January 21, 2017 Women's March in Nashville

Dear Reader,
Our country is going through serious political, social and economic upheaval, and it's a very worrisome and exciting time to be an American. I have previously opted to keep politics out of my business life, but the current climate is leading me to change that position ever-so-slightly. I will be participating in and documenting some of these events as time goes on, so there will be posts involving politics and social justice issues from time to time. As always, the focus will be primarily on imagery.

I volunteered to photograph the Women's March in Nashville, one of the many branches of the Women's March on Washington across the United States (and, in fact, the world). People from many different backgrounds came together to peacefully show their opposition to the new president and his administration. I went as an observer and documentarian; I wasn't planning to officially march or chant, and I didn't have any signage.
As the day progressed, I was awed and humbled to be a part of such an incredible event. I talked with a couple of women from more conservative counties, and they expressed a newfound hope that they aren't alone in their thinking. The atmosphere was calm but invigorating, and there was sober intent, but not without joy. No matter what your political leanings, it undeniably came off without a hitch, and with double the expected attendance.
Below are some of my shots from the march. There were 15,000 people in attendance and no arrests, violence, rioting, or looting.

Lovely Cumberland Park, the scene of the rally before the march.

People making signs before the rally begins. 

There were many families with small children.

One of the women I met, Judy, lives in Columbia, TN. She is reinvigorated by the march and plans to have regular gatherings of like-minded people in her area.

A pro-life, anti-LGBTQ group met with non-violent opposition when they showed up with gruesome signs and a mixed message. 

The crowd continues to gather.

Cumberland Park was packed. You can see people still arriving across the parking lot on the left.

I don't know if this young woman was proud of her sign, to be a member of the march, or both, but she was a little ray of light in the crowd.

The march begins!

The woman with the Republican sign was a crowd favorite!

Congressman Jim Cooper in the crowd.

Second Avenue leading up to Public Square

The window box at Rock Bottom Brewery

I arrived at Public Square with the first half of the marchers. This is a shot of the pedestrian bridge from the observation deck of the parking stairway.

Since that event, there have been multiple rallies and marches in Nashville, many of which are getting higher-than-expected turnouts. My hope is that people become even more engaged as time goes on, and we become a society of people accountable to each other, who welcome and accommodate people from all walks of life.

I'm a newbie at being politically awake, and I'm actively looking for ways to improve. Here are some links that I've found relevant over the past couple of weeks:

This is a piece from Medium that addresses sign verbiage as well as behaviors that may be hurtful/exclusive to fellow members of the cause you're representing. 

This is a piece from The Bitter Southerner with personal accounts of why people marched in DC.

A few events coming up that may appeal to some folks:

We Are Watching - Rally at The TN State Capitol, Feb. 6, 3-6pm

Postcard Writing Night at Gift Horse in East Nashville, Feb. 16, 6-9pm

Kicking off the New Year at Fall Creek Falls

2017 is well under way, and I've been staying busy with clients, photo shoots, in-depth social marketing management, and new projects. It is really exciting to be this busy, especially as I'm entering my second year of being fully self-employed. 

Of course, I have all sorts of plans for the New Year, and am focusing heavily on marketing and expanding my music business network. Today, though, I want to share some images from our New Year's weekend. 

My best friend and her husband came to Tennessee to spend the holiday with us, which was so much fun. We had the opportunity to attend Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns, as well as the Underground Countdown at Fall Creek Falls State Park for New Year's Eve. 

The suspension bridges over the rushing waters are always a hit!

We love showing off the beauty of our adopted homeland, and either of these two destinations are a sure-fire way to get people to fall in love with Tennessee. Both of them, though, were the perfect combination to make a fun weekend awesome. 

We attended the Friday night Bluegrass Underground show, and were lucky enough to get a private tour of a part of the cave used for tours and educational purposes. I took one photo in the cave, but this is the first time I've ever seen the stage from this angle, and, though it's not my best work, the iPhone photo works just fine to show the view.

The crowd looks so small, but it was a packed house!

On New Year's Eve, we spent plenty of time lounging about the cabin and eating a delicious soup Bill made, but we did make it out to get some air and take in the sights.

One of the deer we saw every day outside of the cabin.

It's hard to really get the scope of the terrain, but this view of Bill, a few boulders below me, gives you a little idea.

Overlooking Buzzard's Roost. Photo by Bill Davis.

Buzzard's Roost

If you've ever seen Fall Creek Falls, whether in a photo or in person, you know they are usually a "bridal veil" falls; the New Year's weekend was rainy, so the falls were rushing like mad, and so huge!

Piney Falls

View from a suspension bridge.

For the Underground Countdown, we dressed up and had a ball! The music was a Bluegrass tribute to The Grateful Dead, so we were certainly the most dressed up people there, but we loved the compliments and the chill, welcoming vibe of the crowd.

It was a perfect evening to dress up and ring in the New Year!

New Year's Day was another great day for exploring the last falls in the park, Cane Creek Cascades. The suspension bridge was a little bit of a challenge between the drinks from the night before and the dizzying rush of the water below, but we all made it to the other side!

Cane Creek Cascades

Bill looking over the Cane Creek Cascades

The view over the cascades.

The opposite view from the suspension bridge.

A view of the cascades from the other side of the suspension bridge.

All in all, it was a perfect weekend with wonderful friends. As the year continues, I hope everyone is feeling the excitement of the possibilities of new beginnings.

Produce in the Studio

For those of you who don't know, I am fond of gardening, and this year has been the best garden yet. 

I took some of our bounty and used it in the studio. The colors are just glorious!

Cucumbers, hot banana peppers, Chocolate Sprinkle cherry tomatoes, Yellow Pear cherry tomatoes

Clockwise from left: cucumber, Black Prince tomato, Cherry Bomb hot pepper, jalapeño pepper, Candy Land mini cherry tomato, hot banana pepper, Yellow Pear cherry tomato, Chocolate Sprinkles cherry tomato

After shooting several  layouts on white/light backgrounds, the colors against the dark background jumped out beautifully. 

By far one of my favorite shots of the summer

A dinner creation by my charming husband, Bill

We planted new-to-us peppers this year, and these Cherry Bombs are now a Davis favorite. I especially like them stuffed with goat cheese and grilled.

We always plant heirloom tomatoes, and we tried a kind called Old German. A medium-size, they are so sweet and delicious, and their color is gorgeous.

My first attempt at preserving was a success! Bill will be making delicious soup base out of these jars when cooler weather comes around.

If you're a gardener with a blog or looking to start one, or even if you just want some pretty shots of what you grow, don't hesitate to contact me for pricing on garden photography.