Author: dennis

Blue moon over Gambrill

Blue moon rising over the ridge of Gambrill State Park, Maryland. In memory of Neil Armstrong, buried on the day this photo was made. And to think he got to walk around up there and look back at this big round ball where we live…it boggles the mind. Photo below taken several minutes later, after… Continue reading Blue moon over Gambrill

Frederick County screens anti-immigration film

Aspiring filmmaker Dennis Lynch came to Frederick Community College last week at the invitation of Frederick County’s Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and sheriff’s department, to screen his anti-immigration film, “They Come to America”. Admission was free so I attended. I wanted to better understand the thinking behind some of the recent actions taken by… Continue reading Frederick County screens anti-immigration film

Finding the frumious bandersnatch

After my bicycle ride yesterday I grabbed my camera and took a walk around the community park where I often begin and end my rides. The summer is nearly spent, black-eyed susans are already gone but the cattails growing by the creek had caught my eye. The way the sun was painting the edges of… Continue reading Finding the frumious bandersnatch

Gordon Parks’ extraordinary eye on extraordinary times

Two weeks ago New York Times’ photo blog published a selection of long lost photos by Gordon Parks, made in the 1950s before the Civil Rights movement came of age. They were originally taken for this story in Life Magazine. They are both wonderful and heartbreaking. They are wonderful because they do exactly what a photograph should do:… Continue reading Gordon Parks’ extraordinary eye on extraordinary times

Louisville then and now

My family lived in Louisville, Kentucky when I was a child. My roots are deep there; my younger brother died during that time and is buried there. I still have family members and loved ones living in and around Louisville, and have spent wonderful time there over the years. I’m a Marylander, but parts of… Continue reading Louisville then and now

A paddle on the Potomac

I needed a break yesterday, and so instead of my customary bicycle ride took my canoe to the Potomac River. My launching point was the mouth of the Monocacy River, which flows into the Potomac. I canoed out under the old Monocacy Aqueduct, which once carried the C&O canal over the Monocacy River. I turned… Continue reading A paddle on the Potomac

Making the digital leap

I learned photography in the time when a curious material called “film” was used to gather light to make images. Generations ago people once used glass plates coated with chemicals to do the same thing. Nowadays cameras have digital sensors and few moving parts, and perform amazing feats under virtually any kind of light at… Continue reading Making the digital leap

A day in the life of the Wallenda family

On June 15, 2012 Nik Wallenda will be the first person ever to attempt walking over Niagara Falls on a highwire. After petitioning both the U.S. and Canadian governments he successfully received all the permits necessary and is now set to make history. Here’s why it matters to me – my own little bit of… Continue reading A day in the life of the Wallenda family

Newt Gingrich campaigns in Frederick, Maryland

The day before Maryland’s primary election Newt Gingrich was abroad in the western half of the Old Line state, making a stop at Hood College in the early afternoon. Students enthusiastically lined up to ask questions of the candidate after his prepared remarks, and he didn’t get away without encountering a few critics. But the… Continue reading Newt Gingrich campaigns in Frederick, Maryland