in which I try to make things photogenic

So you may or may not realize that I live within about half an hour of the Atlantic Ocean. I've grown up around the beach, and nothing relaxes me more than lying in the sand (coated in sunscreen!), reading, listening to the waves. Best. Thing. Ever.

HOWEVER.

When I think of the beach, I think of something like this. (Yes, that's my usual beach.) Unfortunately, the beach that most people (read: tourists) near us go to is called Ocean City, and it looks more like this. Lonely Planet calls it "the american seaside holiday at its tacky best." In the summer I literally will not go to Ocean City unless I'm being paid to shoot your wedding or engagement photos. It's just...heinous.

So when the manager of the Starbucks in Ocean City asked if I could hang some of my photography on the walls of that store, it was an interesting challenge. The art didn't HAVE to be specifically from that city, but it couldn't include a) people or b) religious iconography of any sort. I can live without the religious thing (although churches can be cool looking!) but a photo with no person? That's like not breathing to me. I see beautiful locations and want to put a bride there. That's just how I think. So all these? Out of the question.

Things also couldn't be too abstract--last time I tried to get some really experimental work approved, the district manger asked "Don't you just have some pictures of flowers or something?" No, no actually I don't. Because I haven't done those since I was, oh, FIFTEEN. And finally, the images really work better (because of framing) if they're horizontal.

With all that background, you now know why I forced myself on Friday to drive over to Ocean City and spend an hour wandering the boardwalk area, trying to see things in a new--and attractive--way. Epic fail. Some people see everything in a beautiful, artistic way. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM.

So below you'll find my attempts to see beauty in the ordinary. No, this is not how the images will end up being used. My favorite is definitely the snail. :D