Rites of Life Part 3: First Hunt

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Here is the third installment to Rites of Life. It was shot last November and held until today in order to fit into the order of the project . Check out the first two sections if you haven't yet been to the site. Cheers to Liz for writing one hell of a story. Click on image to go to blog to see slideshow and read story.

www.theritesoflife.blogspot.com

Rain Rain Go Away

It's spring here and rainy. I love thunder showers and rain on a warm summer day, the kind that makes you want to jump in a giant rain puddle and get covered in mud. I'm not a big fan of the gray dreary days where the rain just drips on you.

Powwow

Never been to a powwow before but this was pretty interesting. The dancers costumes are amazing a the highlight of the day.

Kinda Creepy

My friend a fellow N & A employee Jeremy talked about this picture for a layout at work. He's in the school of creepin it out all the way and so am I....here is the extra creepy version of this picture. I hope you like it and you have dreams of floating wigged heads.

Day o' Prayer

TJ at the House

I guess when it rains it pours...that is historical reenactors. In a period of two weeks I got to photograph a civil war reenactment AND Thomas Jefferson. I know most people would be kinda sick of the reenacting thing by now but I just find it historical. Anyway Thomas was a fun time although apparently he's a very busy man so I had to pull this portrait together in five minutes.

We lost the battle but we won the war

Last weekend I photographed a war of northern aggression reenactment in the downtown of Bedford. Since I've been in Virginia I hadn't photographed a civil war reenactment yet but had expected to have this rite of passage any day now. This particular reenactment was about the Hunters Retreat Battle and was when the confederacy recaptured the town of Liberty forcing the Union to retreat. Bedford looked quite surreal that day. They stopped traffic and about 100 men dressed as Civil War Soldiers ascended on the town
While growing up I always thought that everyone in this country would identify with the Union. I kinda thought that it was always a good thing that the Union won and you know we ended slavery and all that. But Southerns have a completely different take which I find quite entertaining.
-First a for most people are still pissed that the Union won.
-Secondly when someone who is from the South is referencing the Civil War and they say "we" most likely they are not talking about the Union.
-Thirdly the Civil War was not about slavery (I guess all the 5th grade history text books are wrong) it was about states rights. Don't ever make the mistake of bringing it up in a southern bar, restaurant or sports event...you might get punched.
-Fourthly the confederate flag is "about Heritage not Hatred"...a phrase I've never quite understood but what do I know.
Aside from all of the politics this event was a hoot and one of my favorite assignments I've had since I have been here. I had to laugh at the buy a foam brick to throw at a Union soldier fundraiser they had during the event and the deafening roar of the crowd as the Confederacy recaptured the town. I tell you I'll never be able to look at Bedford the same again