Brantley Magazine & a bluebird

o6-22-2009

I was sitting at a table at the Brantley County High School cafeteria for an event honoring local people that had done good for our county this past year. Publisher of the Waycross Magazine, Dave Callaway was sitting across from me and I heard him tell the lady next to him about how when he first came to Ware and put out the magazine he had ticked off a certain photographer.

It took me a few seconds to think about what he was talking about and then it came to me. I was doing a show at the Okefenokee Heritage Center and he took a picture of me standing next to one of my photographs. I was sitting somewhere one day and happened to pick up this neat looking magazine that had Waycross across the top of it and was looking at it from the back to the front like I always do. There was the picture and I thought wow this is good to have my stuff in a nice magazine like this. Then I read the caption underneath.......... Wayne Morgan with his "painting" at the Heritage Center. I could feel my blood pressure rising.

I found his email address and sent him a quick note when I got home that said something to the effect of "I really do appreciate the exposure of having my picture in this nice magazine but I am "NOT" a painter. I wish I could paint but I cannot and I am a PHOTOGRAPHER. I work hard at what I do and it is always a struggle to just get recognized as a photographer and now this." He corrected the mistake in the next issue and I thought nothing else about it until this evening and we had a good laugh.

Now today Brantley has its own magazine that Dave has published and he also took my picture again with one of my photos on the front cover. I am extremely proud to be associated with it and think it is a breath of fresh air for our county. As long as he does not list me as a "painter" we won't have a problem.

After working graveyard shift last night and getting my sleep I looked out my back window to check on the bluebirds. They are nesting again and the male and female are bringing food back and forth to the nest. I grabbed my camera and caught this male bringing in his portion of a freshly picked cricket.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

(912)288-0810

Man on a bench

06-12-2009

We rode back down to Jacksonville for more tests on Bonnie this week. Before leaving I checked out my camera and it appeared to have a full charge on the battery. They discovered she has a cyst on her esophagus so now we are waiting to talk with another doctor about the next step.

On the way home we were crossing over the road that had a sign pointing > Fernandina Beach when she said "I don't feel like going back to work today. I think I'd like to go to the beach." I am a river person and had not been to the beach as far as getting wet in a very long time so around I turned at the first chance I got and we headed to the coast. After stopping at a store to get a few beach things we drove straight to it. When I pulled up I saw this man sitting on a bench with head phones on and a bible laying next to him and I thought that would make a good photo. The parking lot was full and we had not had anything to eat since early this morning so we turned and went back to eat lunch. After eating and coming back about an hour later this man was still in the exact spot as before and I couldn't stand it any more. There was one parking spot right where I needed to be so I swung in and parked the car. I grabbed my camera and stepped out and took several photos of this man enjoying his time watching the birds and listening to his music. Normally I try to keep people out of my photos but this scene to me was something interesting and I was able to get a bird in it anyway.

We decided to ride on down to a less crowded area and get out to the water. It was a beautiful day and when we got to our spot I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures of the waves breaking when my camera died on me. For some reason the battery was completely dead and I did not bring a spare with me.

I put my camera back in its bag and normally I would have been frustrated but we had a really good time splashing around in the water like teenagers. Bonnie said with that one scene of the man on the bench the trip was worth it - plus we had fun.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

(912)288-0810

I WILL SURVIVE

06-05-2009

I think some wondered if I would survive this past week on my own. My bunch should be back late tomorrow night from their cruise and I think I've done pretty well thank you very much. I sleep on one little section of the bed so it is not messed up and will be easy to make up just before everyone arrives. I've had very little dishes and most of that is just glasses where my sweet tea was in. I've worn my work clothes all week so all I have to do is take them in to work and that is taken care of. I have not even got one laundry basket of dirty clothes stacked up yet. I've heard that you can get by for three or four days on one pair of underwear by flipping them inside out. After a couple of hot, sweltering, grass cutting, weed eating days I would think that it is doable but........ I don't recommend it.

I've "conveniently" arrived at lunch and supper to kin folks homes a couple of times and been invited to eat which I would have felt bad turning it down. The to-go plates also helped me get by another day or two. I've also had a friend offer to buy me lunch on one occasion while I was in Brunswick and he was persuasive so again I would have felt bad not to oblige. I have watched very little tv as most everyday I've been either asleep or out taking pictures. I've been to Homerville, Okefenokee Swamp Park, Brunswick, Satilla River, Golden Isles Speedway and even stopped by at the recreation department and caught 9 & 10 year olds practicing softball.

There is a song from long ago called "I Will Survive" and I've always considered myself one. A suvivor on my own. At least one more day.

When I saw this gator at the Swamp Park my whole idea was to get down to eye level with it and get the tree root in the photo. Once again I brought no bug spray and the mosquitos are big and bad in the swamp. This other one was from my trip to a lake in Homerville.

The latest word is the Brantley Magazine with several of my photos in it will be out next Monday.

wayne

www.waynemorganphotography.com

I GET TO GO & Zirkle dam

o5-31-2009

My bunch has all went on a cruise to Key West, Jamaica and Grand Cayman Islands while I stay at home and work this week. The first time Bonnie and Kyle has done anything like this so I hope they have a good time and know the next time I GET TO GO! Due to my hire date at my newest job with the railroad I don't have any vacation time built up but am looking forward to it happening so I can go somewhere to make some new photographs of other places.

I have switched a couple of framed pictures around at some of the local businesses where they are on display just to change the scenery. This one of Zirkle I hung at the Knox Hotel and when Blanche saw it she said "I've saw this one before." Apparently she thought she was interested in attending an art class in Waycross and met a lady that brought something to class with her. The other lady told the instructor she wanted to "paint this" and handed over a newspaper. The way Blanche jokes around I thought this was just another one but this time she was serious. It was this photo that the Blackshear paper had used on the front page last year of my photo and this was going to be her painting project. Blanche gave up her art career after a couple of classes and does not know who the other lady was or how her painting turned out. I've been asked before if it aggravates me when someone wants to paint one of the pictures that I've taken instead of buying one and my reply is always "shoot no. It makes me feel good to know some people like my work enough to want to paint a copy of it for themselves to hang on their wall."

wayne
http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Got to have it

05-26-2009

I was standing at the counter waiting to buy a newspaper when the man in front of me was buying a pack of cigarettes. His bill came up to $3.91 and when he opened up his wallet all he had was four one dollar bills. A slight hesitation, a grunt and "well - got to have it" and handed over the cash. I have never in my 44 years ever took a puff off of one of these cancer sticks so it was kind of hard for me to believe this man would spend his last dollar on what I consider a total waste of money. It has to be an addiction and I started thinking about something that has a similar effect with me. Photography. Every day I am pulling my camera out even if I am just riding to the store, going to work, walking down the road or even walking in the yard. Bonnie says I have two mistresses, ones name is Sony and the other is Nikon.

I've had a couple of requests in the past few days for some pictures of a lane in another county and cows so I've been seeing what I could come up with to satisfy my addiction.

This is a lane that has trees growing over the top of an old dirt road and a couple of cows in a field not too far from my house.

wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

While I am able

05-19-2009

I met a man at my part-time Lowe's job the other day that gave me some advice. "Young man - never grow old. It's not what it's cut out to be." This man is not in good health I know because as cool as this store is the top of his head was wet with sweat and he was dragging his feet as he walked. He needed me to help him get things to water his tomato plants and started to talk. Many dreams he had when he was younger but now his health is so bad he knows he'll never get to do them plus he said he can't remember what half of them were anyway. "If you wait until you can afford it or wait until you have time you'll never do it. Do it while you are able." This man was making a lot of sense and as he thanked me for helping him and walked away I thought about how it is very possible I'll never see him again with his health being the way it is.

I went home and started checking on the costs of going out west and am in the planning stages now. I don't have any vacation time built up yet with my new CSX job but as soon as I get it I am pretty sure I'll be heading to Montana or maybe Colorado even if I have to borrow the money and work during the year to pay it back. After this trip I'll be focusing my lens on some other places - maybe Alaska. I don't want to get old and say I wished I would've done it while I was able.

My new website is up and running and am pleased with the way it looks.

This is the photo of mine that is going to be on the cover of the new Brantley Magazine.

Wayne

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/

Chicken truck

05-14-2009

I got behind a chicken truck from Georgia,

And the feathers were flyin' like snow out of the sky,

I couldn't get the speed enough to pass him,

And a funny smell was getting close to me,

And something keeps messin' up my windshield.......John Anderson

The last two nights going to work I've been looking for that very same truck. I know there is a chicken house or two between here and there and what they do helps the plants grow. If smell is any indication there should be some good plants agrowin' on that end of the county for there sure is plenty of it.

A couple of the places I've visited in the past two days is Zirkle and the Higginbotham House. Both are looking good right now. I noticed today when I pulled up to Zirkle the mosquitos are competing with the yellow and deer flies on which can be the most annoying. I was ready today as I soaked down with bug spray before getting out of the truck while they were beating on my window.
I have a new website that is up and running now. Check it out when you get the chance.

http://www.waynemorganphotography.com/