Pop Top

"35-cent" by Wes Aldridge

How long has it been since you saw a pop machine selling at 35-cent a piece?

On Assignment: Martinsville, Virginia-Day Five

"Inscription" by Wes Aldridge

Back in Nashville now. Tired. Feeling ruff.

This shot is of what I think to be an insription in Latin, but correct me if it is another language because I really have no clue. I found this on the outer wall of the church I posted two days ago. It was a fascinating detail to me, so I wanted to share.

On Assignment: Martinsville, Virginia-Day Four

"Little Butterfly" by Wes Aldridge

Enjoy this shot, I almost broke my neck taking it. I needed to climb down a slight cliff to get a shot of a nice covered bridge for the magazine. Well, the cliff was wet grass at more or less of a straight-down-to-the-ground kind of angle. Oh, did I mention the loose dirt and thorns covering the hill? Yup, all that was there too.

So as you can figure, I slid down that damn hill and hit the nice rocks that you see in the background of the above photo. Ouchie! Not fun times, I can assure you.

As the old story goes, the job is done here in Virginia now and tomorrow its back to Nashville I go. I think I see a beautiful weekend coming on.

On Assignment: Martinsville, Virginia-Day Three

"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.

On Assignment: Martinsville, Virginia-Day Two

"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.

On Assignment: Martinsville, Virginia-Day One

"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.

Fireside Whispers

"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.

Antique Light

"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.

New Friends

"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.

1-2-3 Punch

"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.

Beyond the Whopper

"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!

Blue Night

"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.

Darkness

"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.

The Crane

"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!

Vacation, the Voyage Home

"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.

Vacation: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-Day Seven

"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.

Vacation: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-Day Six

"Pier Walker" by Wes Aldridge

Hell or high water, its up.

Vacation: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-Day Five

"Done Fishing" by Wes Aldridge

Can one man's garbage become another man's art?

Sure. Let the party continue.

Vacation: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-Day Four

"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.

Vacation: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-Day Three

"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!