The Bluebird Cafe

DSC_3344, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN. The photo is unremarkable. However, the venue is significant. This little night club has become one of the most important showcases of up-and-coming country music performers and song witers. Performers discovered at the BlueBird include Garth Brookes, Carry Underwood, LeAnn Rymes, Kathy Mattea and Taylor Swift. It's located in a nondiscript strip shopping center away from the downtown entertainment and bar scene. You would never notice it if you were just driving by.

Nashville Bar Band

DSC_3273, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Whiskey Blues performs at the Big Shotz bar in Nashville. I think the women in the lower right corner of the photo is great. These guys were performing on a Saturday afternoon just off of Broadway in downtown Nashville. It was a rather hardcore crowd. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Tokina 16-50mm f2.8 DX AT-X Pro lens.

Whiskey Barrel

DSC_3376, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

An old whiskey barrel in a corner of an office at the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, TN.

Kevin

DSC_2794, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

Kevin Mara at the 2010 Army Navy Game in Philadelphia PA. I rarely post photos of people here. I feel like it's an intrusion. However, it it's interesting to note how people's photographic interests evolve. There is a whole gang of people who started together in the critique forums on Flickr. We all started by posting landscapes. We've become more adventurous and are shooting, and posting, more photos of people, experimenting with lighting, etc. Take a look at the evolution Fiona Brim's photography on Flickr. Fiona lives in central Scotland and has plenty of interesting subjects. It's also worth looking at Tom Kaszuba's photoblog. Tom lives and shoots in the Norwich CT area and is well regarded for his atmospheric landscapes along the Connecticut shore. However, he has an equally interesting portfolio of portraits. (http://www.tomkaszuba.com)

I've grown a lot more interested in environmental portraits. This is a portrait of my son Kevin, taken on a cold winter afternoon at the 2010 Army Navy Game in Philadelphia, PA USA. While he might argue differently, I think it's a great photo of Kevin. I think it's technically good and there's also the element of a little parental pride involved. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.

Snow Day

DSC_3124, originally uploaded by frank.mara.

A rare snowfall in Johns Creek, Georgia. Several inches of snow and freezing rain has brought everything in the Atlanta area to a halt. Shot with a Nikon D90 and a Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED lens.