Guilford Courthouse Reenactment

This past weekend I went by the annual reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. On March 15, 1781, American forces under General Nathaniel Greene met a British force under Lord Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse, near Greensboro, North Carolina. The culmination of the Southern campaign of the American Revolution, the battle was technically won by the British, but Cornwallis's army was so weakened, he had to retreat to Yorktown, Virginia and the final American victory. On Saturday and Sunday, historical reenactment groups from all over the country provided displays of Revolutionary War camp life and a daily battle reenactment.




Cousin Taylor Rollins spent the weekend as a camp follower with the 1st New Jersey Light Infantry.


(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Dinner with the Kids

Spring means renewal and at the Goat Lady Dairy in Grays Chapel, North Carolina it means new kids. For the folks at the dairy, it means those baby goats have to be fed twice a day. Makes for an interesting time in the nursery.



(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Friday Table Top

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Still-life photograph of woodworking tools from my Grandfather's toolbox.

Horse-Drawn Plows

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Old horse (or mule) drawn plows sit in a barn on our farm in Randolph County, North Carolina. Last used probably some 70 years ago, nevertheless they stay at the ready.

Let the Gardening Begin

All it takes is a day or two of warm weather to get the gardeners out working in the dirt. Yesterday the folks at Goat Lady Dairy in Grays Chapel, North Carolina were busy getting onion sets into the ground. Goat Lady has started and will be running a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project this year where a group of approximately 50 families has invested in a large garden from which they will receive weekly shares of organic produce.


Daniel Woodham, CSA Farm Manager.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Women's Basketball

And now for something completely different. I enjoy shooting sports, but I don't get as many opportunities as I once did. These photographs are from last weekend's Women's ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.



(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Cat Hole

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

My Grandfather's house is across the road from mine. Beside the old house are several intact outbuildings, including a smoke-house. In the corner of the smoke-house door is a cat hole, which allows felines to enter at their leisure and helps keep down the rodent population.

My Grandfather was a Hunter

For the past few weeks as the weather has been pretty nasty for North Carolina, I've been shooting objects on an old table in my den. These are very eclectic things for the most part and some of them have special meanings only for me. Today the images are of a box of cartridges and a hand-made turkey call that belonged to my Grandfather. I've mentioned the problems we've had with poachers around our farm lately on this blog, but I don't want to give the impression that I don't like hunters. On the contrary, I have great respect for hunters, real hunters. Living during the Great Depression, my Grandfather was a real hunter and fisherman. He ate what he killed, he hit what he shot at, he respected other people's property, and he never took more than he needed for his family. I just wish the guys riding around my house at night could be more like him.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Afternoon at RCC

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon at Randolph Community College in Asheboro North Carolina. Along with agency owner Dave McLean and designer Crystal Staley, I was invited to critique student projects. The projects were collaborations between photography and design students to produce an ad campaign or body of commercial design work for a potential client using design and photography together. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed at the level of work that the students produced; they were all wonderful. This speaks well of the quality of the students at RCC and volumes about the job the faculty is doing. All i can say is "well done".

Women's Casual Fashion

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Women's studio casual fashion photography. Out-take from a commercial shoot.

Biscuits on Blue Willow

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Biscuits were an everyday staple on farm tables when I was growing up in Grays Chapel, North Carolina, but these days they are more of an occasional treat. My daughter-in-law, Christine, baked these on Sunday morning for a country breakfast. My son Tristan is a lucky man.

The Old Chair

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Simple things sometimes produce interesting patterns. The hand woven seat of an old straight back chair sits in our den beside our old green table.

Work Portraits

Work portrait photographs from a commercial apparel job.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Oriental Lily Still-Life

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Still-life photograph, oriental lily.

Seeds

A walk by one of the local antique shops in Old Greensboro turned up these displays of old seed packs. Makes me wish Spring would hurry.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Portrait of a Young Man

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Portrait of a young male student, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Deer Skull

We were checking our back pasture Sunday before opening it up for the cows, when I ran across this skull of a young buck. He could have died of natural causes, but most likely he was wounded and died later. We have had a problem with poachers for the last couple of years, both in the daytime and at night. I've been awakened at 2AM by someone shooting towards my barn from in front of my house. Seems like we don't really have a lot of hunters in my area, but rather a bunch of people that like to shoot at deer. There is a difference. What a waste.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Garlic

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Garlic. Black and white still-life photograph.

Friday Fashion Image

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Photograph of young woman and mask, Franklinville, North Carolina.

Pinto Beans

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Dried beans are a traditional staple in North Carolina and across the South (as well as in other cultures). Top among them is the lowly pinto bean. And, as my wife tells me, before you cook them, you have to "look" them.

Rooster

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Portrait of a neighborhood "Dominecker" rooster, Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

Grandfather's Pocket Watch

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Still-life photograph of the pocket watch my Grandfather carried, from the green table in my den. He (my Mother's father) was the District Road Foreman in our area of Randolph County, North Carolina.

Nails

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Still-life photograph from a recent trip to the local farm supply.

Light as a Feather

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Black and white still-life photograph study of a feather.

A Poignant Moment

As I was watching the first groups tour the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro last week, I noticed an elderly lady in a wheelchair being pushed along the counter of the old Woolworth building where the sit-ins began 50 years ago. The tour leader asked who she was and she told him she was Geneva Tisdale, a former Woolworth employee, who six months after the sit-ins began, was in a small group who were the first African-Americans to be served at the lunch counter. I had the opportunity to speak with her for a few moments. I first asked her if she remembered what day she was served. She shook her head and said she didn't remember. I then asked her if she remembered what she ate. Suddenly the most incredible smile I have ever seen came over her face. She looked at me and said, "It was an egg salad sandwich."

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Log Grabs

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

An old pair of log grabs hang from the grainery wall on our farm in Randolph County, North Carolina.

Snow Bird

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

I don't often shoot a lot of wild-life and birds, however, a small Titmouse in the buttterfly bush outside of our den window during last weekend's snow caught my attention. Our cats were interested as well, but no blood was spilled.

At the Woolworth Counter

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

As I covered the opening of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina on Monday, I witnessed several memorable moments. The image that struck me the most was seeing the original Greensboro Four (three of the original group and the son of the fourth) at the original counter where they started their sit-in fifty years ago. From left to right: Joseph McNeil, David “Chip” Richmond Jr. (son of the late David Richmond), Frankin McCain and Jibreel Khazan (formerly Ezell Blair Jr.) Truly an amazing sight.

Fincastles Diner

Yesterday's opening of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum was a historic day for Greensboro. I shot the events that took place around the lunch counter at the old Woolworth building and will post some images in the coming days. It was a moving experience.

Just down the street from the museum is another lunch counter, one you can still eat at, and everyone is welcome. Fincastles serves up lunch every day. Buttersteak sandwiches and great burgers and fries along with their signature sauce. And where else can you get serenaded as you eat with old Motown tunes by "Jaybird" Williams, the singing waiter.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Tractor in the Snow

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Old tractor in the snow. Grays Chapel, North Carolina.