I had not returned to South Carolina since my last trip there in September 2015. Cathie visited Chicago last July, so at least we were able to spend some time in 2016. But, things did not work out for me to pay Cathie a visit last year. I did not want 2017 to go by without going back. I was able to secure accommodations at no charge due to my accumulation of points with Hilton, and, I was able to fly first class both ways. Neither of these things sucked, for the record. I flew into Raleigh-Durham on Friday, 8/25. Invariably, the airfare is less expensive than flying into either Myrtle Beach Int’l Airport, Charleston, or Wilmington, NC. Cathie drove up to pick me up at RDU, we had lunch with an old friend of Cathie’s, at a place that we actually ate at the last time I was there in the area. After lunch, we proceeded to Myrtle Beach, which is about a 3 hour drive. I checked into the hotel, and then we met up with Dan Thompkins, the owner of Southern Living Photography, for sunset. I have known Dan for a few years, but we never met in person until this trip. I have long admired Dan’s work, he is a tremendously talented photographer. An added bonus, Dan was joined by his wife Carolyn, who was celebrating a birthday that day. We staked out a location at the swing bridge in Socastee, South Carolina. An adventure company runs a jet ski rental service there, but they were kind enough to allow us to stay as long as we wanted on the dock. The sunset was incredible, a perfect start to the weekend. While Cathie and I do a LOT of photography when we get together, I also wanted to spend some time with her just having fun, so, prior to the trip, we talked about playing some miniature golf. Myrtle Beach has a quite a lot of miniature golf courses. After Cathie and I parted ways from Dan and Carolyn, we got a quick bite to eat at one of the local Chic-Fil-As, where Cathie teased a local LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) about how at least he wasn’t eating at a donut shop, and then we played a round of miniature golf at Mt. Atlanticus (Minotaur Golf). Cathie is quite competitive, as am I, and I still contend that she had been practicing every chance she had after we talked about doing this, as she got a hole in one on the first hole. Still, we ended up tied at the end of the round.

Saturday was to be a Charleston day. I love Charleston, it’s such a beautiful city, and perfect for infrared photography, which I do quite a lot of. While it was a beautiful, clear, sunny day in Myrtle Beach, by the time we got to Charleston, it had clouded over. On the way down, we stopped at an abandoned home not far from Hampton Plantation, in McClennanville (where Cathie photographed the eclipse the previous Monday). We stopped at a few historic sites on the way in to Charleston (Charles Pickney’s home, a National Historic Site in the National Park Service, and Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan Island). We got some lunch, and then visited and toured Drayton Hall, an historic home run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. From there, we planned to go to Botany Bay in the late afternoon for the boneyard- an eroded beach where the trees have been succumbed by the tide. Unfortunately, as we found out from the ranger station there, Hurricane Matthew, which hit the area in October 2016, destroyed much of the boneyard. So, instead, we went to the Morris Island Lighthouse, which you can see from Folly Beach. We tried going there on my last trip, but never made it to the beach. What struck me right away was how strong the wind and waves were. I thought there might be a storm on the Atlantic, and there was. But, it was a little more than a storm, it was a tropical cyclone.

Still, the waves created some great photographic opportunities which we took advantage of. And, a wind surfer was taking advantage of the waves and winds too. I took a lot of photos of him as he was cruising back and forth past the lighthouse. From there, we got dinner. We had entertained the thought of shooting the Pineapple Fountain on the Charleston waterfront, but, we decided to head back to Myrtle Beach instead, as we thought we would try to catch sunrise Sunday morning. Given the travel time, it made more sense to get back and get some sleep.

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This weekend, my friend Mike was in town from Detroit, along with Lou, who I met for the first time. We got together both Saturday and Sunday morning to photograph the sunrises. I love photographing sunrises and sunsets, but for various reasons, I haven’t been able to get out much this year for them. We were very fortunate to have had great sunrises. We chose a couple of different locations for them, and they both were excellent choices. Yesterday, we were at the Museum Campus between the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium, and today, we went to North Avenue Beach. Going back to yesterday, it was quite windy, and it was unseasonably cool. We had waves coming up on the walkway, but, the water added a great element to the photos. The eastern horizon had incredible, dramatic cloud cover. There were some breaks in the clouds right above the horizon, and when the sun rose, there was a deep red color. It was a great morning, followed by another one this morning. It was less windy and a little warmer, and as dawn broke, the sky transitioned from pink to orange to red. There were not as many clouds as yesterday, but,  the sunrise was just as dramatic.

Seeing nature in its grandeur, and trying to do some justice to it with my camera, makes any kind of nature photography my favorite. It was a fantastic weekend.

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Last year, I had the idea of creating a series of photos of reflections in sunglasses. I began this when I was in New York City in October. This isn’t about putting a pair of sunglasses somewhere and photographing them. These are sunglasses worn by someone at the time I take the photo.

Several complete strangers have been willing participants so far. One is someone I have known for a while now. I plan on continuing this project this year, and as summer approaches, the opportunities will continue! This is going to be fun!

Photographers have influences. They’re unavoidable. We all had someone who either fired that creative spark the first time, or, someone we have tried to emulate from earlier eras. For me, it started with my dad. And for him, his uncle. Photography runs in my family. But, even so, I was fortunate to have gotten formal training. In high school, Brother John took all of us from the Photography Club to a class at the Art Institute. We spent a Saturday cramming our heads with as much knowledge as we could handle, but, I was a teenager. I honestly do not remember much from that day, other than thinking, damn, this is cool, we’re hanging out at the Art Institute! It beats helping my dad work on our cars in the garage!

In my sophomore year in college, I needed a general education elective. I scanned the program for the winter 1988 semester, and nothing jumped off the page at me. Until I found “Principles Of Photography.” The description was brief- learn basic skills behind the camera and in the darkroom. Ok…. But, I needed an elective, in the arts. Fine, sign me up, I’ll get this out of the way.

First day of class, Mr. Donald Bulucos walks in- untrimmed beard, wild dark hair, vest, a very well worn shirt underneath, jeans. He looked just like Dennis Hopper’s character in “Apocalypse Now.” Truly, he could have been Dennis’ twin. Now you have my interest! He started talking about his career, and, he chose education. Five minutes into that first day, I knew I had accidentally made a great decision. He commanded the room, got our attention, and for the first time, I really felt a creative spark. I wanted to learn everything he had to teach, and put it into practice. And that’s what he wanted out of his students. We connected right from the start. He took a few of us under his wing- those of us who spent time with him after class, talking about anything and everything related to photography. We had projects throughout the semester, he would send us out to find subjects, or to try specific techniques. And, we then learned the art of processing, from developing the film, to enlarging, printing, etc. I ate it all up. Then we had to choose a final series. I chose cemeteries. I had always had an interest in old cemeteries, both the history, and the ornate headstones and mausoleums. Chicago has a lot of old cemeteries, dating back to the mid 1800s, so, there was not an absence of subjects. I have not scanned those negatives yet, so, I cannot share the photos from the class yet. But, this photo is of a headstone that I have been drawn to at Graceland Cemetery on the north side of town, which I came across while shooting the final series.

My friend Corey and I also were the only ones in the class to photograph a model, which Mr. Bulucos thought was really cool. He and I were the only ones who got an A in the class, as a result. After the class, we kept in touch, and he gave me access to the darkroom any time I needed it, throughout the rest of my college career.

What I learned that semester sticks to me to this day. Sure, things are a little different- digital offers much more flexibility, you have a memory card that can hold thousands of photos. But, I still try to get it right in the camera. I try to do as little post-processing of my digital photos as I can. And, while all my photos are color when I take them, at least 80% of the time, I convert them to black and white. It’s how I learned how to see the world, from the training I got from Mr. Bulucos. We shot everything on black and white film. Everything. I will never forget, I had ventured downtown during a snowstorm, and I was in the darkroom trying to get some good prints from that day. I had one problematic photo (the featured image of this post), the staircase of one of the elevated platforms downtown, with snow covering the top of it. He and I spent at least 8 hours in the darkroom, working on that photo. No matter what I did under the enlarger, the snow was not quite the right shade of white. He kept leaning over my shoulder, “Snow doesn’t look like that when it falls! Come on!” To this day, I think of him when I’m photographing in winter. The first thing I look at is how the snow looks when I have downloaded the photos. Beyond this, he taught me composition, changing my point of view, and, always, ALWAYS look around you. Look behind you. You may find something more interesting than the subject you are trying to shoot.

I learned the other day that he passed away in September 2015. His obituaries are still online. In reading through all of the entries, it’s clear I am not the only one who he had influenced. He wasn’t Ansel Adams, but he was my Ansel Adams, and apparently, many others’ Ansel Adams as well. Almost 30 years later, that spark he ignited still burns in me. And, in the end, he still has achieved some level of immortality. I know I told him many times how much I appreciated his mentoring. And I will say again, thank you, Mr. Bulucos. For everything.

In October of 2016, I had the opportunity to work at the Out Of New York Photography Conference, as I had previously written about. On the final day of the conference, I went on Steve Simon’s street photography workshop. It was a chance I could not pass up, Steve is an incredible photographer, and I highly recommend that you pick up his book “The Passionate Photographer.” I have learned a lot from it. Knowing that I would be participating in his workshop, I decided to bring two rolls of my favorite film, Kodak Tri-X 400 Professional. I still love shooting film. It brings me back to the years I studied photography in high school and college. In the digital age, you have memory cards that can hold thousands of photos. If you only have one roll of film, you have 36 photos maximum (if shooting 35mm as I do). It forces you to compose much more carefully, make sure your settings are correct, because you have such a limited number of photos to take. That’s what I love about shooting film more than anything else.

That day, we went to several locations in New York. With only two rolls of film, I brought a small pocket digital camera to use once the film ran out. We started the day walking the High Line, from its southern entrance on 8th Ave by the Whitney Museum of American Art. We walked on the High Line up to 23rd St. It was a brisk morning, but the High Line was still bustling. It offered a great mix of people to photograph, some more friendly than others, but a lot of great opportunities. Not to mention the views looking down on the streets, as well as the NYC skyline. There is a mixture of old and new architecture along the way. It’s a great place to get familiar with the city.

When we got up to the walkway, we came upon a gentleman napping (or trying to) on one of the benches. The poor guy ended up with a dozen or so photographers getting his photo, but he did take it in good humor.

Further up, I spent a little time at a coffee stand

A little later, I came across a bongo player who was an absolute joy to talk to, and to listen to his playing.



He loved that I was shooting film, he talked to me about when he was younger, and his dabbling in photography. I could have talked to him for the better part of the morning, but, we had to move to our next location.

We headed over to the 23rd St. subway station to get to 57th and 5th. That corner is where Bill Cunningham had spent years photographing the people of New York for the New York Times. He had passed away during the summer of 2016, so we paid homage to him at his corner. I had less than half a roll of film left by the time we got there, but, I made the most of it. One side project I have started working on is photographing reflections in sunglasses, so I was able to get one from a nice woman who was gracious to let a total stranger “get in her face.”

That was one of the last shots I got that day on film. I loved having my old trusty Nikon FE2, it was like old times. I had just one lens, my old “go to” 50mm f/1.8 lens. I was shooting that day wide open, at f/1.8, as I wanted to get the very narrow depth of field you see in a lot of these photos. This wasn’t the first time recently I had shot film, I dusted off my film camera in 2015. This week, I’m buying some more rolls of film, and will continue to shoot film around Chicago when I have the opportunity. It’s way too much fun!

This past weekend, I went to Boston to gather with friends for a memorial to one of our fallen comrades. Our friend Paul passed away last April from a rare and virulent cancer. He had a very specific request about his memorial, which I will explain. But, before I explain, I need to take a step back and “set the table.”

There is a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention called Arisia. The Arisia organization was founded in 1989. It is a non-profit, entirely volunteer run organization. Many of my friends in the New England and Middle Atlantic regions have been attending the annual convention since the first one. The convention is always held on the weekend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s holiday, and it is the largest in New England.

These kinds of events are really not for me, but, I have attended a few times, mainly to connect with my friends. The running joke is, “Tim is attending Arisia, but will not be attending Arisia.” It was during my second visit, in 1999, that I met Paul. That also was the last time I attended.

Returning to the present, Paul asked that his memorial be at a “rocket fuel” party, hosted by my friend John. I cannot really explain rocket fuel, other than, it lives up to its moniker. As Paul was a Marine, Taps was played, toasts were given, and Paul was overseeing the event in his urn. Beverages, insolence, and merriment ensued, which is exactly what Paul would have wanted.

The convention itself is a pretty amazing mixture of controlled chaos, costumes, art, and mingling. In the end, it is fun. Some of the photos below hopefully do some justice to the costume work. This year I did more Arisia activities than in my previous visits. I have to say that a little of it still goes a long way for me. Again, the overriding purpose for me is always to reconnect with friends, old and new.

I have been coming to Boston on and off for years, since my first visit in 1975 on a family vacation. I love Boston. While Chicago is my home, and always be my favorite city, Boston is right up there. The food, the history, and the ease to get around it (as long as you are not driving) all make it one of the best cities in the USA. I took the opportunity to escape from the convention and explore, as I always do when I come here. In two days, Saturday and Sunday, I covered nearly 14 miles on foot. And along the way, since arriving Friday afternoon, I visited some of my favorite places, for food and drink. The Green Dragon Tavern is a place I always visit when I come here- “The Headquarters Of The Revolution.” Paul Revere and some of the Sons of Liberty would meet there before and during the Revolution. The atmosphere, the chowder and the beer. Enough said. During the weekend, my friend Elizabeth introduced me to some of her favorite spots, and they all were top notch. And, the culinary wanderings ended appropriately last night, at the world famous Mike’s Pastry for cannolis.

I am fortunate that I was able to attend the memorial for Paul. It seemed that, toward the end of 2016, circumstances were conspiring against me. But, it came together, and I will forever be grateful that I made it. All of us who attended needed that time Saturday evening. Since the middle of 2015, it seems that we all have only gotten together to say goodbye to someone. This needs to change. I intend to return in the summer, and, with as many as who can join me, just have fun. We also need this.