Wet Feathers

“A fish may love a bird, but where would they live?”
– Drew Barrymore

“Wet Feathers”, Nikon D300, ISO 200, f/13 at 1/125 sec., 200mm

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Photographing people, places, pets and ponderings throughout Central Florida.

Many of the photos on my blog are now offered on Etsy.

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Sunrise Dream

The biggest cliche in photography is sunrise and sunset.
— Catherine Opie

“Sunrise Dream” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/22at 1/60 sec., 200mm
You can purchase a print here.

I would appreciate a vote from you in the 2013 Cool Photo Blog Awards. Just click here and you’re done. Thanks for your support!

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Social Engagements

Find me on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos (lots of kitty pics!) captured and edited on my iPhone. #herekittykitty #instagramcats

Tweeting from @EarlHarrisPhoto

Moonlight

“Moonlight does things to a street scene that no other natural or man-made phenomenon can effect. People walk slower, their smiles lingering on contended faces. Horses that usually move along fast enough to stir up the dust off the street plod lazily in the clear, cool night. And in dark corners where people forget to look, the goons come out.”
― Bailey Bristol, The Devil’s Dime

While the quote above refers to actual moonlight, I’ve long enjoyed the quirkiness of the street scene created by the service counter entrance to Moonlight Starter and Generator. In business for nearly 40 years, it’s a quiet place where things do seem to move slower. You may notice in the photo how things are “in dark corners where people forget to look”, though perhaps not so much forgotten as ignored.

“Moonlight Starter” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/3.3 at 1/4000 sec., 85 mm

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I’m still hoping for your vote in the 2013 COOL PHOTOBLOG AWARDS. Remember, there’s nothing to fill out, no gimmicks, no requests for your email address – just a simple click and you’re done. THANK YOU for your support!

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I’m on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited solely on my iPhone. If you like cat photos, I seem to be posting a lot of them there… #instagramcats

Sharp Shadows

And so, in one form or another, the witch hunt goes. We hate people “because,” we say, they are dirty, stupid, perverted, immoral…. They might be exactly what we say they are. Or they might not. That is totally irrelevent, however, because we hate them only if we ourselves unknowingly possess the despised traits ascribed to them. We hate them because they are a constant reminder of aspects of ourselves that we are loathe to admit.
― Ken Wilber, No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth

“Sharp Shadows” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/1.8 at 1/1500 sec., 85 mm
Purchase a print (traditional, canvas or metal) here.

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Please don’t forget to cast your vote for “I Shutter at the Thought!” in the 2013 COOL PHOTOBLOG AWARDS. There’s nothing to fill out, no gimmicks, no requests for your email address – just a simple click here and you’re done. THANK YOU for your support!

I’m now on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited solely on my iPhone. I find this tends to include quite a few cat photos…

Flagged as Abstract

Far more powerful than religion, far more powerful than money, or even land or violence, are symbols. Symbols are stories. Symbols are pictures, or items, or ideas that represent something else. Human beings attach such meaning and importance to symbols that they can inspire hope, stand in for gods, or convince someone that he or she is dying. These symbols are everywhere around you.
― Lia Habel, Dearly, Departed

I’ve long been fascinated by symbols. I recently looked down and found myself standing on a flag, though it wasn’t one I recognized. For an instant, I thought perhaps I should step back out of respect, but swiftly brushed that thought away: it was already on the ground and heavily trampled upon.

“Flag” [Click the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/1.8 at 1/4000 sec., 85 mm

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I’m still hoping for your vote in the 2013 COOL PHOTOBLOG AWARDS. Remember, there’s nothing to fill out, no gimmicks, no requests for your email address – just a simple click and you’re done. THANK YOU for your support!

=^,,^=

I’m on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited solely on my iPhone. I tend to post quite a few cat photos, so if you’re so inclined… #instagramcats

A Cathedral of Cloth

If I choose abstraction over reality, it is because I consider it the lesser chaos.
–Robert Brault

I took this photo standing inside a deflating hot air balloon on a Sunday morning. At the time, I thought the beautiful glow of the sunlight coming through the colored panels was reminiscent of stained glass. In my imagination I suddenly found myself standing under-dressed in a very warm cloth cathedral.

“Cathedral of Cloth” [Click on the image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 640, f/1.8 at 1/60 sec., 85 mm

Please tell your friends: Your efforts to let people know this blog exists through shares on your social media networks are hugely appreciated. There are button links to make it simple at the bottom of each post. Seriously: it’s shameful how few people seem to know this blog is here.

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I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL to get your vote in the 2013 COOL PHOTOBLOG AWARDS. There’s nothing to fill out, no gimmicks, no requests for your email address – just a simple click and you’re done. THANK YOU for your support! I have no delusions of winning anything, but getting my numbers up will help others find “I Shutter at the Thought!”.

You can now follow me on Instagram at @EarlHarrisPhoto, where I am posting photos captured and edited solely on my iPhone. Come follow me! We’ll get lost together.

Warning Among the Weeds

I came upon this while on a walk one hot, humid afternoon. Simple. Insignificant. Aged by neglect. A warning message is lost among the weeds.

“Warning Among the Weeds” [Click on image to enlarge/reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/8 at 1/90 sec., 85 mm

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Adorama PHOTOBOOKS make great gifts!

Street Portraiture: Faces of Kissimmee, #30

I recently discovered that my favorite place to have breakfast is Mrs. Mac’s Restaurant, located at 215 Broadway Avenue, in the heart of downtown Kissimmee. In business since 1945, it’s a very popular and dependable destination for a simple, home-cooked meal. It’s perhaps not the place you want to go if you’re concerned about calories and cholesterol, as these are standard components of the Southern-style menu. I’ve typically come here for lunch with my parents: an earlier post made note of the amazing homemade pies offered here (see Faces of Kissimmee, #7 if you missed my accolades for the oh-so-delicious lemon meringue).

Joyce is the owner of this family business and she rules the kitchen. One often sees her standing in the window that separates the kitchen from the diners, putting up food orders and ringing the bell to alert the ever-pleasant servers to come-and-get-it. Sometimes she’s there just surveying the goings-on and ensuring things are to her liking. Mrs. Mac’s is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Their Facebook page notes they are “…closed Saturday and Sunday so we may spend time with our families.”

Warned by staff that I’d never get a photo of Joyce by asking for one, I was instead reminded that “forgiveness is often easier to obtain than permission.” I sure hope she likes the photo; I’d hate to lose my access to those awesome pies.

“Joyce” [Click image to enlarge or reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/45 sec., 85 mm

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Street Portraiture: Faces of Kissimmee, #29

I had been hoping to run into Charlie again for a few weeks now: I had a print of his portrait from “Faces of Kissimmee, #2” to give him that I had been carrying around in my backpack. When I saw him sitting and chatting with another man, I thought it might be a chance to capture a new street portrait, too.

Joshua was seated such that deep shadows were behind him, while the morning sunlight was striking his face. It was the perfect setup, and one I thought would allow me to really capture him in an accurate and telling way. Joshua granted my request to take his photo, so I quickly dropped to one knee and took the shot. I love it when things just naturally and effortlessly work out. I also realized that all three photos captured that day were of men whose names began with the letter “J”; an interesting coincidence.

“Joshua” [Click image to enlarge or reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 320, f/3.3 at 1/8000 sec., 85 mm

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Street Portraiture: Faces of Kissimmee, #27

It was about 9:00 AM. I needed a cup of coffee. Badly. Stiff and zombie-like, I made my way down Broadway to Quokka Coffee. The aroma of fresh coffee filled my nostrils as I walked in the door; it smelled like hope, if hope has a smell. I waited patiently for the two women in front of me to place their orders (“Oh, would you please make up your minds? I’m desperate here!”) and receive them. I had already decided I was going to ask Justin for a photograph; but like the coffee I craved, it was a matter of timing.

With coffee at last in hand, I found a nice indentation on the couch and settled into it. It wasn’t long until the delicious nectar revived me, instilling me with the energy I needed to ask Justin if I could take his photo. This isn’t the first time my caffeine conviction has driven me through the doors at Quokka: one of the first street portraits in the Faces of Kissimmee series – that of Shaina – was also captured there.

Thanks for the photo, Justin – and the much-needed caffeine.

“Justin” [Click image to enlarge or reduce its size.] Nikon D300, ISO 1250, f/1.8 at 1/90 sec., 85 mm

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