Just Ahead

Have you ever been on a road trip and you see a sign for a place that you spontaneously want to check-out? Seems like a neat idea, right? After all, the sign says that such and such is "just ahead"? Won't take much time at all, right?

Umm, wrong! Ends up that gas station, McDonalds or other place of interest that was "just ahead", turns out to be MILES upon MILES ahead.

That's exactly what happened to me yesterday. I was out for just a casual drive in an area I had never been before and I happened upon a sign for a place called "Historic Brattonsville".

Now, I happen to love history. No, i'm not a history buff, but I do appreciate the fact that it's a good idea to educate oneself on this country's history when ever possible. Not to mention, historic landmarks make for great photography.

So, after about 15 minutes, I finally make it to this place that was "just ahead".

You know, it was worth the trip. If you ever find yourself in the Rock Hill, SC area, make a pit stop. Just make sure you have a full tank of gas. :)

Bogging It

Well if you didn't notice, this is like the 3rd entry in 3 days, which is for sure a record over the last 6 months. The reason? Well, at least for now, this is going to be the place where I will post the more recent pictures I take that I actually like. Another benefit, it will force me to write a little something about it. And you know, I actually enjoy coming back and re-reading what I wrote and correct all the dam typo's. :)

This shot was taken last week on a trip to Boston. For the first time I spent a couple of nights with my brother Derek and his lovely wife Lori.

A little about this shot. It was taken on the way back from Plymouth, MA. I was actually in a bit of a rush to get back to house as I had promised to make dinner. While driving along we passed a cranberry bog that was being harvested. Now i'm not totally sure "harvested" is the term for it, but either way, it looked interesting. From a photography perspective, the time of day couldn't have been better.

I quickly pulled the car over to a safe spot. Although the car was safe, you should have seen us trying to cross the street. It was a winding road with a speed limit of something like 55mph.

Well either way, the shot was worth it.

Bodypump 66

All of us are aware of the need of including physical fitness in our weekly routine, yet the priority it places varies by individual.

For me, for that last few years anyway, physical fitness has placed pretty high. I think the reason is that I have seen the benefits it brings, which for me, is as much mentally as physically. Of course, it's so much easier to keep a routine if it's something that's as much fun as it is work. That's why it is so important to find something that works for you, something you enjoy.

What seems to work for me is a combination of an individual routine I have developed in conjunction with group fitness.

A program that was offered at my local gym is one developed by Les Mills, which offers a number of different group fitness programs. The one I have stuck with is BodyPump.

I can truly say, no other fitness routine has quite worked as well and provided such amazing results in such a short period of time. Let me just say though, it does not come without some serious commitment and work. And I mean sweat-dripping off the elbows work.

Besides the obvious physical benefits, I have also met some great people at the gym that have become some really wonderful friends. And, it just so happens that they they are instructors, thus they are constantly correcting my posture and technique so I get the most from the investment.

Now the way the program is designed, every 3 months a new release comes out that changes both the work-out routine and music. Each launch is kind of a big deal, in that the instuctors have to train pretty hard for it, so there is a little bit of excitment around it.

So, we thought it would be nice to do some photography on the night of the launch to make it a little more festive. Let me say, some of the shots were just awesome, mostly because it is a venue you just don't get to shoot very often.

Fine Dining

Those that know me know I don't make a big deal out of eating out. Sure, I enjoy going out for a well cooked meal, but more important than the food, is the experience. The laughs and conversation that come from those you dine with, especially with those you truly care about.

Last week I spent some time in Boston and with the boys. We went out to eat almost every night, and you know, we could have been at McDonald's and it would have been awesome.

Well as it has it, we ended up as The Cheesecake Factory and it was truly "fine dining".

People Appreciation

First of all, I can't believe another year has passed. What makes me realize just how quickly they go is annual events such as the HP Hood Quarter Century Club luncheon. I am pretty sure I have blogged about this before, but basically this is the annual luncheon to honor those employees who have worked or worked at HP Hood for 25 or more years.

This year marked the 6th year that I have been the official photographer for this event. There are so many things that make this event special, but first and foremost is the fact that I get to see so many people I worked with for years all in one place.

There was a rather sad moment though. The odd thing is that what I am about to share seems to have bothered me more this year, although I am sure it is something I probably should have noticed every year I attended.

A highlight of the event is placing the pictures out on a designated table of shots taken the previous year. Believe me, this is truly a highlight of the day. The very first thing that an attendee does, right after slapping on their name tag, is run (well walk, slowly) over to "the table" to look and see how many pictures they can find with them in it. Well, toward the end of the event, yet while everyone was having their dessert, I walked over to the table to look at what pictures could be handed out to those that may be in attendance but did not get a chance to pick up their picture.

As I glanced over the shots, I noticed some pictures of people and their name tags. I picked up one of the booklets for the event which has a page or two of names of folks who died during the last year. How sad it was to be holding in one hand pictures of people who's names where in that booklet.

It surely does put things into perspective. For me, it reminds me of one of the reasons I truly love photography.