Orchid Show

color photograph of a variety of orchid blooms

These orchids were on display at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA.  Inside an arboretum, their delicate, colorful blooms offered a refreshing break from the bleak, cold weather outside when we visited in February.

The Markel Building

photograph of the Markel Building in Richmond, VAWhatever you might think of the Markel Building in Richmond, VA, you have to agree it’s pretty original.  I lovingly refer to this architectural anomaly as “the Jiffy Pop building”.  If you’re familiar with Jiffy Pop, no further explanation is required.  If not, here’s a link to the Wikipedia article on it, complete with pictures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_Pop.  I don’t know much about the building but I believe it was originally build for Reynolds, the aluminum company, when they were big in Richmond.

 

Ravages of Time

photograph of deteriorating brick and concreate bridge pilings

The old brick and concrete bridge piers stand across the James River as a testimony to the ravages of time.  They once provided safe and easy passage across the river and now serve merely as roosts for water fowl and baron outcroppings for pioneering vegetation.

Spacious

photograph of a woman and child in a large, open area behind a large, ornate chandelierI caught this image at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, quite unexpectedly.  I was photographing the Blue Ridge Chandelier, on the right side of the image, when the girl moved to look out an enormous window off the left side of the photograph.  I was immediately drawn to the spaciousness of this image.

 

Chihuly Boats

photograph of a Chihuly exhibit of glass in a boatThese boats are filled with Chihuly glass work and displayed on a mirrored surface.  The effect was a dazzling display of color reflected as if the boats were floating in still water.

Forest Sunrise After the Snow

photograph of a snow covered forest at sunrise

Snow fell on Richmond Thursday night.  A few inches accumulated but it was nearly all gone within 24 hours.  I took the day off Friday and hiked through Pocahontas State Park.  This photo was taken as the sun rose over the forest.  The park was beautifully covered in snow and I had the place to myself.  I hiked for 5 hours and never saw another person the entire time.

Blue Ridge Chandelier

photograph of Dale Chihuly's Blue Ridge ChandelierThe Blue Ridge Chandelier was one of the Chihuly works on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) in the fall of 2012.  This photo gives some perspective of the size of the chandelier, which is 18 feet tall.