A sunset drive on the A72 near Rosebank, Scotland. Standing sentry are ancient elders of oak, silver birch and pine that border the country lane which is empty of all traffic. With the windows down the crisp air dashes about and fills the cab with aroma of turf, heather and earth. For a moment my soul is lifted from all of life’s complications and I slow the car to a crawl to absorb every second. To my left is the River Clyde, running dark and silent as the sun ends another day in the land of my fathers. I am home and received by the spirits and magic of Scotland and yet I struggle to believe that I just saw a unicorn on the banks of the River Clyde. It was a magical mystery tour and I can’t wait to go back because Scotland is in my heart and soul.
Category: Travel
Scottish Mythology: The Angel’s Share
Believe it or not Angels “steal” 4% of the whisky in a barrel every year. They want to make sure it’s okay before we drink it. The “Angel’s share” or “Angel’s tax” refers to the 4% of whisky that evaporates every year as it matures in the cask. Once you bottle whisky, the Angel can’t touch it. It no longer evaporates. So with that said, if by chance your driving south on the A702 in Edinburgh and before you come upon the A720 Bypass you might just see an angel resting from an alcohol-induced slumber, don’t be alarmed just drive on and let him sleep.
Cheers My Friends and Have a Bountiful New Year.
Illustration by me.
Life in the City of Angels: I Am a Traveler
I am a weary and a lonesome traveler
I’ve been a traveling long.
I’ve traveled near and I’ve traveled yonder
I’ve been a traveling long and traveled cold and then
I’ve traveled hungry. Lord, I’ve been a traveling long.
Yes, I’ve traveled with the rich and traveled with the poor
I’ve been a traveling long.
One of these days I’m going to stop all my traveling
Going to keep right on traveling on that road to freedom
Going to keep right on traveling long…
Life in the City of Angels: High School and High Heels
Learning the challenges of walking in high heels the teachers quotes Marilyn Monroe to her students…. “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world,”
Random Thoughts: Washed Upon the Shores of this Tiny Blue Marble
The Sahara is a great leveller, making all men equal regardless of their station in life. So, when you come across another soul within this vast arena of sand, you stop, share, and remind yourself that here, we are all brothers.
Dave Banks Demo Reel
Life in The City of Angels: Doppelgänger, Michael and Edward
While flipping burgers at McDonald’s in the early 90’s, Edward Moss was repeatedly told by co-workers and customers of his strong resemblance to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Edward likeness became his asset leading him from the business of cardboard hamburgers to show business on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One of Edward’s first appearances as “The Gloved One” was at the old Hollywood Wax Museum. Standing at the entrance of the museum as living statue of Michael Jackson. Curious tourist would stop to take a gander at what they thought was a wax figure. As the vacationers gather for a closer look on cue a track of music would blast from the museum speakers. Startled by the music and movement, Edward would start dancing across the polished entrance of the museum to the surprise and amusement of his audience. For the Hollywood Wax Museum they sold tickets and for Edward it was the beginning to a career as a Michael Jackson impersonator.Crossing Borders: Italy, An Assignment For Myself
Fellow Photographer Joe McNally said it best, “No matter how much crap you gotta plow through to stay alive as a photographer, no matter how many bad assignments, bad days, bad clients, snotty subjects, obnoxious handlers, wigged-out art directors, technical disasters, failures of the mind, body, and will, all the shouldas, couldas, and wouldas that befuddle our brains and creep into our dreams, always remember to make room to shoot what you love. It’s the only way to keep your heart beating as a photographer.” Amen to that Joe ! I have no plans to retire, we photographers, writers and documentary filmmakers don’t retire, we reedit. I don’t think about my own mortality, it will happen as sure as it will for all of us, but I can only hope that it will interrupt me while photographing life – at least I hope it does with camera in hand.
Life in the City of Angels: Hollywood
Crossing Borders: Stone House of God and Mother Nature
Breaking away from the Edinburgh International Book Festival I hitched a ride with newly made friends, John and Kyra. We drove north from Edinburgh through the countryside on narrow lanes near St. Andrews, Scotland. We took in the sights, talked of life, family and photography when Kyra pointed out a solitary stone church sitting on a hill. It was at that very moment that the dark clouds started to spit rain, but not to be deterred from a photographic moment we pulled over and ran from the car to the middle the field and began shooting the stone house of God. Not one word was exchanged as each of us were lost in our own thoughts to capture a moment in time. It’s interesting what goes on in my mind when presented with an opportunity to seize the moment as pressure builds from mother nature who is ready to unleash her blessing of baptism on the earth.The consequences of not getting the “money shot” has always
weighed heavily on me. I frantically ran looking for the point of view that would satisfy my hunger as I scan the field trying not to fall. I stopped, pointed, framed and hit the shutter release not knowing what the settings were on my camera then ran again across the golden field firing more shots. As droplets of water became larger and heavier I ran back to the car in the parking lot snapping two more frames before getting inside. It was not until last night in the comfort of sitting next to the warmth of a fireplace that I was finally able to view my efforts and the possibility that I just might be lucky to have captured the elusive money shot.
Exposure and Other Worldly Morsels 