difficult for her, but I never heard her complain about it.  Instead what I saw was a complete dedication to her daughter's family including a special granddaughter.

I have rarely seen such devotion to grandchildren (excluding my own Mother who is at the top of the heap). Joan loved little Alessandra fiercely and it brought her great joy to be with her.

Over the years, I would take photos of little Alessandra and Nonna would often be there.  Some of my favorite photos are from her first birthday. These two share the same look.

To get all three generations of women together was incredible. Alessandra was teething and it would have taken hot sauce on her fingers to keep her hands out of her mouth, but it does not matter. The moment was recorded.

The last photo I took of Nonna and Alessandra together was ironically on the day before my own father died. This weighed heavily on me as I took this last photo of the two together... not knowing if there would be another opportunity like this.

Nonna probably would hate being seen in her pink cap and oxygen lines, but to me, this photo is a powerful reminder of how her world revolved around her granddaughter. Maybe this will become a reminder to an older Alessandra when she thinks about her Nonna.

Portraits of a Little Lady

I love watching kids grow up. Just a few months apart makes the changes more discernible. I have been photographing Allessandra since she was born, and she has become quite the little charmer. Here she is pretty in pink.

This black and white photo hints at what she may look like when she gets older which is the perfect combination of Mom and Dad. She was photographed using old fashioned tungsten hot lights... which produces a different look in my opinion. Plus, they can heat a room on a cold day.

It is obvious that she loves her Daddy. I like how their faces are so close here.

She is getting taller than Pops (as long as he is sitting on the ground).

There is no such thing as a subtle smile at 4, as you can see here with Mom and Dad.

It was dreary outside but a little flash trickery made it look like a lovely Spring day with Mom.

I'm sure the neighbors did not mind me using their azaleas as a backdrop.

I noticed on the way back inside that the red door would make a great background for her blue polka dotted dress. A moment later she leaned against the unlatched door and tumbled backwards. She was unhurt, but the look on her face was utter surprise. What a trooper!

Hidden Garden Get Away in Asheville, North Carolina

For our eighth anniversary, my wife and I drove to Asheville, North Carolina for a fun filled weekend during the Fourth of July celebration. If you have never been to that town... put it on your list. Asheville is surrounded by rolling mountains which makes it a beautiful place to explore.

The pedestrian friendly town invites you to sight-see, shop, eat, drink and loaf about. There are tons of gluten-free and vegetarian options if you are into that. The food alone is worth the drive. The people are very laid back and friendly with several locals chatting us up for no other reason than to be neighborly.... and I thought Atlanta had the market cornered on Southern hospitality!

The night before we left, I packed a pile of camera gear to take with me including all types of lenses and flashes.  At the last minute, I decided to leave it all behind and take my iPhone and a Canon S100 which is a tiny point-and-shoot. 

Normally trips = photo safaris, but this time I wanted to spend time with Jenny. She was the whole reason for me being there and I wanted to concentrate on us having fun. 

Instead of staying in an holiday-priced hotel, Jenny found us a micro house which was amazing... and half the cost. The host's house can be seen to the right for size comparison.

A micro house can be many things, but in this case it was a wonderful one room modern bungalow surrounded by a lush garden. 

This was one of the coolest places we have ever stayed including swanky hotels in big cities.

The structures and garden were the result of many years of work by the owner who is a home remodeler and a landscaper. He is also a heck of a nice guy welcoming us with warmth and kindness.

We spent a few hours exploring in the gardens and seeing different things. Below is an old stucco shed that had be refaced with bamboo and reclaimed corrugated metal siding.

The location used to be a stone quarry and evidence of that can be seen in the sheer rock faces that surround 3 sides of the garden.

Much of the rock has foliage growing over it and the walls have cascading icicles in the winter.

So many details can be discovered in the garden. 

Some of the plants were throw-aways from other people's yards. They found a new life here.

Bamboo gardens rustled in the mountain breezes, which was incredibly peaceful. Sunlight seemed to turn green as it filtered through the leaves...

Bamboo was used as a recurring theme throughout the garden and structures.

Spike the cat will greet you and make you feel like a welcome guest.

Since I had a point-and-shoot, we just had fun taking photos. If something did not turn out right... who cares? We were were on vacation. 

For once it was nice to just be in the moment and not worry about the technical side of things... just capture the snapshot and keep going.

Our favorite activity (besides stuffing our faces) was exploring the vast arts district full of fantastic old warehouses.  It was an incredible trip and one we plan on repeating in the future.

The Dog With Aerodynamic Ears

Sometimes my wife and I babysit for her coworkers. The child that we watch is the 4-legged variety, which means no diaper changing... thank goodness. The little sweetheart's name is Spooner and he is a 10 year old Boston Terrier with a gentle personality.

Boston Terriers are a dear to us because that is our canine breed of choice, having had 4 of them. All had large pointed ears which stood up straight giving them the appearance of strange bunnies or bats. Below, Zack is sneaking a kiss to the chagrin of Spooner... (wish the focus was better).

Spooner on the other hand, has aerodynamically streamlined ears that seem to be located on the back of his melon-shaped head. Below, it looks like he stuck his noggin out of a car window.

This physical characteristic was not something that I really noticed until I tried to take a photograph of him in a makeshift studio in my kitchen. Where did his ears go?

When making dog portraits, I use an old muslin backdrop because seamless paper is easily punctured by dog claws. To see his ears, I had to shoot at a very high "over the head" angle.

Probably my favorite photo shows him as he really is... stubby ears and all. The "S" on his chest could also stand for "Super" because that is what Spooner is.

A Letter to My Daddy on Father's Day

Dear Dad,

It's Father's Day so I thought I'd write you an note and let you know what is going on down here on Earth. Hopefully, you have internet access up in Heaven and can read this, but my hunch is that you are looking over my shoulder as I type.

First, all of us miss you dearly. I hate the fact that I cannot just pick up a phone and hear the eloquence of your Southern Gentleman's voice and your "dry as the desert" humor. I left a few old  voicemails from you on my phone so I can hear you any time I want. I also watch some of those videos from the 80s and 90s that were made about your Marine Science Center and when you appeared on the local morning television programs. You looked so cool in your lab jacket.

Most everyone is dealing with your departure in their own way. Mom is incredibly lonely without you, her companion for over 50 years. That's a long time to hear someone snore next to you. Maybe I should install a gasoline generator in her room to simulate the racket and she would sleep better then.

Kelli has gone a bit crazy without you. Hopefully, she can pull her life together, but that is something she will have to do on her own.

Dan is busy raising his family and carrying on the tradition of camping in a RV instead of a tent. I know that might be cheating, but it is a lot more comfortable with AC and electricity.

Gena is spending a lot of time with Mom helping her when she can make the drive from Richmond. She has her hands full with 2 kids and lots of wicks burning her candle down.

Justin has become more like you every day. There are times when I think that he is what you would have been like when you were younger. You would be very proud of him I think.

Kristina mourns for you long distance. She hates that she did not get to see you more before you left us. She has asked me for a bunch of photos of you to hang up in her home in North Carolina.

Sara and Tyler seem to be coping pretty well. They might not show it if they were not. They are in good hands with Mom raising them. They had better do their chores or suffer the dreaded flyswatter.

And that leaves me. I miss you too, but I feel like I am walking with you as my constant companion. If I look in the mirror, I see you. If I interact with children... I hear your voice and even use some of the same tricks you used on us to keep us entertained, though I have not attempted the fiery puffs of flame that you somehow surprised people with. I am not magician like you were.

The times I feel closest to you are in the deep woods right before sunset with the low beams of the sun lighting the side of the trees and leaves. There is such a peacefulness there without cars, cell phones or the constant background noise of modern life. There is just the rustle of leaves and the chatter of birds... many of which I know you could have identified and imitated with your virtuosic whistling skills.

In other news, I am sorry to have to tell you, that your beloved hoard of treasures has been discovered. Dan and Gena have been cleaning out your secret stashes around the house including your "drawer of trinkets", your "closet of secrets" and your "shed of fortune". They found many wonderful things like Reagan-era Band-Aids, old watches, souvenirs, ancient paperwork, $600 in cash and also an uncashed vintage check from 2003 worth over a $1300. Uh oh... you are in trouble with Mom. I am sure you will hear about that.

They have not attempted to clean out the attic or garage yet because we found out that dumpsters have a limit to what they can hold. Plus, we have to build a walkway through the expertly stacked strata of boxes, scientific equipment and biology books dating back to Darwin's time.

Many friends have come by to visit Mom or give a call. She has had a lively time sharing stories and hearing how you touched people's lives. Some of these folks have not been heard from in decades. Even now, the news continues to travel through the grapevine of your passing, and it still hits hard even months after the funeral is over.

Speaking of the funeral, I hope you saw it. The place was packed and there were even people standing in the back. Tons of old friends were there from Camp Chanco, relatives, neighbors, clergy, church members and your school colleagues. We sang all the favorite songs and it really took me back to the time you directed the camp in the 70's. Some of the people have not changed much like Ron. He had the place roaring with laughter as he described the hi-jinx you guys shared. Some flew thousands of miles to be there including your 90+ year old Uncle. His quote "you bet your ass I'll be there". One interrupted her cancer treatments to come. None of them would have missed it for the world.

The one thing that I heard over and over is how incredible the service was and what a great person you were to so many different people. You had no fewer than 8 or 9 eulogies. There were many facets of your life to be celebrated including your college friendships, your incredible teaching career spanning over 53 years, your traveling camps and also Camp Chanco. Then, your family got to share their thoughts. Dan was too busted up to talk. I almost did not make it through my speech. Thankfully, people laughed at my bad jokes. Ellie's speech was way beyond her young teenage years and Justin's words inspired me and reminded me of you.

The memorial service was decked out with lots of photos that I took of you. We used the one of you and Mom for the printed program. That was the one that had a sparkle in your eye and captured your mischievous spirit. I put a photo of you in your native headdress and the one of you sitting on the live oak tree in your crypt. I hope you don't mind because you are kinda stuck with them now.

Well, that is about it for now. I hope you are adjusting to your new home and are making room for the rest of us. I hope you have found some of your long departed buddies to pal around with in Heaven. I hope you are laughing and remember us too. We love and miss you Charles E. Hughes.

We can continue this conversation on our next walk in the woods. I know you will be there.

Luv Andy

Confessions of a Star Wars Geek

Normally, shooting product photos for a client does not remind me of anything from my childhood, but in the case of Uranium Flashlights... I had to chuckle.

Back in 1977 when Star Wars originally came out, I was a young geeky kid who loved my action figures and X-Wing fighter. Unlike some of my friends who had every Star Wars toy sold (I'm looking at you Noel Natividad), I had a few precious characters... and I loved every one.

I idolized Obi Wan Kenobi from the original film even though he was only in it for what seemed 30 minutes.

I vividly remember losing my Yoda action figure to a curious mishap when I tied it to a helium balloon and launched him like Ben Franklin into an approaching storm. Of course, I had no idea that the thread I had borrowed from my Mom's sewing drawer was not attached to the spool. At that moment the string ran out, Yoda must have been at least 400 yards high (which is the length of thread on a typical spool), and he just kept rising. For all I know, he floated right back to his home planet of Dagobah. My hope is that some other kid found this sky treasure and gave him a good home.

Along with those toys, I always had a common household flashlight. During playtime it could become so many different things like a launching Saturn V rocket, an interstellar missile, a tractor beam, Han Solo's blaster, and yes, even a light saber (especially around a camp fire where the beam would seem to solidify in the smoke).

Uranium Heavy Duty Flashlights or rockets... you decide.

So there you go... I admit it. Star Wars is part of my childhood that just won't disappear... but I'm not the only one. There are legions of geeks out there... and more of us than you think... perhaps, even an army.

Atlas Fit Gloves Web Site

Sometimes clients need a fast and affordable way to promote a niche portion of their business. That was the case with Showa Best Glove who wanted a simple informational web site about some of their best selling Atlas gloves. Salesmen use this as a touchstone in their sales calls.

We built a web site to highlight key information about each glove including suggested uses, sizes, materials and photos. In-depth info could be downloaded as a PDF for review or printing.