Emily W. Kincke Photography

While living in New Orleans, snow was the last thought on my mind.  Honestly, living in the South, snow is rare, but not unheard of, especially when I’m around.  I’ve been known to bring the snow to wherever I go.  My first year at Hendrix College in Arkansas it snowed for the first time in years.  It was so much snow that they cancelled classes . . . what fun!  It then continued to snow all four years I attended the school.  Then we moved to New Orleans where it not only snowed a nice bit, but it was on Christmas day in 2004!  I love a White Christmas!!  Then in Texas it snowed both in Fort Worth and in Austin while we were there.  People no longer doubt my snow bearing gift.

So this photograph is of the long lost tree out in front of my in-law’s home holding a nice little blanket of snow.  This year we had gotten a new little puppy, Nimbus, who at the time was only a month old, so Meade took her out wrapped up in his coat just so she could see and feel the snow, then quickly took her back inside.  He did the same for Briar, who was much older than Nim, but it was still cold and she was a princess.  I have pictures of us with the puppies standing next to this great, colorful tree with snow falling and us shivering.  Now I pay homage to this tree not only because of its great color and patch of snow, but also because it took quite a beating during a horrendous storm.  No, not Katrina, surprisingly enough.  This was before Hurricane Katrina, but the winds of this storm were heavy and strong enough to take this broad down.  She put up a good fight, but then came crashing down to the ground splitting the concrete sidewalk with her roots revealed.  We will miss this tree as it was a part of our home.   Cherish the nature that encompasses yours.

We have been going through our storage bins and I have found a whole other stack of photography magazines, so I’m going to continue my project from last week.  So far, I have made note of many helpful things as well as recycled several old magazines.  I will continue sorting through these magazines and books, making notes, and getting rid of the ones that I won’t reference at a later date.  It also makes the subway rides that much more enjoyable!

This one takes me back to 1993 when the movie, The Sandlot, came out.

The sign on this gate is not just for show because if the growl matches the bite, good luck! When we walk Nimbus, every time we pass this area, even if it’s on the other side of the street, she starts going crazy. She can hear and smell him. It’s almost frightening when you aren’t expecting a huge nose to peek through and a bark that could blow the gate down. Sometimes the growl is all it takes.

So to give you a better idea of how big this dog is, the photograph is from the “5 Foot 2, My Point of View” album, which is taken from my height and viewpoint. Meaning, the hole underneath the Beware sign is where his nose comes through to sniff and this sign is at my eye level. You do the math!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid of dogs by any means – they’re family. But when the dog is as tall as or even taller than me and has an aggresive side, I tend to . . . well let’s just say my ears perk up a bit more than usual.

Come to think of it, I’m actually surprised that I don’t fear big dogs because of a childhood incident that could have been very traumatic to some. I was delivering flyers with some friends in a very nice, upscale neighboorhood when this huge dog (bigger than me) came running towards us. We took off in the other direction, but being that I’m slow and pathetic at running, he caught up to me and jumped on my back and bit at me. I had two holes in my shirt from his teeth and scratches down my back. Ironically, the shirt I was wearing that day was blue with a picture of a dalmation on the front and the backside of the dalmation on the back. Maybe that’s what intimidated this dog?!

Anyway, I’m such a dog person, that even an attack like this one just makes me more aware instead of scared. It’s a lesson one should take to the world. Instead of fearing it (whatever it may be), just take more notice and be aware of everything – your surroundings, your thoughts, other people, etc. Fear is what gets us into trouble. Awareness is what keeps us alive.

Last Week’s Project Update:

To be honest, I didn’t achieve my goal to go out every day for at least an hour, but I did take some photos every day. I’m glad I pushed myself because it is cold out there and usually I use that as an excuse!

This Week’s Project:

Pretty simple, but so necessary – I’m going to read through my photography magazines, both old and new, to narrow down my collection. I’ll take notes on the articles, then recycle the magazines. With an hour commute on the subway each way, this will be a breeze!

So it’s my birthday today and I’d like to share one of my favorite cake photos. Even though this one is a wedding and not a birthday cake, it still counts as yummy! The bonus is the champagne filled New Orleans Fleur de Lis flutes. This photo speaks to me right now because I am drinking my favorite champagne, Cinzano Asti, wearing a happy birthday sign and waiting for my birthday cake to bake. This is the life! Enjoy, because I know I am.

My goal this week is to simply get out and about to take some photographs. No particular theme, but I plan to go out everyday this week for at least an hour and shoot. Whatever mood hits me will lead me in a direction.

So, to be realistic in the new year, I’ve decided to cut back on my photo-a-day posts and make them “Photo-A-Week” posts. This will give me more time to take photographs for you all to enjoy. I will post my favorite photo pick for that week. I won’t post it on the same day every week, so keep checking back to see what I’ve chosen. Keep in mind I do love any feedback both positive and critical, everything helps.

Have a great 2009, I know I will!