The North Alabama Railroad Museum

Over the long Memorial Day weekend, I loaded up the family to grab some photographs at the North Alabama Railroad Museum. These images were for a homework assignment, and they each received lots of praise from both my classmates and my instructor. The theme for the shoot was "lines". I had to capture lines in each image in a way that enhanced the image. Enjoy!

You simply can't take photographs at a railroad museum without getting the railroad crossing sign!

This is one of my favorite shots. I loved the colors, the textures, and the lines.

Of course, you can't really take a photograph using only one principle of design. I loved the lines in this image, but I was also captivated by the texture in the broken wood and the rusted rail line.

Want to make your photography more interesting? Lay on your belly and shoot what you see.

The rust stains on this car makes the train look like it was crying. I love the rainbow of time that is stamped across this whole boxcar.

I am not a mechanic, nor do I know what this is. I just know that I liked the way it looked in my viewfinder, so I shot it.

Another boarded up boxcar. Time has been unkind to these trains, but they still sit around and wait for people like me to take pictures of them.

As usual, keep an eye out for more of my images. Comment below with your favorite image, and why!

Old Transportation

Last session, I had to pick four themes for my photography. Each week, I was to shoot a minimum of 10 images per theme and upload them for critiques from my instructor and my classmates. One of the themes I chose was "Old". In the south, there is never a lack of old vehicles on the road. From the rebuilt classic cars to the rundown clunkers, there is always a variety for visual enjoyment. Here are a few of my favorite images from last session. Enjoy!

I found this beauty at the weekly farmer's market. She was just begging me to take her picture.

This is from my trip to the local train museum. Look for a future post about that trip!

Time just isn't kind to everything. This "vintage" fire truck now rests next to the parkway. He still commands attention with his bright orange body.

Dining With Friends, Bittersweet Success

Two of my images were framed, donated and displayed at one of the best attended fundraisers in the Tennessee Valley last Saturday. The AIDS Action Coalition's annual grand soiree, Dining With Friends, was buzzing with excitement and energy as local artists were able to step out of their studios and mingle with guests as they place silent bids on must-have pieces. While neither of my pictures sold, I had a fantastic time, and took home some great tips to keep in mind for future events. My husband, on the other hand, was the big winner of two pieces.

The evening was filled with fantastic art, decadent dessert bites, and tasty tonics to sip on. In the beginning, bidders were casually walking around the room taking in the visual appeal. As the night went on, however, bidders would post up near the piece they couldn't live without and make conversation with friends while watching the bid sheet to see if anybody bumped up the price. Guests interested in more than one piece would make their rounds between the pieces they couldn't live without. As I was studying the colors in an acrylic on canvas piece, a bidder walked up to put her price down. I stepped a little bit closer to the piece to inspect a portion of the canvas that caught my eye. This made the bidder nervous. "Are you planning on bidding?" I wasn't, but her question intrigued me. "I'm not sure," I replied. She stood about three paces away from me, and watched my every move until I moved on to another piece to inspect.

I was at this event for more than just donating my photographs to a great cause. Denise Onwere was the subject of my final project in my Photojournalism class at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division. I had two days left until deadline, and I still didn't have any images of her work being sold. This was the perfect event to take pictures of how the local population appreciates her art. I followed her around for most of the evening, taking pictures of her checking out the bid sheets for the 10 pieces she donated. Every now and then, she would call me over to a framed photograph and we would study the differences in their presentation and mine. The biggest thing we noticed was that the photographs with small frames were being bid on. The photographs with large, chunky frames weren't. To test this theory, I may just submit the same two photographs next time, but with much smaller frames and see how they fare.

The program with a sampling of the tasty treats.

One piece of art was prominently displayed for all bidders to look at while filling their plates.

One of my two framed pictures on display. This picture is called "Providence At Night".

My second donation, "Tree Swing."

Denise Onwere's art was a hit among bidders. Two of her pieces are shown in this image; top right, and top center.

Denise's painted step stool was featured on the Dining With Friends Facebook page, and brought several bids.

Two men study Denise's three-piece acrylic on canvas painting. The photograph just below it taught me a lot on how to present my images in the future.

There were several professional photographers from various newspapers, magazines, and web publications. I took the time to study their actions, how they interacted with the guests, and the ways they manipulated their gear.

Donation for AIDS Action Coalition in Huntsville, Alabama

I have been invited to donate a piece of my works to a fundraiser that benefits the AIDS Action Coalition in Huntsville, Alabama. Every year, this wonderful organization benefits from a fundraiser called Dining With Friends. While dining on delicious culinary creations, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction. In past years, over 700 tickets were sold to this event. This is one of the largest fundraiser events in the southeast!

I was introduced to this wonderful event by the amazing Denise Onwere, a local artist who simply won't allow me to wait another moment before I put my name out there in the artistic world. I'm incredibly grateful for her support, motivation, and can-do attitude about getting started. She has opened countless doors for me in the local area, and inspired me to do some wonderful things with my camera. To say the least, Denise has been nothing short of a blessing my world.

After running the idea of my participation in the event by my instructor, Jill Mott, I decided to take the leap into the professional world of photography. I highly value Instructor Mott's professional opinions, and trust her guidance. She is a great source of inspiration, encouragement, and challenge for me. I am a better photographer after studying under her, and I can only hope to have the honor of learning more from her in the future.

After showing Instructor Mott my portfolio, and discussing the event, I decided to donate two pieces for the silent auction this year. Each image is an 8x10 print, double matted and framed to an 11x14 piece. Here is a picture of each final piece just before I donated them.

"Providence At Night"

"Tree Swing"

I obtained two tickets to the event, and permission to bring my camera and take pictures. The silent auction begins at 7pm on Saturday, May 19th. I hope to bring back some great pictures of my first professional appearance!