Cold Outside, Warmth Inside

February 13, 2016 by LB

As it is where many of you live, it’s a wee bit chilly here in Southwest Virginia. The subfreezing temps with furiously whipping wind, provide the perfect excuse to stay inside, work on photography, catch up on my own blog, and with yours, too.

Sadly, the bike sits outside in the cold, waiting for the temperatures to rise.

Yesterday morning, instead of being in my office at 8:15, I had a meeting at Radford’s new locally owned coffee shop. Radford Coffee Company is located in an historic building, recently renovated by a favorite local developer, Joe Fortier.

The Company gives its profits to help in the education of over 1200 students in 14 communities along the Rio Coco, the river that is the boundary line between Nicaragua and Honduras.

The details of the renovation and the warmth inside the shop allow patrons to forget the chill for a little while.

The furniture and decorations include a curved church pew and a Whizzer Motorbike.

And on this particular day, a Radford mentoring program called CAMP was holding a fundraiser. CAMP “offers a chance for Radford’s kids to explore their community and to discover how many opportunities are out there just waiting for them”.

Soon enough, though, it was time to head to the office. With the warmth to sustain me, I stopped to take a shot of the cold, beautiful sky.

And at the end of the day? An opportunity to warm up with a little single malt scotch and time with a friend.

Stay warm, my friends.

Barbed Wire 3 Ways

February 7, 2016 by LB

Well, why not make a quick stop on the way to an early morning grocery run?

I purposefully removed clarity to emphasize the frost on the wire.

Admit it, you love frost on barbed wire, too.

I mean really, what’s not to love?

Feeding The Senses

February 5, 2016 by LB

It was just 24 hours, maybe a few more, but it was 24 hours of joy for the senses. All five of them.

After taking care of a few errands, I packed up the truck and hit the road for Richmond. On the way out of town, I couldn’t help but stop to capture the Sight of Glencoe. Built in 1870, Glencoe was the home of a Civil War General, and currently houses a museum and art gallery.

Soon enough, I was on the way to see the Girls Of August. Some of you may remember that the GOAs are the women I attended the Medical College of Virginia with over 20 years ago. We meet every August for a summer getaway and we also meet for what we call our Mid Winter Sanity Check in February.

What a Weekend! The Sound of laughter, of stories being told, and of the neighbor’s laundry flapping in the breeze. (okay, okay, I couldn’t really hear it but I liked this image and wanted to include it).

The Smell and Taste of a delicious meal (thank you, Becky; you are a master in the kitchen!),

and of several yummy beverages, including this glass of wine, showcasing a neat reflection of Jan.

There was beauty,

and opportunities for photography.

Do you think it’s better in monochrome or color?

And finally, there was the feel of the cold snow on my feet as I took this picture. So yes, Touch was there this past weekend, too. The B&W version of this will be my contribution to Monochromia soon.

A feast for the senses, and for the heart and the spirit, as well.

And oh yes, the bike started up just fine today! The battery tender did it’s job though the frigid temps (so far). Maybe the weekend will offer a ride!

Share Away, my Snow Loving Sisters and Brothers!

January 24, 2016 by LB

I’m very much looking forward to seeing your beautiful snow images. Since I’ll be out shoveling the snow, and glorying in the post storm beauty, please, please share a link in the comment section. I don’t want to miss an image!

Light

January 22, 2016 by LB

** Note! I scheduled this post a week ago, and completely forgot. After a week of hype and build up, I happily woke up to snow! Photos later 🙂 **

It was such a pleasure to have a little time at home, to get the house in order, to take care of some business details, and to visit with a few friends. As the day progressed, I couldn’t help but be distracted by the light.

Morning

Midday

Late Afternoon

and Evening

Thanks for your patience as I share the results of playing with the light.

Finally

January 17, 2016 by LB

My heart is happy

The Stones

January 14, 2016 by LB

Did I have you fooled for a second?

My friend Amy and I spent last Friday night in an historic theatre in Pulaski County, Va. Originally built in 1911, the Pulaski Theatre has been renovated and now hosts a variety of events. We attended the Rolling Stone Tribute Show, and had an absolute blast.

Trying to snap a few shots, in a fairly dark theatre, while dancing, singing, and jumping around, was a challenge.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

Angie

You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

Satisfaction.

Supporting a local historic theatre, hearing music that you grew up with, and hanging out friends … what a fun evening!

Have any of you seen the Rolling Stones in concert?

First Ride, and First Pictures, in 2016

January 4, 2016 by LB

The day dawned bright with sunshine and 40 degree F temps, and soon the text came in to ride. I worked quickly to get the groceries purchased, the Sweet Potatoes baked, and the Chicken Noodle Soup made and finally, it was time to pile on the clothing for a cold winter ride.

It should go without saying that I brought the camera, so not only did I get to ride, I got to shoot! Happy, happy me!

We stopped for lunch at Beamer’s 25, a local restaurant in Roanoke, and since it had warmed up a bit, we were able to sit outside.

We weren’t the only ones sitting outside, even though you’d never know it by these images.

The Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale was the perfect photo subject … and tasted good, too!

Don’t you love the reflections in this one? and yes, that is a photo of Coach Beamer on the wall.

My buddy, Dave, was willing to sit for a portrait, and I learned that he used to have his own light room. We’ve ridden together for years, and I had no idea!

What a great way to start off the year … 90 miles on the bike, with the camera, and a good friend. A short ride but oh so sweet!

20160103_164244_001-2

Hope the year has started off just as well for you!

My 2015 Photography Year in Review

December 31, 2015 by LB

Thanks to Edith from Edith Levy Photography, I learned of a blog project run by Jim Goldstein of JMG Galleries. In her most recent post, Edith shared that Jim encourages photographers to post their best images of the year. Thanks Edith, for inspiring me to give it a shot. Be sure to visit Edith’s blog. Her images are wonderful, including incredible shots from Cuba and Israel.

As you know, the year started as I neared complete recovery from my motorcycle wreck, and promptly jumped into a race for the Virginia House of Delegates. At the midyear point, my medical practice closed, and I worked to start a new one from the ground up.

This has been quite the year, and needless to say, photography (and riding the bike) took a back seat. Even still, time with the camera provided me much needed breaks from the wild ride that was 2015.