Thanks to safe practices and oyster farming, you can eat oysters in the summer. Thank goodness!

With warm weather comes longer days. Summer officially arrives on June 21, the longest day of the year. After that, Dear Friends, the days begin to get shorter by about 1 minute every 3 days. Still, live every day as if it were truly an Endless Summer. And take those sunset photos!

We've been busy but I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Father's Day.

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. ~Johann Schiller

One of my favorite days on assignment made me look at seafood (the only meat we eat, and always sourced in the the US) a little differently. The days of a waterman are long (from sunup to sundown) and hard but there is always time for a little fun.

It's that time of year when novice photographers take to the outdoors to capture nature. Please be respectful of wildlife's space. Never go near their homes. The below photo of a baby osprey was taken with a very long lens. I was spied, for sure, but I did not encroach into their space. Many states have laws againts disturbing the homes of certain species.

Some of my favorite photographs were taken when I stopped the car to take photos of strangers. Many were taken on the way to or returning from assignments, but some were taken on holiday or going to some unimportant place, reason long lost to time. Being a people person, I can never pass up an interesting face, and I have found that 99% of the people I cold-walk up to are willing subjects.

The below photo was taken in West Virginia. I saw the man sitting on a curb and had to double back. He told me stories of a time when he worked for the railroad. Fascinating.


I have enjoyed meeting many people from all walks of life and listening to their stories. Even though I am retired, I still look forward to the next stranger and the next story.

He died in June of 2017, at the age of ninety-five. His funeral was attended by his large family, friends, and his adoring fans, of which he had many. His name was Art Daniels, but those who knew and loved him called him, "Daddy Art." 

​Daddy Art spent his life on the water as an oysterman and crabber but he is best known for his participation in the annual Skipjack races that take place on his tiny island. Until his illness, he never missed a race in over 50 years. To his credit, he won 9 races and placed in many more.

​I was privileged to ride along on his Skipjack during races on several occasions for the purpose of taking photos. He called me his, "Georgia Peach,"  and though dozens of members of the press and photographers, as well as accomplished 'hobby' sailors, begged to be onboard  his boat during the annual races, he never declined me a seat. 

​His boat was a patchwork of bits and pieces of wood and was long overdue for a new coat of paint. One marina owner told me Daddy Art would fish out pieces of wood he would see floating in the water and save them for his, "boat patching."

When I first met him at his dock he beckoned me to follow him down a rickety plank that had so many missing and rotten boards, I had to tiptoe around them while he floated over them like a ballet dancer, taking amusement in my landlubber status.

​I was always humbled in Daddy Art's presence. He was legendary long before I met him. Now that he's gone, I know his legend will live on for generations to come, not only on his island but spread around the world by the many people who met and loved him.

​I was never one for favoring any one photo. I have met and photographed many famous people, and the only photo I have separated from any of my newspaper assignments is the one of Daddy Art holding a photo of his younger self. I gave him a copy and he signed my copy, which I proudly had framed and still display today.

​Daddy Art lived such a good life there is no doubt he is happily sailing again in heaven, and hopefully, he has been furnished with a brand new Skipjack, although if I think about it, that would never do. I'm sure he has requested and received an exact replica of his old boat. 

​Happy sailing, Daddy Art. Be sure and save a seat for me. I'm not planning on coming anytime soon, but I know you will remember your Georgia Peach when she arrives.

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Fall is a great time of year to bring your cameras out of the closet. Put down your camera phones and have a little fun with color. Since retiring, I have been lazy in using my cameras in the summer months. Too hot to carry around a lot of gear when my iPhone can capture a moment, which is about all I can say for them. Don't get me wrong. I use my camera phone all the time these days but they can never match a good digital and never come close to a good photo taken with a manual camera.

I will always be of the belief that no digital camera can capture a photo like a manual camera, and nothing can replace the actual darkroom work of a professional. Darkroom work, to me, was a chance to play and paint with light; it was my favorite thing about photography. Now, I pop a photo in Adobe Photo and Done! 

​So if you have a "real" camera, dust it off and play with the fun colors of fall. And if you don't have a digital or manual sitting around, let your eyes be the judge of a good light and use your camera phone.

This post may be obsolete in a few years because camera phones are going to get better but us old-timers will still insist that a negative from a manual camera, developed and printed in a dark room by the artist will always be superior to any machine.

​Tip: Always shoot with the sun behind you. Look for a good blue sky. Puffy white clouds make for a good accent.

It seems everyone has been watching Ken Burns 'Vietnam War,' a stunning look at the war so many try to forget. Forget, we must never do. And we must never forget the brave souls who put their lives on the line in any war. The Vietnam War is a war that tore America apart. No series can ever repair that but it can aid in the healing, which is a life-long process for combat veterans.

Aurence keeps in touch with some Marines who served with him in combat. From time to time, others pop in and out of our lives. Brave souls, all. Keeping in touch is sometimes hard, even in this day and age, and though many veterans can remember nick-names (everyone had them in Vietnam) it is sometimes hard to recall a first name. If you served with the MAG 16 at Marble Mt or Dong Ha 66-67 Aurence, who served as air crew doorgunner, would love to hear from you.

​We pulled Aurence's Book of Records, a military book-of-sorts that lists your every step  from your induction to the day you received your discharge papers, an interesting read. It also lists all of your "official" combat missions by dates.. If you don't have your DD214, it is also included. Some veterans have lost their DD214's and/or misplaced their medals. Your DD214 lists your medals (see Aurence's ) and the government will make a one-time life replacement for you.




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I encourage all to write the military personnel office and request your BOR. I can't
​emphasize enough how important it is to get and preserve your records and medals for your children. Aurence will be proud to pass his own to our son and grandson.

Veterans can write to:

​NPRC Mailing Address:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138

​Be sure and include your service # (or social security number if you can't remember), birthdate, birth state, full name, what branch you served in, dates your served, and any other information that can help them identify you. Rather than take a chance at getting a letter requesting more info, give them whatever you think they might need to identify you. And do not forget to sign the letter of request. 

Oh, and be sure to state that you want not only your DD214 and replacement medals as well as your Book of Records, along with medical records. Remember, they will only replace your medals once, so put them in safe keeping.

​At one point we were helping veterans who wanted their service records and duplicate medals. I remember it took anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks, sometimes longer, before they received their packets. Be patient, but don't forget to do it. Your children will be glad you did.

Your cell phone photos might look good on your screen and as small prints, but blow them up to an 8x10 or larger and you will be disappointed unless you shot in a perfect light. Believe me, there are precious few 'perfect lights' in life and when you come across one, it can be gone faster than you can find your phone.

A good camera and a zoom lens may be your best bet if you are interested in taking some lasting photos. You can always find a good deal on used cameras and the Internet is full of free photography lessons.

The moral of the story first: Always have an arsenal of camera gear in your passenger seat and your press pass around your neck. I was stopped for doing 55 in a 35 after this officer shot me with radar. Also, I was not wearing a seatbelt. After he properly scolded me, he handed me a warning. He was a real sport when I asked him to hold up the radar gun so I could get it in the photo. Kudos to the good cops out there. 

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Nothing better than a beach fire on an empty beach. Too hot for these Dog 'Days' but just right for nights when the wind brings a gentle chill to your bones. Grab a beer, dig up some mussels and clams, and forgot about hundred-degree days.

If you are in Washington DC, don't forget to visit the National Museum of American History. Check out the 3rd floor for the "Price of Freedom" exhibit. You will see this baby there. You can see more photos  at: www.aurbie.com/about-aurence.html

Landing at National Mall.  Aurence is shown in tan jacket. He painted the artwork shown on door after she landed in our backyard. The famous White Dog, along with several other icons that appear in all of Aurence's works, can be seen on the door. For full story click on above link.

 Dogs are easy. Cats, not so much. They belong to a secret club, it seems. When you see a photo op they almost certainly reorganize their bodies by the time you get back with the camera.

The best advice I can give is to always keep a camera handy and make sure you have a good light before snapping. A cat is going to be sleepy-eyed when it wakes up, and there is usually a stretch and/or yawn that follows. If you are shooting with a camera phone you may get some movement unless you have great light. 

The best time to capture your beauty is shortly before he winks out, or is engaged in watching something that interest him enough to be bright-eyed but sleepy enough to not want to get up to investigate.

Look for bright eyes, relaxed poise, and good light. Catch a cat when he is in deep thought.

In this photo, Skipper is getting ready for his afternoon nap but the birds have peaked his interest. He is distracted long enough to give a quick glance towards the camera. Notice that he has a lovely light falling on his face, which is what prompted me to grab my camera. I took this with a telephoto lens.

There was no great light on Khaleesi but her pose were perfect, and there was just enough light to bring out her blue Siamese eyes. Like Skipper, she was also contemplating a nap. She was in such deep thought she paid the camera no attention. I submitted this photo to the 2018 Workman's 365 Day Calendar. She won first place which make her the January 1 calendar cat.

I was organizing some photos and this one cooled me off. 2015 was the hottest on record until 2016 came along. It looks like 2017 is going to beat 2016. If you are sweltering like we are in the South, I hope this cools you off.

Before heading to a fancy dress ball, we donned our 2017 party favors and snapped a photo. Here's hoping that 2017 is a good and prosperous year for all our friends,  collectors, and followers. We so enjoy your emails. Thank you for your kind words and support of Aurence's work over the past 38 years.