Louisiana 101

Posted on February 8, 2015 by azgilstrap

I must admit I’ve struggled in putting together Photoremedy post number 101. Why? Because Louisiana is one of the most colorful and genuinely unique places Mary and I have visited. We delighted in the enchanting aroma of history and spice found as we pursued photoremedy in eclectic places from low-key Jeanerette to the authentic New Orleans Garden District to the celebrated French Quarter.

St. Louis Cathedral – New Orleans, LA

Krewe du Brew – St. Charles Street (New Orleans)

Historic LeJeune’s Bakery -Jeanerette, LA

Digital Art Based on Garden District’s Prytania Street

Volumes can be–and have been–written about the cultural gems of Louisiana. I found, however, that the place that most etched an enduring mark was the one that left me grasping to find the right words: the renowned Oak Alley plantation.

Oak Alley Plantation – Vacherie, LA

Ironically it wasn’t the beautiful people, lush vegetation or much-photographed Oak Alley Big House that took my breath away. It was the direct manner in which the attraction addressed the overwhelmingly somber aspect of its history – slavery.

Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

Digital Photographic Art based on Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

This blog is intentionally more about photography than words. Nevertheless, I struggled in identifying the photos I took that best describe how this exhibit seemed to painfully sandblast my heart, while leaving me strangely satisfied. In the final analysis, this unusual mix of emotions was based on the relief of sensing that plantation attractions like Oak Alley have joined those of us wanting to guarantee that such an appalling part of history is never repeated (at home or abroad).

The Birth of Something New

Posted on August 16, 2014 by azgilstrap

As part of the ongoing photoremedy.me effort to encourage others to explore the “good medicine” that can be delivered to those who are passionate about the pictures they take and make, we occasionally share research or thought processes that support the healing nature of creativity.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch (fine art photography)

Today’s thought comes from Jan Phillips in her book, God Is at Eye Level.

We get so caught up in the flurry of our lives that we forget the essential thing about our art–that the act of creating is a healing gesture, as sacred as prayer, as essential to the spirit as food is to the body. Our creative work reveals us to ourselves, allows us to transform our experience and imagination into forms that sing back to us in a language of…who we are, what we are becoming, what we have loved and feared. This is the alchemy of creation: that as I attempt to transmute a feeling or thought into an artistic form that can be experienced by another, I myself am added to, changed in the process.

As we center ourselves in the act of creating, attune to our inner voice, a shift occurs in our consciousness, allowing for the birth of something new. Our attention is no longer on time and demands and errands. It is caught up in the metamorphosis of one thing into another. What begins as a cocoon emerges a butterfly. What once was sorrow may now be a song.

All of the photos featured today are photoremedy.me originals, and were taken at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch. Like many of Arizona’s celebrated resorts, it is a great place to stimulate the “birth of something new.” It is a great place for photoremedy.

St. Francis and a Hippie Bus

Posted on August 2, 2014 by azgilstrap

St. Francis and a hippie bus? I can’t say I ever imagined those two fitting together in the same headline.

St. Francis of Phoenix (fine art photography) – 111 E. Camelback Rd, Phoenix

A recent trip to central Phoenix in search for highly rated Eggs Benedict, however, led Mary and me to St. Francis restaurant. We then followed up on our wonderful brunch–the eggs were top notch–with a little photoremedy that included the discovery of a couple of really cool vehicles (a 1957 Chrysler Imperial and the front half of a VW Hippie Bus).

Two Hippies Beach House – 501 East Camelback Rd., Phoenix

St. Francis Restaurant – 111 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix

1957 Chrysler Imperial

St. Francis Restaurant – 111 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix

Two Hippies Beach House – 501 East Camelback Rd., Phoenix

St. Francis Restaurant – 111 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix

Note: The photoremedy mission is to encourage those fighting chronic pain and other afflictions to consider using photography as a powerful tool to move their focus away from the pain. In the process, we strive to enhance readers’ ability to see beauty and experience elevated joy in their lives. There are many gifts that can accompany health challenges; one of the greatest offerings is it frequently forces sufferers to set better priorities for their lives and assists them in seeing the world in new and more meaningful ways.

Staycation Vacation

Posted on July 26, 2014 by azgilstrap

Merriam-Webster defines staycation as “a vacation spent at home or nearby.” It’s not a complex concept; the word is simply a combination of stay and vacation. We first moved to Arizona in 1993, and we’ve been enjoying staycations ever since. Because we now live in Anthem on the northern most reaches of the metro Phoenix area, it is super easy to experience nearby amenities that are completely different than where we live. And, of course, such journeys inescapably provide photoremedy opportunities.

Ingo’s Tasty Food – Arcadia (fine art photo)

Our most recent staycation involved a sojourn into the North-Central Phoenix area, and epicurean adventures to the historic, yet hip, Arcadia neighborhood. We stayed in what used to be accurately referred to as a resort, and it still bills itself that way. Since it is a significantly “tired” facility, and not resort quality in my book, I refused to get my camera out to take pictures of the facility. Highlights of our otherwise wonderful trip included:

Great food

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace (N. 16th St., Phoenix)

Carne Asada – The Vig (N. 16th St., Phoenix)

Eggs Benedict from Luci’s Healthy Marketplace (N. 16th St., Phoenix)

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace – 16th St., Phoenix (fine art photography)

Good Wine

The Vig – N. 16th St., Phoenix

La Grande Orange Grocery – Arcadia

Postino Wine Cafe – Arcadia

Fun Food Shopping

La Grande Orange – Arcadia

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace – N. 16th St., Phoenix

La Grande Orange – Arcadia

La Grande Orange Deli Counter – Arcadia

Ice Cream (the best I’ve ever had!)

Sweet Republic Ice Cream – N. 16th St., Phoenix

Looking at an attribute list that features great food, good wine, fun food shopping, and the best retail ice cream I’ve ever had, it becomes increasingly clear that staycations will continue to be an important part of our future travel planning efforts. After all, sometimes there’s no place like home.

Garden of the Gods

Posted on April 4, 2014 by azgilstrap

During a January trip to Colorado, I was able to travel to Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs and Pike’s Peak.

As best I can recall, we took a family vacation here when I was quite young, although I didn’t have any specific memory of the red rock wonderland. Thanks to a few hours of photoremedy, however, I’m quite certain I won’t soon forget this impressive destination; it is an awesome setting for both traditional and fine art landscape photography.