Category Archives: Charleston

Charleston SC

04/26/16 ~ Susan

Farewell Charleston Farmers Market & News!

CFM Days

Thank you & farewell

Being a juried artist/photographer at the Charleston Farmers Market was a great adventure and a memorable time. My business grew as I received a great deal of positive feedback on my photography. Thank you to the wonderful visitors and customers from all over the country and the world who purchased my photography or stopped by to browse and express good wishes. For any visitors and customers who might be curious or wondering where I am, I decided not to return to the market for the 2016 season. I had a successful five-year run and felt it was time to move on. Although I never intended to stay as long as I did, my business grew year over year, and it became difficult to leave.

A few things I’ll miss about being at the market:

• The smell of bacon wafting through the air early in the morning, somewhat of a smelling salts for the tired, and something which I often cursed for tempting me.
• The clanging of the church bells, and the anticipation preceding the Saturday morning eight-o’clock bell.
• Early morning regulars scurrying through the market with their baskets and carts full of fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables of every shape and color.
• Swelling crowds of enthusiastic visitors meandering down the market pathways towards late morning, casting their smiles and compliments my way.
• Dogs of every breed and size wagging and panting their way down Tobacco Row with their owners in tow.
• Gatherings of eager customers forming in and around my booth to chat and select photography.
• Visitors from every corner of the country and the world sharing their interests and stories.

A few things I won’t miss about being at the market:

• Staying up late every Friday preparing for the market; then having to get up at 4:30 AM on Saturday; followed by exhaustion on Sunday.
• Arriving on Saturday morning to a sea of half-drowsy, often grumpy vendors, including myself.
• Setting up and breaking down my booth, which is rather complicated and heavy.
• Trying to keep my artwork protected from the so-called pop-up showers which unexpectedly turn into torrential downpours with storm-force winds.
• The dust-permeated musty odor that hangs in the air during July and August.
• Attempting in vain to stay cool while watching throngs of melting visitors lumber by as the temperatures head towards 90-something, and the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

News!

Although I’m not at the market, I still have my fine art photography business, and my online portfolio is ready to be viewed at Susan DeTomi Fine Art Photography Portfolio. Please “stop by” virtually and feel free to leave comments or ask questions.

02/4/16 ~ Susan

CAG Gallery Members Exhibition 2016 & More!

CAG Gallery Members Exhibition 2016 Award-winning Entry - "Union of Spirit"

Top Section of photo: Award-winning entry-“Union of Spirit”, Ltd Edition ;  Bottom Section of photo: CAG Gallery Members Exhibition 2016

CAG Gallery Members Exhibition 2016

I’m thrilled that my work is currently being displayed at the CAG Gallery Members Exhibition 2016, and that the Limited Edition photograph I entered, “Union of Spirit”, received a recognition award! You can view it along with all of the other amazing artwork if you have a chance to stop by before February 6.

“Union of Spirit” in the making

“Union of Spirit” is a very special photograph of a family of Great Egrets that was in the making for four+ months while I observed the mother sitting on the nest waiting for her eggs to hatch; watching the young chicks grow; and then, very infrequently, seeing the parents together with the chicks. Hundreds of days and shots later, it was an exciting moment when the male (father) flew up to the nest, and the whole family interacted together.  You can see the anticipation and excitement between the parents and the chicks.  It’s amazing that they just know they are a family, and each parent knows how to care for their young in their own way—they’re not told what to do—they just know.

“Union of Spirit” is a Limited Edition, which is currently on its Ninth Edition. The piece in the Exhibition is Edition No. 4–this edition was set aside for showing because it has a special framing treatment.

Check out my portfolio!

Check out my portfolio to view more images like “Union of Spirit” at  Susan DeTomi Fine Art Photography Portfolio or click on the link in the right sidebar of this blog.

02/19/15 ~ Susan

Happy New Year & Thank You!

Happy New Year sand drawing

Happy New Year!

Although it’s already February, the year is just beginning, and it’s not too late to make it a great 2015! Last year was a great year for my photography business, so I apologize for stepping away from this blog for a while. My excuse is that I was taking photographs and growing my business. For all of the customers who purchased my photography or stopped by to appreciate it, I want to say thank you! I never stop feeling excited and honored that people enjoy my photographs, and I never get tired of the generous compliments I’ve received. I’m dedicating this post to all of the wonderful people I met in 2014 and in the years before that, and I want to let each and every one of you know how appreciative I am. Photography inspires me, but you have kept my inspiration and creativity thriving.

I shot the photograph in this post last year while strolling along Pawley’s Island beach on New Year’s Day. I didn’t create the “sandi”-work, but I appreciate the unique handwriting it was created with and wanted to share it.

I’m looking forward to being back at the Charleston Farmer’s Market again this year, which starts on April 4. Hopefully, my dedication to my business, my photography, and to the market showed last year—I didn’t miss a single Saturday or Sunday all year. I look forward to seeing many of you back again this season!

06/7/13 ~ Susan

Friend or Foe?

Alligator and two turtles at Magnolia Plantation

Friend or Foe

A bunch of spectators, including myself, watched in awe at a peculiar companionship between an alligator and two turtles.  At times, the turtles stepped onto the back of the alligator to sun themselves, unaware of the potential danger lurking there.

Turtles are, in fact, part of the alligator diet, yet they exhibit a strange camaraderie when the alligator is not in the mood for a meal. Springtime is the perfect time for them to share a sunny spot on the shoreline, taking pleasure in their mutual habitat.

Perhaps what is so striking about this strange amity is the dichotomous relationship being witnessed between a friend and a foe—a relationship present in all of nature—the ability to exist in harmony in conflict with singular ambitions.

04/9/13 ~ Susan

Springtime in the Lowcountry

Awash in Bloom

Spring finally arrived in the South Carolina lowcountry (low-lying region along the coast) as plantations and gardens awash with color boast abundant varieties of flora, including azaleas, irises, wisteria, dogwood, and others. The lowcountry possesses an ethereal beauty that is unlike any other, bringing thousands of visitors to the area every year just to witness the fleeting spectacle.

Walking around Magnolia Plantation with my camera, I bumped into one such visitor on the wooden bridge that traverses the swamp, shown in featured photograph “Awash in Bloom”,  sporting a point-and-shoot camera and a bewildered expression on his face. We greeted one another, and then he confessed his extreme frustration at leaving his good camera equipment at home, lamenting, “I just didn’t expect this. I’m not sure how impressed I was with anything until I saw this, right here, right now! This is amazing!”

07/25/12 ~ Susan

Ode to Angel Oak

Indelible Imprint, Limited Edition

The featured Limited Edition photograph, “Indelible Imprint“, and the haiku that follows express my fascination with a well-known magnificent Southern Live Oak tree—the Angel Oak located on Johns Island, South Carolina. A previous release of a similar photograph taken on the same day, “Mighty Angel Oak“, was very popular with customers.

Southern Live Oaks are amazing trees with curving branches that reach out in every direction and then arch up again toward the sky, and the Angel Oak is the granddaddy of them all.  Measuring 65 feet tall with limbs stretching out to 180 feet at their widest point, tip-to-tip (according to Wikipedia), the Angel Oak is the oldest living Live Oak tree in the Southeast and has quite a following. Each time I visit the tree, I witness the awe and admiration surrounding it. Visitors from all over the world are snapping pictures and can often be seen hugging the tree, hoping to absorb some of its strong life force. The haiku that follows is an ode to the beloved Angel Oak.

Curving ancient limbs
adorned in mossy splendor ~
angel of an oak.

 

04/3/12 ~ Susan

April Showers

Couple under umbrella at Middleton Place

April Showers

Although it seldom rains around Charleston, there is a refreshing sense of renewal in the air when it does. Instead of rushing indoors, you want to press your face to the sky and feel the cool droplets splash on your skin.

Strolling around Middleton Place and dodging rain showers one April morning, I turned a corner to find a couple framed in azaleas and sharing an umbrella while live oaks formed a perfect canopy over their heads.