Throw Backs – Page 2 – My Lens . My World . My Perspective

It’s hard to believe that a year and a half ago, Mr. Obama was sworn into office as the 44th President of these United States. Sometimes though, I feel that a whole year and a half has elapsed… especially when I look back at all of the photos I’ve taken since then… and even more so when I think about the fact that it took me over a year to paint the cover of my President Obama scrapbook/photo album. I guess time and energy got the best of me… All of my intentions to sit down and paint eluded me as work, school, family, friends, and cleaning became the priorities in my life. Well, this month, I have decided to take weekends off (unless I have a project to photograph) and use those times for some R&R and taking care of all of the things I meant to do a while ago.

With this spirit, I decided to finally paint something on the cover of my Obama Book… and though I am no Picasso, Da Vinci, or Michaelangelo, I will have to say that my representation of that Obama painting/stamp does not look too bad! There is something in his campaign message of HOPE that still inspires me. Perhaps it stems from the fact that before he won the primary in Ohio, I did not believe that his presidency could ever be a reality. In 2010, I still see levels of racism and segregation… sadly… Maybe it was that he took this hands-on approach to the White House campaign, and did so many other unconventional things… Whatever the case, I was so involved in the whole political process during the 2008 election, in a way that I’d never been before – never cared to be before. I think before his campaign, the run for the White House was “that thing” that happened every 4 years, but in 2008 as Mr. Barack Obama made a bid for the Oval Office, it became a once in a lifetime moment filled with possibilities, hope, dreams deferred, and everything else that gives you a reason to dream again!

I have included pictures from my painting experience below….
And for the Throwback Moment, here is a link to view a slideshow of my Inauguration 2009 Images.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE! CONTINUE TO DREAM! CONTINUE TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS! Remember: With GOD, ALL THINGS are POSSIBLE!

View Slideshow from 2009 Inauguration Images.

I recently had an opportunity to visit my alma mater in Atlanta, GA where not so long I earned my Bachelors of Science. Oglethorpe University is a great, small 4-year University founded in 1835 and then moved later from Savannah, GA to Atlanta, GA. They have churned out many a political science major, accounting major, and biology/pre-med majors, but most memorably, in 2004, they allowed a little thin-framed Business Major to walk across the stage and make a little speech… If you have not guessed yet, I was referring to myself at the end there. Well, in addition to learning the skills needed for success in business, I took my first photography class here. It was in that class that Professor West told me that I had a “good eye.” Don’t y’all know, I ran with that! But truth be told, I believed that I had a knack for photography even before Professor West’s encouraging words. Back in my Freshman year, I had a short stint as a photographer and column editor for “Word on the Street” in the school’s newspaper, and then by Senior year, my peer Bernard Moore convinced me to join him and few others on revitalizing the school’s yearbook, which had not created a new publication the entire time we were there. On the yearbook staff, I was one of the photographers and I spent my fair share of time working on page layouts, which all meant long hours in the Yamacraw office in the basement of Emerson Hall (not that exciting). Anyway, I never knew then that I would be using some of these same skills now in my own business venture (thankfully my skills in both areas have improved dramatically). My advice to you is to not despise the day of small beginnings, and be open to your future because MANY are the PLANS of a MAN’S heart, but it’s only GOD’S PURPOSE that PREVAILS! I wholeheartedly believe this, and I feel my life is a testament of this!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you some pictures of my recent trip so that you too can see where it all got started…. By the way, OU always had the most beautiful campus in my humble opinion… I never wondered where all of those fees were going (until they got the new food service company our Senior year)!

Now I am ALWAYS a fan of portraying one’s self in the BEST possible light, but today, I am willing to show you some of my very humble beginnings. Here are some throw back pictures from 2000 and 2001 during my freshman year of college. Back in those days, I shot with a nice little Pentax point and shoot camera. It did the job for me! But you can still see that I’ve come a LONG way (thank God for digital SLR’s)!

My Lens . My World . My Perspective

Capturing art and beauty in everyday life.

Category: Throw Backs

I still have HOPE!

My Old Stomping Grounds… of Higher Learning