Being A Student Again

After being out of school for 8 years I decided to apply for graduate school. I wanted to study photography and I found out the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) offered a Masters of Art in Digital Photography online. I was accepted and have now finished my first semester. I learned a lot but it was rough. I didn't think I would learn a lot about digital photography but I learned about art, montages, and semiotics.

In The Name Of Progress

When driving my car on the rural roads of western NC I often come across scenes that make me want to grab my camera. A lot of times I can't find a place to pull over or I talk myself out of stopping. There have been numerous occasions that I have driven down the same road and sadly discovered that the landscape has changed forever. Maybe it's an old house that has fallen down or a new road that has been built.
One day last summer I was driving work and the sun was rising over a cow pasture. What caught my attention was the warm monotone color and the configuration of the trees. I also liked the old fence and the few cows grazing. I stopped and took a few pictures. My wife loves the picture and we have it hanging in our home.
When I drive by there now I feel sick to my stomach. A new road for a Target distribution center and a housing development is replacing the cow pasture. Oddly, the beautiful trees remain. The fence has been replaced with a new fence and the cows are gone.
If I wouldn't have stopped that one morning I wouldn't have any proof that it ever existed.

My first blog ever.

This is my first time ever submitting a blog. I have been thinking about this and putting it off long enough. I will talk about photography and my views on life in general. I hope it will be informative and interesting. Hopefully not boring like this first post.
I teach photography in Hickory, NC. It might sound crazy but I live and breathe photography. I see pictures everywhere I am and at times have my camera to capture what strikes my attention. Most of the time I am too busy or don't want to spend the trouble talking to the subjects. Too bad we live in such a fast paced world.
One last comment. One thing that always comes before my photography is my family. I can always take another picture.