Day After Thanksgiving - Road Trip!

As I took off this morning, I went around a curve and saw the above cross through the woods. Such an appropriate sign to start my day.

What a wonderful day of Thanksgiving I had with family yesterday. So many things to be thankful for! I saw a church sign one time that said, "Richness is not measured by how much you have, but by how little you need". Well if that is the measurement, then I am rich beyond imagination. I have a God that saved me, a wonderful healthy family, a job I love, a beautiful wife that loves and takes care of me. So with all that in mind, I woke up this morning belly still fat and full from a day of Thanksgiving food and decided to go meet with God and take some pictures of His glory.



This old barn was so lonely sitting in the middle of this huge field.



An old truck with a bucket on the front was once a powerful tool for some farmer back in the day. Now it's just rusting away in this field.



I turned off of Hwy 3 down this side road. After a few miles, I went around the corner right after sunrise and saw the sun blasting through this Spanish moss. Slammed on brakes, jumped out and took the shot.



First shot of the morning. The fog rolling off the Yazoo River. Had to climb through a patch of woods up a hill to get a clear shot. Was in a hurry, the sun was rising and hadn't yet reached this patch of cold fog. I knew once it reached it, it would be gone. After I got back in the car I thought to myself, "Walking through the woods during hunting season. Probably not good"

Well thank you again Lord for all you do for me and my family. To all my fellow bloggers and readers, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'll read your blogs to catch up with how it went for you.

Southern Character of the Mississippi Delta - Meet "Slim"

I was driving around the Delta a few weeks ago and stopped at this old country store somewhere around Leland, Mississippi. According to my friends that were with us, the old country store is called Fratesi's, owned by Mr. Charlie Fratesi, and has been out on VFW Road forever. My wife was with me and went inside the store, while I stayed outside intrigued by the old gas pumps. As I was walking around the outside, suddenly my wife almost burst out the door and said, "You've got to some inside, now." She knows that I love to meet people of the South and talk to them, especially "characters" or Southern folks that define southern. Well folks meet my new friend. The man pictured is mostly referred to as "Slim" he said he used to play hockey back in the day. After I asked if I could take his picture, the other guys started laughing and telling him the "Show him your teeth!" It was a day I'll never forget.

Update! 4/26/2012 - Ends up this gentlemans name is Clifton Tarpley. Here is a statement from his nephew - "To say he is a simple man but a good man would be an understatement.  I have fond memories of him taking me on my very first hunting trip out in the woods behind his old home there in Leland. I haven't seen him since I was a child."

Here is a statement from his niece - "He lives in a dream world and is full of a lot of tall tales. I bet you guys had a good laugh after meeting him. He is a great person and would do any thing he could for you. Did you know that there is a chicken farm right up the road from that store. Its owned by the Carvers. Slim has worked gathering, cleaning and packing eggs for these people for years. He lives in 1 of the Carvers shotgun houses between the store and chicken farm. Has no inside running water or toilet. He still lives like it was the 1940s and loves it. His life is so simple and full of dreams."

Update 7/2015 - Got this note from Mr. Tarpley's family today - "It is with deep regret that that i am letting you know, our uncle Clifton Tarpley passed away .Clifton Lee Tarpley (02 Feb 1931 - 27 Jul 2015) Your photos captured him in all his glory. Thanks for sharing them with the rest of the world. He will be missed."

His niece Debra Colburn wrote me to say - "The World lost a big Dreamer and one of the best Story tellers on Earth.....Rest in Peace Uncle Clifton and go tell the other Angels your great Adventures. Earths lost and Heavens gain !!! I love and miss dearly.  - Your niece Debra Colburn Kinney."

Obituary of Clifton Tarpley

Clifton Lee "Slim" Tarpley, age 84, of Leland, fell asleep in the Lord on July 27th at Delta Regional Medical Center, Greenville, after a brief illness. Mr. Tarpley was born February 2, 1931, near Charleston, Missouri; son of the late Emmett Etheridge Tarpley, Sr., and the late Janie "Jennie" (Williamson) Tarpley. In the late 1940's the family moved from Missouri to the Mississippi Delta near Skene and Boyle. In the 1950s they returned to Missouri, and after the death of his father, Mr. Tarpley, his brother Hershel, and mother moved to Washington County, Mississippi. In the 1960's, they moved to VFW Road south of Leland, where Mr. Tarpley farmed and worked on Carver's Farm until retirement.

Besides his parents, Mr. Tarpley was preceded in death by three brothers: William Henry Tarpley, Emmett Etheridge Tarpley, Jr., and Hershel Randolph Tarpley; and by two sisters: Ella Marie (Tarpley) Sledge and Annie Belle (Tarpley) Colburn. He is survived by one brother, Leo Daniel Tarpley, Sr., of Indianola; five nieces, three nephews, and several grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Mr. Tarpley, or "Slim" as he was known by his friends, was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was one of the last of his generation, a carefree, loving soul who lived life to the fullest in his simple, carefree way, spinning his yarns to any who would pause and lend an ear. The Rev'd Father J. David Colburn, Mr. Tarpley's nephew and pastor of St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Dayton, Tennessee, will celebrate a Requiem Liturgy for family and friends on Saturday, August 1st, at St. Mary's. Private interment will be in the Leland-Stoneville Cemetery. Well done, good and faithful servant, rest in peace in the arms of a loving Savior.

It wasn't by chance that I happened to come into the store that day. I figure the Lord wanted me to grab Slims photo for the world to see. What made it even better was Mr. Tarpley's family reconnecting to him through my photos. For full resolution photos of Mr. Tarpley goto www.gritsphotography.com and put "slim" in the search box

Fall is here - Vicksburg, Mississippi

From green to orange to brown, the colors of Fall are upon us! I travel around Vicksburg with my friend Marty Kittrell and he has pinpoint precision of where just about every tree is that is changing colors in a photographic spot. The Military park, Cherry Street, and other prime locations. Photos are ripe for the picking. There is only about a two week window to grab that perfect frame. The trick is going by there every day until it's just right! Marty is teaching me the tricks.

Photography has a way of capturing a moment in time. A moment frozen that never was and never will be again. Time stops for nothing. No man, no woman, nothing. These photos are proof of that. I call them "New Growth" and they are stark reminders that through all the moments in time we experience in our life, that time stops for no one. Once flourishing buildings that were full of

life will soon fade into the landscape. Graves that mark the end of our journey will be taken over by the vines and new growth. Time stops for no one. I think that is God's plan for many aspects of our life. He tells us not to get all wrapped up in things of this world because they are temporary, but He is forever. He also tells us to personally throw off our old selves and allow new growth to take over. Growth that is centered around Him and not our old ways. In photography I love the old growth they make nice pictures, but in my life I thank God everyday for the new growth. Here is a link to all the New Growth Photos.

The year was 1943, and I was part of a bombing squadron that had already lost over 60 bombers in World War II. With 10 crew members per bomber, that is over 600 airmen lost. This day I went up in my bomber and sometime during the mission we collided in mid-air with another plane, knocking the tail section off of our plane. The collision caused our plane to turn upside down and start barrel rolling toward the ground. I was in the back and I had to pull a string to release the flight suit and allow me to move. I pulled once and it didn't release, I pulled twice nothing and I began to feel like that was it, I was a goner for sure. Then I pulled a third time and the flight suit released and I was free. With my parachute I dove toward the large hole in the back of the plane where to this day I don't know how I missed all the scrap metal that was sticking out. I parachuted safely to the ground. I lost a leg that day, but my crew mates lost much much more. I was the only survivor. I am a WWII veteran.

That was the first story I heard as I walked around the Veteran's day celebration of 2009. I was there to take pictures, but I left with many stories from the Veteran's that were lining the grass with their wheelchairs watching the celebration. The picture to the left is a picture of the Veteran that shared this story with me. Here are a few more pictures from the day's events.






To see all the pictures of the day - click here

My Home Town - Vicksburg, Mississippi

I've lived in Vicksburg, Mississippi my entire 41 years, but only in the last few months have a ever really experienced it. I'm like so many other Vicksburgers that drive by the Mississippi River, the bridges, the Military park, and so many other scenes of Vicksburg everyday and not give them a second thought. But no more. Lately I've been into photography and have been using my home town as a backdrop for many of my pictures. There is so much of God's beauty within a 10 mile radius of my home that in my 41 years of living here I'm only now seeing for the very first time. Here are a few of those shots.




Mint Springs waterfall! A WATERFALL! Here in Vicksburg. It's off in the woods off of 61 north! Never knew it was there. It is so beautiful and this cool morning was a perfect backdrop for my camera.


This was taken Oct 17th in Ceder Hill Cemetery. The clouds were rolling in that morning and provided an almost divine backdrop for this silhouette of Christ.



The sun was setting on this barge as it headed South down the Mississippi. The reflection is what caught my eye as it pushed along.



Another barge in a BEAUTIFUL sunset that was just full of pinks and blues as the storm had just left that evening.



The old courthouse museum in downtown Vicksburg. To this day, I've never been inside. But this day was the downtown flea market and I caught the old courthouse in this sunrise.



Old Constitution Firehouse. I was driving by before sunset one morning and the lights lit up the front of the building and brought it to life.



Downtown bricks lit up by the sunset. The gas lamps and the pristine city landscaping really shows off the beautification of our city.




The same pink and blue sunset as it takes over the courthouse.

One Glorious Day

It was an afternoon I'll never forget. A day that I could have thrown away and laid on the couch but for some reason decided to go and try to find God's beauty through the lens of my camera. The following is a blog that captured my afternoon over the span of about 6 hours.

It was a day that had beautiful blue skies, but every weather report said the rain was coming. So when Marty called me to go shoot some pictures, I was skeptical. But I met him and Jerry at the end of the driveway and 15 minutes later and we took off on our journey. What happened over the next few hours can only be shown in the pictures that we got that day.

First stop, Earl's Art Shop! What can I say about Mr. Earl? I have passed by his house at least 50 times in my life, and I always had something judgmental to say about "whoever" lived in that house. "He was crazy, he must be an old man, he was off his rocker". But then I met Earl. He is an artist. His house is art. His life is art. He has a studio deep in the heart of this monstrosity of a home that he pours out his heart into his artwork. Then I found out that his artwork has been sold to some pretty high profile blues clubs. My friend Marty has 5 or 6 of his pieces and now I'm proud to say that I own one as well. Earl loves to paint Pepsi logos and Tabasco logos, but for some reason there was a painting he did of an old guitar (see it there over his shoulder). Well that one instantly caught my eye and I had to have it. It was absolutely the best $30 dollars I ever spent. I still owe him $10 dollars, because all I had on me that day was a $20 dollar bill. But that's ok, now I have to go back!

Hey, just meeting Earl would have been enough of a photo shoot to call it a day, but that was just the beginning of our journey. We then stopped off at the trestle bridge at Bovina. I had never seen this bridge before, the only time I had ever been there was once at night back in high school, but as an adult now to have something so beautiful so close to home and to have never seen it, I felt almost ashamed. The view from underneath this railroad structure was fantastic. The symmetrical arches that got larger as you got closer to the main footing was an architecture that you don't see on modern structures. Today, engineers dont waste time on the "art" of the structure, but only on the functionality. And today, the bridge, combined with the cloudy sky and the trickling of water that was flowing underneath made it yet another perfect photo stop on this journey. But as you can see in this picture, the rain clouds started pushing the blue sky out of the way, and within an hour we found ourselves in the throws of a rain storm.

Yes the storms were here as promised, but that didn't deter us. We headed down Hwy 80 towards Edwards and right before it started actually raining, the deep black storm clouds were right on top of us, making the perfect backdrop for the photos we captured next. This field that we saw out the right side passenger's window as we headed east was a perfect photo stop, the background tower provided plenty of photos as well, but it would be later in the day on the way home that God would give us a better photo of the tower, so more on that later.

These clouds were something that normally if I saw them, I would run into my house and baton down the hatches until the sun came back out later. But not today. Today, I was right in the middle of the madness. The clouds in this deep black state were almost apocalyptic. The sun was still barely shining through the horizon, as you can see by the shadows and the rich green landscape, but overhead was the complete opposite. It was this overhead canvas that I used as the backdrop for the next set of photos.

The Edward's cemetery provided the foreground image for the next shot. This beautiful statue was the guardian angel for the soul she sat on top of. The clouds was no threat for her as she sat there undaunted by the approaching storm. She had weathered many storms before, her tombstone read from the early 1900's.

So let me remind you of how this afternoon started. I was "skeptical" of going out and taking pictures today, and then I grab this shot. I am thinking oh my God, if I had missed this shot I would have been sick to my stomach. This is so beautiful, and to capture it in a photo allows me to relive that moment over and over again.

Then it poured down rain. While it rained we drove through Edwards, Mississippi looking and the downtown locations and shooting the breeze with casual conversation. Did you know that Edwards provided many a backdrop for the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou", so once again I am learning as we go, and I plan on watching the movie again to match up the places I saw in person today.

Stay with me now, I'm telling you that this story is far from over. We thought that because the sun was setting and it was getting somewhat dark, we better head home. The rain had stopped by this time and we went back down Hwy 80. Well God had other plans, we thought we were heading home, when in fact, the pictures had only begun.

Remember that tower I mentioned earlier. Well on the way home, we looked out the driver's side window as we headed back west, and Marty said "I bet we see a rainbow in that field with the tower." and low and behold, there it was! It was actually two rainbows, as you can barely see the second one on the right side. Again, it appeared to be getting dark, but the rain stopped, the clouds started opening up and the sun was still there! It was simply hiding behind the clouds. We shot that rainbow until we could shoot it no more and this time the sun really was going away, so we took off once again.

But we are still not through! The sunset mixed with the storm conditions provided the perfect icing on the cake. What earlier in the day was an apocalyptic pallet of deep blacks and grays, was now something out of a Mars landscape.

Check out these pictures, I was standing right in the middle of this glorious beauty. It was the "perfect storm" of beauty. The rain made the railroad tracks shine like glass, the sunset lowering over the horizon with the rain clouds made this perfect color palette of pinks and blues. It was like a fireball on the horizon. These are real photos! I still can't believe it when I look at them. We were surrounded by this, it wasn't in just one direction, it was all around us.

Another aspect of this whole day was the friendship. Marty has taken something that he loves and offered to share this gift with anyone that wants to experience it. He knows every "secret" place in central Mississippi for a to experience God's beauty. He knows every waterfall buried deep in the woods, he knows what tree to go shoot in the fall time because the leaves will be falling and the colors will be unbelievably beautiful. He tells Jerry and I all the time as we zoom in on a flower, that "God made every detail of that flower." My friend Marty and his family is going through some difficult times right now and as I write this and remember that God made every detail of the flower, I think of a bible verse for Marty.

Matthew 6:25-34 - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

If God will take care of the birds and flowers, then surely he will take care of my friend Marty and his family.

Looking back it is almost laughable, God set this day up for us, I am 1000% sure of that. There is no way this day could have been this perfect otherwise. We took a day that most people would have just laid around the house and waited out the storm, and made it one of the most incredible experiences of my life. This truly was one glorious day!