Columbia Theater/Pledger Hardware

Columbia, North Carolina

Tree Trunks

Greene County, Virginia 

"Can't see the forest for the trees." 

Metaphorically speaking, that is a useful reminder to not lose sight of the whole while concentrating on the parts. But from a photographer's point of view, it is easy to concentrate on the "big" subject, and fail to see the details that the camera is so adept at revealing. Sometimes we "can't see the trees for the forest."

Greene County, Virginia

Greene County, Virginia

Fishing, anyone?

Greene County, Virginia 

Have a relaxing weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

Early fall?

Greene County, Virginia 

Summer has advanced so rapidly in central Virginia this year that it seems more like late August than late July. Leaves torn from the trees by recent storms lie scattered on the ground, previewing the colorful decay that in time will announce the end of a long, hot summer.

Rainlight

Greene County, Virginia 

Yesterday afternoon thunderstorms rolled over the mountains. The morning was overcast and muggy, the kind of day when just being outdoors is enough to work up a sweat. Then the storm passed through leaving behind a steady rain that lasted until about 6:00 when the sky began to clear, and the air felt cool.

Just before sundown, I walked down through the wet woods to the lake. The swans were paddling about, and I surprised a couple of Canada geese on the bank. It was green everywhere, lush and overgrown. Rain water sprinkled down as a slight breeze stirred the leaves, wet and green and  lit by the setting sun.

Mimosa Blossoms

Greene County, Virginia 

Queen Anne's Lace

Greene County, Virginia 

Puros Habanos

Richmond, Virginia 

Have you ever thought about what possessions you would grab if your house was burning?  A blogger named Foster Huntington did, and turned the idea into a photographic project. What do the possessions we consider most personal and irreplaceable say about us and our lives?  Read the story on Brain Pickings.

Thanks for reading Photography In Place. Have a great weekend, and hope you will stop by next week.

Watkins Cottrell

Richmond, Virginia 

 The three story Watkins Cottrell building dates from 1875 and occupies most of a city block.  In 1998, the abandoned and neglected building was bought and restored to become the home of La Difference International Furnishings.

The picture above was taken in an alley on the side of the building. See here for more information on the history of this building.

Richmond Times Dispatch, April 27, 1907

Dogs and Burgers

Colonial Beach, Virginia 

The Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport wrapped up on July 1st and over on Connecticut Diaries, Ed is posting pictures from the event this week. I love classic wooden boats, and have always wanted to attend the Wooden Boat Show, which is sponsored by Wooden Boat magazine.

Connecticut Diaries is well worth a look, even if you are not a wooden boat enthusiast, with well done photographs on a variety of subjects. I have added a permanent link in the sidebar.

Trees and shadows

Colonial Beach, Virginia 

Hang in there

Charles County, Maryland  

On a recent trip down the Potomac River, we stopped and walked along the shore on the Maryland side. In this area bluffs, some twenty or twenty-five feet high, line the river. Storms and high water erode the base of these bluffs, undermining trees that grow on the edge until they finally lose their footing and fall into the river.

This tree will no doubt eventually lose its battle with the changing shoreline, but for now it is still alive and green,  fighting the elements that erode its very foundation as it clings to the bank above the river. There's a lesson somewhere in that.

Third Sunday - July 2012

Fairfield, North Carolina 

Fairfield United Methodist Church, ca. 1877.

"Some small congregations built elaborate renditions of the Gothic style such as the Fairfield Methodist Church in Hyde County, built in 1877 and 'finished in elegant modern style.' Local reports claimed it was 'a house of worship that will not suffer in comparison with nine-tenths of the churches in the State, taking both city and country' -- quite a boast for a tiny village. The builder, William Walling, blended Gothic motifs with classical and Italianate ones. Dark, delicate Gothic trim enriches the lancet-framed chancel, and airy trusswork fills a roof bordered by ornamental sawnwork."

from North Carolina Architecture by Catherine W. Bishir, University of North Carolina Press,  1990

Acme Tomato Company

Richmond, Virginia

Venice Cove

Richmond, Virginia 

I found this doorway across the street from the 17th Street Farmers Market in Richmond last week. I have no idea what's behind the door, or what the words "Venice Cove" signify.

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of the month and we will have pictures of another lovely white wooden church dating from 1877 and located in Fairfield, North Carolina.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.



UPDATE: A quick search on the web revealed that the painting on the door is a rather well done reproduction of a vintage California orange crate label, probably in use during  the 1930s and 40s. The painting may be decorative, or it is possible that there was a fruit dealer operating in the building, which is right around the corner from the Acme Tomato Company.

Dave's Barber Shop

Richmond, Virginia 

Looking in the window of Dave's Barber Shop at the elaborate, old-fashioned barber chairs, I remembered Saturday afternoon haircuts with my Dad when I was a boy in the 1950s..On a hot July day, the ballgame would be on the radio while I browsed through dog-eared copies of Life and Look and Saturday Evening Post, waiting to climb into the big chair and get my 25 cents crew cut.

I would have liked to step inside for a few moments, but it was the 4th of July and the shop was closed.
The sign in the lower right of the window (which through inattention I partially cut off in the picture) says "Estd 1923."

Becky's

Richmond, Virginia 

Street mural

Richmond, Virginia 

3rd Street Diner

Richmond, Virginia 

Many years ago I worked in Richmond and passed by the 3rd Street Diner every morning. Last week while I was in Richmond on storm duty, helping with the effort to get the lights back on for customers without power because of the storms that hit the east coast on June 29th, I took a walk one morning and made some pictures around town. My first stop was the 3rd Street Diner.

This week, we will be looking at some of the pictures I took in Richmond last week. Hope you will join us, and thanks for reading Photography In Place.

Powerline

Greene County, Virginia 

Friday night severe thunderstorms moved across the mountains and into central Virginia, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity.

I work for a large electric utility here in Virginia and will be involved in the restoration efforts this week, which means a disrupted schedule and long hours at work. Photography in Place will be taking a short break during this period. I plan to resume my regular schedule of posting next week.

Thanks for reading Photography In Place--we'll be back shortly.