Bruce K. Haley Photography Blog

Almost Heaven Dulcimer Group Performance

Bruce — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:37:39 +0000

In my quest to find my creative streak and passion for life again, I took up the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer. Talk about fun! Trust me, I’m a whole lot better with a camera in my hand…at least for now. Join us ( THEY are the INCREDIBLY talented ones) Sunday, August 29th (my first ever music gig) as the featured group at the Chimney Corner Cafe & Amphitheater. Details below.

Almost Heaven Dulcimer Group - Yes That's Me Back Row Right

front row, l to r: James Binder, Martha Turley, Jane Robinson
middle row, l to r: Pam Grady, Pam Anderson, Helena Lee
back row, l to r: Heidi Muller, Dave Haas, Mary Booker, Bruce Haley

Chimney Corner Cafe & Amphitheater presents…
Sunday’s @ 1 with Jim Snyder
Chimney Corner Cafe & Ampitheater, Chimney Corner, WV
just west of Ansted on US Rt 60 in beautiful, historic Fayette County
in New River Gorge Country
This Sunday’s, August 29th, 2010 featured group hails from many points along the Kanawha Valley –
from Cross Lanes to Gauley Bridge
the Almost Heaven Dulcimer Group @ 2
& Aaron Burns from Greenbrier County @ 3.30
The hills of Fayette County will truly come alive this Sunday with the hint of fall approaching and the sounds of traditional stringed instruments.
If you haven’t seen Chimney Corner’s ampitheater and sat beneath the sycamores, consider taking a Sunday afternoon drive and visiting one of WV’s best kept secrets.
No admission charge.

MENDING – The Healing Power of Nature

Bruce — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:33:18 +0000

Hope Rising

The Story Behind Hope Rising

With the passing of my beloved wife Myriam, I found myself in a state of mind that I wasn’t accustomed to, one of having to deal with grief, and the mending process that follows. I’ve gone through the passing of my parents and friends, but this was different. Myriam was my greatest inspiration, my mentor, my greatest fan, my one true love, my soul mate. As a result, I found it very difficult to see any beauty in life and just as difficult to show that beauty in my nature photography – not to mention actually being able to go out and do my photography.

I received a message of condolence from fellow photographer Joseph Rossbach, and in that message Joe shared….”Stay true to your passion and nature will help to mend some of those wounds.” Now Joe is probably thirty years younger than me, but his message was wise beyond both our years – and he understands. We share a common passion for nature and photography, but in my grief, I forgot that beyond the beauty that surrounds us everywhere we look, there is so much more.

On a cold and rainy January morning, I forced myself to leave the house to run errands. At my first stop, I reached into my pocket to pay for my purchase only to realize that I had forgotten my money. So, I returned home to retrieve my wallet, and then made the return trip to pay for the purchase. Not a good start to the day.

I then set out to find a new winter jacket. You have to understand that I HATE shopping, especially for clothes. Myriam always took care of that chore and did it so much better than I ever could. She had an incredible feel for “the bargain.”

My first stop, I found a jacket, but of course, they didn’t have it in my size. The second stop, I found my size, but of course, they didn’t have anything that I wanted – I’m just not a leather jacket kind of guy. As I left to continue the torturous search, I was feeling the frustration of this cold and rainy winter’s day, and was fighting a strong urge to give up and return to the warm comfort of my home, a blanket and a nap.

Standing in the parking lot, out of nowhere, a calming peace came over me. I paused, looked to the area behind the retail outlet’s parking lot, and before my eyes was a beautiful wooded valley with striking trees shrouded in a blanket of fog. I’ve been to this area many times but never noticed the beauty of this small, wooded area. Surely this was a gift that was meant for me.

I spent fifteen or twenty minutes soaking in the beauty of the moment….BUT….I didn’t have my camera. I was torn between just staying until the moment disappeared, or trying to run home – AGAIN – to retrieve my camera and return, hoping that the vision would wait for me…they rarely do. Retrieving my camera won out, so I rushed home, got my camera and returned to a vision that was even more beautiful than the last.

I spent another hour oblivious to the cold, oblivious to the rain, becoming one with my gift – all sadness gone, all grief evaporating into the beauty of the healing elements of nature. At this moment, I knew that Myriam was still with me, that she gave me this gift to remind me that I must go on. I must continue to create. I must continue to share through my art, through my writings, through my teachings.

Myriam always encouraged me to remain true to my soul, to present nature, not as the lens captures it, but as I see, feel and experience it. Always reminding me that photography isn’t about f/stops, shutter speeds, or equipment. It’s about seeing, it’s about feeling, it’s about learning…learning about the people places and things around me…and most important, learning about me. And, when needed, it’s about healing and mending.

Joe was right “…and nature will help to mend some of those wounds.”

Since then, Myriam has sent me many other signs and gifts, letting me know that it’s OK to move on. It’s OK to feel alive. It’s OK to experience all the universe has to give. It’s OK to always have a special place in my heart for her. While I miss her terribly, as do all that knew her, I can relive our moments together and smile and feel the warmth of her love and acceptance of me…our total acceptance of each other. I’m truly blessed to have had her in my life even if it was too short a time.

Myriam’s birthday was on August 21st. In honor of that special day, I made it my quit smoking day. I’ve come full circle….from not caring much if life went on or not, to wanting to LIVE! To experience all the joys Myriam is sending me….to treat each day as a precious gift…..to love and be loved and to share that happiness with all. We have so little time here. Accept the healing power of nature and thrive! May God bless you and may the light shine upon you each and every second of each and every day.

Suzan Chiacchio Brand ~ Nature of Norway

Bruce — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:10:58 +0000

If you are in or around the other Charleston…..South Carolina, that is, anytime in August, stop by the Saul Alexander Gallery in the Charleston County Library, 68 Calhoun Street, to enjoy Suzan Chiacchio Brand’s beautiful photography exhibit, Nature of Norway. I’ve had the honor of critiquing some of Suzan’s work for this exhibit and I can tell you that it is wonderful work. In fact, as I looked at her work for this exhibit, I couldn’t help but wish that I had been there and the shots were mine. Directions to the gallery can be found here .

Congratulations to Wonderful West Virginia Magazine

Bruce — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:07:21 +0000

The Association for Conservation Information has awarded Wonderful West Virginia Magazine first place for the story, “Then and Now: The Town of Helvetia, written by Editor, Sheila McEntee. Take some time to read this fascinating story about a Swiss village nestled in the beautiful hills of West Virginia.

What’s It All About, Alfie?

Bruce — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:25:19 +0000

"Wandering Through My Mind"

Click on Artwork for Story and Details

Hello again! I figured that it was time to stop procrastinating and let you know what to expect from this photoblog.

Usually when I create a work of art from my photography, I create first and title last. With this post, the first thing that popped into my mind was the title: “what’s it all about, alfie”, which is the first line from the Hal David and Burt Bacharach 1966 hit, “Alfie”, made popular by Dionne Warwick and the movie of the same name.

After I recovered from thinking “WHAT corner of my mind did THAT come from?”, I decided to look up the long forgotten lyrics and there it was:

“i believe in love, alfie
without true love we just exist, alfie
until you find the love you’ve missed
you’re nothing, alfie”

I totally believe in those words, not only love, but also passion, passion for life, passion for what we do, passion for others – and that’s what this part of what this photoblog is all about, my friends. My passion and my love for my art, for people, for life and sharing it with you. Photography has given me a wonderful outlet to explore – explore my creativity, explore my inner self. explore the people, places and things that make up our lives. My explorations are usually via nature, for it is in nature, I feel, that we find the true essecense of our souls. I hope that you can find it too, for we are surrounded by beauty if we only take the time to explore, to open our minds and see.

I can give you a lot of art-speak and go on and on with the fancy words, but for me, it all boils down to my finding that love and that passion again. When my wife, Myriam died, my passion for anything died with her. Myriam asked very little of me in life but, just before she died, knowing that I would be lost for a while, made me promise to find love again, continue on with my photography and to share my knowledge through showing and teaching others. This is also what it’s all about, Alfie.

Future posts will include discussions about what I see, how I see, what I feel. I plan a series of posts, with the help of my wonderful writer’s group, The Village Writers here in Charleston, WV, (Jim Wallace, Laurie Helgoe, Beth Wheatley, Cindy Boggs and Linda Arnold) that will give you exercises to help you see the beauty that surrounds you in your everyday life. I also plan produce videos that will feature my fine art photography and, at some point, feature the music of some of the most talented musicians in the world living right here in my beautiful Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.

And it won’t be all about me or my work. I will also be introducing you to some remarkable photographers that you may not know of. They will be photographers who have, or do, inspire me, some of which I have the pleasure of knowing and some of which I don’t know. Some of the people I will be introducing you to won’t even be photographers, but very talented and gifted artists in their own right.

I also hope that you will join in and and share your thoughts and feelings. Feel free to ask me how I did a piece, what techniques I used. Feel free to share your experiences. Feel free to share your feelings. I believe in sharing, feeling that we can’t keep anything until we give it away. Please help me keep my promises and, hopefully, we will all grow.

So come along and join me on this journey and let’s see where it takes us.

Just Do It ~ A Solution to ProcrastinationDay 3 of 3

Bruce — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:10:54 +0000

"Day's End", Late spring sunset, Shenandoah National Forest, Virginia. Click on Image for More Information and to Add to Your Collection

If you’ve been following along, you know that in Day 2 of 3 of Just Do It… I shared my second day of ”writing” my first blog. I put “writing” in quotes because, as you well know, I hadn’t written the first word, opting to get bogged down by all the technical issues, not to mention all the other obstacles I managed to throw down. In this final part, I share the happenings that FINALLY woke me up.

Day 3 started out like the first two, full of hope, but feeling the pressure of meeting my self-imposed goal. I’m not writing yet, but I’m learning a lot. The problem with the whole procedure was that the more I discovered, the more I felt like I had to learn. It was a vicious circle like the first time I was on the World Wide Web….one place led to another, which led to another, which led to another and, before I knew it, I was completely lost.

At this point, the whole process is very frustrating and self doubt is beginning to settle in. Distractions are coming easily. For example, as I looked around the room for salvation, I saw that my dulcimer music is scattered out all over the place. I’d been meaning to organize them into a three ring binder for some time now and what better time to do it? So it’s off to find a three ring binder and the hole punch. Two hours later, that is one chore on the long list of chores that I can cross off my list. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the sweet feeling of completing something….ANYTHING ! Of course, all that was kind of wearing me out and it IS a holiday so a nap is mandatory, then a movie, then dinner and before I knew it, it was evening and I STILL hadn’t written the first word.

At this point, the mind begins to fight for survival. After all, it IS a self-imposed goal, isn’t it? So what if I don’t get it done today? Who would know but me? On and On. Many of you have been there. You know what I’m experiencing. It was then that I received an e-mail from my friend Pam Hawley Grady that I mentioned in Part 2. The e-mail started “blog…blog…nudge…nudge”. Uh-oh….somebody besides me knows. Now I’m in trouble. I forgot that I had shared that I was working on my blog AND, even worse, that I had planned to finish it by the end of the holiday weekend.

It was then that I realized, I’M PROCRASTINATING!!!! Now, I come by it honestly. I put off being born for two whole weeks. I’m a master at it. A lot of it has to do with wanting to do something perfectly which, thank goodness, never stopped me from chosing a second career as a photographer. Now my wife Myriam, God rest her beautiful soul (Myriam, unfortunately, passed away last October and you will hear more about her in future posts), was the exact opposite. That woman could get more done in one day than most people could in a week. She was well aware, and forgiving, of my weakness. When I read Pam’s “blog…blog…nudge…nudge”, I could see Myriam’s smiling face, with a twinkle in her eye and I could hear her saying, with her beautiful Colombian, South American accent, “Just Do It”

By the way, Pam……blog…blog…nudge…nudge.

Please feel free to leave a comment below and/or subscribe to my blog.

Just Do It ~ A Solution to ProcrastinationDay 2 of 3

Bruce — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:05:17 +0000

"Afternoon Light #6" Spring afternoon on the backroads of Tucker County, West Virginia. Click on Image For an Interesting STORY and/or to Add to Your Collection.

In ”…Day 1 of 3″, I took you through the first full day of “writing” my first blog. The saga continues…

What I haven’t told you is that, several months ago, I took the entire WordPress course on lynda.com. All this tutorial stuff was actually a refresher. The thing is, I had changed themes and now I was working on WordPress installed on the server hosting my website, rather than on the WordPress website. Before, almost everything was exactly like the tutorial which made life so easy. Now, with a new blog theme and it being on my server rather than the WordPress server, the tutorials didn’t quite match, which added to the stress level.

To make matters worse, I didn’t like the new blog theme because it didn’t have the look and feel of my website. I found this to be quite frustrating and I kept wavering between trying to make the new blog theme work or find another that better fit my needs. I FINALLY opted for the latter. A quick e-mail to my webmaster (this is on July 4th, mind you) and within minutes, Marian had a new blog theme uploaded and installed with instructions to enjoy.

It only took me a few minutes to realized that I had NO idea how to install the banner which was the motivating factor for changing blog themes in the first place. This theme was the most versatile yet, having many more options than the other two. I saw a steep learning curve ahead of me and my goal of completing the blog by Monday was in serious jeopardy. Another quick e-mail to Marian and she had the banner installed in seconds. Still, all the new theme options had my head swimming.

In the meantime, I had received an invitation from my friend, Pam Hawley Grady. Now let’s see, a cookout and group dulcimer playing (to clear my head, of course) or dealing with the mind boggling details of posting my first blog? Such a difficult choice.

I returned home around 8:00 with music dancing in my head. Blog or playing with my new dulcimer? I think you already know the answer.

I STILL hadn’t written the first word. In Day 3 of 3 I’ll share how I discovered the error of my ways.

Please feel free to leave a comment below and/or subscribe to my blog.

Just Do It ~ A Solution to Procrastination Day 1 of 3

Bruce — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:00:57 +0000

: “Golden Haze on The Meadow”, Fall Morning, Droop Mountain, Hillsboro, West Virginia. Click on Image For More Information and to Add to Your Collection

My webmaster, Marian Jackson at Paintwebs.com and I have been working on a massive redesign of my website since the middle of February. While there was, and always be, a million little things to do, I made the decision to take it live on July 1, 2010. The one remaining major ”task” was creating my first Blog. And that’s when Procrastination reared it’s ugly head.

I’ve had almost five months to think about it. Five months to come up with the most elegant, insightful blog ever written. The 4th of July holiday weekend was going to be the perfect opportunity. Three whole days to come up with something. Enthusiasm was high. Determination was powerful. The end was in sight. Unfortunately, procrastination reigned supreme.

I fully intended to jump start on Friday night, but rather than work on the blog, I opted to go to Taylor Books here in downtown Charleston, WV to visit with friends and listen to the beautiful music of Heidi Muller and Bob Webb. When I returned home, my new McSpadden mountain dulcimer (more about that in a later post) called to me and late into the night I worked on mastering my new passion. That’s OK. All work and no play makes Bruce a dull boy, right? In case you answered that incorrectly, it does. Anyway, I still had three full days to complete my first blog.

Saturday morning came way too early, but I was excited about getting to work. My first thought was that I have no idea how to post a blog. So it was off to lynda.com to learn everything there is to know about WordPress. After a few tutorials, I realized that I was craving sesame seed bagels from Panera Bread and if I didn’t go right away, they may be out of them.

After satifying my craving, it was back to the tutorials (so MUCH to learn). Unfortunately, my eyes kept wandering from the computer screen to an old Epiphone guitar that a dulcimer friend had given me. It needed new strings and I wanted to have it checked out for any flaws…besides my playing skills, that is. Two hours later, I was back in front of the screen watching tutorials. The rest of the day was spent watching tutorials, napping, practicing the dulcimer, watching a movie wondering if I was ever going to learn how to perfect this blog thing.

One thing led to another and before I knew it, morning had turned to evening and my bed was calling. I still hadn’t written my first word.

Continued in Part 2. Well? It IS about procrastination, isn’t it?

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