Freezing ~

Brrr... another day of temps below freezing and it's only gonna get colder! This seems to be the topic on every major news network and I certainly don't need a meteorologist to tell me it's cold out there! With the exception of the west coast, the entire nation is in a deep freeze. We're looking at single digits before the week is out and they're even predicting snow! The good thing is that means I can get some Winter shots for this months photo group challenge! I pretty much thought I was dead in the water when it came to this challenge; around here our winter scenery consists of dead grass, dead trees and gray skies, but perhaps I have been given a rare opportunity! So, for now I wait...

Ala-Freakin'-Bama

Yesterday Hoiyin Ip, a friend and fellow photog of mine wrote an article for Eastcreek Photography detailing life in California and today it's my turn to write an article for her blog.

Trading Spaces: Ala-Freakin'-Bama

Lets face it, Alabama gets a bad rap. Most people have an image of Alabama in their head and it seems to not be so good. I often wonder if we don't bring that on ourselves. Think about it...anytime someones being interviewed on TV it's always the redneck that's missing half his teeth. Yep, that's the guy they always interview when a tornado whips through our state. And, it never fails... he lives in a trailer park! But, believe me when I say, we have come a long way! We no longer have outhouses (Surprise! Indoor plumbing is now here!), we don't spend our weekends gathered around the moonshine still, and the good old boy mentality has been dead for years! Alabama, although we may still be a little behind when it comes to embracing new idea's, is now in the 21st Century! But, that doesn't mean we have changed our way of life completely.

Here in Ala-Freakin'-Bama college football rules! Whether you're born here or decide later in life to make 'Bama your home you must make the all-important decision...you must choose your colors! Orange & Blue makes you an Auburn Tiger fan, Crimson & White makes you an Alabama fan. We live, breathe, eat college football! And, this isn't just during football season. This rivalry is strong 365 days a year! And, Alabama & Auburn fans are the most loyal fans on the planet! Watch out Pasadena... Bama fans are on their way because the Tide faces off against the Texas Longhorns this week for the National Championship! You may get the rare opportunity to witness that loyalty first hand!

Life in Ala-Freakin'-Bama moves at a slower pace than in most parts of the country. There's rarely a rush to get anywhere and it's not unusual to strike up a conversation with someone that you have never met. Alabamians by nature are friendly! Or, put in a different way, are nosey! They like to know your business! But that's just part of their charm!

Once you strip away those that live in trailer parks you will find that most Alabamians enjoy wide open spaces! The goal is to build bigger homes and own as much property as possible! A 2000 sq. ft. home is now considered small, but the good news is unless you live on one of Alabama's beautiful lakes, or on the Gulf of Mexico, property is well below the National average. So, feel free to buy a few acres and build that 5000 sq. ft. home!

Now, I'll let y'all in on a little secret...when it comes to food Alabama knows how to keep it's citizens "healthy." We like everything deep fried (even Oreo's) and health conscious restaurants are basically unheard of! There's a barbecue joint on nearly every corner and sweet tea is the choice when you find yourself thirsty. Oh, I'm not talking about tea that's been sweetened; I'm talking about Southern Sweet Tea! Restaurants make it 5 gallons at a time. To every 5 gallons of tea they add 5 pounds of sugar! Pour it over a glass of ice and there you have it! Southerners favorite beverage! Imagine if you will sticking a straw into a syrup bottle! Yeah! Now you get the picture!

So, in closing I would have to admit that we here in Alabama are responsible for the bad rap that we get, but I hope you will remember this: Alabama is unique! Winding roads and the color green for as far as the eye can see is something everyone should experience. Our beaches are among the top in the country and the people of Alabama will always be there to lend a helping hand. Children here are still safe playing outside and catching fireflies on a hot, summer night still ranks number one!

Trading Spaces

It's not everyday that you see me post twice in a 24 hour period; actually, that never happens! But, today is different, because today is the beginning of a new segment you will see here on Eastcreek Photography. It's called Trading Spaces! Periodically, Hoiyin Ip a friend of mine from California, and fellow photog and I will "swap" blogs. She will give her point of view, and share with you some amazing photography, and I will be doing the same on her blog! So, sit back and enjoy a Californians point of view!

Trading Spaces: A Peek Into the OC Lala Land

Do you really believe what you see in the TV shows? Well, as much as I know I shouldn't, subconsciously it is rubbing in...I get an idea about a place I have not been to. If the shows didn't do it, it is the jokes. I hear those A-la-ba-mian jokes every so often. When I found out Tina lives in Alabama, I couldn't help think of a few. Sure enough, Tina fired back a few Californian jokes. Fair!
OK, let me give you a peek into the lala land - Orange County, California. Life here is half as glamorous as the TV shows, but three quarters as funny as Tina's Californian jokes.
First, be as jealous as you want about our all-year-long gorgeous weather. And, we take full advantage of it. To some, it means all year long tank tops so eye-catching boobs become a necessity, whether given by good genes or expensive surgeons. But, we tend to not judge people by that. It's just the look, not the heart. Hey, in some cultures, even wearing make-up is considered being artificial.
When I travel to other states I'm often asked about my ocean-front mansion. Sorry, I disappoint you. I don't have one. In fact, only the very lucky few live in ocean-front mansions as seen in TV. The second luckiest live in ocean-view shoe boxes. As you move from the coast to inland, the houses gradually get bigger, from 800 sq. ft and typically max at 3000 sq. ft. Yes, 3000 sq. ft. gets a wow here! But, to an extent, OC living is eco-friendly because small homes consume less energy. If you want to laugh at my glass-half-full attitude, hold on until you hear about our back yards. It is typically not bigger than the house. And the most sought after yard is a concrete yard! Very practical. A lot of time is saved from mowing the lawn and trimming the trees. Anything that can save us time at home is greatly appreciated because we need the time for the freeway.
When it comes to food, fried chicken and barbecued ribs-main stream American bores the Californian melting pot. We constantly seek variety. While vegetarian is increasingly popular, the trend is vegan and raw. And Asian food is a natural fit for this new crave. How does Vietnamese-fusion-vegan-raw sound? Restaurants like this typically have a line waiting by the front door. They serve "meat" made of tofu. And you really can be fooled by its look, texture and taste! You have to try it when you come to OC. It is tasty, healthy, eco-friendly, and budget friendly! Beat that!
Yes, there are many more Californian jokes. I'm not going to explain ourselves for each of them. But you got an idea what I would say if i went on and on. We work hard for a better life that hopefully matches the image that the rest of the country have in mind. And remember if we look crazy, there is a good reason (although we like crazy)!
Photo's courteous Hoiyin Ip
hoiyinip.com/blog/

Warm Thoughts ~

It's 17 degrees and I'm wondering if I really live in the south? And, what happened to that Global Warming we were hearing so much about? The entire country seems to be in a deep freeze right now. I'm trying to just think warm thoughts, but every time Chi Chi decides he wants to go outside I have to brace myself for the cold wind that whips through when I open the door! And, we all know...once you get cold it's hard to warm back up! It would seem that we're in for a very long and very cold winter! It's been cold here since October and that's unheard of! Makes me wish I were back in Hawaii!
The photo that I'm posting today was shot in Oahu as the sun was beginning to set. We were driving around the entire island and as luck would have it, we made a stop to enjoy the view and a photographer was in the middle of a shoot. The model was posing and I started shooting! Yay for me!!!

Blinders On ~

We've all heard the old saying, he/she must have blinders on, but don't we all walk around with blinders on? If we're honest with ourselves, there are some things that we just refuse to see. It may be something about our significant other, our job, ourselves, our lives; regardless of what it is, we all have something that we absolutely refuse to see. And, why is that? Is it because if we take a close look at those things that we pretend we don't notice we may have to make a change? Or is it because we, as humans, are too complacent? Could it possibly be that we're lazy? Is it easier to just go with the flow then make a change? Or, is it our own fears that keep us wearing those blinders? I mean, after all, if we decide to change the things that we've been blind to then where does that leave us? Most people hate change. They fear change. I've thought about this a lot and I have come to the conclusion that the majority of us fear change because change forces us to look at ourselves. And, if we see things we don't like and still don't make changes, then what does that say about us?!

2010 ~

Happy New Year!

I'm not sure I can remember a year that so many people were happy to say goodbye to. 2009 seemed to bring a lot of unhappiness and stress to way too many people.

I think the majority of the unhappiness and stress was directly related to our economy. So many Americans found themselves unemployed and unable to even keep their homes. And, what's the number one contributor to divorce? Money! So, marriages ended, people lost their homes, lost their jobs and too many Americans found themselves unable to provide even the basic necessities.

I heard an economist saying that this should teach all of us a lesson; that we shouldn't count on what we have, but always prepare ourselves for the worse case scenario. Too many Americans live life as if it will never change. We spend our money counting on the fact that we will have a paycheck next week. It's a rare person that actually saves money and prepares for the worst. After listening to that I thought that perhaps we should look at 2009 as a gift. Maybe if we all recognize how easy it is to lose what we have then maybe, just maybe, we will spend 2010 protecting our future.

Best wishes to all for a happy, prosperous New Year!!!

Letters From Alcatraz ~ Book Cover

Letters From Alcatraz - Book Excerpt

I am excited to report that I have signed with Trafford Publishing and my first non-photography book should be released by March, 2010!

The photo that I am posting is the proposed book cover.

Y'all have been so very supportive during this process and I am so excited to leave you today with an excerpt from the book! Feel free to leave comments!

Letters From Alcatraz:

40 Years Later

05/15/07

Dear Tina,

I'm writing you today from my daughter's home in San Diego. I received a phone call from her day before yesterday informing me that she had kicked her husband out of the house. She was crying and I could hear my grandchildren in the background. I didn't know why she had kicked him out of the house, and she made no attempt to tell me, but I had the feeling that I should come down and try to help her through this difficult time.

Last night Isabella told me that she had caught Michael cheating on her. It wasn't just a suspicion, or a telephone number in his wallet, but she had actually caught him. She came home early from work and found Michael in her bed with another woman.

As a father I wanted to track him down and beat the living hell out of him, but as a man all I could think was "what a dumb ass...he can't even cheat right!"

Of course I told Isabella that she deserved better than that and if he couldn't be faithful then he wasn't worthy of her love. But inside, I wanted to tell her something all together different. I wanted to tell her that his cheating had nothing to do with her. I wanted to tell her that she should give him a break and realize that he was just doing what men do; acting on male instinct. We are born with an uncontrollable instinct that tells us to merge with the opposite sex.

I have often wondered if monogamy is at all natural. How could anyone be expected to find a single mate and stay with that one person for the remainder of their lives?

I realize that I go back and forth on this, but I think my stand on the issue varies depending on what I'm feeling on any given day.

It's the same old problem that I have dealt with my entire life. Loving one person, but still having the need and desire to experience pleasure with another.

I wanted to tell Isabella that the fact that he took pleasure with another woman has absolutely nothing to do with his love for her. I wanted to make her understand how a man thinks.

This was my opportunity to share with Isabella a part of myself. To help her. To give her information that most people, or more importantly, most women, don't get. I could have sat her down and explained how I have learned why I do the things I do. I could have told her about my own struggles. I could have explained to her the love that I have for her mother and the amazing marriage that we have had, yet I never stopped indulging my own sexual urges. Maybe that would have helped Isabella understand her own husband. But I did not.

I feel that I have done my daughter a great dis-service. I could have spoken to her as a man to a woman, but I did not. Instead, I spoke to her as a father to a daughter. I attempted to build her up by knocking Michael down. I told her he was immature and didn't understand how his actions affected the lives of others. I told her that she deserved better than a cheating husband that would allow another woman into their bed. I even went as far as to use a Dr. Phil line...I actually told her that you don't solve marital problems by going outside the marriage. As I said those words I wanted to kick my own ass! A man doesn't necessarily cheat because there are marital problem! Dr. Phil should know that!

So, in closing, I screwed up. I'm going to stay here a few more days and spend time with the kids. If I grow a set large enough to tell Isabella the truth about men I will let you know!

C.J.

On Break ~

Because You Asked ~

People ask me all the time "Why don't you ever post pics of your husband?" In fact, I'm asked that so frequently I'm beginning to think most of you wonder if he exists or not. Truth of the matter is he doesn't exist...HAH! Just kidding!

David avoids the camera at all costs. Sometimes I will try to snap his picture when he's not paying attention, but he always catches me and makes sure I don't get a good shot. Being married to him is a nightmare for a photographer. Unless we're on vacation somewhere then he wants no part of it.

The photo that I'm posting today was shot at Orange Beach. My brother had my camera and David didn't have a problem letting him snap this.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm the only one that David won't let near him with a camera. I wonder what that means?