Spring is Officially Here in Atlanta

I ventured to Indian Springs State Park, less than one hour's drive south of Atlanta, yesterday and found this beautiful Camellia bush near the office. I really am in awe everytime I see a flower blooming with all its delicate parts.

Indian Springs State Park

678 Lake Clark Road
Flovilla , GA 30216

(I am visiting, photographing, and blogging all of the GA state parks in one year. This is park number 11 out of 48.)

Mistletoe State Park Quick Jaunt Off of I-20

 Georgia's Mistletoe State Park is just a few minutes from highway I-20 north on from exit 275. This man-made lake is 72,000 acres, which makes it the largest man made lake east of the Mississippi River. There are 10 nice private cottages with pretty lake views. Be sure to reserve a cottage. The park is a pretty place for a picnic and/or family gathering.

The day I was in the park, they were executing a contolled burn. Here are a couple photographs of the fire.

Mistletoe State Park
3725 Mistletoe Road
Appling , GA 30802

(I am visiting, photographing, and blogging all of the GA state parks in one year. This is park number 10 out of 48.)

High Museum Presents Cartier-Bresson on a Grand Scale

Have you ever studied 295 photographs by one photographer that you didn't personally shoot and download on to your computer? Imagine them all printed and framed. What an undertaking! I was lucky to view the Henri Cartier Bresson exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta prior to its opening Saturday, Feb. 19.
This super show of Bresson's work is on view until May 29, 2011. The collection was created at MOMA by Peter Galassi. The High's new photography curator, Brett Abbott organized the show on blue walls on the second floor of the museum in Atlanta. Abbott officially begins his job on April 1, 2011. He shines as an energetic new staff member with lots of ideas percolating.

Bresson is one of my personal favorite photographers. I teach about his art as part of my journalism camp and photography classes because he coined the expression "decisive moment." This moment as portrayed in a sunset, expression or event is what we are looking for to tell the story of our art. It is particularly exemplified in the image in the upper left. Here Bresson presses the shutter just before the man lands in the water. After the landing this image would be much different. His work is about taking the shot at just the moment when people are aligned in the scene.

The exhibit at the High museum is vast also in that it includes scenes from all over the United States and world. Bresson was born in France to a wealthy family and pursued photography interests at an early age. He developed a style  of capturing the ordinary and achieved fame as a street photographer.  Study these images at the High Museum to develop your own style of photography.