documentary photography
(photograph taken late night at Open Eye Cafe in Carrboro off of S. Greensboro and Robertson streets in Carrboro. The coffeehouse is open until 11 p.m. every night except Friday and Saturday when it opens until midnight.)
The couple was celebrating an anniversary with an evening balloon ride over the Chatham County countryside. The balloon lifted at about 7pm Friday from a field in Silk Hope and floated West. Estimated travel is about 5 miles with calm winds.
(photographs taken via i-phone in Silk Hope, NC about 40 minutes southwest of Carrboro/Chapel Hill in Chatham County.)
(photographs taken of Crook's Corner Restaurant on the corner of Franklin Street and N Merritt Mill Road in Chapel Hill)
(photographs taken at the 14th annual ClydeFEST in Bynum, NC just south of Chapel Hill/Carrboro towards Pittsboro)
The mighty North Carolina Zoo is one of the largest natural habitat zoos -- sans concrete and steel cages. It spans 500 acres and is nestled in the center of the state, a little over an hour's drive southwest of Chapel Hill/Carrboro. The vast park is divided into two regions -- North America and Africa -- connected by shaded pathways linking animal exhibits. Those wary of hiking between "continents" can opt to shuttle by air conditioned tram. A walking tour can take up to seven hours to cover the entire park. Arrive early. Apply sunscreen. Sport the sneakers with the squishy soles.
(photographs taken at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC)
Rob on Lindsay: "She could make the best out of any situation. She just always brings a spark in." Lindsay on Rob: "A thousand things I love about Robbie D....definitely one of the coolest most funny laid back guys and extremely talented musicians that I know."
Ran across the duo near Open Eye Cafe in full embrace as they were parting ways for the afternoon. Rob cohosts the Monday night Open Mic at The Station.
(photograph taken near S. Greensboro and Roberson streets in Carrboro)
(photograph taken on Franklin Street between Columbia and Henderson streets in Chapel Hill)
More than anything, Bynum folk art legend Clyde Jones likes to make children smile. He has an unconventional way of going about it: by revving up his chainsaw.
It works. And kids aren’t the only ones smiling.
He starts with log remnants or an old stump. With a few swipes of his saw, a hammer and nails, and perhaps a coat or two of paint, a “critter” is born. Plastic flowers, tennis balls, artificial grapes, and bottle caps become eyes. A pair of panty hose or a clip-on braid becomes a tail. Some get saddles or a string of lights. The lucky ones get a frosting of glitter.
But the whimsical pieces aren’t for sale. He generously donates them to schools and to local nonprofits. And he gives them to folks he takes a liking to, which includes most of his neighbors, owners and waiters at area restaurants, his dentist, and Captain John's Dockside restaurant in Chapel Hill. In fact, when famed Russian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov arrived in a limousine in 1991, Clyde politely refused to sell him one.
“You can’t buy one,” Clyde said. “But I like it when people come and take a look.” However, those interested in owning a critter will have a rare opportunity to bid on one at the 14th annual ClydeFEST celebration on May 2nd in Bynum where Clyde will be fashioning a critter on-site for auction.
The Chatham Arts Council honors Clyde with an annual full-day, smile-packed event for children called ClydeFEST. Kids play original Clyde-themed games, make their own art, eat food, and enjoy live entertainment. At Clyde’s Critterville, children get to paint and glitter their own Clyde Critter cut-out to take home. This year’s ClydeFEST is set for Saturday, May 2 from from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Ball Field in Bynum just south of Chapel Hill/Carrboro towards Pittsboro. Admission is $7 for ages 12 and up, $3 for ages 3-11, and free for children under age 3. In case of inclement weather, the festival will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 3rd.
(written by Bett Wilson Foley, photographs taken at The Barn at Fearrington in Pittsboro, NC)
The glossy vintage Ford Thunderbird first rolled out in 1955 in direct response to Chevrolet's iconic sports car, the Corvette. After eleven generations and over 4 million sold, the company ceased production in 1997 when large two-door coupe sales waned. Betting on old faithful, Ford reintroduced the Thunderbird in 2002 as a two-seater with a retro twist, but after three years of sluggish sales it discontinued the once popular vehicle that outsold the Corvette in its first year more than 20 to 1.
(photograph taken on Main Street and Bike Alley in Carrboro)
Dogwood Tree blooms were crowned the North Carolina state flower in 1941. Seen across the state, its compact, solid wood was often used to create golf club heads, tool handles and butcher blocks. The bark was used as a treatment for mange -- perhaps where its name originates?
(photograph taken in Chapel Hill, NC)
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way - things I had no words for.”
Bold cups stacked in rows of colors emblazon the railings on Franklin Street. Look closely to uncover hand-written mantras in corresponding hues. The premise is to evoke emotion via bursts of color — inspired by Tibetan Prayer Wheels. The Color it Positive art installation by Helen and Mike Seebold is part of Windows on Chapel Hill’s pop-up art exhibits springing up through June throughout downtown Chapel Hill to showcase local artists and bolster the city’s vigorous arts community. The initiative is a collaboration between the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, Town of Chapel Hill Public and Cultural Arts Office, and smArts Creative Programs & Events. Check out more of Helen’s work at littleflowerart.com.
(photographs taken on Franklin Street between Basnight Lane and Kenan Street in Chapel Hill)
(photograph taken at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC)
“As soon as you try to describe a close friendship, it loses something.”
Smith coached the basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 36 years — from 1961-1997. In addition to his record wins and personal character, he was regarded as a desegregation advocate who lead by example. He recruited the university’s first African-American scholarship basketball player, Charlie Scott, in the late 1960s. Smith passed away on February 7th in Chapel Hill.
(photographs of the Scott Nurkin (2015) Dean Smith mural in progress were taken off of Smith Level Road and US 15-501 in Chapel Hill near the Orange/Chatham county line. Nurkin is known for signature murals around town including Greetings from Chapel Hill which can be seen off of Rosemary Street near Colombia Street in downtown Chapel Hill.)
"This is about the Foo in you. If everyone let the child in them come out, the world would be a better place," declares Foo, (short for Matthew). His New York accent slips through the gnawed cinnamon stick in his mouth and he concedes his roots are in the part of Manhattan "where the hippies are from." Foo had been at the PTA Thrift Shop in Carrboro earlier that afternoon where he purchased the oversized teddy bear -- flopped over his handlebars -- for "a friend with a hole in her heart."
(photographs taken on Franklin Street between Basnight Lane and Kenan Street in Chapel Hill)
"I always wanted to play. I saw a sax player at my church one time. I was like 'Who was that?' That person was really good. And I kept begging my parents 'Can I have a saxophone, can I have a saxophone?' So they got tired of the begging and they're like 'Alright, if that's what you want to do, we'll make it happen for you,'" says Jesse, 23, who landed his first paid gig playing at The Franklin Hotel when he was spotted with his saxophone on Franklin Street. "People are shocked to hear jazz around here," he says as a passerby drops a dollar bill into his case. "It's how I express myself. It's something positive."
When he is not blowing on brass for onlookers, he's on stage throughout the Triangle as the saxophonist for the funk/jazz/jam band Boss Nacho.
(photograph taken on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill)
Beading and sequins, pearl strands and gloves. Teens from Chatham and Orange counties arrive in clusters -- many by school bus -- to participate in Cinderella's Closet of Chatham County. The organization helps high school girls who might not be able to afford prom by outfitting them in ensembles certain to magnify memories. Volunteer "fairy godmothers" usher the students -- referred by community organizations and school staff -- as they till through racks of more than 600 dresses in a rainbow of colors, sizes and lengths. Seamstresses ensure a perfect fit. Scores of high heels, heaps of make-up, rows of clutches and cosmetic bags leave some speechless. The wide eyes and giggles among the girls are infectious. The the reactions, immeasurable:
(photographs taken at Cinderella's Closet of Chatham County)
(photograph taken near Columbia and Rosemary streets in Chapel Hill)
Think Brothers Grimm. Think thought-provoking. Think outdoor canvas. Tucked away at the end of a Chapel Hill road is The Last Unicorn, an unexpected "unicorn forest" of antique oddities displayed across the five acres of Gaines Steer's property. He's opened shop. Retired and temporarily closed shop. And more recently announced a "Going out of Retirement Sale." His open air antique shop-come-art installation includes a collection of architectural salvage among iron gates and garden embellishments.
Gaines encourages visitors to meander into his woods rewarding the curious with unexpected details. It's an exploration that tugs on your sense of humor and child-like sense of splendor. Scattered about are iron-gated vignettes, oxidized ship bits, and pithy signs like "will barter for money" and "we sell ideas." Ornate cottages evoke a Hansel and Gretel vibe. A mini-amphitheatre peeks from beneath last season's leaves. Wooden bridges over swales connect stained glass cottages. And at the edge of the property, is a domed wooden structure designated for meditation. It's outfitted with Buddha ushered by an enormous glass Ying Yang symbol.
Gaines readily admits to his eccentricity, manifested in his front yard and services offered: memoir writing assistance, career and lifestyle coaching, Native American Medicine Wheel instruction. He even offers a map of his grounds on his web site.
You can spot him around town. He's the one driving the old brown Ford topped with a lounging unicorn permanently affixed to the roof.
(photographs taken off of Mount Carmel Church Road in Chapel Hill. The Last Unicorn is located at 536 Edwards Ridge Road in Chapel Hill.)
The food truck ricochets throughout Carrboro: Johnny's Gone Fishing, Fitch Lumber Parking Lot, and the lot down from Glass Half Full. Loyalists flock to the Latin Grill for its tamales de pollo con salsa verde, tacos al pastor, enchiladas con mole and creamy flan. Year after year of consistent accolades keep the truck humming. Walk-up service, downtown locations. Keep up with them on facebook.
(photograph taken in the parking lot down from Glass Half Full in Carrboro)