Some Photos from the Last Few Days

Well, I took today and went through the photos and selected a few to work on.  I am posting here and will upload to the website when I get a good connection to the web.  I have been trying some new things and just experimenting with various HDR settings and looks.  Hope you will enjoy the photos:

Will post more later this week.  Until then enjoy life and remember it is a journey not a destination, and friends are what makes it great.

Allen

Last Few Days

Stopped for the night in Bristol, TN on Sunday 23 June.  Hit the road on 24 June at 0630 with the goal of getting to my sister’s in Jackson, TN.  I arrived about 1330 (1:30pm) at her house.  We visited and got caught up on the family before we headed out on a photo expedition in Jackson.  We stopped at several old cemeteries and turn-of-the-century buildings.  I posted one of a Civil War cannon on the website.  

I stayed over another day (25 June) in Jackson and we went off around the city and over to Brownsville, TN again looking at cemeteries.  My sister is interested in genealogy and I have been shooting my “Monuments to Death” series.  In addition we visited a couple of Civil War battlefields and an interesting old “Company” Town called Bemis, TN.  It truly was a company town in that the company owned everything including the homes.  When they closed the company they sold the homes to those that wanted to stay.

Wednesday (26 June) I headed out to Texas.  Jackson, TN was 859.8 miles into this trip.  It will be interesting to see what the finally tally on miles will be when I roll back into Virginia Beach.  I initially jumped on Interstate 40 to get through Memphis, TN.  Then I got off in West Memphis, AR onto US 70 - the old highway that parallels I40.  It was a pleasant drive through lovely farm land.  Of course by getting off the Interstate, I got to see several small towns and slow down (since the speed limit was only 60).  It was a very pleasant drive.  Jumped back on the Interstate to get through Little Rock, AR and onto Interstate 30.  Got back off in Malverne, AR and headed over to US 67, again passing through farm land.  Only bad thing was workers repaving the road for about the first 20 miles.  This would not have been a problem except on a two lane road to pave they shut down one land.  Again not a problem unless you are stopped right at the crest of a hill to allow the on coming traffic to pass and the idiot behind you is not paying attention (even with my flashers on and the big orange sign to be prepared to stop).  He nearly rear ended me and had to swerve into the on coming traffic.  Even the flag man thought he was a goner, because the guy would have knocked me into the flag man.  So much for a pleasant relaxing drive!

Well, after the US67 incident, it was a pleasure to get back on Interstate 30 through Texarkana and into Texas.  The it was US 82 across north Texas with a speed limit of 75mph.  Sailed into Wichita Falls at about 1900 (7pm).  Home at last.  I have now traveled 1527.6 miles since I began on Sunday 23 June.  

I only stopped at took some photos of an old grain mill in Arkansas yesterday.  I think today will be a quiet day as I am really tired of sitting in the car.  It is predicted to get to 106 degrees today.  The next week will be visiting and helping Mother in whatever errands she needs.  Next major destination is the Big Bend region of Texas after July 4.  Will keep you posted on what is happening.  I will also need to go through the photos taken so far!  Got to keep up or I will fall behind.

Allen

Time Induced Stress

I finally started on the road this morning at 1045.  Quite the change from a 0400 departure I had originally planned.  It all began yesterday evening when my neighbor Greg wanting to say goodbye and have some wine.  That lead to a discussion of photography and reviewing my portfolio.  This lead to him pulling out his camera and discussing its capabilities.  Well, by the time we had gone through two bottles of wine it was 0100 in the morning.  So much for early wake up, how about early go-to-bed!

I was starting to get a little stressed about it, but then realized I was going counter to my goal of just going with the flow.  I was allowing myself to be driven by time, and what was really bad is that I was the one who chose the time to begin with.  When I worked everything was time driven.  Daily deadlines, routine meetings each week and never seeming to be enough time in the day to get everything done.  I actually stopped wearing a watch five years ago because I realized one day sitting at my desk that the computer had a clock on it, so did my desk phone, my cell phone, the car, and of course the clock on the wall.  Why did I need to be reminded of what time it was so often?  It was also about then that I discovered just how much stress I was experiencing just because of “time”.  I have tried to keep from inducing time related stress since that day.  

So here I was giving myself some self-imposed time induced stress at the start of a long trip that has no fixed agenda or schedule.  STUPID!  So instead, I turned off all alarms, took a shower, went to bed and woke up about 0900.  Did the last minute things around the house to close it down for the next two months, and pulled out of the driveway to head for breakfast before I really hit the road at 1130.  About 81/2 hours and 430 miles later, I made it to Bristol, TN about halfway to my sister’s the first stop on the dash to see mother in Texas.   

Today as I was driving and looking at the clouds forming and reforming in the sky.   I thought about Eadweard Muybridge’s cloud studies.  So on my stops throughout the day my photographic subject was the clouds in the sky.  Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, but who knows.  

About me.

So who am I?  

You can read about me on my website (or just continue reading here):  rallenwhartonphotography.com.

I am a 53 year old guy starting a new chapter in my life.  I call this one Chapter 6 (Untitled).  The other five chapters are complete with title.  They are:

Chapter 1 - Childhood

Chapter 2 - School Years

Chapter 3 - College (The Five Year Plan)

Chapter 4 - The Military

Chapter 5 - Working in DoD Consulting

So at age 52, I decided I was tired of working for someone else.  I read about people that “drop out” and travel - pursuing whatever dream they want.  I realized I had an advantage to some,  I had retired from one job and was drawing a pension.  I realized I could pursue other things like travel and my long time hobby of photography.

I had first became interested in photography during high school and into college.  However, when I graduated in 1983, I was commissioned in the United States Army and photography became an enjoyable hobby.  For the next 21 years, I served in a variety of positions and traveled around the world. 

I retired in 2004 and began work as a consultant in support of the Department of Defense.  While I enjoyed the work initially, it was the same thing I had done in the military and after so many years was just that - WORK.  I began to plan on moving on to something I would really enjoy. I began to look to retire in 2015.  However, the downturn in the economy and the shrinking federal budget led me to leave in 2012.  My time in the military had instilled a passion for travel and discovering new and interesting places.  Photography was a natural extension, documenting my travels.

So back to school, to gain additional knowledge in photography.  After my first three quarters in school, I can truly say moving on to Chapter 6 was a good choice.  While it has been challenging, it has also been enjoyable and fulfilling.  Having reached my veterans cap on tuition for the year, I decided to take the summer and travel out into the Western United States and continue to work on building my expertise.  Also to enjoy my love of the outdoors.  It is a car camping adventure.  The steed that will take me on the adventure is a Volvo C30 affectionately known as Petr.  

Life will be interesting on the road.  I hope to meet some new friends along the way.  See you down the road.

One Week before the trip

Hey Everyone,

Trying to get things up and running for the Summer 2013 Road Trip.  Finished my third quarter at the Art Institute and am taking the summer off (mainly due to hitting my VA cap for the academic school year.  This will be a major trip for me.  I have never taking a trip lasting longer than 10 days, now I will be gone for 10 weeks.

I have been planning this trip for about six months.  Yet I really have no plan.  I have my equipment, both photographic and camping.  The initial destination selected - Marfa, Texas.  An a known end date for school to restart in the fall.  Of course, the real initial stop will be Mom's.  Otherwise, I would not make it out of Texas in one piece.  After that the trip will go where the wind blows me.  Hope to find some interesting things to photograph.  This is as much a portfolio builder as it is a vacation.

More to follow as the week progresses.  I will try to provide background and goals.