Reflections of 2013

Wanderlust should have been my middle name.  I love to travel, whether out in nature hiking on my own two feet, carrying everything sufficient for three or four days or in cities large and small.  Because the cities require little planning and there is far less to carry, I explore them often.  Looking back at a collection of thousands of images taken over the year, I have become aware that I am attracted to shop windows.  I love the challenge of the reflective quality, each image becomes as much about what is or isn’t captured in reflection as what is on display in the window.  Here are some of my favorites.

Ames, IA

San Francisco, Mission District

New York, NY 

New York, NY

Philadelphia, PA

Kansas City Plaza

New York, NY

Philadelphia, PA

Washington, DC

Des Moines, IA

Princeton, NJ

I look forward to sharing my reflections of 2014 with you.  Come find and follow me here:

www.ninedragons.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/ninedragonsphotography

www.twitter.com/ninedragons9

Happy New Year: Do You Recognize These Antique Ornaments?

Our first big snow storm of the year hit on trash and recycling night this week and the City of Philadelphia (which is not known for it’s multi-talking skills) has thoughtfully given us a week-long reprieve for taking down the Christmas tree and provided me with some time to tell you a little story.

My husband and I had friends over for pre-dinner and post-dinner cocktails one night during the Holidays.  Mid-way through the post-dinner cocktails, one charming pal squinted at the tree from across the room and wondered aloud about several ornaments.  He wondered because they looked…well, vaguely familiar — in fact — oh my goodness, didn’t his very own family have the same ornaments, long-forgotten in someone’s attic?

Nothing unusual in that you may be thinking, there are millions of ornaments made every year.  What is she going on about?  But each of these ornaments was handmade by myself or one of my immediate family members.  There are nineteen of them (ornaments, not family members) and they hung from our family tree for many, many years.

In the early 70’s, for several years in a row, my mom had the idea to whip up a batch of plaster, pour it into plastic molds and, once dried, pop out a variety of ornaments for the four of us to paint while gathered around the dinner table in the evenings.  There is a trumpet blowing angel, a fish, a candle, a peacock, three wise men, a Santa, the head of a snowman, a Christmas tree, a wreath, a Christmas stocking that says Noel, a gingerbread man and two “ornament” shapes.  There used to be a funny little, sperm-shaped, baby Jesus, but I think he may have been over-looked one year and taken out to the curb with the tree after Christmas.  I’ve looked everywhere and he is not to be found.   It’s our very own mystery of the baby Jesus — I suppose we should have put a little tracking device on him like they do in public nativity scenes now because the baby Jesus is so often stolen.

The history behind these ornaments is not unlike a Davis Sedaris tale.  Such a wholesome, family-bonding project for the four of us, wouldn’t you think?  But my dad had always had one-too-many martinis and my mom was Martha Stewart before there was Martha Stewart - expecting nothing short of perfection in all things large and small.  My brother and I were sullen and resentful of the extended time around the table, cruelly separated from our friends.  I remember a year when my boyfriend sat in with us, but his artistic skills were deemed unacceptable by ‘Martha Stewart’ and he was not invited back.  

Nevertheless, as I pack each one away, I smile to remember a time spent together laughing, bickering, competing and decorating.  They are fragile bits of plaster, glitter and gold that represent our bonds of love and disfunction as well as a somewhat creative family gene pool.

In almost 30 years of Holiday gatherings, before last week, exactly no one had recognized or remembered these ornaments.  I had come to believe my tiny family, alone in the universe, had thought to decorate small plaster ornaments for Christmas.  Now it appears there were others.  Do you recognize them?  If you’re old enough, perhaps you and your own family decorated little ornaments just like these?  The thought of a larger community of us — each with their own sacred, crazy-family tales to tell  — thoroughly warms my heart.

Happy New Year,  

E. England

www.etsy.com/shop/ninedragons

Not Another Tie...Not Another Pair of Earrings

It’s not that I have anything against ties and earrings…I’m a big fan of both.  I’ve been known to dip into my collection of vintage men’s ties and channel some Diane Keaton as Annie Hall style.  Geez, it’s only the first paragraph and I’m already wandering off track.  Back to my point, which is creative gift ideas:

The last of the leftover turkey is nearly gone and my thoughts have turned toward Christmas and gift giving.  My solemn vow this year?  I will not give another tie…nor another pair of earrings.  This year, I will stretch my imagination and vow to keep it fresh.  This year I’m dipping into my very own Etsy shop for a little inspiration. 

You know I’m a photographer, right?  With a shop on Etsy — here’s the link www.etsy.com/shop/ninedragons.  Last week as I explained to a potential customer why photography makes lovely, unexpected gifts, it occurred to me that I should really be taking my own advice and I’ve added a handful of my images to the pile of gifts for several people on my list.

If you’re not familiar with Etsy, it’s a global marketplace with Sellers both large and small offering vintage, hand-crafted and unique items for sale.  Perfect for unique gift-giving and definitely my kind of place.  I’ve purchased fantastic items from Greece, Italy, Canada, Japan as well as from shops right here within the United States.   

So now for those gift ideas…

My mom is a writer of notes.  Birthday notes, how-are-you notes, thank you notes, condolence notes and here’s-something-that-made-me-think-of-you notes.  She doesn’t want anything, she’s at that stage of her life where she’s getting rid of all of her stuff.  So this year I’m giving her gift certificates for her favorite restaurant and notecards since she’s always running out.  I had a batch specially printed for her using images I took the last time I visited, which I know she’ll love.  I’ve just listed a series notecards in my shop that include images from Italy, Chicago, Philadelphia and some Urban Graffiti shots.  They’re packaged up really pretty too and ready to gift.

My brother and I are polar opposites and I never know what to get him.  Ever.  He’s got a big heart and is very sentimental and as his big sister I can say that I find his decor sadly lacking, so this year he’s getting - framed up and everything, mind you - a large photograph of a vintage Mobil Oil pegasus sign.  I found it in a coffee shop out in California, but they wouldn’t sell it to me, so this is the next best thing.  Our dad worked at Mobil Oil all of his life and we miss him every day.  Perfect.  Masculine, colorful, and a personal connection to the image.

Spoiler Alert for my husband:  Don’t read this if you want to be surprised when you open one of your presents this year.  I may be biased of course, but my husband has very good taste in art — we collect it together when we travel.  So, when he says he loves one of my images (wise man), I’m honored.  He’s asked me several times (a patient man as well) for one of my Abraham Lincoln images for his office and I’ve been something like the painter who never manages to get his own home painted…so this year, Mr. Lincoln it is.  

We really loved the movie with Daniel Day Lewis that came out earlier this year too.  So.  Perfect. 

Here’s my A. Lincoln and the companion American Eagle image — I like them together — maybe he’ll get both.

My friends and pals read my blog…so that’s all I’m saying for now.  Stop by my shop and wander around — think outside the box — be original, be creative.  It’s so much fun!  Easy too, since you can opt for gift wrapping for a nominal charge and make your Holidays that much easier.  Enjoy your December…it only comes once each year.  

All my very best wishes to you,

E. England

www.etsy.com/shop/ninedragons

Nature & Inspiration

Fall has just begun and already I’m seeing subtle shifts in the nature activity all around me.  In late August the waters of the Eastern Shore of Maryland were teeming with brilliant blue crabs which we greedily gobbled up one day for lunch along with frosty cold beer.  A little turtle made an appearance along with caterpillars and an emerald green frog.  

Traveling in the midwest in mid-September, I saw more hummingbirds in one small suburban garden than I’ve seen combined over my lifetime -- unfortunately, they were much too fast for me and my camera, so I’ve included a photo of a fantastical castle and garden instead.  They were made by two blond faeries I know and love.  

Several hours of driving through some of the most beautiful farm land you can imagine took me back to Minnesota where I was born and then into Wisconsin.  While I was there, catching up with some of my favorite people on the planet, I was lucky to see some pampered koi in a cool, shaded pond and happy chickens keeping a low profile to avoid the sharp eyes of ever present eagles.  

Angel

Speaking of eagles and sharp eyes...did you know that eagles can see something the size of a rabbit more than three miles away?  I didn’t, but I learned that and lots of other cool things when I visited the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota to get up close and personal with the five rescued eagles in residence there.  You know how sometimes, when you meet someone for the first time,  it feels like you’ve known one another forever?  That’s how I felt when I gazed into Angel’s golden eyes for a long moment.  There was a current of connection between us that I’ll remember for a very long time.

On our final morning, on the way to the airport...one of the eagles that rules the wide open sky near my cousin’s home saw us along our way as she (or he) sat at the tippy top of an old, bare Halloween sort of tree spying out over the cornfields and countryside -- maybe looking for breakfast.  

Now that I’m back home on the East Coast, I’m keeping an eye out for the monarch butterflies that will begin their southern migration soon, the little owl that sometimes hangs out in our pine tree and a fast red fox that travels in the sand dunes...wish me luck.  I hope you’re enjoying the Fall season.

E. England

Rituals & Remembering

Sleepy Mornings

The town where I live for a large part of the year feels like a 1950‘s Mayberry time warp much of the time.  It’s a small shore town in New Jersey with a five mile wooden boardwalk featuring two amusement parks in addition to a main street (called Asbury Avenue here) in the heart of town.  The people at the post office know your name, as they do at the hardware store and in the restaurants and shops.  People are nice -- they take their time -- they’re not overly fond of change.  It's a dry town (no liquor served) due to early Methodist roots.  Every few years some of us hope for just enough change to allow a glass of wine with dinner, but it gets shot down every time which may or may not be a good thing.  It's very much a family sort of place.

Crime here consists mainly of “borrowed” bicycles which usually turn up at the other end of town within a day or so.  People leave their doors unlocked here.  I forgot and left the garage door open one time and was gone for two weeks.  When I returned home, everything was exactly as I’d left it - bicycles, tools, a spare fridge full of beer and wine, half a dozen beach chairs.  Amazing.

It gets a little crazy here in July and August when the vacationing hoards arrive and traffic is wacky with too many sun baked drivers and pedestrians zombified by long days at the beach and too much sugar.  Summertime rituals are savored -- the smell of sunscreen, the sound of the lifeguard’s whistle, the dolphin that swim by about 9:00 a.m. each morning when I remember to pay attention.  Gorilla Golf, the Ferris Wheel, the Log Ride at Wonderland Pier, the peanut-buster parfait at DQ and the daily screaming melt-down of a child on the boardwalk that always makes me smile and wonder what earth-shattering event has just occurred.

There is another daily ritual that takes place here during the high summer season.  This particular tradition began eleven years ago tomorrow and occurs each morning at 9:20 a.m., weather permitting.  It happens at the waterpark.  I don’t completely understand the need for a waterpark in a beach town, given that it’s located approximately 20 yards from a huge, mostly blue ocean with real waves to ride, but here it is and it’s very popular.  Out in front is Jimmy’s Hot Dog Stand and on top of Jimmy’s, two tall flag poles from which two, crisp American flags fly.

Each morning as a few dozen locals begin to gather and chat, a couple of young waterpark employees climb up a ladder to stand at the foot of each flag pole.  Many mornings, a third gentleman stands with them, at attention.  At 9:20 a.m. on the dot, a recording of Proud To Be An American by Lee Greenwood plays and walkers, runners, bicyclists and surrey riders gradually slow and then come to a stop, wondering what’s going on.  The crowd gets bigger and then the National Anthem plays.  It’s the version by LeAnn Rhimes.  The two flags are raised slowly, simultaneously.  Nearly all boardwalk traffic has now come to a halt...hats are removed, hands are held over hearts, war veterans in the crowd salute.  It gets really quiet except for the music and the crashing of waves.  The notes rise sharply near the end of the song at the word “free” and hold for a moment.  The song ends - a rousing cheer goes up and suddenly the boardwalk is all animation and movement.  Life goes on.

If you've had your coffee and aren't too busy with your day, some of you may be doing the math and figuring out that we’re not too far from New York City here in my little town at the Jersey Shore.  You may have had a little "aha" moment and understand the significance of two tall flagpoles as part of this ceremony.  Eleven years is a long time, but remembering is important and they still know how to do things right in a small town when it comes to ritual and remembrance. 

Life Goes On

The daily flag raising ceremonies have ended for this season and the water park has closed - or will close soon I'm sure.  I'm already looking forward to next summer when they begin again.  Wishing you your own special rituals and remembrances.  All the best,


E. England

Here’s a link to the National Anthem sung by LeAnn Rimes -- I think it needs to come with a hanky warning:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBd5PL3ZsRc

Gillian's Island Salutes America's Freedom Ceremony: Join us each morning this summer as our Team raises the American Flag for the day in tribute to America's freedom. This year will mark our 11th Season of performing the Flag Raising ceremony, and we are proud to continue on what has now become a tradition on the Ocean City Boardwalk. All of the details for the ceremony are listed below - if you find yourself up early and heading to the beach, stop by and pay respects to our great country with the Gillian's Water Park and Adventure Golf family! WHEN: Daily from 9:20 am to 9:28 am.* WHERE: Out front of Jimmy's Hot Dogs and Gillian's Island Water Park on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

A Love Letter

This is a love letter of sorts.  As is the case with nearly all of my blogs, this one begins as one thing; a celebration marking two years in business and ends up as another thing altogether;  an acknowledgement of gratitude to the many who have helped me make it through these years of modest but steadily increasing success.

It’s important to celebrate milestones, not only because I love a good party, but also because a celebration helps me recognize what I’ve learned and experienced along the way.  Marking a specific stage of progress acknowledges, in a heightened way, the work I’ve put in and the personal or professioal growth I have or have not achieved.  

This month I celebrate my second year selling photography on Etsy.  It’s been a major adventure that has stretched my brain in ways I could never have imagined.  I finally fully mastered the computer - a beast I never thought to tame and made the leap from PC to Mac, which may have helped in the taming.  Moving from film to digital -- something I swore would never be -- happened almost without my noticing.  I’ve met and made amazing new friends -- many of whom I may never actually greet face to face, but who know a part of me better than some of my oldest, dearest friends.  Each of these new friends is on a similar journey and each has shown a generosity that astounds me.  They have helped me solve problems and maneuver hurdles.  They’ve listened to me whine in my worst moments while pushing me to set goals and grow.  They have each shared personal knowledge and expertise and best of all, they seem to want me to succeed almost as much as they want to succeed themselves. These new friends have been a very great gift.

My lifelong family and friends have shown their support as well, of course.  Offering advice and listening as I verbally think through various challenges, always offering emotional encouragement and support, waiting patiently by my side while I take ‘just one more’ photo.  Some of my friends have become my best customers, coming back time after time to purchase my work.  I don’t imagine they understand how much those purchases have meant to me as I strive to grow a small business and master the mysteries of search engine optimization -- also known as “getting found” in the massive shopping mall that is the internet.  During dark moments when I doubted success -- and those moments came more often than I’d like to admit -- one of them would magically appear to make a purchase for themselves, or for a family member or friend.  Each one of those sales provided enough encouragement to lift my spirits through what were sometimes months of scarcity as I continue my forward progress.

Do you wonder why I’ve chosen sailboats to brighten my love letter?  They were a wet, wild, exhilarating adventure to photograph and they represent a sample of my work, but they also visually represent my journey as I personally and professionally sail forward into bigger seas -- finding grander waves of adventure and discovery and occasional deep and scary troughs of rough water.  The lesson I’m learning over and over is this;  if I wait calmly and quietly for a little while - and try not to battle the current - the weather will clear and the sailing will be smooth once again.  Giant leaps forward may be what I crave, but thousands of teeny tiny baby steps are my natural pace; the one that takes me where I’m headed if I can remember to be patient.

Michelangelo said something like this about sculpture: “Every block of stone has a statue inside and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”  That’s how I feel about the images I choose to offer for sale.  If I can photograph the beauty I see around me in such a way that allows another to see it as well, then a lovely connection unites us;  we are joined in a way both impersonal and personal.  It’s like sharing a wonderful secret -- how better to delight in something treasured than to share that treasure with a friend?

So cheers and thanks to you my loved ones, my friends old and new and my customers past, present and future for your support and recognition of this glorious adventure into beauty that I call my business.  Wondering where my sails will take me in the next two years...I hope you’ll be with me.  

With gratitude & love,

E. England

Farmers Market Freshness

When I spend my time in the City, most Sunday mornings will find me over at the Headhouse Square Farmers Market picking out fresh goodies for the week.  Nearly every Sunday, it’s crazy jammed with shoppers and baby strollers and too many friendly dogs for the tight space.  But it’s a mellow Sunday morning, right?  The perfect opportunity for a zen experience surrounded by goodness grown locally.

There is always some history to be shared when you’re in Philadelphia and the Headhouse Square market is no exception.  The sturdy, picturesque structure is an outdoor Georgian “shed” originally built in 1745 for the same thing it’s used for today - to shelter merchants selling their wares.  With arched open-sides made of brick, there is a “headhouse” at the north end which originally housed the master of the market (think quality control) and a firehouse which was added in the early 1800’s.  A cupola topped by a weathervane sits on top and cobblestone streets border each side.  The shed in this location, between Lombard and Pine streets, is known as the Shambles by locals and was restored in the 1960’s - it’s been in use off and on ever since.

During Summer and Fall weekends, tables are stacked high with local produce, cheeses, chocolates, fresh cut flowers, Alaskan-caught fish, fresh roasted coffee beans, breads and pastries, local honey and candles.  There’s even a garden plant man who gives great advice on what to plant and where best to plant it.  

Did I mention the happy goats?  They aren't actually at the market adding to the chaos, but their photos are.  They say happy goats make better cheese and I'm charmed enough to buy a round of this amazing cheese every time.  

This week the beets looked amazing -- red, golden, orange -- and I started thinking it was time to whip up a couple of goat cheese and beet towers for a light summer salad.

The Recipe:

Ingredients:  Four (4) medium size beets
                    One (1) small package of fresh goat cheese:  herbed, plain or pepper
                    Two (2) shallots, thinly sliced
                    One (1) bunch of red leaf lettuce, washed and patted dry
                    Pine nuts (a handful or so)
                    Olive Oil & local honey (enough to drizzle to taste)
                    One half lemon

Boil or roast four medium size beets until tender.  Any color you desire, or mix it up.  Toast pine nuts over a medium heat until golden brown in a non-stick skillet - set aside to cool.  After the beets have cooled, slip off the skins and slice into 1/2” slices.  Gently tear red leaf lettuce and divide onto four salad plates.  Lay the first beet slice on top of a lettuce bed, top with a very thin slice of goat cheese, add the next slice of beet (alternating colors makes a very pretty salad).  Top each layer of beet with goat cheese.  Keep going.  One beet per plate.  Add the shallots to the lettuce and drizzle each plate with olive oil and honey.  Squeeze lemon juice over the lettuce to taste.  Add fresh cracked pepper, salt and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.  Enjoy.  

What are you finding at your local farmers market?  Even better, what are you cooking?

Come visit my Etsy shop:  www.etsy.com/shop/ninedragons.  I hope to see you soon.  Until then, enjoy your August.

Elizabeth