Back to the Garden: The Camera’s Eye and VINES

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With all the things to love about summer in the Southern Tier, one of my favorites has to be gardening. I have 13 (!) of my own garden plots at home and, despite a constant war with slugs, deer, and other foes, I love cultivating my own vegetables and flowers! That’s why I was so excited to learn more about VINES, a community gardening and education group in the city of Binghamton. My social media manager has a VINES garden plot, and invited me to a Saturday morning “work party” so I could learn more.

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The work party was at the Corbett Avenue garden in Binghamton’s south side, a site that’s been going strong for five years now. Members sign up to rent a plot for the season at a garden location of their choosing. The raised beds are already built and the soil is already cultivated – all that’s left to do is start growing!

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Dick Andrus, a professor at Binghamton University, manages the site. He gave me the grand tour before the everyone arrived, starting with a spot of particular pride – the newly developed compost pile.

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As I chatted with members and wandered between the beds to snap photos, it was clear that the name “VINES” was more than appropriate. There were vines EVERYWHERE!

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Yes, some of them were weeds, which the garden members were taking to task….

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…but many hinted at deliciousness yet to come!

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Even though the program is well established – and obviously popular…look at the turnout at 9 am on a Saturday to pull weeds! – it was a nice reminder that improvement, growth, and change is always possible. The group added a long-awaited official VINES sign to the front gate while I was there.

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VINES does a lot more than just provide gardening space for its members. At their Urban Farm, volunteers grow food that goes out to farm share subscribers. It’s also available for sale at the weekly Binghamton farmer’s market (9-2 on Fridays in downtown Binghamton).

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In addition, VINES hosts numerous events and workshops that anyone in the community can attend for free. Upcoming events include “Season Extension on a Budget” on August 16th, “Freezing Vegetables” on August 20th, and a “Lemonade in the Garden” social event at Corbett Avenue on August 27th.

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A big thank you to VINES for all the work they do for the community, and for letting The Camera’s Eye shoot some wonderful summer images!

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2015 Owego Free Academy Senior – Nicole

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At The Camera’s Eye, we love turning out a successful senior portrait session! When everything’s clicking in a senior session, you just feel it. Nothing beats having both a beautiful environment and a senior with a great personality and openness.

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Of course, as with all things in professional photography, there’s not much you can do when the outside elements are determined to make their mark. Nicole, a 2015 senior from Owego Free Academy, had to reschedule her session TWICE!

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The first time, we got rained out – and we’re pretty familiar with rain in the Southern Tier. The second time, Nicole’s flip flop broke! However, fate was conspiring to make us schedule this third session, where everything came together beautifully. Third time’s the charm, right?

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Nicole is yet another one of my seniors who was just so much fun to shoot. She is quiet and composed, and so warm at the same time, which definitely comes across in her senior session photos. It helps that she was ready to roll with anything, and able to brush off both the weather and a wardrobe malfunction 🙂

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We may be in the last month of summer, but it’s not quite over yet – The Camera’s Eye has many more upcoming senior sessions to shoot before the school year gets into full swing!

Locals We Love – Jacques Gates and Valley Auto Spa

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With all the running around I do with The Camera’s Eye, my car becomes my second home. It makes SUCH a difference to my day when my Mini Cooper looks and feels professionally put-together – even if I’m not feeling the part myself 🙂 I recently had my car detailed by Jacques Gates, owner of Valley Auto Spa in Sayre, PA.

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He’s a full-time college student and Valley Auto Spa is a small side business, but he puts an incredible amount of care into his work. Jacques used to live in California, where he would go to a friend’s shop for detail work. Once he moved, he still wanted to keep his car spic and span, so he bought the equipment to do it himself. And that’s how Valley Auto Spa was born!

Jacques loves what he does, and it’s easy to see why – he gets the satisfaction of seeing cars leave his shop looking way better than when they came in.


A big thank you to Valley Auto Spa for keeping The Camera’s Eye riding in style!

 

2015 Athens High School Senior – Nadia

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The senior photo sessions just keep on rolling in for The Camera’s Eye! Meet Nadia, who will soon be starting her senior year at Athens High School in Athens, PA.

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Nadia loves science and wants to attend college – hopefully in the New York City area – to become a doctor. She’s already more than familiar with NYC, since she goes there once a month to visit her sister. They’re four years apart in age, but many people think they’re twins!

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Nadia is no stranger to travel, as she has been to South Africa – her parents’ home country.  She loves playing basketball, though she swears she’s not athletic. Based on these photos, I think we can safely call her a fashionista 🙂 She shared great pictures of her outfits before coming to see me, and she still couldn’t make up her mind which ones to wear!

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Even though there were some tough fashion decisions to make, she always knew that she wanted to wear this authentic Indian dress.  She’s definitely a girl after my own heart when it comes to a love of shoes – the icing on the cake, besides that gorgeous smile, is the matching 5-inch heels!

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Stay tuned for more senior photo posts – The Camera’s Eye has lots of seniors on the docket, and I’m excited to meet them all!

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2015 Owego Free Academy Senior – Hailey

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The summer’s halfway through, and at The Camera’s Eye we are continuing to meet and shoot our 2015 seniors! One student I’ve had the pleasure to meet is Hailey, a 2015 senior from Owego Free Academy. She plays tennis, loves to read and, like me, loves to Pinterest!

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Love her outfit choices – classic, classy, and stylish all at once. That, combined with the fact that she’s sweet and funny, made her senior session a lot of fun!

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Locals We Love – Florist and Stylist Ridge Prince

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Weddings and other events are nothing short of a team effort. At The Camera’s Eye, we love getting to know other vendors and service providers in the area. One of my fave guys, whom I know from Tioga Gardens, is Ridge Prince!

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Ridge started working at Tioga Gardens during his senior year of high school, doing “odds and ends” work. In his own words, when he started he “didn’t know a thing about flowers or the business.” That’s certainly no longer the case: After three years, he has worked his way up to become the lead designer, under master designer and owner Chris Kuhlman. Even though he now specializes in designing floral arrangements, he can do pretty much anything asked of him at Tioga Gardens. As he puts it, “I love my job because everyday I get the chance to design and create something new and in the process I get to bring some happiness and cheer to another.”

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As if that’s not enough, he also has a cosmetology license. At first, he only had time for working out of his home, but he has just started a new job in Wilkes Barre at Lonn Dean Salon. He has everything down when it comes to hair – bridal hair, intricate modern styles, and anything else you might need! “I love working there. Clients know we love what we do and will do our best to create the hairstyle you are looking for and love.”

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And, artist that he is, he also draws:

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Ridge and I have known each other for the past three years – even if I’m not working an event, I like stopping in to Tioga Gardens to say hi! You can contact him at 607-372-6626 or on Facebook.

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Jumping Into the 2015 Senior Photo Season

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The 2014 graduation parties are just barely wrapping up, and The Camera’s Eye is already working on 2015 senior photo sessions!

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Meet Parrish Bridges, a 2015 senior from Owego Free Academy! I often say I spend a lot of my time running around, but this guy actually spends his time running. He LOVES to run, and I’d go as far to say as he LIVES to run.  He’s dedicated, and definitely going places!

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At The Camera’s Eye, it’s always a bittersweet to say goodbye to a class of seniors after we’ve gotten to know them and worked so closely on their photos and graduation announcements.

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The up side is that now we have so much to look forward to with our 2015 senior photos!

Flowers and Photos at Tioga Gardens

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While it’s true that photography is, in its simplest form, one person taking photos, The Camera’s Eye wouldn’t be much without other collaborators! One of my favorite Owego businesses to collaborate with is Tioga Gardens. They change things up at their site every year, which I love – trellises, water fountains, you name it!

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There’s a lot to love about Tioga Gardens, including the fact that they’ve been in business for over 50 years. Currently, Chris and his brother Ed run the operation, along with their brother Steve. However, it was Chris’s dad who came home one day in 1966 and told his wife: “Guess what! You own a floral shop now!” She learned the floral business, and his dad ran the greenhouses across the street. Chris even grew up selling produce at the business. Today, they create incredible floral arrangements, and their grounds are ideal for weddings, like the one that I shot just last weekend!

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The whole team – Chris, Scott, Halga, and others – is incredibly friendly and hard-working. Following a different wedding I photographed at Tioga Gardens a while back, I realized that I lost a very small and crucial piece of equipment somewhere on the grounds. Who comes to the rescue but Scott, who drives up in a 4-wheeler and says “Hop on, kid! We’re doing this the right way!” After an escorted trip around the premises, we found my equipment and I could breathe a huge sigh of relief. Looking at these photos, I’d like to imagine that the beautiful grounds were part of what helped me keep my cool 🙂

 

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The Camera’s Eye and Binghamton Yoga

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Work at The Camera’s Eye keeps me more than a little busy – but I try to find time to relax and take care of myself by going to my Friday morning class at Binghamton Yoga.

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I’ve been going to Binghamton Yoga since 2012. At first, I did a little exploring with different classes. Eventually I fell in love with Flow yoga – a 1-hour class that combines movement with static stretching or poses.  It loosens my overworked muscles and strengthens my weak areas. It lets me relax – shavasana, anyone?  – and at the same time gears me up for the weekend, when I’m usually working!

As studio co-owner Jason Shaw puts it, “We help people find physical ease so that the mental and emotional stuff is easier to handle. Once someone feels themselves, then they’re better able to hear themselves and deal with the other things in their life.” Put another way, Binghamton Yoga is perfect for adults who are very settled in their bodies and want to strive for improved alignment, graceful movement, and the many other benefits of consistent yoga practice.

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Binghamton Yoga has nine teachers, each of whom brings a unique style to the yoga mat. The teachers come from a range of schools, and there isn’t any single way of thinking or teaching that defines what goes on at the studio – variety of instruction is key! What’s most important to them, above all, is “do no harm.” Something I think we can all get behind!

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The teachers at Binghamton Yoga know that when it comes to trying out yoga for the first time, or even just in a new place, the simple act of stepping through the door can be huge. Their mission – and I can tell you they’re successful at it! – is to make you feel safe and accepted once you’re there. And if I didn’t feel safe and accepted, would you catch me doing things like this?

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The Just Keep Believing (JKB) Foundation in Owego, NY

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One of the things I adore about being a professional photographer in the Owego/Apalachin/Binghamton area is getting involved with so many community causes and groups. For the past few years, The Camera’s Eye has been proud to support the Just Keep Believing (JKB) Foundation.

This organization raises money to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, and was started to help Jessica K. Burrell, an Owego Free Academy student-athlete who sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident in 2008 . It’s near and dear to my heart because I had a chance to take Jess’s senior portraits at Tioga Gardens, post-injury and only shortly after she returned from a rehab center far from this area. Her attitude was, and still is, simply amazing. Just look at the sparkle in her eyes…I love it!

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Every year, The Camera’s Eye supports JKB with gift certificates to auction off throughout their tournament event via gift baskets and raffle tickets. This year, the tournament runs from Thursday June 12th through Saturday June 14th at Owego Free Academy. The proceeds from this year’s tournament will go to The Miami Project, The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and the Shepherd Center.
Stop by and see us in Owego, and support a great cause!