Thursday, December 31, 2009

Thematic Photographic 82: "2009 - The Year that Was" v.1.0 - Snow! Twice! With Special Guests, Helga the Amazon She-Hawk and Litle GTO


"Helga the Amazon She-Hawk"
Raleigh, NC - January 2009 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

"See? I wasn't imagining it!"
Raleigh, NC - March 2009 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

"1967 GTO Hardtop Coupe"
Raleigh, NC - May 2009 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

This week Thematic Photographic takes a look back at 2009 in pictures. If it was important to you, it's important to us. So show us what you saw in the year gone by.

These weren't events of national or world importance, they were of photographic significance -- to me anyway.

It began in mid January when a once-crippled and rehabilitated female red tailed hawk named Helga was released into the wild at the local riding stable where she was found with a badly broken wing. The Triangle Land Conservancy contacted me about using a couple of my shots form the release in their newsletter, which I thought was pretty cool. they were supposed to send me a couple of copies when it came out, but either they forgot or they didn't use the work after all. Either way I never heard any more from them and I kept forgetting to contact them about it.

Yes, Virginia, it does occasionally snow in Raleigh, NC. In Inauguration years. The last time anything frozen fell out of the sky here was the day before the Second Coronation of Bush The Younger. That storm was a metaphor for that election in a way. An innocent looking inch or so of snow because of a freakish temperature pattern turned to a half-inch of sheer ice that paralyzed the entire city. It was as insidious as it was perilous because it didn't appear that it would amount to anything problematic, but before it was over there were tales of motorists spending the night in their cars on the Interstate and children spending the night at their schools because the buses couldn't navigate the snarl.

Neither of the snows of 2009 held such peril for us, both of them practically melting before the echoes of "Ain't it pretty" faded. This shot was one I took at about 2:00 AM March 2, from my front porch. I wanted to be sure to document the event in case it was over by the time I got up.

Once the snow had melted, the thunder started. On hand at this first of two car shows I shot in 2009 were no fewer than three pristine 1967 vintage Pontiac GTO's. (There may have been more than three, I got there late... as usual.)

Update: Apparently TLC has a subscription to my feed and nobody realized I hadn't gotten copies of their May-June newsletter (with the photos of Helga) until this post surfaced in someone's reader. So there are two copies on the way now. The power of G**gle in evidence again, eh?


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9 comments:

Shrinky said...

This second shot is absolutely stunning, so atmospheric. Wow! All three are fab, you are certainly at one with a camera, my friend.

Happy new year hon, hope it proves to be a good one!

Anonymous said...

The second image is absolutely beautiful. I would have to say that it is one of my favorites by you. It is so compelling, I've been sitting here staring at it for about five minutes.

Fantastic capture, Mojo.

Daryl said...

Three winner shots taken by a man I have come to know and care about .. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you, Mojo and the rest of the clan .

dennisthemennis.co.uk said...

Loving the Hawk.

Have enjoyed following your blog this year, heres to a great 2010.

Here is My Year

Anonymous said...

Only snowed twice? Heck we've had snow twice this week!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

SandyCarlson said...

Helga seems as quiet as the snowfall, though she is perhaps waiting for the Mojo soundtrack to begin before the theatrics begin.

The GTO is a counterpoint to the calm and quiet of the first two shots.

Susan English Mason said...

Helga is beautiful. Happy New Year Mojo.

Maude Lynn said...

That second shot is stunning.

Shadow said...

oooooo, i love the middle one!!!