What's current at cmcphersonphotography.com?
Here is the place to check out what I've been shooting lately, and get a behind the camera view of what else is going on in my life.
Congrats Grad Jigsaw Puzzle Here is the reason for our journey to Ohio: Jason's graduation from high school! His mom and I have been friends for over 18 years (we met when this fella was only a few weeks old.) Tomorrow (Sunday) Jason will be inducted into the Marine Corp and head to Parris Island for 11 weeks of boot camp that will test his every limit and shape him into the man he will become. Dear God, please keep him safe in the palm of your hand and let no harm come to him. Little brother, Ethan, played with the band for the graduation and in the Memorial Day parade. It thrills my heart to see him excel in band. He got started on my sweetheart, David's clarinet.
The graduate and his marvelous mom.
. . . and precious sister, Kristina
and lovely girlfriend, Abby.
Off topic, but noteworthy: Today, summer officially began. I put my feet in the New River at Paw-Paw's!
TA-DAA!!!! It's taken me several months of off and on effort to figure out how to download video from our new video camera, then find the actual files of the video clips in my computer, then just today, with Amy's generous help, to figure out that I have to export the clips to a compressed format for the web. So here it is: The JoyBell Ringers playing their new favorite piece in our concert at Salemtowne earlier this month.
This is a wonderful original handbell composition by Kevin McChesney. Following is some insightful commentary about the piece by Jason Wells, Director of Ring of Fire:
Capriccio has been the cornerstone piece for Ring of Fire since we started this adventure in 1997. And for the first few years ROF blasted their way through it as if running for our lives from hungry tigers! With no mental imagery, we were left with "This piece ROCKS! - Let's GO!" We had no sense of the true scope of the piece. That is until Kevin (McChesney, the composer)came out to Portland for one of his sessions with us.
He told us to think of the "story" of the piece - to imagine angels dancing around the throne of God - a Heavenly celebration in the opening A section. And then for the B section - to imagine those very angels looking on in horror as Christ was hung on the cross - He then asked us to focus on the resurrection as it explodes into celebration as Christ rises from the tomb for the restatement of the A.
For us - we've found other images that help the piece "speak" - we imagine the sword piercing Christ's side with the dissonant chord in measure 86 with the Gb3. Also, after seeing "The Passion of the Christ," I now often drag out measure 90 (with a C2 added) for a good 10 seconds - I visualize that tear from God falling from Heaven and splashing at the foot of the cross - very "IT IS FINISHED."
We have many visual clues packed through the piece - from the stone rolling away in measures 95-97 - to the "uplifting" mart lifts in measures 103 and 105 - to the final incredible celebration of reunion and victory as the piece wraps up on the final page - I believe those images are flashing through the kids' minds each and every performance - I see it on their faces - and it helps to keep the piece "alive" year after year.
Ha! I found another card in the camera today that I forgot to unload before I made the slideshow last night. So here is the link, again, to the new and improved . . . er . . .expanded show:Go ahead and click it! You know you want to see the slideshow!
A good old-fashioned, flag-waving down-home celebration of Memorial Day in a quintessential hometown, Batavia, Ohio (not unlike my hometown of Galax.) This little town went all out in a big way to honor our troops and vets. Go ahead and click it! You know you want to see the slideshow!
I would like to say a heartfelt "Thanks!" to all our veterans for making it possible to live the life of freedom that I enjoy. This quote, seen today on a banner at the parade sums it up best: "All gave some, but some gave all."
This is another 3D rendition of one of Norman Rockwell's magazine cover: Rosie the Riveter.
Drum Roll, please . . . . Trumpet Voluntary . . . .pom-poms: Today is my "Tax Freedom Day!!!!" I sent off my 2006 and 2007 taxes to the accountant today!!! It cost me a day in Cincinnati to get it down, but now I'm FREE! FREE! FREE!! HALLELUYAH, I'M FREE!!!! So Christina, if your reading this, that means I'll be working on your album.
This weekend is Agape's birthday (21, yikes!) and we will be in Ohio celebrating a graduation with dear friends. Happy, safe travels to all, and I pray a special blessing on all our service personnel and veterans.
OOPS! Last night I forgot to include these photos from the Westminster College Bell Choir concert that we attended last week. (I told you it has been a full season of ringing!)
Can you see the octave number on the handguard? It's a C1!
"Hailed throughout the nation for its virtuosity, this dynamic ensemble performs on the world's largest range of handbells - 8 octaves, from C1 - C9."
Our Lamb Has Conquered Jigsaw Puzzle The puzzle is the Rose Window in the Smith Saal at Salemtowne Moravian Retirement Community where we played on May 9.
Here's those sweet faces I promised you!
These are some shots from our concert at the training center. (the first 3 pictures are compliments of Dr. David.)
The future of my "bucket brigade," aka bass ringers
Smiling faces at the Salemtowne concert
Ummm . . .So what WAS I thinking when I set up this shot??? I wanted to do the shot shooting down the hill at them (as shown) then turn around and shoot up the hill (didn't have time for that one.) OBVIOUSLY, I should have done the up the hill shots first! Believe it or not, there are 2 kids missing absent from this photo! I am SO BLESSED!!!
This puzzle is in honor of the JoyBell Ringers who never cease to amaze me with their beautiful spirits and music. I'll tell more when I can hold my eyes open!
Tonight will be the last page of the Pawley's Island trip scrapbook. Then it's off to shoot a wedding tomorrow in Greensboro, come back to Galax to go to the second ever Contra Dance at the Stringbean tomorrow night, then make music with the JoyBell Ringers on Sunday morning here at First Baptist. Only the strong survive.
First, a few more scenes around our "arrogantly shabby" cottage:
My very own salt marsh creek right in my back yard!!
This chapel has got to be the threshold to heaven. . .
See??? It's built right over the salt marsh. What you can't see in this picture is the back of the church has all sliding glass doors overlooking the creek.
Hi! I'm Charlotte, the creative eye behind the camera at cmcphersonphotography.com. You knew that already, but did you know that I am a mermaid held captive here in the mountains of VA? There's sand between my toes (and in my car) and sea water coursing through my veins.
When I'm not shooting or editing, it's my great joy to be Miss Charlotte, the Minister of Fun, to dozens of delightful kids, mostly homeschoolers.
My sweet husband, Dave, and I are parents of four totally terrific, incredible young people: Amber (a Baroque violinist living in Leipzig Germany), Amy (a TV editor, and inspiring photographer who lives in Hollywood, CA), Amos (the perfect son, currently preparing to study Spanish at DLI in Monterey, CA where his lovely wife Cara is stationed with the Air Force to learn Arabic), and Agape (our autistic daughter who LOVES babies and the Nutcracker and is always counting the days until she gets to bring "Baby Think It Over" home from school.)
I am amazed, awed, and grateful that God, Who is the creator of all beauty, loves me, and has given me the ability to see that beauty around me, and the skills to capture it for the enjoyment of others.
Congrats Grad Jigsaw Puzzle
Little brother, Ethan, played with the band for the graduation and in the Memorial Day parade. It thrills my heart to see him excel in band. He got started on my sweetheart, David's clarinet.
The graduate and his marvelous mom.
. . . and precious sister, Kristina
and lovely girlfriend, Abby.
