Playing in the Duke Gardens

   Technically, I was scouting.
   I do this from time to time; grab my camera and run down to a local spot that has potential. Sometimes it's legitimate, like the time I ran down to check out the local scenery around an upcoming wedding venue or, more rarely, when I took a full-blown trip to Spartenburg prior to Tommy and Elizabeth tying the knot. I've got to see it. I've got to look at the whole landscape in a laid back kind of way and think outside the box.
   However, this trip was not really legitimate. There was no upcoming scheduled shoot at the Sarah P Duke Gardens that drew me out on a hot summer evening. I was just tired of being inside staring at the artificial lights of my LCD screens. I am half lizard by nature and enjoy the blaring heat of mid-summer. Given total control of my schedule, I think I would spend an exorbitant amount of time lying in hammocks and getting far too sunburned for my Scandinavian skin. 
    I guess you could call it a combination of the sun calling my name and then LCDs pushing me away. Regardless, I ended up playing for an evening in Sarah P Duke Gardens.  There are deceptively cool looking places all throughout the gardens, places that make me think of picnics and naps. I had a good time and found a couple of sweet spots for shoots. I love keeping my back pocket stash of locations fresh and new.
   Anyway, I thought I'd share...