2012 Year in Review: February

February in Louisiana means tulip trees (Japanese Magnolia) spring into bloom, and what show offs they are with their regal purple trimming!

The photo below swims to the top of my memories of February 2012 for two reasons. First, I took it in Georgetown, having gone there to pay a speeding ticket. Everyone who lives in northeastern Louisiana and goes regularly to Camp Hardtner or Pineville-Alexandria--in other words, most of us Episcopalians--knows the drill. I was on my way to some church function, don't remember what, when I crested the hill approaching Georgetown with my mind on other things. Bam! I was toast.

You Had Me at "Hello"

So I went to Georgetown not in the best mood and not feeling particularly gracious toward the place. But I allowed extra time and after paying the ticket, went exploring with my camera. I encountered a friendly resident who welcomed me to the community. I drove through the town and discovered a lovely recreation area on the east side, where I photographed beautiful grasses, reeds and reflections in the lake. I found a rusting disc abandoned in a yard and added some photos to my #ruralruins project. (I love photographing old people and things. Hmmm. Not sure what that's about!)

And I found a yard with a small tulip tree full of bursting blooms in easy reach of me and my extension tubes. I made a number of images, but the one above became an immediate success on Google+, and that's the second reason it is featured here. It shot quickly to the top of my "Google+ Timeline," a feature that tracks the popularity of your posts, and stayed there for a long time.

When I posted this image again as my February #bestof2012, it again shot up to near the top on my G+ timeline. Indeed, I am considering submitting it as my "best of the year" to a wonderful project on Google+ called PlusOneCollection.

PlusOneCollection is headed by Russian photographer Ivan Makarov. For the second year in a row, he is soliciting "best of the year" photos from the international community of photographers on G+. These photos will be collected into a book published in at least two forms: 1) An eBook that will contain all images submitted, and 2) A hardcover print book that contains the best of the best selected by a jury from among the G+ photographer community.

I had an image in last year's eBook, but I did not make it into the print book, so here's hoping for this year! I would be so proud!

But here's the best part. All of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to a charity. This year's charity is The Giving Lens, a nonprofit funded primarily by photographers. The money will put digital camera in the hands of Masai children and teach them how to use the cameras to tell their own stories. I love it!

So...., I forgave Georgetown for the speeding ticket that took me there, and I am overdue for a return trip to see what else the community has to offer this photographer!

And, BTW, on G+ among the photographer community, all of the petty divisions of race and nationality and so forth do not exist.