Rick Hawkins Photography

the snow and a subtle day

As they snow kept coming this winter I was forced back into shooting snow images. These shots were taken a short walking distance from my house. It wasn't a heavy snow and didn't really have a dramatic effect. I went for the more subtle and natural today. I think these images would look good if printed large. Click on photo to enlarge and see more in the natural world folder.

Walkabout in Nashville

I'm an outdoor enthusiast. I try to spend time out in nature as much as possible. As much as I get from my outdoor pursuits I prefer photographing in an urban setting. Man made structures appeal to my photographer's eye. Going on a walkabout in the city is very gratifying to me. It's like treasure hunting. The breaking down of a scene into the rectangular format of my camera is a challenge of balancing color, shapes and textures. It's great exercise for my composition skills. The search for beauty in what might not normally be seen as beautiful is a great challenge. In this way I find creativity not unlike athletics. It keeps me in shape and helps me stay on top of my "game'. Nature is where I go to work on my soul. The city is where I go to work on my eye.
More in the Dispatches fro the road folder. Click on images here to see them enlarged.

he has gumption

This is my neighbor. He built a fine igloo in the backyard. It appears he at least started the project with snow blocks! That's impressive to me and reminds me of some of the crazy projects I did as a kid. Or as an adult for that matter. He told me his friend made one as well and slept in it! That boy has what we call the gumption.

Contemplating sanity in the snow at 18 degrees

While in Nashville I stopped in a park to get some snow shots. I was looking for something unique that was affected by the snow. I settled on a basketball court. As I walked on to the court an old gentleman walked up. He quickly engaged me on the cold. "This ain't cold!...those Russian winters were cold I'll tell ya!" He kept talking about his cold weather experiences as he completed three laps around the court as I tried shooting. His words kept coming and his topics jumped erratically but always following the cold weather thread. In his 3 laps he touched on the nuclear arms race, politics, weak people and the army. My responses were limited to "you're kidding", "wow" and "I bet". As he briskly walked away he said "I do this everyday"! I looked him in the eye and said,"me too". I'm sure he thought I was crazy, and vice versa.

More in the dispatches folder. Click photos here to enlarge!

First snowfall

I have been actively making photographs for 30 years. I have to state it to comprehend it. I have always gotten the camera out during times of extreme weather. That said, I have made many attempts at pretty nature shots during and after snowstorms. At this point in my life it seems a good snowfall is a good time to explore color. The bouncing of light off the reflective surface makes colors nice and rich.


More in the Dispatches from the road folder. Click on images here to enlarge.

Christmas Eve Brunch

What inspires my photography? Well...I'm easily inspired. Heck you can put that on my headstone! A good meal is inspiration. A tasty meal surrounded by family is a good place to start! Good job Amanda!