The Tranquility of the City

Passing Time

Finals are over and I do not have any job beckoning me. Nor do I have weddings to attend or senior portraits to edit. In fact, I do not have many things requiring my attention for the next month which is fantastic. Yesterday morning, I decided to come into Downtown Fredericksburg before the world awoke (makes me think of Sleepless Seattle or Midnight in Paris). I am not normally a morning person so 5am is pretty early for me to be about. However, the deserted streets, empty shops, and a dark sky really was just a unique experience. More people began to show up between 5:45-6:30am, largely the commuters. Despite that, for a brief time, the streets of Fredericksburg were solely mine.

As I sit in Hyperion sorting through my pictures (you know it is early when you are up before a coffee shop opens), I decide several things: 1) Do not listen to the weather update before 9am. I really do not need to know it is 20 degrees outside at 5am. I just do not want to get out of my car at that point. 2) I need thicker gloves. Ice coated fingers makes it really difficult to hold my camera (think "butterfingers" except colder). 3) I also think that I need to do this again, perhaps at 4am before the commuters come in. Many people have talked about the beauty of the wilderness, how great it is to get out of the city to the country where you can be all alone and solitary, how peaceful it is and so on. This is true - I would love to head out to some distant, cell-service lacking areas. But there is something uniquely appealing about being the only person in a town or city. Granted, I have to get up at some unearthly hours, but I think I will go do it again. It may perhaps be a good project over the next month to strive to capture the stillness of the city - photo projects give me something to do when I want to take pictures but do not have any weddings or events to attend.

Light, Shadows, and the Grey In-Between

Whenever I travel to Williamsburg with certain people, the question always asked afterwards is what is your favorite part/least favorite part. And occasionally what you would change. I think I will include it in here - just for kicks. :) Seeing the city frozen and desolate (it really is not as gloomy as I just made it sound!) is really just a huge change from the typical lively city that is very appealing to walk around in. Really, when have you ever been in a town and never seen a person, car, or any other typical sign of the masses? My least favorite part is a toss-up between frozen fingers and waking up before even the crazy/dedicated/obsessive runners get out.

A Town Asleep