Category Archives: People

Photographer’s Choice – Sam Sink

All In a Day’s Play

or, as Lissa Brown suggests,

It’s Tough to be Cool

Sam Sink - Fountain Play at Hilton Head

Sam Sink – Fountain Play at Hilton Head

New member Sam Sink has submitted the above playful image as his “Photographer’s Choice”. He and his wife were vacationing at Hilton Head, SC in March of this year where this photo was taken. It’s always tempting to capture kids at play when their attention is focused on simply having fun with no awareness that a camera is looking. One can imagine the laughter and joy that surrounded the scene and possibly the daredevil attitude of flirting with the water spout and then the surprise when the water suddenly shot up and away went the hat.
Sam used a shutter speed of 1/400 sec, fast enough to stop the action at it’s peak. The other settings reflect the bright, sunny day with an f/stop of 7.1 and a low ISO of 100. The lens focal length was 140mm which, on his Canon T1i, is equivalent to 225mm on a 35mm camera.

“Doc” Watson – 1923-2012

“Just One of the People”

"Doc" Watson performs in West Jefferson

"Doc" Watson performs in West Jefferson

We depart this week from our usual “Photographer’s Choice” series to honor one of our own. Arthel “Doc” Watson left us on May 29th, with his guitar and banjo picking, natural baritone voice, and occasional harmonica, to join other great artists who helped to keep the musical heritage of genuine mountain music alive. He spread the sound of Country and Bluegrass all over the world and showed just how successful one could be with talent and hard work, overcoming a handicap that never slowed him down. Doc was born in Deep Gap and died in Deep Gap, never losing his love for home and the mountains of North Carolina, or his humility. Many of today’s “entertainers” could take note of the fact that one can be successful without sex and scandal, that a police record and headline grabbing antics are not a prerequisite to a career on the public stage. On the other hand, with meager talent perhaps that’s the only route available.

“Doc” Watson – a legend that will long be remembered.

Don Kimmer captured this excellent image on June 7, 2008.