We’ve eaten at a lot of local barbecue places. They each have their own style and flavor. But one thing they all have in common is some sort of pig-related decor. I’m not a big barbecue eater because it gives me heartburn, but I love my husband and he loves barbecue.
Here’s a list of our favorites.
Virginia Barbecue, Richmond, VA
Allman’s Bar-B-Que, Fredericksburg, VA
Northern Neck BBQ at the Barn, Montross, VA
Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que, Williamsburg, VA
These three photos were all taken on the same day, within an hour of each other so the light was pretty consistent. Same camera. Same film. A walk around my hometown, where I think I’ve seen all there is to see. I am persistent and take pictures even though I’m not sure any of them will be any good. I stay curious and open and willing to use film for practice.
In one photo the grass is soft, like a blanket laid out before the driftwood arch to Monroe Bay. The scene looks like an invitation. To a wedding, a celebration, a solemn promise to oneself or to another.
In the next photo the grass is crunchy. The small clump of zinnias hang on, persistent through the drought at summer’s end. Weeds intermix with blossoms. The fence line makes a harsh shadow across the grass and little stepping stones fight to maintain their place. The scene looks like survival.
In the last photo of the trio, the waves of the Potomac River lap at the shore. The sky is changing with clouds rolling in and the hope of rain to come. The sea grass leans into the wind. The scene looks like relief or some version of saving grace.
The recycle bin on my computer is not the same thing as trash. It’s mostly the place where pictures go to await a second chance. I had impulsively deleted an entire roll of film scans taken with my Yashica T4. The exposures seemed off. It looked like they might require “work,” and I am rarely willing to work hard to polish a picture that just isn’t good to begin with. The subjects were things I’ve photographed many, many times. Why not just let them go?
Because there are days when I just want to work because work gives life meaning. Sometimes people ask me what I do with “all those pictures” that I make. This question always throws me for a loop. I don’t make them to do anything with them. I make them for the process, for the layers and colors and shapes and meaning of it all.
I put myself in these places of stillness.
Where I think about my thinking and embrace the present.
Ready to walk a new path,
I hope for renewal and engagement
and pray for resilience.
