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 A visit with Carole Sawada and her photography, Part II.


 

The Covered Bridge in the last post? It is in Cullman, Alabama, and I walked over that bridge during an Alabama visit about 16 years ago, so loved the opportunity to share it.

The feline photo here? It is Nikki, a late beloved pet of Carole and her husband's.

Continued below is the rest of the narrative of Carole's life adventures, picking up where we left off after she started a blog of her own.

      Unfortunately, 2016 is also the year we stopped being polite to people who held different political opinions, stopped believing that we all wanted the best for our country even when we disagreed on how to get it.  I hated being online.  It is also the year that traditional publishers pressured writers to push LGBTQ propaganda, and suddenly every story had a same-sex marriage and a transsexual character, whether they had anything to contribute to the story or not.  Mostly they did not. 

      After six bad books in a row, I quit.  I didn’t want to read, let alone review, bad books.  I didn’t even want to be online, where the friendly forums I’d frequented were increasingly hostile.  I even, for a time, opted not to read anything published in the 21st Century.  (I made exceptions for MaryJo, and, eventually, a few others, mostly those written by writers who believe God exists and is who He says He is.)

      Instead, I picked up my camera – first for a cruise through New England and Canada, where I was surprised at how very good my photographs were and what a delight it was to capture the beauty I saw.  Our back garden became a hummingbird hotspot, and I took thousands of shots of the tiny birds hovering over our feeders.  Our friends were impressed, I was delighted, but I also knew I could do better if I knew more.

      I took one class, then another, and quickly decided to pursue a certificate in photography.  I bought a better camera, more lenses, on- and off-camera lights, filters, reflectors, backdrops, after taking up a part-time job to earn the money to pay for them.  I submitted a portfolio of 10 prints, including a series of five images taken in Cades Cove of the Tennessee Smokey Mountains, and 10 additional digital images; an artist’s statement, and a very brief essay on Cades Cove, at the end of April.  A week later, my advisor notified me that I’d passed – with one of the highest scores in my class.

      By then, the country was locked down as the CoVid-19 pandemic spread worldwide.  Our graduation and exhibition were postponed.  Art shows were canceled.  Galleries were closed.  I don’t know when, or if, I’ll be able to sell my work.  The worst seasonal allergies in my lifetime have confined me indoors, and then, the sight in my dominant eye – the one that looks through the viewfinder – was obscured for several months.  And now, with infection spreading once again, families are reluctant to pose for holiday portraits.

      With my vision mostly restored, I’ll turn my focus indoors . . . to the beautiful blooms of African violets, Gerbera daisies and the cut flowers my husband has lavished on me or to setting up still life shots, like our worn wedding rings and the dried bouquet I carried the day we exchanged them.  One day, perhaps, I will find a market for them.  In the meantime, I will enjoy painting whatever pictures come my way. 

My friend lives in the Birmingham, Alabama. She continues to be a prolific reader, and as anyone with a passion would, goes out frequently to get those perfect shots.  Below are two more examples of her work. Each one has a story to go with it; rather like a diary that brings back personal memories every time she looks at it. 

If any one is interested in seeing more of her photographs, or is interested in purchasing one, you can contact me and I will be happy to put you in touch with each other. *





* How to contact me through Upbeat Book Talk directly? Click the 3 little bars in the upper left hand corner of the home page screen and scroll down to where it says, 'contact me'.

Comments

  1. The three images posted here were all included in my portfolio. Nikko was my Attention Deficit Disorder cat -- no matter how much attention I gave him, he needed more -- and he always got between me and the lens when I tried to photograph him. This shot was taken the day before he died, when he just didn't feel like doing anything but lying on the floor. My heart was breaking, yet I am so thankful to have this memento of him.

    The second shot was taken before sunrise at Cades Cove in Tennessee's Smokey Mountains. I wanted glorious sunrise shots, but instead I got that thick morning mist that gives these mountains their name. Thanks to editing software, I was able to reduce the haze and pull out some beautiful images. One judge loved it, saying it perfectly captured that early morning mood. The other hated it, because I broke a cardinal rule of composition by not including a clearly defined object.

    The last is a shot of our wedding rings, exchanged nearly 22 years ago, alongside the dried roses from my bouquet, sitting atop a crystal cake stand we received as a wedding present with the Tiffany box that held my anniversary ring. The only light source is a small flashlight I washed over the scene during an exposure of several seconds.

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  2. Carole - It is interesting you have identified the time, 2016, when we stopped being polite to those who held different views than our own. I knew this had happened. I didn't know when. It is difficult to accept this in the world. It is heart breaking to witness it in the church. The place where we should find acceptance and love there is bitterness, divisiveness and hatred. The enemy has always found ways to divide us. We wrestle not with flesh and blood.
    I also have bad experiences with newly written books. I can not longer enjoy the beloved author Jennifer Chianverini. Her books are good until Enchantress of Numbers.
    You have a wonderful talent in photography. I like the blue ridge mountains. 😊

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Linda.

      I have already been challenged today for referring to the publishing industry decision to bar writers who don't include LGBTQ characters as propaganda, but what if publishers refused to print books that included them? Or if they refused to print books about black characters? Wouldn't we agree that was propaganda?

      Whatever you call it, the result was an awful lot of unreadable books.

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    2. I agree.
      Remember the book I referred to, Enchantress of Numbers? At the end English fairies are spoken of as being sexless, etc. etc. My thought was, Seriously!? Because it didn't even make sense other than the stories of fairies are English.
      Now that you say the publishing industry is barring writers who don't include LGBTQ characters, it makes sense. I did not know this. I am glad to understand what is happening.
      I refuse to read this stuff or watch it on TV. Actually, I don't watch TV. However, if everyone who is offended would do the same these industries would start to lose money. It is money that drives everything. It has more power than LGBTQ.
      And of course God has all power. It is to Him we must appeal.

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