"The Church Star" by Wes Aldridge
Today was a monster good day for photography. Thank God cause I needed a day like this. I have been doing seasonal photography for my company for many weeks now. On normal magazine shoots, every other week I travel to a community to shoot an entire magazine full of portraits, product shots, landscapes, feature photography and sports. On the seasonal shoots, it is landscape only. The seasonal shoots really don’t allow much room for creativity and problem solving/shot planning, other than what time of day is best light for a scene.
I love to go to a place that has been deemed as having “nothing to shoot.” You know, small towns with a Main Street and a Hardee’s. Those kinds of places are my favorite to shoot. I love the difficulty in having “nothing to shoot.” It really forces me to think hard, and fast. I allot an hour per shoot, including set-up time and breakdown and travel time to my next assignment. That is a helluva deadline. Fun, fun, fun. I love the stress and pressure of turning “nothing” into a cool, interesting photograph.
Anyway, this shot is of an awesome, ultra-modern church steeple at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. I shot with a muy rapido shutter speed of 1/1600th of a second at f/11. Check out the cool star effect it gave the sun, not to mention the great silhouette of the steeple with a deep blue sky behind it. I even think the solar lens flares in the shot are great. I saw them while I was metering through the lens and thought, yessir, they belong there.
"Tribal Wear" by Wes Aldridge
I shot a portrait late this evening of a nice ol' retired doctor. After I finished his portrait, he took me to a room where he said he was assembling a private collection of American Indian artifacts. I was utterly impressed. The shot above is one of the old native garments that were hanging in his collection. I thought the real animal claws on the necklace really set this shot off.
Anyway, I have been listening to the latest Coldplay album, "X&Y," pretty much everyday for about a week. I usually don't go for soft and light pop music like that, but I think it has easily become one of my favorite albums of all times. The music is beautifully written, orchestrated and intelligent. It flows like milk and honey. But the thing that really impresses me is the lyrical content of the songs. I mean, the music really draws you in, but the lyrics keep you coming back for more. These things are important in an age of bubblegum pop music that sells and sounds a-dime-a-dozen. I mean, I love Nine Inch Nails, Dark New Day, TOOL, and the like. So, maybe you should check out this Brit pop album if a dark metal lover like me finds a refuge in it.
I think some of the most important lyrics that really drive home with me are in the third track, titled "White Shadows." Strong, strong song. The lyrics are as follow:
"Maybe you'll get what you wanted
Maybe you'll stumble upon it
Everything you ever wanted in a permanent state
Maybe you'll know when you've seen it
Maybe if you say it you'll mean it
And when you find it you'll keep it
In a permanent state a permanent state"
I can't really explain to you why they mean so much to me. All I can say is I have honestly never felt a connection to song lyrics like this before. There is something magical in that song and I can listen to it over and over and it never really gets tiring to me. I force myself to cycle in another cd every few hours, just so I will believe I am not THAT crazy. I think Coldplay really hit the nail on the head with this one.
And, now you are wondering what the hell that has to do with some ancient Native American gear... absolutely nothing.
"Hands Toward Heaven" by Wes Aldridge
I like the rugged look of this shot. There is the angel, perched on a building top with clasped hands, beautifully illuminated, with the somewhat haphazard railing behind it holding the neon lights erect. It seemed to me a direct clash of the visions of perfection that most people have of the celestial beings.
I am glad that I am finally back out on the road again. Too much time in Nashville makes me want to jump, jump somewhere into something and never get back again. It is a great little town for, well, whatever people say it is a great little town for, I guess. It just might be a great little place to visit. I feel that is what I do now. Just visit long enough to wash my clothes and pay my bills and catch my next ride to wherever I am headed.
It is not Los Angeles. It is not New York. It is not Atlanta. Fuck, it’s not even Birmingham or Tucson. It’s not a flashy metropolis, and by God does it ever try far too hard to be. Glimmering and shimmering music dreams sparking and fading, they start and poof... they’re gone.
Nashville is in fact a sleepy little town with people who were once big dreamers whose eyes have grown heavy filled with sand and drip with the fermented fire of Old No. 7. Oh, the tears the distilleries have drawn from our hearts! But, through all the agony that city brings, there is something so addictive about it. You get sucked in and you make yourself think you never want to leave. And you don’t. You stay. You tell yourself you are content. You play the role of the happy Nashvillian. And in secret, you weep for never chasing the dreams that you always wanted to grab by the tail and soar around the galaxy clinging to.
Is it because no angels are perched on building tops in Nashville? Is it because the only signs of hope on Broadway or Second Ave. are the two-for-one beer specials at Robert’s Western World or Buffalo Billiards? It just might be. Then again, lets forget about all this rambling stupidity and go grab a double-tall bourbon down on Printer’s Alley when I get back. Maybe Nashville doesn’t dilute our aspirations to dreams; maybe we do that to ourselves.
"Angels' Prayer" by Wes Aldridge
Sit and watch, and more so, listen to the things that whispers are made of. There is always something to hear if you take the time to listen.
"Old Gate" by Wes Aldridge
I was driving back to my house in the late evening sun. On 8th Ave. sits an antique store that I have passed by a thousand times since I have been in Nashville. The sunlight was crisp and golden and shadows were very long at hard angles. An old antique gate was leaning against the building and it caught my eye. The rust was beautiful, a warm auburn color from the rays of light. I thought, something that I have seen so many times and thought nothing of... it would make a perfect shot.
"Father and Daughter" by Wes Aldridge
Meet smiley, beautiful baby Baylea. Such a happy child, with grins and laughs, and now she has something to be truly happy about. So does her father, 1st Lt. David Mark Darby. He has been spending some time in Iraq, near a city called Tuz, but is home for a while. Not nearly long enough, I am certain he feels, but certainly long enough to meet his daughter. Days ago was the first time he held Baylea in his arms.
"Fist of Power" by Wes Aldridge
I was expecting to post a shot of either Seether, Crossfade or Dark New Day tonight after I shot them at Dancin' In The District. Well, I guess that is kind of hard when you get to the WILL CALL tent and they only have your name on Crossfade's guest list, and there is no photo pass anywhere to be found.
Can I just say I was pretty friggin' pissed off at that garbage? I was. I had looked forward to shooting this show all day long. Screw it, such is life I guess.
So now I give you a shot of a statue of legendary boxer Joe Louis that hangs in downtown Detroit. Some say it symbolizes black power, some say its just a piece of artwork in honor of the man's boxing accomplishments. I say, I don't care to analyze it that far. I am pissed right now and wish I could just "go-Joe-Louis" on something for not being able to shoot a great rock show tonight. This shot totally expresses my mood.
"The Fat Mo Super Deluxe Burger" by Wes Aldridge
I was looking through CitySearch to try and find a restaurant to grab some food at. Under cheap American eats in Nashville is listed Fat Mo's Burgers. Interesting.
I had heard fabled tales of a disgustingly massive meat sandwich that the establishment makes. After a brief consultation, and taunting, from my roommate, I decided it was time to get one of the 27-ounce monster burgers and blog it. I knew it was beyond humanly possible to eat the entire thing, but it sounded like a good, fun and punishing time.
Loaded with 3 meat patties, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles, ketchup, etc., it was a beautiful creation. Here, for your eager eyes, The Fat Mo Super Deluxe Burger. Chomp.
I got through about 1/3 of the creature and thought I was going to die. I surrendered to the monster, but what I had was pretty damn good!
"Film Ain't Dead" by Wes Aldridge
This is a shot of one of my film cameras, my Canon Elan 7. Its a great camera that isn't terribly expensive and has areally good shots flowing from it. I mean, the 1 Series cameras are clearly better, but who gives a shit about film anymore, right? Haha, just trying to piss someone off.
In reality, I shoot two rolls of Velvia 50 slide film each month just to keep on my toes. So, I love this little camera. Whatever. Throw a little blue light on it with a gel on my 550EX and this is the shot. Notice, I was a bad boy and exposed the mirror removing the body cap for the shot.
Gobble, gobble.
"Down Low" by Wes Aldridge
A row of lights to see by
Will darkness overcome?
Or can you flip a switch
and wash sun down on you?
Day blends to night
and is eaten by the way.
But you control the switch
so flip it and slip away.
"Building" by Wes Aldridge
Snap, click, boom. Another shot in the books. Hell yes, the show goes on.
The crane building a new and better Belmont University, my alma mater. Gotta love the element of progress.
Back in Nashville. Let the good times roll!
"The Machine" by Wes Aldridge
Today, the trip ended. This is the mouth of the beast that we rode to the end of the road. After 8 hours, it was home. I like home, but I am actually in Atlanta for the night. Old friends, good times, things to come I'm sure.
"The Beach Fence" by Wes Aldridge
Ok, my photo hosting site, flickr, has been screwed up for the past few days. I had to figure out another place to host the last few days' photos and do some work-arounds on my posting. This is why the image quality looks like garbage, i.e., crappy colors and grain, etc. You wouldn't believe how much of a pain in the ass it has been. But here is another shot from the beach. Hopefully flickr will get its head out of its ass soon so the game isn't so painful to complete.
"Pier Walker" by Wes Aldridge
Hell or high water, its up.
"Done Fishing" by Wes Aldridge
Can one man's garbage become another man's art?
Sure. Let the party continue.
"Round 'n' Round" by Wes Aldridge
Vacation took a fun turn last night. I wish I could tell you the adventure with "Dan the Man." He must have been arguably one of the most annoying human beings that I have ever had the misfortune of hanging out with... oh, but the stories we have to tell about him. I have honestly never seen a 55-year-old man falling face first into the crashing waves as the sun was rising on the ocean front. We all had great laughs of this freak show. Thank you for the hilarious, and idiotic memories, Dan. And Deanna, thanks for bringing the wine bottle. Who would have thought an empty bottle could have been so entertaining with that fool!
Anyway, this shot is from The Pavillion amusement park in Myrtle Beach. Just a cool shot of the Ferris wheel. It was neat trying to figure out the lighting patterns of the spinning contraption and the designs it would make at different exposure times. I have always wanted to shoot one, and tonight I finally got my chance. Kind of artsy, but all fun.
Note to self: Always make certain you have a digital film card in your camera when you go out for a shoot. Nuff said.
"Sky Goes Boom" by Wes Aldridge
Yeah, blah, blah, blah, its the 4th of July. I took a few shots of a fireworks display off a pier. What did you expect, anything else?
I look somewhat similar to Neopolitan ice cream, you know, brown, pink and white. Ocean sunshine is a ruthless beast. I hurt, and it isn't getting any better by the minute. I need some Aloe. Gods of the Beach, I call forth upon you to pour down Aloe from the sky. That would be great. Now, back to Miller Lite on the Beach time.
Happy B-day America, you old bastard!
"BYOF" by Wes Aldridge
Bring your own fireworks. Don't forget the beer. Get a little crazy and let chaos take over.
Have you ever tried taking night shots of crazy drunk rednecks from ten feet away as they light fireworks on the beach? I did tonight, and yes it was a blast. I was jumping and dodging the fireworks as they screamed past my head to light the sky. This shot shows that chaos I think.
It is a beautiful thing to be a 24-year-old American on the beach right at the 4th. So many adventures to be had, so little time to have them all.
"Beach Cig" by Wes Aldridge
Today begins the first day of my official summer beach vacation. Thank God for beer and family, in no particular order of course. The four of us, mom, dad and bro, piled in the Grand Cherokee and headed for Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a week of relaxation.
Anyway, the gangster-pimp looking fellow above is my brother, Whit. After messing around with sparklers and fireworks at night on the beach, I decided to go with this shot of him lighting a cigarette. So, now the blog is finished for the night and the fun shall continue.
"TV Man" by Wes Aldridge
Bigger fish to fry. Wisconsin good. TV good. Talk to ya later, G.
"Dells Diver" by Wes Aldridge
Today I visited a place called Dells of the Eau Claire. It was a rock-filled section of the Eau Claire River, just outside of Wausau, Wisconsin. It was very, very interesting. I was able to walk all across the river on these rock formations, and that was pretty awesome.
Anyway, meet Ryan. He is the gentleman diving into the swirling waters of the Eau Claire. What a brave fellow. I wish that could have been me, but alas, I was pushing the shutter button. And, the fine young lady standing above him is Minttu. Yes, that is Minttu. She is from Finland. I would love to go to Finland. Oh well, maybe that is where my photographic expeditions will take me some day.
My general synopsis is this: Wausau is a good place. Things to see and places to go. And above all, it welcomed me here. I felt at home. It has been good.
"Cars, Cars, Cars" by Wes Aldridge
The farewell to Detroit Rock City. I leave you with the General Motors building. Pretty, right? Sure thing.
"Spirit of Detroit" by Wes Aldridge
What an absolutely miserable day for seasonal photography. No sunlight and gray skies. To a photographer on a seasonal assignment, a day without sunshine is like a day without... you can make it through, but man, it ain't pretty. Needless to say I didn't capture a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph today.
Anyway, I did get this image tonight... and I like it! It was raining and windy and many homeless people begged me for money (I felt kinda bad because all I had was a credit card). I was in downtown--you guessed it--Detroit trying to get a shot of the suspended Joe Louis boxing fist sculpture. It didn't exactly work out due to the fist being completely black and not lit with flood lighting at night (sorry Coach, didn't mean to let you down). I walked the streets for a little while and came across this beauty. It is a statue titled "Spirit of Detroit" and it was wearing a Pistons jersey. I saw it on television during the NBA Finals and it was pretty memorable, unlike the Finals itself. It was purely by luck that I saw it tonight. Glad I did.
I think I got this exposure dead on the money. I have the shadows natural in the frame with the tungsten tint from the flood lamp illuminating the statue. But I also metered in a little fill flash that brought the image to life. ISO was set to 200 to get the proper f/stop and shutter speed combination, all shot on a tripod of course.
"Perfect Alley" by Wes Aldridge
Oddly enough, this is the 3rd time that Carter has appeared as a subject on the blog. I must admit, this is one of my favorite places to shoot portraits in Nashville. This alleyway is amazing. Lights hang directly above the alley and make shafts of light that come down. The mood of the light there is incredible. I foresee many shots of bands, singers, musicians, etc., being shot in this alley.
Want to know where this little piece of heaven is?
I'll never tell...
"Lit" by Wes Aldridge
Sometimes I will snap a frame off for the heck of it, with no purpose or intention for it in my mind. There was no reason for it, it held no defined purpose. It was just a moment in time. A slice of life, and it became worth everything to me. And every once in a while I will just fall in love with something like it. That's what happened with this shot. It was real and I didn't even catch her name.
This was shot with my 50mm at f/1.8 to give it that awesome depth of field. No lights, tripod, reflectors or any of that other crap. It was raw.
"Action JaxN" by Wes Aldridge
Another portrait I shot in an empty theatre of one of my best friends in Atlanta, Blake. We have known each other for many years and played in many bands together. A very good drummer, drinking buddy and overall a stellar comrade. We have been through the thick of it all, came out alive, and not with too many broken bones or spirits. We made that strange connection, that Bonnie and Clyde-do-or-die, stroke-it-to-the-end-and-let-it-roll kind of a moment. That's what we've got. And all you out there, may never find that! Ha, we are true ruffs in the broadest sense of the word.
And, here he is in all his beauty. Aviators and a strange pink coat. That is the way we will go out of this world one day too, boy-O. Strange and hard, no fear and kill the regrets. Turn off the lights and set the table, cause daddy is coming to dinner soon. Grrr...
"The Drummer" by Wes Aldridge
This is a portrait of Andres Garban, drummer for Nashville rock band Thaxton Ward, at Mercy Lounge. At most Thaxton Ward shows that I shoot, I never get many shots of Andres because he is always stuck in the back of the stage and the lighting is usually terrible. Well, amigo, I felt like you got left out a few times, so you made the blog.
I love this shot. It is one of my favorite music photos. A simple portrait. I don't want to tell you the shot settings and light set up because I think it would take away from the composition and mood of the photograph. Let's let it be my little secret.
"Face of Fear" by Wes Aldridge
I shot this because it worked at this particular moment in time. I was searching for a "secret garden" at the James K. Polk house in Columbia, Tennessee. I found it. These old marble statues stood in the garden with plants growing all around them. There was something mysterious to it all.
The way the shadows fell over this statue's face was almost haunting. The damage the weather had done to it added an even more chilling effect. I thought it was cool. I like to find fear inside myself about things that are unknown.
"La Chihuahua" by Wes Aldridge
Everyone, meet Chongo. He made an appearance at the studio to help do a product shot of some locally manufactured doggie treats. Chongo is the 6-year old Chihuahua of one of my fellow staff photographers, Brian.
The dog really rocked and was pretty cooperative with the shoot, after we went through the proper channels talking to his manager. Chongo was pretty demanding during the shoot. He wanted 75 green M&M's in his doggie bowl, which was trimmed in gold. That was a pretty standard request from most of our clientele, so we had plenty of greens around. He wanted the four latest issues of PAW, a pretty risque skin-mag in the canine world that had a Lassie centerfold. We sent the intern out for those while we were setting up the lights. The most demanding request he had was for a bottle of Opus One Mondavi, a fine merlot from California in the Sanoma Valley. At $220 per bottle, that was a little difficult to find and it stretched our budget for the shoot a little farther than we had planned.
But, as this shot shows, Chongo was a happy camper and so were we to see this cute little doggie and the bag of treats looking good in this shot.
"Clean" by Wes Aldridge
The Village Cleaners in neon.
"Parking is Tough" by Wes Aldridge
Its not every day that you see a car wrapped around a railroad crossing sign. I did.
"Downtown Hero" by Wes Aldridge
This is a civil war memorial statue in the historic downtown area of Dalton, Georgia, from where I hail. I had seen it a million times, but thought I should shoot it this time. Click, click, snap... captured. The sky helped it out a good bit. I enjoy the silhouette of something against a dramatic sky. Those shots just turn out so strong.
"Windmill" by Wes Aldridge
I am spending the weekend in Dalton, Georgia, visiting my family on Father's Day. I needed a shot, and my parents wanted to go along for the hunt. I told them, get in... lets go! We seemed to have searched one side of Whitfield County to the other. I wanted a windmill shot, and by luck I found one tonight.
"Religious Note" by Wes Aldridge
Well, it doesn't get much better than this one. I think this is one of the best of the blog so far. Hope you enjoy.
"Ringer or a Leaner?" by Wes Aldridge
Now, not everyone will be able to grasp the beauty of what is going on in this shot. If you didn't grow up in a rural area and have family get-togethers that involved Coors Light, badass country cookin' and a game of horseshoes, you really don't have a point of reference for this.
The game of horseshoes involves people "pitching" literal metal horseshoes at metal stakes in the ground from about 20-feet away. The idea is to get the horseshoe to land with the stake in the center of the "U" and make a ringing sound when metal strikes metal... resulting in a "ringer." Another way to score is to throw your horseshoe and it leans against the stake... resulting in a "leaner." That is the general idea of the game. Oh, almost forgot... you also need to toss back a couple of cold ones.
Ah, the memories of childhood. I would watch the adults play horseshoes and have fun at Lake Kathy while Grandma Jean and her army of country cooks made the meal for the evening for at least 30 of us. My brother and cousins and I would play with Star Wars figures in the dirt or skip rocks off the broken old dock when we weren't fishin'. We even played with Micro Machines' cars, or as Aunt Corrine screamed while blood squirted out of my brother's forehead once... "Those little things!" (Sorry the handle broke on that toolbox and it smacked ya in the head bro.)
I loved growing up a poor country kid. I didn't go to Debutante Balls or play cricket or watch while my parents pranced around like yutzees at a cocktail party. My parents worked long, hard hours at jobs where deskwork wasn't a key ingredient... they still do. Then after work, they would always take us to our baseball or football practice, even if we were a couple of minutes late. They were selfless, and gave everything they had to us, even when they were too tired to move. Maybe that's where I get my drive.
We did things like watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on Christmas Day while mom cooked an amazing country breakfast. Dad's voice always shook a little, because he meant what he was saying, as he got emotional saying the "blessing" before we would eat Thanksgiving dinner. And Whit and I would always get up early with bed-head and morning breath to eat Cap'N Crunch cereal and watch Saturday morning cartoons.
It was important for me to shoot this shot of that redneck old codger playing horseshoes. These memories are some of the reasons why. It has a lot to do with a person being a product of where you came from, and changing, but never forgetting where everything started.
Ah, now that was refreshing.
"City Limits" by Wes Aldridge
What do you find in Sikeston, Missouri? Cornfields, lots and lots of... cornfields. I was running around with my camera hunting seasonal shots and found myself on the outskirts of the city. I turned around and saw this city limits sign and thought it was priceless. It told the story of where I was on assignment, pretty much summed it all up with one photograph.
The city name "SIKESTON" reads proudly across the center, scarred with a dozen or so bullet holes. I think that told the demographics story of the area. The population was at 16,992, but seemed to have changed because it was a sticker stuck on top of another number. In the background you see the cornfields with an irrigation machine there as well. This is Sikeston. These are the things that make this city. I think I kinda love it, well, let's not go that far. It is neat in its own strange little way.
"Fast Delivery" by Wes Aldridge
I was walking around the Village tonight and thought I would do some motion photography. I thought shooting a pizza delivery person going on a run would look pretty neat. I was in front of Sam's Place and got some great streaking lights in the background while I panned my camera shooting the moving car.
My ISO was set pretty high at 400 and I used a 1/8 of a second exposure at f/3.5 to get a good long exposure to show the movement.
"No Hope For Me" by Wes Aldridge
Tonight it got bad. I woke up from a little resting and just had to shoot. I decided to go buy some fruits and vegetables at Krogers and thought, what the hell, I'll get the blog shot in the supermarket.
I wasn't even able to go to the grocery store without shooting some photos. I am addicted. There is no cure for me. It must be a sad sickness cause I don't want to remedy this disease.
I guess I am blessed.
"On the Fence" by Wes Aldridge
Ah, locked in and on the fence. Sometimes, don't we all just feel like that? Yes, sometimes we do. We feel like we have reached some momentous place in our existence only to have our present reality really start pressing down on us. Pressure, pressure, pressure.
Do you feel the pull? Do you feel that small tug at your conscience? Are you aware of who you are and where you are at this very point in time? Have you realized your Purpose? Do you have a Purpose? Does your Purpose enhance the Purpose of others? Can others see your Purpose? Have you reached nirvana? Do you want to reach nirvana? Does does the prospect of reaching nirvana scare you? Could you embrace it once it finds you, or would you turn and run away? Do you feel The Power? Does The Power feel you? Is it aware of your existence? Does it make your current reality simply an empty void? Are you content standing in that void? Is the void where you belong and are you content standing in it? Should you try to fill it up and make it whole and new again? Could you stare into the void and jump through it?
Or are you locked in to never reaching that point? I think I am embracing it and learning, maybe even feeling my way through it. I hope you are too.
"Here kitty, kitty" by Wes Aldridge
This shot was taken at Bridlewood Farm. I was trying to shoot a cover for the Shelbyville magazine and I was in this barn. I was walking around frantically because the rain was pouring like hell outside and I knew no sunshine was in my future for the night. I didn't exaclty know what to do, but not getting a shot was not an option.
As I walked around this horse stable, I saw something that was interesting. This black cat was sitting up on a wall where the horses were being groomed. When I went by it, it just stared at me. Well, had to shoot it. Thought it was neat and kinda of menacing and dark. Its eyes were cold and hard. I was terrified.
"Rainin' On The Farm" by Wes Aldridge
Another day of shooting in Shelbyville, and for those of you that don't know, it is the walking horse capital of the world or something like that. So, I was on a farm shooting walking horses, well, sort of. It pretty much just rained ferociously the entire time I was there. I did shoot some of the people working in the stable though while they were looking out to see if a break in the rain was near. A little back lit action for ya.
"A Horse of Course" by Wes Aldridge
I have I ever mentioned that I love horses? Such gentle creatures, or at least the last few I have encountered on my photographic adventures. This horse was a baby, not even a year old. He walked around with his mother in the field and came near me because of curiousity. I sat on the ground and let him come to me. He sniffed all over me and tried chewing my camera strap. He was a funny little fella.
"Perfect Eyes" by Wes Aldridge
I was shooting at a recording studio today and wanted a test subject to help me set the perfect lighting before my main subject came for his portrait. A girl from a band that sings this song about that thing on that label... you get the idea, I didin't even grab her name because it was just a junk shot to get the light metered right.
But then, I noticed her eyes. Magical. Perfectly blue. I snapped off a few frames and got the light rig set the way I wanted it and the entire time I couldn't stop looking at her eyes. They captured me, and in return, I captured them to share.
"Just Fishin' " by Wes Aldridge
Fishin'. So many old memories. So many parallels with this old man and me. A great story I wanted to tell you, but things got in the way of the process. I failed at that tonight.
Something needs to change. It all needs to go back to the river side with a fishing pole in hand. Simple.
"Eager to See" by Wes Aldridge
It is that time again when Nashville is overtaken by country music hungry folk for a few days in June for the annual Fanfare gathering. This event is a series of country music events happening in the city. Other than that much, I really know nothing of what it is all about, what the benefits are and what in the hell the possible joy of the occassion is.
I did find these people interesting. They were eagerly waiting outside one of the bars on Broadway where several tour buses were lined up. I would assume they were waiting to meet the act that was playing in the venue when they made their exit from the stage to the bus. The looks on their tired faces were great and I needed to snap off a frame of them. Yeah, and the reflection of the fans in "their" band's tour bus was pretty cool too.
Just trying to get a shot up and keep this thing alive. It pretty much is harder than hell the last few days, sincerely wearing me out to the point of wanting to quit. But, screw it, it came this far right?
"Writer's Night" by Wes Aldridge
Tonight a friend and I went to the Bluebird Cafe to catch writer's night. It was both of our first times to be there and I have to say that I enjoyed the music greatly. Too bad life isn't always as good as the music you hear, right? Someone was just playing the wrong song for me tonight.
Gotta love Music City.
"Over 21st" by Wes Aldridge
This is a shot of car headlight and taillights streaking in a long time exposure as they drove up and down 21st Avenue. I had wanted to shoot this one for a while, and there it is.
"The Girl" by Wes Aldridge
Green Hills Mall. The shot. Nothing else.
"Candle Trio" by Wes Aldridge
Tonight my roommate challenged me to shoot something within the four walls of our television room. I obliged him. Candles, a simple subject. I lit them up and shot them out.
"The Stage" by Wes Aldridge
This shot is a reflection of the Broadway neons from the top of a big metal box sitting on the street corner in downtown Nashville.
The blog is up once again and I am ready to crash out. Tedious tonight, tedious.
