5/19/14 David Warren, Prints for Old Savannah Tours

David Warren

     Meet David Warren, Director of Marketing at Dataw Island.  He was who lined up a condo to use while I was shooting photos on Dataw the week before last.  He shared a fascinating story with me today - one of those stories that gives me inspiration for what I am doing and much hope for the generations coming along behind us.

David Warren Jr.

    His son, David Jr, was inspired by his aunt's mission visit to Ghana in 2002.  They filled her suitcase with items that they thought might be useful to the people she was visiting.  The gift that had the most immediate impact were simple reading glasses.  

     David Jr., as a college student, took it upon himself to set up a foundation to deliver reading glasses to folks in various parts of the world.  He recruited other college age friends of his who called themselves "visionaries."  They set up a 501c-3 foundation and even set up a web page to help facilitate donations.  He worked to get grants from educational facilities as well.  Mind you - this is all in his spare time as a college student.

     

     David Jr. then devoted his summer vacations to this work, and in 2010 he and his friends delivered over 1,000 pairs of glasses throughout rural South America.  David Jr. relates the surprise that registers on these folks face when they look through reading glasses for the first time.  At first they can't believe it, and then when they realize that they are being given the glasses they are amazed.  Artists can again paint, carve and sculpt - those that can read can again enjoy literature  - and for all their day to day lives are improved.

     This fellow is the chief of a village, and supposedly folks from far and wide line up each day to come before him with their problems.  One at a time, all day long, he listens to them and helps resolve their conflicts.  He is sure to carry an even more Solomon type presence with this sporty pair of glasses.

    David negotiated a deal with a reading glass importer where he is able to buy pairs of glasses for around fifty cents.  Thus, he can tell donors that their $100 delivers 100 pairs of glasses - all expenses included.  I didn't get to meet David Jr., but I have high hopes that I will be able to in the future.  

     I was able to deliver to David Sr. this print, taken at the entryway to Dataw today as a thank-you for the invite to photograph Dataw.  

     Then it was on to Savannah, where I was able to complete most of the job for Old Savannah Tours.  Here are the places that I hung photos today.  The first two are before and after shots at the Welcome Center.

     And here are before and afters of another section of the Welcome Center.

     Here is one that went up in the Visitor's Center.

    Here is a big one in Group Sales - this is almost 7 feet wide by 3 feet high.  

     And a final one for the Group Sales Center.

     One of the big stories in Savannah that we didn't cover is SCAD - Savannah College of Art and Design.  Behind the Welcome Center is one of their buildings.  Isn't that neat below this old bridge?

     And today's parting shot is one of many billboards in Charleston, South Carolina carrying this advertisement for Crisis Ministries.

     Now, I certainly am not slighting the difficult plight of many homeless folks.  But I have to chuckle every time I drive by one.  I have been homeless for six months now, and I have never known such freedom and peace.  I work hard on the road, and although I am tired every night I am far from being tired of the road.

    Tomorrow I am going to lay out a plan for the next few months, then it is on to Atlanta for a few days.  

Have an awesome Tuesday!!
David

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5/11/14 Dataw Island summary

Dataw Island; SC

     Tonight's sunset was one of those surreal colors that looks photo-shopped.  Sometimes you are almost tempted to photo-shop them to colors that look more "normal."      

It has been a pleasure to be able to shoot for several days here.  Dataw gave me a villa to use, which has been a nice break.  

     So, in several days of shooting, I got a few wildlife shots.

     And a couple of the Island's residents posed for some tennis shots for the island's website.

     Here are a few shots from the marina.  For websites, shooting wide format shots is most desirable.  It can be challenging to lay out shots that look ok with this cropping.

     Some swimming pool shots..

     And finally a couple of general shots I liked.

I hope you have enjoyed Dataw, and have an awesome Monday.
David

If you would like to contribute to this journey or to the foundation, just click Here.  If you have no idea what this is about, Click Here and Here.  Click Here to email me, and if you want to read today's meditation just click Here.  Thanks for your interest and support !!

5/10/14 Spring colors

     Today I would like to take a few moments to enjoy the variety of colors that the spring flowers bring.  This is my last day photographing at Dataw Island - tomorrow will be spent editing photos for them.  This and another job will hopefully provide the money needed to start the 401c-3 paperwork for the foundation.  I am grateful to Dataw Island for the opportunity to do this.

     Dataw is definitely in bloom at the moment.  Here are some of the varieties in bloom.  First, the yellows . . .

And some reds...

     Purple is a "royal" color because for centuries there was no purple dye besides a rare type of sea snail.  The color has only been readily available in the last century, an artificial dye being developed in the early 1900's.

There are even a few orange...

And the whites . .

     Jasmine, with its intoxicating perfume is in bloom all over, both wild and cultivated.

There are a few mixed colors .. 

     And then there are the "guardians" of the flower beds.  These guys were all around wondering what I was so interested in.  The squirrels here are so tame you can almost hand feed them.  I guess they never heard of Brunswick Stew. .

Have a great Sunday !!

David

If you would like to contribute to this journey or to the foundation, just click Here.  If you have no idea what this is about, Click Here and Here.  Click Here to email me, and if you want to read today's meditation just click Here.  Thanks for your interest and support !!