New Straitsville Ohio

Issues around every corner. Took a little trip with some photo kids (and one old man) to find some issues around Athens County. These are some of the people I bumped into in a couple of hours.

Sunken House Sunken Dreams

This is Phyllis and James Gouge of Proctorville Ohio. They lost their trailer and their property when it suddenly began to sink into an abandoned mine shaft a little over a year ago. They have been fighting an uphill battle with the mining company, who has been claiming the incident is not mine related. Besides the sinking ground, mine seepage flows out of the ground and kills the wild life around the area and is believed by the Gouges to have caused them many health conditions.
They have since had to relocate to a new home, but the home is full of black mold.

I was surprised to find that they were still deeply religious and Phyllis said, "Its been a battle, but its been the good Lord thats gotten us this far."

Not to be clitche, but it actually made me think about the world. I guess I'm not so bad off if I can't afford a new camera.

blue water + moonshine = ohio

New Straitsville is an interesting place. Ryan and I walked around it this afternoon and talked to some of the locals. I keep feeling like theres something there and we're just missing it.

Anyway, we found a white stream that led to a blue lake. I was amazed to say the least. Too bad we didn't read the big "caution corrosive" signs before we got water on our cameras and hands. . . a third arm could come in handy.

moonshine

moonshine fest in New Straitsville Ohio.

Big Apple

I think I found a nice little place to settle down one day.

Holgawd theres more weird pictures

Something has captured my heart. . . a little plastic lens has made my eyes little clearer.

Shumma Time

The lazy days haven't been so lazy, but its nice to take a walk and talk with the one you love. Five minutes makes all the difference when you've been moving a mile a minute for a quarter or three.

But, in a blink it's back to reality.

Alpaca 'p my camera and never shoot again

"Take it take it take it take it . . . we'll shoot it together!!!" finger points to me from across The Post lounge at last nights photo meeting. Okay, I'll shoot an alpaca farm with Sam Saccone.
To my surprise, we were the first photographers to shoot these funny little animals. I'm sure thats the first time thats been said about anything in Athens county since Viscom began. He was a really nice guy and really comfortable with a camera in his face, he said he wanted to take some photo classes at OU but didn't have a portfolio so he couldn't.

Bike What

And the award for weirdest picture I've ever taken goes to . . .

HOL lee GAwd

I think I'll just drop out of school, use my tuition money to buy 120 and just shoot with my holga. I could be the biggest hit on Flikr!!
It really makes me see things differently. I used to be afraid of carrying just my holga because their so hard to predict, I almost felt like I would waste a moment if I shot it with a holga instead of my digital, but now I see things that would only look good taken through a holga and would just look boring shot digitally.

P.S. check out John Stanmeyer from Vii. . . he shot a whole essay with holga called Bali Mystics http://www.viiphoto.com/multimedia.php#.

WORD

HolgaSmolga

Thanks to a handsome young man named Joe Bumpus I finally scanned a my first two Holga shots from Winter and Spring. . . two out of 100ish isn't bad.

Features Are No Small Feat

Nadda. Thats what happens in Athens. But new toys help to pass the time.

My weekend lessons . . . 1)Always carry a dog with me
2) Never pay $7 for a turkey leg . . . no matter how big it is
3) Fire makes every picture cool . . . and everybody who breathes it cool by association.
4) Two festivals in one week is one too many.
5) People are strange. . . thats all.