Back in the saddle again

Well, I'm back. For those who are wondering, my surgery went well. The pain is all just a memory and after a good bit of physical therapy I'll look forward to hiking again in the spring. I was able to catch a few photos of the last legs of fall along the Riverwalk yesterday, but I wanted to let you know something else as well. I'm looking at developing a new blog (of a subject matter I will announce in the future) and am uncertain if I will keep this one up or retire it. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions so please email me here or at sszwarc@ledger-enquirer.com. I will try to post with more frequency since I am back, so stay in touch for new cool developments on the horizon. There might be an opportunity or two to learn a little along the way, but I'm saying too much already.

Not the last photo you'll see from me

I just wanted the three loyal viewers I have to know I'll be going out for surgery on my leg next week and won't be able to post for awhile. I wanted to take this time to say thank you to those who have shared their comments and more importantly those who have shared their lives. I'll be sitting on a couch catching up on my "need to see" movie list, but I'll be itching to get back to shooting as soon as possible. So, just to let you know, this is not the last photo you'll see from me.

Pictures of pitchers

This may have little or nothing to do with the Riverwalk, although I could argue that you can see South Commons(where I made these) from the Riverwalk, but I wanted to share them with you. Columbus' Chandler Padgett, Northside's Haley Love and Melanie Trevathan, and Hardaway's Courtney Darr are considered the best fastpitch softball pitchers in the area. They were really fun to work with and were even willing to be silly as you see from the outtake. The lighting technnique was one light directly above me and stopping down the shutter speed to allow for the bold blue sky in the back. I will be posting more lit portraits hopefully in the future and possibly other projects. Until then...

Shades of Gray

I posted this in black & white because I felt the subject stood out better from the water rendered in gray rather then blue. Perry Hubbard shades himself from summer like conditions while fishing on the cement pier directly behind the Columbus Convention & Trade Center Wednesday afternoon. Boy, it felt like summer was coming back again, but I'm looking forward to a cooler weekend and jacket weather in general. While I was hiding in the shade and waiting for the perfect frame of Mr. Hubbard fishing to occur I heard what sounded like a 10 foot python thrashing through the tall grass when the culprit showed himself to me. Can you see him?? If not, double click on the image and you will.

Columbus Day is for lovers

Many people had off for Columbus day today, making for a romantic three-day weekend for some. Here Justin Love and Katie Yaniro share an intimate moment togethe along the Riverwalk in downtown.

Tender, brave, and feathery moments

It has been awhile, and I am sorry for my six loyal viewers who had to look at the same page for two weeks now. I was blessed to capture this private moment yesterday evening while this couple was out walking their dogs. I love seeing people in love at the Riverwalk, but I am always careful not to impose on their private moment. It is a beautiful and challenging theme that I've witnessed on several occasions and I think I'll look harder for it in the future.
I've shot a few kayak pics since I started this blog, but when I saw Mitch Moore setting up to shoot the rapids on the Phenix City side it got me thinking about capturing the moment right before you hit the white water. I wanted to get the focus on his face and a sense of anticipation.


Finally, my little friend here managed to entertain me a little with his antics before I had to leave for my evening assignment.

Rumble on the river

I heard the rumble of diesel as I walked along the Riverwalk and discovered they were closing down shop from the two-day Infantry Warfighting Conference at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center. I managed to get there in time to watch Tony Caporaso, an employee for General Dynamics Land Systems, show me how to maneuver a Stryker MGS variant vehicle through the streets of downtown Columbus. And I heard Georgia DMV is allowing a few new rules due to the influx of military expected to fill the roadways with the arrival of BRAC:
Even if the light is green, the tank (or in this case the Stryker variant) has the right of way.
The other rule is that if you park downtown you are supplied with two valets and a trailer to help you parallel park. That way no one can complain that you hogged more then one space and you can quickly move your Stryker before going over the two-hour parking limit.