It has been much too long since my last photo blog, but ALOT of life has happened. We had a baby in 2015 and then moved to Texas for a couple of years. Life was a whirlwind and I didn’t spend nearly enough time behind my camera while I was just trying to keep up with life. It was a long and difficult couple of years...maybe I’ll do some back-posts later and tie in some of the pictures I did manage to take. In April of this year, I took a new job and we moved to Birmingham, Alabama. I have to say, we fell in love quickly with our new city. Today, I finally had an opportunity to grab the camera and start to really explore.
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I am so grateful that my friends Emily & Destini asked me to photograph their beautiful little family! I am honored to share their fun photo session with all of you. I look forward to doing this again soon. Love you both, and Kaiden too :)
Mike, Erin, and Emma would like to announce the impending arrival of the newest addition to their family: Mack! Baby Mack is due on February 7, 2015!
When was the last time you really paid attention to the world around you? Did you notice the bees pollenating the flowers? The stray neighborhood cat lounging in the sun? Life is hectic. We run from meeting to meeting, task to task, checking items off of our proverbial to-do lists sometimes without thinking about the world around us. I consider my life to be very full today, and I am not sure that I would have it any other way, but lately I have been taking the time to pay attention. To be mindful of the beauty all around me. To stop and take a moment to appreciate the small things I normally take for granted. A sunset, a spiderweb, the changing leaves announcing the arrival of Autumn. I take my camera everywhere because it reminds me to pay attention and not take these things for granted. So the next time you find yourself caught up in the hustle and bustle, stop, take a breath, pay attention, notice the small things. In the end, they are what really mattered.
For the past four years Phish fans from across the country (dare I say world?) have flocked to the Mile High City on Labor Day Weekend to our beloved Dick's Sporting Goods Park, otherwise simply known as "Dicks." (And there are jokes aplenty...). Last year as we were hanging out with friends in Philadelphia, my husband and I made a vow to each other that we would make the trek ourselves this year as Couch Tour just wasn't cutting it anymore. I will venture to say that it was the best anniversary gift to each other yet. Here's a taste of our weekend on Shakedown... Hanging out with the guys working on "We've Got it Simple" a documentary in progress "that will expose and celebrate the wondrous glow of the completely creative, uniquely artistic and often obsessively fanatical world of Phish fans!" (as their website describes). Give their website or Facebook page a visit and feel free to donate to their kickstarter! www.wevegotitsimple.com Life has been hectic lately. Work has been stressful. The Rat Race feels overwhelming and from time to time I feel like I am drowning in it all. Dick's was a breath of fresh air; being with Phriends, laughing, dancing like nothing else in the world matters. When they started Tweezer Reprise part of me was a little sad because I knew it marked the end of the weekend and the beginning of our journey back home. The other part of me was too busy dancing my ass off to really care that much! Until next time...
It's no secret that I love animals. Taking a trip to the zoo still brings out the little kid in me, and you can usually find me staring in awe in the penguin exhibit or smiling from ear to ear in the aviaries. The Columbus Zoo is quite large compared to the closest zoo to my hometown and it is an all day adventure. This year I had a blast capturing shots of some of my favorite animals while sharing a beautiful day with some of my favorite people. My new favorite spot is the newest exhibit area " The Heart of Africa." It's set up very much like a safari with dozens of different animals sharing the savanna habitat. Lions, giraffes, ostriches, zebras...I stood there for an hour and kept seeing new animals cross my vision! I have to say though, the kissing camels were quite adorable. I enjoy bird-watching and the aviaries provide quite the experience for bird-lovers. I love taking my time and trying to find each different specie of bird listed to be among those in each aviary. I have to say though, as entertaining as the Lorakeet Aviary was, some of the most entertaining bird watching we had was watching the wild birds fight for the crumbs from the human visitors! They would wait near tables in anticipation of the patrons either dropping or throwing pieces of bread or crackers their way. One Canadian Goose even made its way right up to our table during an afternoon ice cream break. I had an absolute blast visiting all of my furry, feathered, and scaly friends, but a trip to the zoo wouldn't be nearly as fun without my favorite animals...HUMANS!
It's true. Ohio stole my heart. There's something about this muddy water river, the history, and the small town feel driving through most of the state. Southeast Ohio is where I call home these days, in the Mid-Ohio Valley, just across the river from West-by God-Virginia. I have not yet grown tired of this beautiful place, and I have to admit that I have not even begun to experience all this area has to offer. We may be in one of the poorest parts of the country, but we are rich in history and beauty.
Just a short way up the river is Marietta, Ohio. The first organized settlement of the Northwest Territory, county seat of Washington County, birthplace of my husband, and home to the Ohio Sternwheel Festival. It is one of the most beautiful small towns I have visited, with a lively downtown and plenty to entertain history buffs, ghost hunters, and antique shoppers alike. As I sit here typing this I am taken back to when I sat by my great-grandmother's bed shortly before she passed away in 2008. I had moved away from my Virginia home just a year prior, and though I was homesick, I wished I could share my new home with my family. I remember reading to her at her at her bedside, feeding her ice chips, rubbing lotion on her cracked feet, and telling her all about my new home and how happy I was. That was all she ever wanted for any of us...happiness. She couldn't respond much in those final days, but I know she was there and hanging on to every word. I promised to send her pictures when I returned home. I never got the chance. She passed away a short 12 hours after I returned to Ohio. Through my grief I took solace in the idea that at least now she got to see where I call home, because she is with me always. The same goes for my grandfather who left us just this past May. I always wanted to share this place with him. Every time I would call he would jokingly ask me to "say something in Ohio!" as if I was in a foreign country (and to us Southerners, it may as well be!). I would laugh and tell him all about "pop" and "sacks" and "sweepers." He would chuckle and hand the phone to my grandmother. That man loved to travel and it was hard to watch him deteriorate over the past six years and be unable to do the things he loved. In his passing I am reminded to never take one single day for granted. We can't take all the material things with us to the grave, but we can certainly live life to its fullest and create amazing memories with those we love that will last forever. I miss him every single day, but I carry on his lust for life.
2007 was a big year for me. Life altering, actually. In 2006 I met a young man from Marietta, Ohio and we became immediate friends. Even though we lived 500 miles apart we became intimately involved, talking online and on the phone for hours. Honestly, he stole my heart! In early 2006 I took a daring road trip to visit him for a week during my Spring Break. I showed up a day early, nervous and unsure of what to expect. He kissed me the first night in the lobby of the hotel where he worked night shift and I knew, right then, that there was no turning back. I have been with that man for 8 years and we married in March 2011. He is the love of my life and I can't imagine sharing this journey with anyone else. So in 2007 I made the decision to transfer schools and moved to Southeast Ohio that May, 500 miles away from where I grew up and where my family still resides. It didn’t take long for me to become homesick. I missed my family and all of their insanity. I missed the beach. I missed Virginia sunsets. Loneliness crept in like a thief and my first Ohio winter felt like too much to bear. It felt like I was suffocating. I couldn’t see the beauty or opportunity around me because this place didn’t feel like home yet. I felt like a stranger wandering aimlessly through my own life. Until…The Drive. Brandon took me on a drive around Southeast Ohio. Down country highways and back roads until I felt lost in “the heart of it all.” God, it was beautiful. Seneca Lake, beautiful farms with corn fields abounding, covered bridges, cute little country churches, and middle-of-nowhere general stores in towns most maps have forgotten. That drive made me fall in love with where I live. It reminded me that beauty is everywhere and even though I miss those beautiful East Coast sunsets, I have found my home right here in the rolling foothills of Appalachia.
Shakedown Street. Urban Dictionary defines it in the following way: "The strip of vendors outside of a concert in the parking lot, usually defined by their tailgate style tents. Common things sold are food, tye-dye, patchwork clothing and bags, tapestries and incense. The term comes from the so-named Grateful Dead song, because so many vendors found their place at Grateful Dead shows in their lot scene." While that may serve as an adequate definition for someone unfamiliar to the lot scene, it is so much more to others. Shakedown is it's own micro-universe. I remember my first shows when I was in college and being simultaneously enthralled and overwhelmed when I stepped foot onto the lot scene. And yet, I immediately felt at home as well. When I was 13 years old, I met a woman named Ocean at a poetry reading in Chesapeake, VA. She had long dreadlocks that flowed beautifully past her waist, she played the guitar, and wrote poetry that made me think a little deeper about the world around me. She listened to my sad and angry 13-year-old self, gave me some pointers, and made sure to tell me that I had soul. She encouraged me to keep writing and to search for the love within myself. She left that poetry reading to begin her trek to the West Coast...for what I had no idea, but this moment is forever etched into my memory. I wrote a poem about Ocean, and my reflection of her, years later when I was in college still searching for myself. The sheer memory of her took me back to my 13-year-old self and how I yearned to feel the freedom she had found. I looked at her and I saw freedom. I saw spirit. I saw love. I think I chased this for years only to discover that what she was telling me back then was that these things existed within me all along. Perhaps, the first time I stepped onto Shakedown, I felt a little bit of Ocean's presence and that felt like home. I can't think of a better place to people watch. I mean, airports are a lot of fun, but nothing quite beats this scene. I often find myself wondering about people's stories. How they found their way to this scene. Their history. Their tales from the road (and trust me....there are PLENTY of those!). The shots I included in this post (above) were some of my favorite candid shots from our trip to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD and the Ntelos Pavilion in Portsmouth, VA to see 3 nights of Phish. What still amazes me the most is also what I love the most, and that is the sense of family. For the most part, people look out for one another and we take care of one another. I, for one, like to share my cupcakes. If you've hung out with me on lot then you know they are delicious and full of love. I love these shots of people just being themselves. The one place I know that I can get away with never second guessing myself is here. I may not get to make a bunch of shows these days, but I know that when I step foot on Shakedown, I am going to find friends. I am going to find hugs and plenty of love. Besides all of my warm and fuzzy feelings about Shakedown, it is important to note that it is also a way people make a living. The business aspect is obvious and I spend my money freely to support my friends. Posters, pins, hats, shirts, tobacco pipes, crystals, wire wraps, beer, lanyards, koozies, socks, undies, cold beverages for $1, flags, and FOOD! There are vendors for just about anything you can imagine (though I seriously was missing my favorite Falafel and a Pickle guy this run!). You can find some of the best art around and my house showcases a fair share of posters from previous shows we have attended. My husband and I collect, trade, and make pins so naturally we have formed friendships with others who do the same. You can find plenty of people wandering Shakedown selling and trading their wares...we traded a pin for a beautiful tie-dye while in Portsmouth! It's all in the eye of the beholder...or stomach. One thing is always for sure: you will find excellent food (might I suggest a quesadilla from our friend Christy).
I am already mourning the end of our road trip vacation. Though sun-burnt and still sore from dancing all night at the shows, I miss my friends. I miss the freedom that comes from being on the road and the camaraderie of people I usually only get to "see" through social media. I am already counting the days until we arrive in Denver later this month, but until then...HUGS! |
Kristina M. Canfield
Storyteller. Photography enthusiast. Loves the color Green. General crazy person. Archives
November 2014
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