RandomConnections 2016 A Photographic calendar
Each year I create a calendar as a Christmas present for friends and family. Usually these photos are from the previous year, but often they are from my archives. Here are the photos for the 2016 calendar.
The cover photo is from our trip to Ireland in June of 2015. The image is the Poulnabrone Dolmen, found in The Burren area of County Clare. This Neolithic wedge tomb was considered a portal to the afterlife, rather than a final resting place. We visited the location while touring The Burren with author and ethnomusicologist P. J. Curtis.
January's photo is a shot of the pulpit windows of the Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church in McCormick County, South Carolina. The church is part of the Mount Carmel Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
The church was built in 1890, but is now no longer in use.
February is a photo of an overly friendly pelican. This bird was sitting on the railing of the fishing pier at the Sebastian Inlet State Park on North Hutchinson Island, Florida.
Hagood Mill graces the month of March. This mill in Pickens County, South Carolina was built in 1826 by Benjamin Hagood, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The mill is open to the public, and still grinds cornmeal and other grains. Other historic cabins can be found on the property as well as Native American rock art.
April's photo is of a lone cypress tree on Lake Marion in Clarendon County, South Carolina. This was from one of our many kayaking trips, and this one seemed especially stark out on the lake.
The photo was processed using a minimalist high key effect to emphasize the lone, stark tree. A pen and ink rendering of the image was used as an overlay, and color was minimized for everything but the greenery.
May always seems an appropriate time for a flower photograph. These daisies were at the base of one of the rock walls that cover the island of Innis Meain on the west coast of Ireland.
The photo for June is the Tarbert Lighthouse, which overlooks the Shannon River Estuary. The lighthouse, in County Kerry, Ireland, was built in 1834.
July features a shot from one of our many paddling trips. Sparkleberry Swamp is a magical place at the north end of Lake Marion. Usually, you can paddle between thick stands of cypress trees. These tall trees create a cathedral effect that amplifies bird sounds.
In this photo, a paddler cuts a path through a thick layer of leaves and other vegetable matter that had fallen into the water.
August features a crested caracara bird. These birds are more common in Central America, but are rare in Central Florida, where this photo was taken. A good place to find the crested caracara is in the Kissimmee Prairie State Park, where this photo was taken.
For September we have another photo from Ireland. This photos shows the remote Skellig Islands of the coast of County Kerry. The islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and important bird habitat.
A sixth-century Christian monastery was established on Skellig Michael, the larger of the two islands. This monastery has unique "bee-hive" hutches that housed the monks. The island served as a filming location for two of the upcoming Star Wars movies.
Campbell's Covered Bridge, the last original covered bridge in South Carolina, is the subject for October. The bridge was built in 1909 by Charles Willis, and is named for Alexandar Campbell, who operated a grist mill just below the bridge.
Greenville County now owns the bridge and surrounding land, and has developed the area as a park.
November features an interior shot of Bethia Presbyterian Church. The church was formed in 1948 by nine white and four black charter members. The first church building was destroyed in a storm in 1896, and the current structure was built in 1901.
The last service was held at Bethia in 1998. The Historic Long Cane Society now owns and maintains the property.
December rounds out the year with a photo of a sunset over Butternut Key just south of the Everglades, as seen from Key Largo.
Here are all of the photos from the 2016 RandomConnections Calendar. Click the images for a larger view
All photographs by Thomas E. Taylor, Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
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