Sometimes when I awaken and am laying there wishing I could just go back to sleep and can't because of thoughts that come swirling through my mind.
Well this morning one of such thoughts was about a friend I met back years ago when he enrolled in a photography class I was teaching. His name was Bill West, he was taking my class because he had this camera that had been a repayment from someone who owed him some money. He told me that since he had this camera he thought he ought to learn how to use it.
Bill was just an ordinary person, a truck driver who drove locally with long hauls but no overnight travel. He became very interested in learning how to use his newly acquired camera. He was just an ordinary person, wouldn't stand out in a crowd, nor give any indication he was an extraordinary person. He picked my mind every time we were together and once went with me on a trip to a large camera swap meet. One of the questions he asked on the way there was " If you were just starting out, what camera and equipment would you buy and why?" He was sharp enough to realize his "payment camera" was only a snapshooter, being so automatic in it's controls.
I guess I wasn't surprised when he found the dream Nikon outfit I had described and traded for it there, especially when he asked for my evaluation of each of these cameras he considered at that meet. As you are aware of, some people purchase something for a hobby and never use it(as in exercise equipment). I didn't know Bill that well at that time, but he picked up on all the functions and techniques of his camera equipment quickly. Of course at that time I was thinking what a wonderful instructor Bill had. About this time he and many in his classmates(another interesting stories and experiences) started going to weekend photography workshops sponsored through the Kentucky Park system. They would have speakers on nature photography and a photo contest during this workshop.
To my amazement and pride Bill West, right out of the starting gate started winning and placing in these contests. Not only that, he joined a photography club in Cincinnati as did all of my class members and if you could place higher than Bill with the entry for a judging/critiquing at each meeting, you knew you had a slide to be proud of. He became that good! He got his wife involved in photography by taking my class and through his coaching, she became very good also. He told me their marriage was so much fun with them going on photo trips and in doing something together.
I was curious as to why Bill became such a very good, creative and talented photographer, so one day I asked him, "Why?" He told me," Photography taught me to see!" He said when he would be driving his truck, he would look at things but never saw them, but after taking pictures he saw things and how beautiful they were. He said he had seen this single tree in a field he had driven past a hundred times before, but when he started taking pictures, he saw that single tree silhouetted against a sunset and that it was just breath taking. He said after taking that photography class, he could see and quit just living day to day and became so aware of all the beauty around him!
Hearing that from a big old burly truck driver made me also realize why I loved photography so. He indicated that I had inspired him, but little did he know how much he inspired me with his thirst for knowledge and what people can achieve when they put their heart and soul into something they love.
Not long after I moved here to Limestone Lake from Cincinnati, we lost Bill but he lives on in my heart and to all who knew him.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
A little History!
Limestone Lake Photography passed a milestone yesterday, celebrating it's 20th anniversary!
Of course Limestone Lake has been here probably for at least a century when the first Limestone rock was blasted out of the ground, as it was pretty close to the surface. Back then they used dynamite and used steam drills to bore the holes to put the dynamite in, they would have a crew drilling the holes during the day while other workers hauled out the stone which had been blasted at the end of the day when all work had ceased and the workers had left. Some of the unblasted holes can be found here in different areas!
It was dangerous work and you had to be very careful in handling the explosives which contained nitroglycerin. I have wondered at times how many sticks of dynamite was used to create this 7 acre lake which is 35 feet deep in places. I'm sure people who happened to live in houses near here could hear and feel these frequent explosions. I'm sure if they had had OSHA or the EPA back then this lake would not have been here!
Eventually, in the southwest corner of this quarry, one of the last blastings opened up a branch of the Lost River system tributary causing the water to fill up and cease the operation of this working productive quarry which caused most of the workers here to seek other employment. It has been said the equipment used in the process of getting the blasted rock out is possibly still on the bottom today.
Pumping operations were unsuccessful in draining this lake which remains at a constant level today due to a channels in the underground caves system.
A Mr. Price owned this quarry, I am uncertain if he was the original owner who started this operation, but when it was no longer productive, he donated the land here to a local church. Rufus and Pat Grider bought the land, 25 acres here from the trustees of that church. It was not a pretty place with little vegetation and large stones all around. The Griders had the foresight to see that this place could be turned into a paradise and built a stone house with hardwood floors and knotty pine inner walls. They loved this place and spent much time developing it into what they had dreamed it could be. Mr. Grider had the city, dump leaves they collected and used them to mulch a rich garden where he grew some of the largest tomatoes in the city, back when alot of people raised their own vegetables in their back yard gardens!
When Mr. Grider died, Mrs. Grider lived here alone till she could no longer take care of herself after falling and breaking her hip. This place was later sold at auction, whose buyer did not live here, it was rented for a time as it slowly went back to nature.
I was living in the Cincinnati, Ohio area at the time when I saw an advertisement in the real estate section of The Daily News paper my son brought back when he had attended WKU. It was a ReMax ad by Martina Neely an agent there. Everything that was meant to be was and I've been here ever since and never want to leave. People ask me how I found this place and I always reply,"I didn't find it, It found me!"
If interest is shown, I can give a little history as to how Limestone Lake Photography was started. Thanks
Of course Limestone Lake has been here probably for at least a century when the first Limestone rock was blasted out of the ground, as it was pretty close to the surface. Back then they used dynamite and used steam drills to bore the holes to put the dynamite in, they would have a crew drilling the holes during the day while other workers hauled out the stone which had been blasted at the end of the day when all work had ceased and the workers had left. Some of the unblasted holes can be found here in different areas!
It was dangerous work and you had to be very careful in handling the explosives which contained nitroglycerin. I have wondered at times how many sticks of dynamite was used to create this 7 acre lake which is 35 feet deep in places. I'm sure people who happened to live in houses near here could hear and feel these frequent explosions. I'm sure if they had had OSHA or the EPA back then this lake would not have been here!
Eventually, in the southwest corner of this quarry, one of the last blastings opened up a branch of the Lost River system tributary causing the water to fill up and cease the operation of this working productive quarry which caused most of the workers here to seek other employment. It has been said the equipment used in the process of getting the blasted rock out is possibly still on the bottom today.
Pumping operations were unsuccessful in draining this lake which remains at a constant level today due to a channels in the underground caves system.
A Mr. Price owned this quarry, I am uncertain if he was the original owner who started this operation, but when it was no longer productive, he donated the land here to a local church. Rufus and Pat Grider bought the land, 25 acres here from the trustees of that church. It was not a pretty place with little vegetation and large stones all around. The Griders had the foresight to see that this place could be turned into a paradise and built a stone house with hardwood floors and knotty pine inner walls. They loved this place and spent much time developing it into what they had dreamed it could be. Mr. Grider had the city, dump leaves they collected and used them to mulch a rich garden where he grew some of the largest tomatoes in the city, back when alot of people raised their own vegetables in their back yard gardens!
When Mr. Grider died, Mrs. Grider lived here alone till she could no longer take care of herself after falling and breaking her hip. This place was later sold at auction, whose buyer did not live here, it was rented for a time as it slowly went back to nature.
I was living in the Cincinnati, Ohio area at the time when I saw an advertisement in the real estate section of The Daily News paper my son brought back when he had attended WKU. It was a ReMax ad by Martina Neely an agent there. Everything that was meant to be was and I've been here ever since and never want to leave. People ask me how I found this place and I always reply,"I didn't find it, It found me!"
If interest is shown, I can give a little history as to how Limestone Lake Photography was started. Thanks
Monday, May 21, 2012
Life is simple here at the lake. It wasn't always that way. At one time it was a hub of activity with the quarrying the stone which I always thought was used in building stately landmark buildings. Building things always intrigued me, I can remember using the unused portions of cutoff planks from my Dad's many home additions when I was a youngster. Seeing them go together, trying to make them have a pleasing shape, or something that looked like a house. It was fun then and it is even fun now.
Sheryl and I had an opportunity watching the progress of a building grow from the ground up when we were asked to photograph the new Independence Bank being built. We made quite a few trips to Scottsville Road to complete a visual record as the building progressed. At the time we were doing this, Dorian Walker of Peridot Pictures had a video time lapse camera recording it also. Sheryl got to see this when it was shown at the John Mellencamp Concert at WKU Stadium and said it was just awesome!
This bank is a replica of famed Independence Hall in Philadelphia where our Declaration of Independence was signed. I really liked seeing the historical pictures in each of the offices in this beautiful building which is sure to be a landmark in Bowling Green.
Back at the Lake things just kinda drift back to being the little island, a jewel of green, surrounded by a city and long healed from the steam drills, the blasting, the sounds of engines of the trucks hauling the blasted chunks of limestone to be crushed and spread on the rural roads in Warren county. I don't feel I own this place, but just a Steward, blessed to maintain it as it is for as long as it is. People have asked how did I come to find Limestone Lake, my reply, "I don't think I found it, I think it found me".
Whether you come to the lake for pictures or not, we hope you enjoy the the peace and solitude while here and a lasting memory through both pictures and visual stimulation of just being here.
Sheryl and I had an opportunity watching the progress of a building grow from the ground up when we were asked to photograph the new Independence Bank being built. We made quite a few trips to Scottsville Road to complete a visual record as the building progressed. At the time we were doing this, Dorian Walker of Peridot Pictures had a video time lapse camera recording it also. Sheryl got to see this when it was shown at the John Mellencamp Concert at WKU Stadium and said it was just awesome!
This bank is a replica of famed Independence Hall in Philadelphia where our Declaration of Independence was signed. I really liked seeing the historical pictures in each of the offices in this beautiful building which is sure to be a landmark in Bowling Green.
Back at the Lake things just kinda drift back to being the little island, a jewel of green, surrounded by a city and long healed from the steam drills, the blasting, the sounds of engines of the trucks hauling the blasted chunks of limestone to be crushed and spread on the rural roads in Warren county. I don't feel I own this place, but just a Steward, blessed to maintain it as it is for as long as it is. People have asked how did I come to find Limestone Lake, my reply, "I don't think I found it, I think it found me".
Whether you come to the lake for pictures or not, we hope you enjoy the the peace and solitude while here and a lasting memory through both pictures and visual stimulation of just being here.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Just the two of us!
I would just like for everyone to know what a remarkable person Sheryl is, of course all that come in contact with her here at Limestone Lake Photography already know this. Even though I started Limestone Lake Photo, when Sheryl joined the staff (that sure sounds like we are a big corporation, which really is "Just the Two of Us"!) she came with experience in photography as a high school yearbook photographer and a load of talent! Sheryl had creativity and attention to detail from the very beginning when she first came to LLP, this is one of the things which sets our studio apart from work I have seen by other professional photographers, prize winning photographers. Sheryl knows every picture that leaves our studio and every picture we take is the reflection of who we are....quality isn't something we take lightly here. Of course we want to provide the images our customers want, but we aren't satisfied unless we put into our pictures the very best we can accomplish, that being our very heart and soul.
Sheryl has made me a better photographer. When I see the pictures she takes after I have thought we have done our best, amazes me at just how much more she brings to light in the session. She is still is growing as a photographer and is modest when I tell her how much I like one of the pictures she has taken. She, as I, feel we have never taken our best photograph and still strive to improve with every image we take. Working with someone you love doing the thing you love most... photography... is experiencing life from a level neither of us had ever known before!
In the picture above, in the snow, we are not fighting over the camera, we are just playing as we do alot! Our lake, the home and studio are in the background, we are truly blessed!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A new year, a new Beginning!
Sheryl and I exchanged our wedding vows January 1st on the downtown Square in Bowling Green. We wanted a very simple exchange of rings and vows with a small gathering of friends and family outdoors unrehearsed. January is a risky time for an outdoor wedding as weather at that time of year can be unpredictable. There was a light rain falling when we arrived, we were not going to let that interfere with what we had looked forward to for so long. When we walked together under an arch in the park, the rain ceased, the sun came out and smiled on us for the ceremony! With the ceremony over and the congratulations given, back came the gentle rain as the whole thing was as if on cue. We retired to Mariahs for a luncheon with our family and friends. No formal photography, though several people did some candids while The Daily news was there to record the first wedding of the new year and our new magistrate Dan Rudlof's very first offical act, our wedding!
Photos courtsey of Miranda Peterson, Daily News BG KY.
Photos courtsey of Miranda Peterson, Daily News BG KY.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Where has all the time gone....
Time like the moving finger has written this as another year and now is almost gone. Here it is almost Christmas and the weather is chilly and it's time to count our blessings and we have truly been blessed. We want to thank all of you who valued our photography for saving your cherished memory of your family in 2010.
Limestone Lake Photography is still being chosen by families who first came to us when we opened in 1992 and many have become friends and like family members. We want to wish all a Very Merry Christmas and hope your New Year will be even better. Thanks!
Limestone Lake is a very special place to Sheryl and I. It is even more special with the loving memory of two friends who helped build and create this place to be what it is. Bobby Lewis came here not long after I moved here in 1992 and a friendship developed or I might say he adopted me like a younger brother. If I needed anything done, or help, or where I could get something I needed or wanted(like our old Chevy truck) he knew everybody and just where to go to get what was wanted! I was proud to call him a friend and we enjoyed many mornings going to eat breakfast together swapping stories. Along with being someone who knew how to build or make anything he also had a love of photography. I'm going to miss him and his special knock on the door and his death has affected me deeply.
Limestone Lake Photography is still being chosen by families who first came to us when we opened in 1992 and many have become friends and like family members. We want to wish all a Very Merry Christmas and hope your New Year will be even better. Thanks!
Limestone Lake is a very special place to Sheryl and I. It is even more special with the loving memory of two friends who helped build and create this place to be what it is. Bobby Lewis came here not long after I moved here in 1992 and a friendship developed or I might say he adopted me like a younger brother. If I needed anything done, or help, or where I could get something I needed or wanted(like our old Chevy truck) he knew everybody and just where to go to get what was wanted! I was proud to call him a friend and we enjoyed many mornings going to eat breakfast together swapping stories. Along with being someone who knew how to build or make anything he also had a love of photography. I'm going to miss him and his special knock on the door and his death has affected me deeply.
Bobby Lewis 1937-2010
Limestone Lake lost another special special person four years ago who had an impact and helped get many of the projects off the ground here. That was Dewayne Studevyn, I met him even before I moved in. He had helped Mrs. Pat Grider a previous owner who had this stone house built and he felt a closeness with this place before I bought it, he seemed pleased to know me and my plans for the lake. Dewayne became responsible for all of the building projects which happened here at the lake; he found the building we moved here for our back studio(used mainly for window light and high key children photography), helped and oversaw our second story living quarters addition, moved/built/renovated just about all our shooting prop areas, as well as moving and building our cabin across the lake with its storage facilities, and the list goes on! I can't look anywhere outside or inside that hasn't been touched by the hand of Dewayne. My grief at the loss of my two friends is touched by the the visual memories of all they did here at the lake that they both were so proud of....their accomplishments are now monuments in memory of what they accomplished here. I was blessed to have had both as friends who not only adopted me but came here and made the Limestone Lake what it is today.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Our New Decade!
We hope you had a Merry Christmas and are off to a Super New Year!
This is the first time I have taken to keep you up to date what's been going on here since I wrote about my greenhouse experience, which by the way has seemed to help protect most of the plants we put into it. I run an electric heater when the tempature drops below freezing and has been effective in keeping most of the plants from freezing. The tempature got down to 7 degrees and with two heaters going the plants were hovering together for warmth and the hardy survived! Yeah!
When it's sunny I enjoy walking in and amongst the greenery on the reclaimed brick floor, it makes me appreciate now having a place to winter them till they can return to their favored places!
I truly value Limestone Lake and my priviledge to live and be part of it. I have owned homes before in different places and seen lots of our country, but nothing compares. I have no desire to go away and visit exotic or places of beauty, here I feel a connection and truly see four seasons with each one as beautiful as the other. As a photographer, when I saw Limestone Lake I fell in love with the uniqness and opportunity to photograph people in a natural environment.
Sheryl and I see the same vision of making Limestone Lake as a magical place...a place where families are together and part of Limestone Lake for now and for years to come through their pictures. We feel the families who come here are our friends and become like family to us. We have gone to photograph on locations but in a sense we feel like we are having friends over when we do their pictures here.
We feel honored and blessed to be here and to share Limestone Lake with you.
Thanks!
This is the first time I have taken to keep you up to date what's been going on here since I wrote about my greenhouse experience, which by the way has seemed to help protect most of the plants we put into it. I run an electric heater when the tempature drops below freezing and has been effective in keeping most of the plants from freezing. The tempature got down to 7 degrees and with two heaters going the plants were hovering together for warmth and the hardy survived! Yeah!
I truly value Limestone Lake and my priviledge to live and be part of it. I have owned homes before in different places and seen lots of our country, but nothing compares. I have no desire to go away and visit exotic or places of beauty, here I feel a connection and truly see four seasons with each one as beautiful as the other. As a photographer, when I saw Limestone Lake I fell in love with the uniqness and opportunity to photograph people in a natural environment.
Sheryl and I see the same vision of making Limestone Lake as a magical place...a place where families are together and part of Limestone Lake for now and for years to come through their pictures. We feel the families who come here are our friends and become like family to us. We have gone to photograph on locations but in a sense we feel like we are having friends over when we do their pictures here.
We feel honored and blessed to be here and to share Limestone Lake with you.
Thanks!
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