Solar Power in Dalton, GA

Winters in the south creates a unique set of challenges to a photographer. There is seldom enough snow to fill the landscape, and it is seldom sunny enough to make up for the lack of leaves on the trees. It is often overcast, and when you do get a sunny day it is usually cold and windy.

Despite all this woe, I did get some luck with my shoot at the Dalton Utilities solar power, which I was photographing for the Dalton Whitfield County Economic Development Guide. I really needed sun for this shot, and I was willing to accept the cold and wind. Luckily my subject Don Cope, president of Dalton Utilities, was also willing to accept the cold and wind.

For this shot I was standing on a ladder on the roof of the Dalton Utilities building in a strong breeze. So you see, dealing with the wind was not a trivial matter. The reason I was standing on the ladder was to remove the distracting background of leafless trees; problem solved. But now Mr. Cope was looking up at me and as such he was forced to stare into the sun. So then I set up an umbrella on a light stand to block the sun from his face; problem solved. But now my umbrella and light stand wanted to fly away or crash into some expensive solar panels. Luckily I had a maintenance man with me who had not only let me onto the roof but was also now employed as a light stand holder. Problems solved!

JCI Photo
Antony Boshier

Fulton County, NY - Gloversville. The tradition continues

As dusk fell on Gloversville, I walked down Main Street. I stopped dead in my tracks and peered through the window of the tiny glove shop. Looking just past the window display, I could see a light still on in the workshop. It was after hours but I was leaving town the next day and didn't want to miss a chance to witness history.

I knocked on the door and Daniel Storto, a man much hipper than his blue-collar neighbors, answered.

Storto is not a Gloversville native - something unusual in itself in this small industrial upstate New York town. More unusual is that he is a glove-maker. Perhaps the last one in a town named for the craftsmen that built it.

Storto is a native of Toronto and a learned his trade along side his grandfather. Working in a small shop with no heat, Storto carries on the tradition that named this city one custom pair of gloves at a time. His work has covered the hands of Hillary Clinton, who discovered his shop while a New York Senator working just down the road in Albany, and perhaps most famously Madonna when she and Britney Spears locked lips on stage.

After years of working with stars in both LA and New York, Storto was looking for a quiet place to settle down and make gloves, and he picked Gloversville for its history in the art he loves.

As well as working to make gloves he is restoring a turn-of-the-century glove factory in town where he hopes to have a museum where visitors can watch the glove making process as it used to be. Jeffrey S. Otto -

Fulton County, NY - Almost home

While I was recently in Fulton County, NY I got a bit homesick.

You see, I grew up in New York a few hours down the 90 West-bound from Fulton County. I was greeted with familiar sights, smells and tastes of my childhood.

While I was there, a dusting of snow fell one day. Something I had not expect in mid-November living in the heart of Dixe for the past two decades.

As the heavy wet snow quickly melted away, the falling snow turned back to rain and a light fog lifted from the many lakes in the area. I was north of Gloversville, near Peck's Lake, when I saw this scene. I hopped out of my car and took a deep breath and the aroma of the lake and the fir trees filled my lungs reminding me once again - I was in New York.

After getting a few shots I headed back to the car the rain was now snow again. My thoughts drifted back to my youth again, and then of my 6-year-old daughter. I stuck out my tongue and caught a snowflake - Snow tastes better in New York. - Jeffrey S. Otto

Hamming It Up

Walking into Johnston County Hams in Smithfield, NC, there’s a door just to the right behind the counter. I follow one of the workers through the door and down a hallway, past a big industrial-sized fan and into a room that would make any country ham lover feel like they’d died and gone to hog heaven.

Hanging from metal racks three high are country hams on top of country hams. This is one of the curing rooms at Johnston County Hams.

Rufus Brown is the current cure master for Johnston County Hams, a position his father held before him. Since 1967 the Browns have been responsible for some of the best tasting country hams in the country, getting nods from Esquire, Men’s Health and Southern Living magazines.

As someone born and raised in the South, I am all too familiar with the tastes and smells of country ham. For me, the smell brings back fond memories of Christmases past, waking up early and rushing to see what surprises lay buried beneath the tree. (I have to confess, there were a few times when I already knew what was under the tree because I had already snuck out in the middle of the night to see. What do you expect a kid to do when he on Christmas Eve?)

After unwrapping everything in sight with a bow on it, we would almost always sit down to a hearty breakfast cooked by my mom. It wasn’t an elaborate meal by any means; just eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits and country ham, enough to fill our bellies and put a smile on our faces. I think it was just my mom’s way of making us all sleepy so we’d crawl back in bed and give my parents a little more sleep time.

So it is without fail, whenever I get a whiff of country ham frying in a cast iron pan, I’m transported back to Christmas morning.

This past Christmas’ breakfast was just like the rest: eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits and country ham.

As the country ham sizzles in the pan, the bells are replaced by smells as I’m transformed into one of  Pavlov’s dogs. But I’m the only one. It’s good to know my dog has a thing for country ham as well. You could tell by the drool pooling on the floor.

(From the Images Johnston County, NC Magazine)

Advanced Manufacturing - Casper, WY

Manufacturing is big business in Wyoming...literally. Westech Custom Mining Equipment is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest mining truck body by volume, with it's T282C Flow Control Body, a giant that can hold the weight of 404.544 metric tons!

Wyoming is home to a number of highly sophisticated leading-edge manufacturing facilities who work with local colleges to create jobs for master welders, engineers and fabricators. A non-profit company called Manufacturing-Works assists companies with marketing, engineering, technical assistance and financial counseling. With all of these advantages, it's no wonder Wyoming is setting the standard in advanced manufacturing.

Zipping Right Along

What do you do with over a mile of cable, a few trees and an entrepreneurial spirit? You build what’s called a zipline on the side of Purgatory Mountain outside Asheboro, NC.

Years ago, Buddy Hammer marveled as he watched on National Geographic as scientists used ziplines to study the Amazon Rainforest. That was almost twenty years ago.

That gave him an idea of what to do with the 50 acres surrounding his home.

Buddy waited for retirement and for his children to graduate from college. With plenty of free time, he decided to give that little pet project of his a try. Thus was born Richland Creek Zip Line.

I first met Buddy and his wife JoAnn a few years ago. Since that time, they’ve added new lines, (bringing the total to 15) and several sky walks. Their longest and fastest line runs 1400 feet long. But it’s probably not the most fun line.

That title belongs to what’s called the bouncy line.

As a rider crosses the creek bed below, one of the guides mans the end of the cable and literally puts all of his weight into pushing and pulling the line in every direction possible.

To say the rider is catapulted in every direction is an understatement.

It’s a jolting, scream-inducing thrill ride. And it’s the culmination of a two-hour fun-filled tour that will leave you wanting more.

(Photographed for the Images Asheboro/Randolph County NC Magazine)

Getting Schooled

Being a geek, I’m always fascinated when I get to visit a place that utilizes advanced technology. Usually, it’s high end manufacturing with automated robots or students at a major university learning cutting edge technology. Before visiting Wilkes Community College, it would not have been on my radar.

But it is now.

The school’s Advanced Technology Center offers training in advanced composites, 3D design and robotics. They even have the ability to “print”a 3D prototype. Not too shabby for a school nestled in a small town in northwestern North Carolina.

And with businesses like MX Aircraft now calling the area home, the demand for well-trained employees will only grow. And Wilkes Community College will be there supply to supply the workforce.

(Shot for the Images Wilkes, NC Magazine)

Art in Dallas

While I was photographing for the Business Images Southwest Dallas Partnership, I made art! Now, anyone who has heard me wax poetic on the perfect blend of art and science that is photography will say, in a sarcastic tone, "But Antony, aren't all of your photos art?" Well, yes they are, but this time it is different.
When I took this picture, I actually looked at the LCD screen on the back of my camera and said, "I want to hang that on my wall."
Since it my not be completely obvious what you are looking at here, let me tell you. This art depicts metal cee purlins. Don't feel stupid – I had to ask, too. Cee purlins are metal beams used in the construction of roofs and building supports; but now they are art!

JCI Photo
Antony Boshier

Alabama Agriculture

What do you get when you add one photographer, one camera, three lenses, four lights, one rental car, one week and 1,500 miles? The following nine photographs. Well, actually there were a total of 1,292 photographs, but here are nine that I really liked.






JCI PHOTO
Antony Boshier

Food in Tyler

I love to photograph food, and while I was in Tyler, TX shooting the Images Tyler, TX magazine I had two great opportunities to practice my craft. The first shot, seen above, was from Villa Montez. The presentation on this shrimp was some of the most reactive I have ever seen. I hope my photo does it justice. The second two shots, seen below, were from Chez Bazan. It's a family-run bakery where they know how to welcome customers and make them want to come back. Their sweet baked goods and savory dishes such as Chicken Florentine Crepes are awesome!


JCI Photo
Antony Boshier

King's Saddlery and The Don King Museum - Sheridan, Wyoming

Located on Main Street in downtown Sheridan, Wyoming, is the Don King Museum and King's Saddlery. The Saddlery is a true Western tack store with thousands of ropes on-hand, as well as a huge inventory of saddles, bits, bridles and more. The Don King Museum has to be one of the most interesting places I've ever visited. Hundreds of hand-carved saddles surround an amazing collection of Western and cowboy memorabilia that has been in the family for more than three decades. James Jackson works inside the museum carving designs into leather to create one of a kind pieces. Photos by Brian McCord for Images of Sheridan, Wyoming Magazine.

Having a Field Day

With the smoke from campfires filling the air, random shots of musket fire crackling from across the field and soldiers and civilians going about their daily duties in period attire, you begin to believe you’re truly living in the time of the Revolutionary War. Of course, it’s the concession stand selling pizza that brings you back to the present day.

For over 40 years, the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site in Camden, SC, has held it’s Annual Revolutionary War Field Days.

Around 500 reenactors have besieged Camden, SC, to recreate skirmishes between Continental and British forces. Everything from encampments to artillery demonstrations, even a period fashion show, litter the 100-plus acres of the Historic Camden Site.

Early in the afternoon, a soldier armed with a bullhorn addresses the crowd gathered safely across a ditch to see the day’s skirmish. He provides a little background on the day’s skirmish: the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, divulging the strategies deployed by the two armies.

Then the battle begins.

Two major battles: The Battle of Camden in 1780, which happened about nine miles away from the Historic Camden site, and a 1781 battle between General Greene and Lord Rawdon, sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Camden, are the inspiration for the mock battles.

Later that day, after the carnage has been cleared, a new battle erupts.

After a day of trying to kill each other on the field of battle, the two sides come together again on that same field to play a friendly game of rounders. Not the game from the movie, but the inspiration for America’s favorite pastime: baseball.

(From the Images Kershaw County, SC, Magazine)