OLD TIMER WITH FIDDLE ©1992

Someone recently asked me who was the oldest subject that I have ever photographed. Well, I think it might just be this old fellow with the fiddle, and what makes this image more believable is the fact that he was still playing that instrument in front of thousands of spectators, I ran across him at the Old Time Fiddler's Convention in Galax, VA. That would have been twenty-three years ago.  He was warming up while sitting on the tailgate of an old car.

I had to work fast to get this image because he was about ready to go on stage, so to heck with the background. Everything about him was perfect, and he did not try to put on an appearance for me. He was the genuine article, and the best I could learn was that he was well into his nineties, and wow, could he ever make that fiddle sing. 
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I have one problem with a blog. It is like writing a book backwards, and I am simply not used to that. If you have not viewed this blog in it's entirety, it might be worth your while to go back to the beginning. Some of my best work would be several miles back down the track, but it might well be worth the hike.

To enlarge this image, left click on the photograph.

An Additional Note:  Several times, people have tried to contact me through the blog. Most of the time, my messages have come back with the note:  undeliverable. It would be much simpler for each of us if you would use our web e-mail, which is:

info@jeffersfineart.com 

RU CAMPUS Winter 1992

The weather has been so hot this summer across the country that I decided to post a nice refreshing winter image which I made back in Virginia during the winter of '92. I was working at Radford University at the time, and I was constantly on the outlook for images that would fit nicely into the university magazine or some of their promotional brochures. I think I have already posted several images early on in this blog. Check them out.

I had cased this spot out some time prior to the actual exposure you see here. It was made from atop of the thirteenth story of  Muse Hall. What I needed was a nice snow storm and a body or two on the sidewalk. I had to settle for one person, but it all came together just as I had planned. I waited for the individual to reach the exact spot where you see him, and I made the exposure. I previsualized this image and the exposure was made at the decisive moment.

Left click on image to bring up a larger illustration.

MR WHEELER AND DOG ©1977

This is an image that was made back in '77 along a dirt road atop the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Funny how an image like this will suddenly come to mind, but we have had a few discussions in our household lately about aging and how one's life changes to compensate for those things we used to take for granted.

I was sitting here doing some work at the computer yesterday afternoon when my wife Pat walked in and asked me why I was leaning forward in my chair. "Are you having trouble seeing" she said. Damn Right! I thought. Do you see that eight point type down there? Well, I either lean forward and crunch my spine, or I reach over there and grab my trusty magnifying glass. Small type drives me nuts. It has for years. This is why I ask my computer friends to use 14 point type. It reduces the wear and tear on my back. Bottom line, my eyes are not what they used to be, but, by golly, I can still see well enough to do the things I enjoy the most. Like my photography.  It is nice to know that both my Nikon cameras have automatic focusing. And I have actually used this feature. It works great, but it takes some of the fun out of photography. But, when you need it, it is nice to have.

When I made this image, I was using my trusty 2 1/4 camera with square film negatives, and by golly, I could spot the individual hairs on Mr. Wheeler's face. I can still clearly see his face, but I am not sure I could count his whiskers.  I'm certainly not betting my life on it. Then, I would most certainly have to lean way over to the side and grab my trusty magnifying glass. Dad used to use this glass when he was still alive, so it now has a personal attachment to  me.

 I have passed the big 75 mark, and I jokingly refer to myself as an official member of the old fart's club. Besides, a few aches and pains, I am still in pretty good shape.

Mr. Wheeler appears to be about my age, and he wears glasses, so we had a good start in being able to relate to one another. He also has a beautiful old dog that will sit contently beside him, even along a deserted old country road. So, I was immediately drawn to this old fellow from the mountains and his dog. It is one of my most memorable images. 

And while we are on the subject of aging, I will simply say that when I took early retirement from Radford University back in the early nineties, we both became busier than ever, and it has never stopped. And do you know what?  I think that is one of the reasons that my wife and I are still going strong and look forward to many more active years. I may have shifted down a notch from high gear to second, but the old brain is still active, and with my trusty hiking stick in hand, I will head off to the mountains and canyons and return home feeling better than ever; particularly if I captured a few nice photographs along the way. 

How does one feel about life in general at seventy seven?  Well, for me, I simply take it one day at a time and be thankful that I was not hit by a train or a bus. We all know that the ax could fall at any minute; even while crossing the street, and you cannot help but think about it, but there is no point in dwelling on the subject. I see my old friends and acquaintances dropping like flies every year, but in my mind, at least, life goes on, and when  someone asks me which of my images would I pick as my all-time favorite, I would have to say, "The image that I will make tomorrow, or next week." And that is just how matters stand on this Hot day in SW Colorado.  The clock continues to tick.

jj   June 19, 2012