I’ve got a new image making device. iPhone. Though I don’t have the 4, I did get a good deal on the 3 and while I know the camera is vastly improved, the 4 wasn’t in my budget at this time. However I have managed to get one of the higher rated apps and thus beginning to build a body of work.

Like I suspect many felt with their first digital camera 10-12 years ago, or better yet, my parents with their first polaroid, I feel a sense of optimism, possiblity and a renewed sense of awe on the world and my immediate ability to interpret it with a camera thats always in my pocket. Like Polaroid, the quality is what it is and there’s just no dialog to that end. I realize there have been a lot of folks shooting digital phone photography for a couple of years now. One of the better one’s being local cat Shawn Rocco

That said, this is my work. And this is the beginning. Lets see where it takes me, us.

My current barely-paying-bills job (which I’m very grateful for mind you) involves often high end catering in and around Durham. Sometimes I get to serve multi-course meals on the stage of our local and quite lovely performing arts center.

I drove by this church in rural Chatham county. It caught my eye immediately as a church that has stories, some light, and some dark perhaps. It’s got what I might coin as great southern gothic architecture. Not sure if thats a legitimate term, southern gothic, or not. If not, it should be.

Look for more work in coming days.

Green. Its a wonderful shade of new green in these part thanks to the onslaught of spring as well as some decent rainfall in recent weeks. I could be accused of reaching, but its a prevelant and reoccuring theme in my state of affairs. Most immediate is perhaps my visual world. As I take a look around, I see the forest around the house has gone from stark to lush in just a matter of weeks.

The moss and fern are in good hands.

In addition, the winter kale is about ready to come out with the chard and radicchio not long behind. You can’t see it, but my also parsley exploded.

Also notable, on a more personal level, is the ‘greenery’ within. In my physical world, being unemployed for the second time in 6 month, times aren’t as ‘green’ as they could be.

As often can be the case, this can transform into a whole lot of ‘black’ manifesting and killing off any spiritual vegetation required to prosper emotionally and otherwise.

I won’t go as far as to say that I’m all green and good inside and isnt my physical reality a reflection of that and how great is that? I have plenty of internal turmoil, more then usual right now. Being unemployed in the manner in which I have is really devestating to the soul. Moreso than I ever anticipated. Having a job for 95% of my adult life, much of it in mid to upper management this is tough. The seeming lack of purpose, the subsequent rejections of interview after interview can really have one feeling like that less-than-fetching kid always picked last for dodge ball.

What I discovered yesterday finding these images is that, things are not as bad as they seem and while details are not available things will be changing, perhaps in dramatic fashion even, in coming weeks and months for me and my family. This could be good. This could be bad. Eitherway, change is coming and it can’t get a whole lot worse. Can it?

In otherwords, its spring people and I’m no different than the world around me. I’m feeling particular flush and green this spring, more than I have in a long time despite the circumstances.

I struggled quite a bit on how to celebrate Hazel’s first birthday. In light of all the other external matters, I very literally did not see a point. No one would come, no one would help and the baby could care less. Why go to the trouble?

It became apparent to me that baby birthdays are also days to honor Moms too. It’s a celebration of them as well. And her Mom deserves all the accolades coming for being a wonderful mother. She has all the patience, love and strength that I can only begin to admire. So that was my rallying point.

Some folks came, even some folks with babys and it was a wonderful unseasonably warm afternoon. A blessed day. Most of all, I think I captured a rare shot of completely pure and unconditional love on ‘film’. Between mother and child, its arguably one of the most formidable forms of love there is. This is hands-down probably one of the most truly loving shots I’ve ever taken.