Category: Photography

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Canon T5i

18-55mm @55mm f/5.6 1/200 ISO 100

As Virginia Beach weather goes, this was a fine, sunny day in the 70s. I came across this person between 1st and 10th streets on the Boardwalk and had to take a picture. This is part of the side of Virginia Beach the tourists don’t often see. In season, by the time the sun is up, the homeless are either shooed away from the beach, or they know the game well enough to know where to go during the day. This person is a seasoned homeless person. Look at all the gear. The umbrella to protect from not only the sun, but protecting their identity, their dignity. They even chose a bench where they wouldn’t have to fight over territory, or they brought that tape themselves to cover the adjacent bench.

I took this picture because I want people to see this. Sometimes I believe we think we’ve solved the homeless problem in this city—and this country—by ignoring it completely. it hasn’t gone away. At the lowest point in my life I slept on one of these benches, and I’m here to tell you that each of us is no more than few bad days away from having Atlantic Avenue as your temporary address.

Think about who this could be. Could this be a vet? Could this be a survivor of abuse? Could this be someone who hit rock bottom? Once you fill in that blank, ask yourself if this person is worth redemption.

Your answer will say more about you than about this homeless person.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Taken with Canon Rebel T5i

18-135mm @43mm f/5.0 1/200 ISO 100

I’m amazed this one came out as well as it did. There’s a very narrow dock at Lesner, and with the camera on the deck and almost to the rail, I couldn’t twist the multi-angle display to a position where I could see it. I had to contort myself into a position where I could see the screen. So, I’m doing a handstand against the rail, and completely ignoring the general advice one receives at my age, which is not to put yourself in a position where your backside is higher than your head. I had a few onlookers during this process, so I’m glad I could be the afternoon entertainment for all the boaters down there that day.

I love the texture of the tie-down here. It’s been there a while so you can see the weathering.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Canon T5i

18-55mm @43mm f/5.0 1/200 ISO 100

Day or night, standing under this bridge and seeing the lights and the symmetry is just amazing. If you look at the pillars at the bottom of the picture, you’ll see the curved lines in the pillars. They light those up at night, and it’s stunning. On this day I was more interested in the symmetry and the almost futuristic look of them. Behind the bridge in the background were some rainclouds, which adds some fantastic texture to the shot.

I fought myself for a long time about whether or not to remove Cape Henry Towers (or whatever they call it now) from the bottom of the picture, but I decided to leave it. If you’re standing here, there’s just no way to not see it, and to remove it would be disingenuous to any other photographers who come down here looking for the same thing.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Canon T5i

18-55mm @55mm f/5.6 1/100 ISO 100

I was a little worried for this guy when I took the shot, since there were storm clouds coming in front of him. He was going to be rowing into a thunderstorm. I thought there might have been people telling him maybe he shouldn’t be doing this, but here we are. He was ready to go, save for the moments he hung around wondering what this crazy guy was doing contorting himself into weird positions on the dock to take a picture. He stayed long enough to get a laugh, then made his way on into the inlet, presumably to get drenched in the downpour that happened a short time later.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Taken with Canon Rebel T5i

18-135mm @55mm f/5.6 1/500 ISO 100

I think only one other seagull has allowed me to get this close to him. I was at a focal length of 55mm according to the EXIF data on this photo, but I think I was within 10 feet of him. That tells me that he’s very used to people. Very glad to have met him.

Seagulls and I have a very close connection. I consider one particular seagull to be the greatest teacher I’ve ever had, and I love to photograph them. Seagulls are fighters, and they are survivors. I’ve loved them for most of my life. You can bet if there’s one around I’m going to be talking to him and trying to get a picture.

Fun fact: I’ve got a tattoo of a seagull on my right shoulder.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Taken with Canon T5i

24mm f2.8 1/4000 ISO 100

On the stage there are some other people, and this one lone figure standing in from of the stage, made me wonder what this story was. I had originally taken this photo because of the clouds behind the stage, and was focused on that at the time. It wasn’t until I went to edit this photo I even noticed I had anyone in shot. Happy accident, as they say.

As is often the case, I go searching for storm clouds or sunsets at Trashmore, and end up with something completely different.

Also, notice his little friend to his left. Good doggo keeping him company.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Canon T5i

18-55mm @18mm f/4.0 1/2000 ISO 100

In the summer, amusement parks are colorful, shiny and oh so bright.

In the winter, they’re just husks. Skeletons. Bare branches, waiting to bear their garish fruit again come May.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Canon T5i

18-55mm @44mm f/5.0 1/2500

My daughter’s hands. In the sand. It looked like art to me, not a brand.

I think you understand.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

Taken with iPhone X

4mm, f/1.8 1/950 ISO 20

July 21st is our wedding anniversary, and so this day we got in the car and went all over the place looking for things to shoot. My friend Pete Feds had a shot like this, and I was curious to see how he got down here to take this shot. It’s surprisingly easy, as there’s an apartment complex directly behind me.

That noise, though. In season it’s got to be nearly unbearable.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

All Photos taken with Canon Rebel T5i w/18-135mm Lens

I suspect that along with the Great Seal on Mount Trashmore, this has got to be one of the most photographed things in the city. I’ve certainly taken more photos of this guy than should be considered normal, and there’s a good reason for it. He takes on a different quality depending on the angle, the weather, the light, the background, and his age. He’s been there since 2005, and I swear he gets better as time goes on.

When I was a younger man, this piece of land Neptune stands on was originally the site of Seaside Amusement Park until it got knocked down. It was going to be a hotel until the citizens said no. My Senior year of High School we staged a walkout and walked to 31st Street to ‘Save Our Sun’. If they had put a hotel here, it would have completely closed off the view all along Atlantic Avenue. Cooler heads prevailed, and it became a park alongside the Hotel that ended up being built next to it.

I think he’s beautiful, and I love to sit on the benches across from him and be quiet for a while and watch him age gracefully through the salt, sand, and spray.