Thoughts

As I have been sweating in this 80 degree spring weather in Virginia, I am reflecting back on how timid our first winter in the south has been. Barely two months between 80 degree days and one brief snowstorm whose existence was all but forgotten in a week. I can probably get used to this.

 

 

In his house at R’lyeh, Cthulhu waits dreaming.
But now beneath the hunter’s moon,
their unleashing all but soon,
Bright blue lightning fires up at noon,
the legions are ready to bring your doom.
Awaken from your ancient slumber, and answer my calling!

I find that most of my photographic adventures stem from a need to get out of the house. Many of these journeys into the world are on days that do not have the most ideal lighting conditions. I have gone out so many times on bright overcast days and captured images that are missing something because of the whitewash sky.

Here I thought I would explore adding a cloudscape to an otherwise okay image that had a boring sky, in the hopes of creating a movie still for some as yet created H.P. Lovecraft film.

The building itself is the Shirley Plantation, the oldest active plantation in Virginia and the oldest family-owned business in North America, dating back to 1614 with operations starting in 1638. The perfect setting for Cthulhu’s return!

After suggestions from local Virginians, me and the boys headed out to Route 5 through Charles City County to see some of the original colonial plantations. The ride was breathtaking. Everyone talks about the beauty of Skyline Drive, well Route 5 is most certainly a rival! Many of these plantations are still active as farms after 400 years. We saw cotton bails that have been harvested, which was quite a new site for this Wisconsin native. And the trees, my goodness, they were simply enormous.