This storm was just offshore, crossing over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and stayed just north of Shore Drive. I took my iPhone 12 and held it on the deck and slanted the camera lens up towards the sky. There’s so much definition in the clouds that were brought out even further when I made it a black and white photo. I feel like this could be someone’s desktop.
One of my bucket list shots has been to get the skull at the Haunted Mansion on 20th Street and Atlantic in Virginia Beach with a thunderstorm rolling in behind it. The shelf cloud didn’t have as much definition as I would have liked, and I may try this again soon, but I really like the way this came out.
A funny little note about the Mansion: I’ve never been inside. I don’t do scary stuff. However, the little skeleton in the window? That’s French Fry, and as I was wandering around taking shots, he told me I needed to put this on my Instagram. I’m not kidding. There was a recording that went in rotation full of funny scary related jokes, but I think the guy who did the voice actually got on a mic to say that because I never heard it again and I was down there for an hour.
I consider it an honor to get roasted by the little guy.
Clearly, someone melted this mirror into a Yin Yang sign, and it was just irresistible.
More memorable was the fact that this was the first cold day of the Fall. The cold temps come late in the year around here, which is fine with me. As a boy who spent a couple years in San Diego, three years in Hawaii, and two-and-a-half years in Cuba, people wonder how a kid from Maine hates the cold. Because Maine was a stop between Navy transfers for my Dad. Then we ended up in Virginia Beach, and while the winters aren’t usually bad here, I would prefer not to see a day under 70 if I can help it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.