If I had known that Nashville would be alive with so much energy and activity, I certainly would have been more enthusiastic about visiting when we planned the trip. Memphis was a definite destination for us both with Nashville just being a logical stop on our way back East. I was amazed to say the least. In two days, we packed in so much shooting and activity that it felt like we had sleep walked through Memphis by comparison.

Nashville is considered the “Athens of the South”. I don’t know who made that association or, after visiting, why. I do know that there’ s a big honkin’ replica of the Parthenon in the middle of town so we had to go visit. The streets were just filled with people shopping, visiting, laughing and simply taking in the feel of the city.

As evening came and after we had finished with Kari’s photo shoot, we settled in
to watch the U.S. championship rodeo from the best seats in the house: right against the fence as the horses, bulls and riders came flying by. After some brief pyrotechnics and Kari’s anthem (see the post below) the action got started. I’m no rodeo expert so I spent all the time just trying to get a few great action shots. I’m happy with what came out and I did get to see one of the more ridiculous things I may ever document: Whiplash, the dog-riding monkey. I’m not kidding and you can see the proof. This small monkey (macaque maybe?) was strapped to a border collie and together they fought crime. No wait…together they herded sheep. Either way it was a spectacle.

After the rodeo, Mike and I headed out to see Nashville’s version of Broadway. Walk in to any bar and you’ll most likely bump in to some of the most talented folk and country musicians in the country. It certainly gave me a better appreciation for the genre and, if anything, everyone was just incredibly friendly.

Sunday morning brought the end of the trip. I snapped a few pictures as we moved closer to Richmond. As if the tornadoes weren’t enough of a reminder that nature is capricious and devastating, there was a fledgling forest fire along Interstate 81 as we drove past Salem, VA. The winds were kicking the fire up, the smoke was thick and choking but it looked like the fire teams had it under control.

All in all a great trip. Hope you’ve enjoyed the images and keep warm.

I met Kari through friends here in Richmond. She’s from Mechanicsville originally, but moved to Nashville several years ago to follow her amazing talent to where it can do her the most good. Kari is a singer/songwriter and I’ve had the great privilege of getting to know her and now work with her. On my recent travels through Nashville, I stopped by to do a photo session with her and cover her singing of the national anthem at a Championship Rodeo event in downtown.

You can find Kari’s information here and her CD’s are sold here. She has shows coming up in Richmond so you should definitely check her out. Enjoy!

On Friday morning we departed Memphis to head in to Nashville. Halfway in to the three hour trip we decided to stop for lunch and pick up a few things in Jackson, TN. As we pulled off of Interstate 40, there was something just not right. Many stop lights were out, traffic was backed up in unexpected places, and things just seemed wrong for 2pm on a Friday afternoon. That’s when we realized we were looking at the aftermath of a huge tornado that touched down and tore apart Union University. We walked in to the middle campus, following the trail of National Guard and dumbfounded students. All were trying to assess the true damage and find personal belongings that had been lost or thrown from their dorms. Army Blackhawk helicopters were circling overhead. We did find out later that, while several students were being treated in a local ICU, none were killed and all were expected to recover. When you see the damage, you’ll realize how remarkable that is.

Mike Turner, a very good friend and fellow photographer, approached me around December to interest me in a road trip to wherever. The stipulations where that we had to do photography strictly for fun and it would last four days. I had no hesitation, but I was unsure about where to go. After a little thought we decided that we wanted to see some of classic America. We would head right for Tennessee, specifically Memphis and Nashville.

The first two days of the trip were spent in Memphis. We knew about the river (Mississippi for those playing at home), Beale Street, and Sun Studios. What we weren’t prepared for was the extreme contrast in this city. Memphis is a town of great history and tragedy. Between the Civil War battles, a huge yellow fever epidemic, and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Memphis has been heartbroken in ways that many cities could not understand. However, Memphis was also the birthplace of some of America’s best rock, blues, and soul. This town cradled the careers of Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, and Issac Hayes just to name a few. Beale Street is still a great destination and the river is as alluring as always. Enjoy.