Akron Empire would like to welcome guest blogger Aimee Lambes. Aimee is a good friend and has been a great supporter of Akron Empire. She owns a photography business and loves roadtrips, so naturally she's spending this summer driving cross country and has scheduled portrait sessions along the way, while taking the opportunity to capture a variety of landscapes as well. Check out her website to view a sample her work, or you can follow her on Facebook. Thanks, Aimee, for sharing your adventure!
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| Indian Springs, GA |
by Aimee Lambes
One of my earliest memories is sitting under the piano bench: coloring on blank music paper while my mother played. I was lucky enough to grow up in a creative family; in addition to music, my mother also creates assemblages with ephemera and inks. I have a sister who is a very talented painter as well as jewelry maker and collage artist. My four brothers are a writer, a musician, a photographer and a furniture maker.
I have had the good fortune to travel all over the US in pursuit of my work. From an early age I had a hard time staying still, and traditional education chafed. I left school at 16 and moved 1000 miles from where I grew up. I wanted to teach myself by doing, and though it has been in a roundabout way, I believe I have found my path. I think it is easy to see beauty in a sunset or canyon. My mission is to find beauty in the human footprint.
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| Aimee is travelling over 8,000 miles this summer taking photos! |
I have a friend in Georgia that lives 4 miles from where he was born and raised. His apartment is 6 miles from the office, and his travels are limited to to the adjacent states. Those trips have all been for work.
He thinks I'm crazy.
I am at the beginning of 8,521 miles and as I travel further from home everything changes. The landscape, the people, weather, driving habits. Atlanta drivers are aggressive, Charlotte's are fast, New Orleans' like to change lanes a lot. I have often wondered if the terrain dictates the driver, but there is not really anything to indicate that. Nor do I have the time and patience to find out.
The landscape changes so gradually that I don't notice much until several days have gone by. The people change quickly, though. Regional colloquialisms are fascinating. If I had more patience I could see myself studying the differences in speech and their origins, but I cannot sit in a classroom very long. Unless it is a classroom with a steering wheel...
The thing that changes the most is me, though. I can breathe. Not that I couldn't before, but suddenly I am not caretaker, wife, business owner, mom. I am an adventurer. It is just me and the car and the camera. For five weeks, anything is possible.
I am not crazy.
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| Abandoned Belks - Great Falls, SC |
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| Crumbling Church - Lake Washington, MS |
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