“There is one thing the photograph must contain: the humanity of the moment.” -Robert Frank
Hello there, dear visitor! Welcome to my website. This is my first post, so I’m really not sure what exactly I’m supposed to say.
This is a work in progress, so it’ll be a bit rough while I get things up and running. I’ll have some more posts up soon, but it’s just a matter of me putting my head down and just getting it done. But please, stick with me and give me some feedback on what I can improve on.
During these unprecedented pandemic times, it’s helpful to take a step back and ground yourself and spend some time looking after your mental health.
All the doom scrolling in the world, wondering if life will ever get back to normal, and always being worried for family members is exhausting. So, to take a break from the stresses of the world, my friend Jen and I took a socially distant trip to the mountains of western North Carolina, which is probably my favorite place in the world, during the peak foliage time for this stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Please enjoy!
An overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway from the drive up to Grandfather Mountain State Park
From the drive up to Grandfather Mountain
Once you reach the top of Grandfather Mountain, you can cross the mile high swinging bridge
The weather at the summit of Grandfather Mountain was not great for photography – foggy and very windy
You couldn’t see through the fog back to the other side, but while crossing it, you could hear the wind whistle through the bridge
Jen smiles in front of the mile high swinging bridge after crossing it
The weather instruments at the top of the bridge were working extra hard that day
T-pose on nature to show it who’s boss
Tree pose to become one with nature
Thankfully there were no bears on our hike, nor any fish who would try to capture and release us
Andrew’s geyser was all dried up
This time I brought a polarizer!
There were a bunch of people at the top…
…so for all posing pictures…
…the masks went back on immediately after taking the shots.
Gorgeous weather to cap a wonderfully relaxing weekend
My best friend, Manning, and I went on a trip to the mountains of North Carolina this weekend. We stayed in an tiny cabin in the Pisgah National Forest in Old Fort, NC, hiked for a bit, drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway, went to the top of Mount Mitchell, and explored downtown Asheville.
Manning scrupulously looks over the trail guides
I try and be artsy
When we arrived at the cabin, we couldn’t see much because it was so dark, so this was a nice view to wake up to
Manning returns from his venture to the communal areas
We weren’t alone during our stay at Indigo! There were a few other groups of people who had similar plans of getting away from it all
In our attempt to find one of the trails, we followed a Forest Service road that was closed
We never did find the trail head, but it was still a nice morning for a hike!
Manning’s not a huge fan of having his picture taken
Deep in the Pisgah National Forest were signs marking a bear sanctuary. Some brave campers were nearby
Manning smiles as he tries to keep warm during our hike
“Wait, let me take my hood down. Okay try it again.”
After our hike, we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway had plenty of scenic overlooks where you could pull over and enjoy the natural beauty
I decided to have more fun with my different lenses
Neither of us knew that bison were once found in the mountains of North Carolina!
Don’t smile, don’t smile, don’t smile
Naahhhhhhhhh
A bit weird not being behind the camera
Strike
a
pose!
The roads in the mountains followed the terrain well, bending and curving instead of going straight through it
My friend Jen and I went to the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh today. We spent the afternoon meandering around the museum, looking at artwork, eavesdropping on people’s conversations, and trying to copy the artworks’ poses.
I hope you enjoy!
Jen was super excited to head to the museum!
Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian, Michael Richards (1999)
Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance), Amy Sherald (2013)
Study for “The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown”, John Trumbull (c. 1787-1791)
Swan Attacked by a Dog, Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1745)
Monumental Head of Pierre de Wissant, Auguste Rodin (1980)
My family and I took a trip to Scotland this year! We met up with my cousins and stayed at an Airbnb in Kilsyth. We visited quite a few spots, and here are some of my favorite shots I took.
I hope you enjoy!
Before we left, Squeak was relaxing on our rocking chair
Lilly: “I can’t believe these guys are leaving me… who’s going to give me treats now!?”
Zoey shows a keen interest in mom’s shoes
Vegan sausage rolls!
Loch End Cottage
The cottage had a well with a (non-functioning) pump
A boardwalk over a marshy area was in the backyard. None of us were adventurous enough to venture out on it
Some flowers in the marsh
There was plenty of space to enjoy
Things were pretty quiet on our first day in Scotland. Everybody was exhausted from traveling
Visiting Glasgow!
A monument commemorating Scottish Rifle companies who fought in WWI and WWII
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has organ recitals every day!
They also had interesting art pieces in some wings
A dog made out of wellies!
The King is a permanent resident in Glasgow
Gotta have some fun
The museum had some taxidermy exhibitions
The museum had an RAF Spitfire on display
This albatross was huge!
There were some Inuit pieces on display, too
The museum had a Giant Irish Deer skeleton on display
The size of the antlers was something else!
While it looks blank at first glance, this is actually a hand-embossed print of the score for I wish I knew what it means to be free
One of the weirder exhibitions was the Floating Heads (Sophie Cave, 2006)
The sign for an opthalmogist
The pipe organ sounded amazing! They played some traditional organ music, mostly Bach, but also had some modern songs performed. Most interestingly was Can You Feel the Love Tonight.
Outside the gallery, there was a traditional dance exhibition, featuring traditional Scottish dancers
Also featured were Estonian dancers, wearing traditional outfits from various regions
Ciara was posing for mom
Mom was posing for nobody
A firetruck from Galway
Glasgow was home to one of the earliest underground systems in the world
You could be fined for spitting in public. This was in an attempt to combat the spread of infectious diseases
If only travelling cost so little now
Imelda and Brendan smile as they arrive at the cottage
Near the cottage was the Colzium-Lennox Estate, which offered a peaceful walk through nature
Connor rocks out while Brianna watches on
Ciara, Connor, Brianna, and Brendan gather on a stage to decide what to do next
Robert the Bruce stands proud near Stirling Castle
The Wallace Monument was a short hop, skip, and a jump from Stirling Castle
Paul and Imelda pose outside the gates to Stirling Castle
Brianna is unaware of her photo being taken while Brendan is caught off guard
Ciara and mom look at a map
Some of the statues were worn and weathered
Cannons overlook the hills of Stirling
The grounds of the castle were pristine and had an amazing garden!
The outside of the Royal Palace
Our tour guide was an absolute legend. We’re in the Chapel Royal at this point of the tour
The Grand Hall has a distinct color – king’s gold
Atop the Grand Hall is a unicorn…
… and a lion
King James V would sometimes dress as a commoner and walk about the castle grounds, listening in on people’s conversations to see what they thought of him
The Great Hall would be the site of feasts. The King and Queen would sit under the tapestries
The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn
Briana and Ciara pose as a pair of queens
The Royal Family
And the Queen and King, Imelda and Paul
Brendan was not excited about waiting to take pictures
Prince Brendan finally got into the spirit (after much prodding)
Walking around the castle were guides dressed in appropriate outfits
The Queen of Scotland’s bed
The views from the castle hill were breathtakingly gorgeous
A family photo!
Stirling castle sits atop a hill that overlooks the village
Paul decides to risk it and look over the edge
Photoception!
Stirling Castle has some natural defenses, including cliffs
There were rooms where you could dress as court figures
Paul the Jester helps Brianna the Handmaiden
These hooks would be used to help stop fires from spreading
There were figures in the kitchen to show how they would be staffed
Cheese!
There were some cells in the guard house
The all-seeing eye
Heading down the streets of Stirling!
It wouldn’t be Scotland without a bagpipe shop
Paul shows his enthusiasm for finding a restaurant. Unfortunately they weren’t serving lunch yet.
Just some light reading
Loch Lomond has some of the most amazing scenery I’ve ever seen
Paul was contemplating how life would be if he were a duck
Paul smiles at the camera
This little village was quite picturesque
Paul and Imelda!
Brendan was having some trouble seeing…
…so he borrowed my sunglasses
Mom and me! (although I guess it would be “mum” in Scotland)
The drive through the Trossachs up to Inveraray was stunning
Brendan holds a golden eagle
It was quite a sunny day, so she was happy to spread her wings and feel the warmth
Brendan tries to avoid getting hit in the face by the eagle’s wings
I took a turn holding her as well (featuring random man getting those candids)
Her beak was quite sharp, but her talons even sharper
A good boi gets some well-deserved pets
Brendan talked to some Scottish members of the Royal Marines
He really liked what they had to show
At the Inveraray Highland Games, there was some hammer tossing…
… bagpiping
And the World Caber Toss Championship
Biranna, Ciara, and Connor enjoy a warm day at the Highland Games!
They finally noticed me pointing the camera at them this time
The local pipe band was also present to help close out the games
A near successful caber toss! So close!
Connor shows off his new hoodie, my sunglasses, and my new hat!
Edinburgh!
The Harry Potter tour started in a graveyard
Brianna was not completely ready
Edinburgh Castle
Cheese!
Okay, I’m done now. No more photos
Ciara: “Who is this moron?”
One of the oldest flower clocks in the world
It works (and it has a cuckoo bird!)
The one o’ clock gun surprisingly fires at one o’ clock
Paul stands sentry outside the Scottish National War Memorial
The American Revolution was not entirely fought in North America
Americans who were captured were kept in Edinburgh Castle
However, unlike the Spanish and French fighters, the Americans were not considered POW’s, but rebels
As a result, they received less food and water than their fellow revolutionaries
One American POW carved an early version of the American flag on a door while being held in Edinburgh Castle
John Paul Jones, the father of the US Navy, led a raid into Edinburgh Harbor during the American Revolution
Brendan struggles to remember how to put on a sweatshirt while Imelda gets ready to mug me
The Falkirk Wheel!
They were wheely glad to see us
Doune Castle, aka where they shot Monty Python and the Holy Grail
They also had Outlander Costumes
Ciara shows off the latest fashion trends from a few centuries ago
Brendan found his silly English k-nige-hit hat (they also had coconuts!)
Just don’t look down when doing your business
Scottish castle doors were not designed with tall people in mind
The Duke of Albany would sit here and conduct his meetings
Brendan investigates the coat room
The William Wallace Monument (whose subject we all know from that historically accurate film, Braveheart)
Stirling Castle on a beautiful day
Linlithgow Palace
The fountain at Linlithgow Palace was partially destroyed and has been repaired
The grounds surrounding the Palace were quite picturesque
This was the great hall, where feasts would be held. Large logs would be brought in to warm the hall in the large fireplace behind where the king and queen of Scotland would sit
Local schoolchildren would provide tours of the palace while wearing outfits one would commonly see during the time periods the palace was in use
A pigeon made it into one of the rooms
Connor was in a happier mood than he was on the Harry Potter tour!
King James I of England (who was also King James VI of Scotland) left his touch on the palace
The initials stand for Iacobus Rex I and Iacobus Rex VI, the latin names of King James I/VI
Imelda spots me from across a walkway
Cheese!
Connor looks over the Scottish landscaoe from the tallest tower at the palace
A statue of Mary, Queen of Scots
Connor was very excited to visit the Mecca of golf, St. Andrews
One of the caddies was kind enough to lend us a use of his apron
Connor admires the Royal and Ancient
We took a detour to the North Sea before exploring the rest of the golf course
The adults turn into children, wading into the North Sea
We had to be very quick when taking this photo. FORE!
Connor tried showing off his break-dancing moves. On an unrelated note, gravel is not conducive to break-dancing
Listen here, tough guy…
Paul asserts his dominance over all the haters
Before driving to the airport, the Rices decide to explore the Lennox Estate
Imelda keeps a watchful eye on Brendan
“Oh, when’d you get there?”
More photoception!
We drove all the way up to Loch Ness and Nessie never even showed up!
We may or may not have unknowingly participated in a Pride Parade in Inverness
Steven Rice Photography 