1/60 | f/5.6 | ISO 640 | Nikon 18mm-70mm @ 31mm
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Squirrel Nut Zippers Katharine Whalen at LEAF
Squirrel Nut Zippers | Katharine Whalen | Lake Eden Arts Festival | October 17, 2009 | Black Mountain, NC
1/250 | f/2.4 | ISO 400 | 50mm f/1.4 lens
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Crosses at Ocean Lakes Family Campground
Night Photography | Crosses at Ocean Lakes Family Campground | Myrtle Beach | SC | August 09
8 sec | f/3.5 | 500 iso | 18mm lens
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Beach Grass & Waves at Ocean Lakes Family Campground
18mm | f/3.5 | 15 seconds | ISO 500 | Time was 11:45pm
Saturday, August 15, 2009
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Bluegrass at the Lake Eden Arts Festival
Bluegrass at the Lake Eden Arts Festival | Black Mountain, NC | October 2007 | The Wilders
1/80 sec | f4.5 | ISO 1000 | 18-70mm Lens | 18mm
1/80 sec | f4.5 | ISO 1000 | 18-70mm Lens | 18mm
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Students Speak: Clemson University College of Health, Education, and Human Development
You're handed a map and told to follow along as you learn the ins and outs of dinning locations, dorm rooms, and Clemson University history. Along the way, the lead student makes the entire group take a vow to forever praise the almighty Danny Ford, teaches you why you must rub the rock in Frank Howard's Death Valley, and explains to parents that the Esso Club is not a gas station.
If you're lucky, you might learn that there is no "P", "Z", or "U" in the proper pronunciation of the university name.
Finally, you are directed to an auditorium near Edwards Hall that is full of like-major acquaintances. These people will soon become some of your best friends, but not before you get to view my latest piece of higher education propaganda for the Clemson University College of Health, Education, and Human Development.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Whose Got One - Phish Reunion Tour 2009 Asheville
Nikkon 50mm | f1.4 | 400 iso | 1/2000 sec
Pauly's Review of the Asheville Show | Otis's Review: My Phirst Time
Pauly's Review of the Asheville Show | Otis's Review: My Phirst Time
Monday, June 8, 2009
Fishy Phish in Painted Ceramic
Fishy Phish in Painted Ceramic | Anderson Civic Center | Anderson SC | June 09
Nikon 50mm | f1.4 | ISO 400 | 1/90sec
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
In Memory of Anna Wincheller
In Memory of Anna Wincheller | Jamaica Plain, MA | April 2009
f/1.4 | ISO 200 | 1/4000
f/1.4 | ISO 200 | 1/4000
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Construction Chronicles - Fleming Builders of Greenville, SC is Rockin' My Hizouse
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Look to the sky and give thanks. I've found one. Fleming Builders of Greenville, SC (and the rest of the Upstate) is the answer to my prayers. Thus far, I've had the absolute best experience with this construction company, a company that wasn't afraid to come in and take over when another Greenville construction company failed horribly in trust, communication and professionalism.The wife and I interviewed three additional contractors to come in and pick up the pieces. When I asked the first about subcontractors, he automatically assumed that I was speaking about race/culture/whatever and promptly stated that he doesn't hire many Mexicans. STRIKE.
I informed the second one that I would be blogging about my home
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improvement experience and that I had done so already. He was also very hesitant to come in when the dealings with the other construction company were still open. All I can assume is that he found my blog and read about my first experience, which might have frightened him a little. However, he called back two months later when the construction market was taking a major hit. UH, STRIKE.Jimmy Fleming, president of Fleming Builders, followed up on the original meeting frequently. He wasn't badgering me, just a professional making sure we had all of our questions answered. He was upfront, honest, and seemingly trustworthy. I say seemingly trustworthy only because I was coming off an experience that left me lacking the trust of any contractor. He was gracious and
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understanding of our situation every single time we spoke.Fleming Builders wasn't the cheapest quote we received, which Jimmy actually said would be the case during our first meeting. However, I'm long enough in the tooth to understand that value is far more important than price. Value during such a major project is an amalgam of trust, honesty, cost, time, and quality. We finally told him that we wanted Fleming Builders to build our expansion.
Both Jimmy and I thought the process would be faster. However, our old construction company decided to play a few games and delay the dreams of our family. Long story short, our family had to put Jimmy on hold for about two months or more while we wiped our hands of dirt. As soon as the new loan was approved, Fleming Construction began work. Seriously, the permits were ready the day we signed the loan. Within days the grading started. Within a week the foundation was poured. Within two weeks the entire bottom floor was framed. The only thing holding us up right now is a forecast of four days worth of rain.
Bottom line, Fleming Builders is kind, honest, gracious, and professional. They understand proper communication and thus far have provided quality craftsmanship.
...to be continued.
One last thing. For those who have be bugging me to post the final chapter of the RC Jones / JD Hale Construction Chronicles, it's written. Feel free to zip me an email if you would like an advanced copy.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Actualities, Certainties, and Factoids
Okay, I give in. I've been tagged about a billion times to post 25 silly little tidbits of self-centered trivia so that others may indulge their voyeuristic ways. But hey, we're all voyeurs. So on with the show-n-tell.1) I am a Christian and have strong faith in God. I voted for Obama. I am pro-choice, anti-abortion and pro sexual education. I believe in evolution. I believe creation came first. I believe Adam and Eve were real but that the story was written so that we could comprehend it. Because of of my Obama vote, a Christian brother once called me "less of a Christian". I am not that kind of Christian.
2) I've always been severely ADHD but wasn't properly diagnosed until age 32.
3) ADHD drugs changed my life horribly. ADHD drugs changed my life wonderfully. The horrible part is now in the past. The wonderful part continues.
4) I have two acoustic guitars, three awesome electric guitars, one bass guitar, four amps, a mandolin, and a full set of drums, but I'm a horrible musician.
5) I have a slight obsession with not being defeated.
6) That person who everyone calls when his or her computer malfunctions, I'm that guy.
7) I am a complete Mac snob. I can't understand why everyone hasn't figured out that a Mac is a far superior computer. You'll never go back, I promise.
8) My father died when I was 10-years-old. It profoundly affected me then as it does now. As I near the age of my father when he died, I've found myself truly appreciating some of those important things that we all frequently take for granted.
9) I will spend hours on end tweaking one photo until I believe it's as perfect as it can be.
10) I never finished a novel until I was 32-years-old (see #2)
11) I worked on a island one summer during college and at the Grand Canyon the following summer.
12) An incident while hiking/camping in the mountains during 8th-grade caused me to dig a hole and burry my underwear.
13) I was honored with two Emmy Awards, a National Headliner Award, and approximately 20 AP & RTNDAC Awards during my time as a TV news journalist.
14) I've come to the realization that I have issues, and so does everyone else.
15) I still have several great friends from high school with whom I continue to keep in contact, and did so before Facebook.
16) Buddy Baily and I once heated up a quarter to a red glow and tossed it in the hallway during change of class. Mr. Kornhaus found out, pulled both of us out of our following classes and went ballistic.
17) I think that the strengths of women are egregiously underestimated most of the time.
18) I've interviewed astronauts, murders, presidents, rapists, rock stars, famous athletes, and even Billy Graham. I've seen a man's brains put into a body bag with a shovel, a burned body hanging out of a bus and the aftermath of a day-trader's killing spree. I've searched for Eric Robert Rudolph in the mountains of North Carolina. I've covered the Susan Smith trial, the 1996 Olympics and the shootings of police officers. I've stood on an overflowing mound of pot in the bed of a truck . I've done live shots from three hurricanes, flown in a hot air balloon, and hung from the skids of a sheriff's helicopter while shooting video. Still, the best part about being in TV news was the ordinary, every-day person who trusted me enough to tell his or her ordinary, every-day story.
19) I'm taking three days vacation this coming April to go see the Grateful Dead in Boston. It will be my 11th and 12th times. The first 10 were with Jerry.
20) Being a daddy of two daughters has presented a big challenge to me when it comes to playtime. It's tough for a man who grew up destroying things to play with dolls, frilly stuff, and other things that are pink.
21) I have the most wonderful wife in the entire world. We may not always agree on things, but she is always there for me.
22) The most important thing that I've learned while working at Clemson University is that education in any form is all about taking something and making it meaningful to someone.
23) I'd rather look at html code and java script instead of internet porn.
24) I once watch several emergency room doctors and nurses work on a 14-year-old boy who was still wearing his football practice pants and cleats when he arrived unconscious. The boy's mother, father, younger sister, and football coach were all watching, too. Then I watched the doctors stop and pronounce the boy dead. I can still hear the screams of his mother.
25) I believe that being rich has nothing to do with money and everything to do with trust, family and personal integrity.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Grand Canyon Tree In The Style of Ansel Adams
Grand Canyon Tree | In the Style of Ansel Adams | Scanned Negative | July 1989
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Miracles, Assholes, and Other Stuff from 2008
Tear-jerking extremes the likes of which have since puked on me fill a huge portion of my worlds beyond Rittman 2008. In the dramatic category, deceitful promises, a ridiculous attitude, and a couple other jerkwads pull an unquestionable sweep. The blow-your-top category stars a freak who placed my daughter's image on a pro-pedophile website, and thanks to his website host, he then placed my name, address, email, and phone number on some hard-core underground pedophile websites. Education at home and work rank top in stressors; the afore mentioned jerkwads bring up the rear at third. Volunteer opportunities, photography, faith, war, and a little boy graduating fill some of the gaps. Inspired by Otis at Rapid Eye Reality, here is my year-ender.
For Unto Us a Child is Born
What can I say? Really. If you have a child you know. The Good, the Bad, and The Beautiful chronicles the birth of our latest from the perspective of daddy. It was different this time, not greater or less than last, just different. Here are the photos. We actually have video of the whole thing. We haven't watched it. Oh, and ya know all those people who tell you that the second one is cake after the first? Liars. The whole lot of them.
Favorite Video Project: My Daughter Being Hannah Montana
Favorite Toy: The VuPoint negative scanner that Santa gave me
Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Facebook
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The RC Jones Chronicles
Although I promised my wife that I would no longer blog about our construction project, I'm claiming an exemption. I simply can't write about 2008 without mentioning our perfect and wonderful home improvement experience with Jimmy Hoffa, Ed Norton's Aaron Stampler (sans ending revelation), Hale-ly Davidson and the rest of the merry crew at RC Jones and JD Hale construction companies. I don't have a title for the movie, but tag line will be something along the lines of, "Without Lube". The saga will continues.
Surprises of the Year: Providing my skills in a volunteer capacity gives me a great deal of satisfaction; My sister-in-law getting baptized; Growing a full beard for the first time in my life.
Memorable Moment (aside from the birth of my second child): Getting a press pass to photograph Barak Obama when he visited Clemson University
Attacking Those Who Lust After Children
Website stats allowed me to discover that a stolen image of my daughter graced the pages of a pro-pedophile website. Rather than tracking down this person who can only be described as a freak and sticking a knife in his heart, I complained to his website host, Softlayer Technologies. Softlayer did the right thing and took down the site. They also made a horrible ethical decision by giving my complete contact information to this pedo-sicko who subsequently posted it for all pedophiles to see on core.onion, an underground secure web portal. I also launched a verbal attack on these "child rights" advocates so that other parents can glimpse into the true mind of a pedophile.
Events of the Year - The Lake Eden Arts Festival & Brookwood Church 15th Anniversary
Word of the Year - Accountability
Interesting Music Find - Zack Deputy
I continue to be amazed at the capacity for which a child can learn. Along with this learning comes homework, much more homework than I ever remember having as a child. Although completely necessary, this additional homework three nights a week added a great deal of stress to the family. However, it's paying off. My child can now read and spell much better than I could at that age. She can also surf the net and kick my butt in Wii bowling. The propaganda part comes into play with my career. I work in higher education. One task this year was to, "come up with one of those award-winning videos that the kids can understand." Believe It is the result.
Favorite Blogs: The Daly Briefing | Rapid Eye Reality | Live Apartment Fire
Favorite Concert: Yonder Mountain String Band
Getting Old: Here are some of the facts:
My nephew was two-years-old when I moved to Gvegas. He graduated from high school this year.
I'm about one year shy of the age that my father was when he died. This has brought to my life a great deal of perspective over the last year.
I no longer have the capacity to drink more than one shot of liquor.
My Wii Fit age is 47.
Creativity: My passion for photography has returned, and I've transformed my blog into (mostly) a photoblog. I'm also leading my church Photo Ministry.
Favorite Photos: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful | Baby Leaf | Mother's Finest | Icky Pumpkin | The LEAF in Black Mountain North Carolina
Worlds Beyond Rittman Analytics
Visits - 13,213
Absolute Unique Visitors - 10, 941
Pageviews - 21,427
Average Time on Site - 1 minute 39 seconds
New Visits - 82.75%
Bounce Rate - 79.26%
Direct Traffic - 10.95%
Referring Sites - 78.79%
Search Engines - 10.25%
Top Referral Sites: Reddit.com | Youtube.com | Growabrain.typepad.com | Stumbleupon.com | Mixx.com
Top Keywords/Phrases: R.C. Jones (and other such variants) | Clemson University | Worlds Beyond Rittman | Fender Princeton Reverb | Pedowar
Top Content (over all) A Pedophile Is Exploiting My Child
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
RC Jones Company of Greenville, SC: A Woeful Home Improvement Experience?
1964 Fender Princeton Reverb Blackface
A Cosbyesque Image
Top Content (photo only) The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
Barak Obama Visits Clemson University
A Cosbyesque Image
LEAF HDR
Death of the Arcade, My Tribute to 80s Video Games
Top Content (video only) Cows Escape Truck, Town Rallies City Police, Cowboys, & Mop-Toting Grandma
The RC Jones Chronicles: Always Have An Exit Strategy
Cootie Stark: The King of Piedmont Blues
A Pedophile is Exploiting My Child
Do You Know Your Photojournalism?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Self Portrait with Fender and Gibson
 Self Portrait with Fender American Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul | Alcove | December 23, 2009 |
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Clemson University Tillman Hall
Clemson University Campus | Tillman Hall | Eugene T. Moore School of Education | August 2006
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Mother's Finest
Gary "Moses Mo" Moore of Mother's Finest | Handlebar | Greenville | SC | October 2006
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Brave Support In Prayer
Brave Support in Prayer | Brookwood Church 15-Year Anniversary | November 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The LEAF Festival
Lake Eden Arts Festival | Black Mountain, NC | October 2008
(editor note: This compressed photo doesn't look nearly as good as the Full HDR Resolution Image)
(editor note: This compressed photo doesn't look nearly as good as the Full HDR Resolution Image)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Lake Eden Arts Festival
Lake Eden Arts Festival | Black Mountain | NC | October 2006
All WBR Photography | All WBR Video
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Baptism of Catie
The Baptism of Catie - New Spring Church - Anderson, SC - October 2008
More New Spring Church Tailgate Baptism Photos can be found here.
More New Spring Church Tailgate Baptism Photos can be found here.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Yonder Mountain String Band
Yonder Mountain String Band - The Handlebar - Greenville, SC - October 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Believe It
I was tasked to visually represent the six Learner Dispositions for the Clemson University College of Health, Education, and Human Development. These six qualities or values are not written in any text book. They are learned through exercise and experience, and are instilled in all students who graduate with a degree from the College of HEHD.
HEHD will prepare professionals who, in addition to content knowledge and skills, hold these six dispositions:
The Believe It video is my visual representation of these six dispositions.
HEHD will prepare professionals who, in addition to content knowledge and skills, hold these six dispositions:
- Possess skills necessary to work collaboratively with individuals, families, and community groups from diverse backgrounds;
- Possess skills necessary to lead effectively and creatively in complex and changing environments and to become agents of change;
- Demonstrate flexibility, resilience, and adaptability, caring, ethical decision-making and ethical conduct;
- Possess knowledge of organizational behavior and how governance and systems work;
- Engage in professional development for continual growth and life-long learning; and
- Attain a global perspective and level of knowledge and skill necessary to succeed in a complex global economy.
The Believe It video is my visual representation of these six dispositions.
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