Personal Web page of Kenneth A. Yates

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Boone and Photography

Thanks to a good friend of mine who convinced me to take a class that I would have otherwise never have taken, I was introduced to the world of black and white photography. Thanks, Julie! She helped me with new ideas and stirred my imagination to discover new creative horizons.
Anyhow, in the course of a few weeks photography became THE passion in my life and I spent many a dollar on film, Kodak paper, camera accessories, and eventually darkroom equipment as I drove all around the Alabama countryside looking for some good pictures. My subject matter varies a bit....I was not looking for 'theme' works as much as I was looking for photographs that made a statement to me.
One of the most interesting things to me was the fact that some shots that I had thought would print really well didn't look quite so spectacular on paper, and other shots taken almost as an afterthought were some of the best shots in my modest portfolio.
Overall I would have to say that this was one of my favorite classes in college and I was sorry that I had discovered it so late. I continue to add to my collection, and periodically as time and money allows I will add some more of my prints to this archive.
Photo Gallery
Welcome to Boone's personal photo gallery. These photos were taken with a Pentax K-1000 manual SLR and developed in my darkroom using Beseler equipment. The images here are a much lower quality than the actual 8" x 10" prints.....this was done both to assure a smaller file size so images would load rapidly as well to protect my artistic property from unauthorized use. I am happy to provide the full quality scans or any size prints up to 8" x 10" for a modest fee. Just e-mail me at kyates@nti.net.

Click on any picture to see a larger image Use the [back] button on your browser to return.

Bravely On
This photograph was taken on a nice spring day in Anniston, Alabama. The statue is a tribute to the brave soldiers that served in WWI when a local fort named Ft. McClellan was opened. Though the statue is well weathered and the base is starting to give way in parts, I thought this gave the impression of the strength of our nation's veterans and how they survived in the midst of adversity to prevail.

Perspectives
When you look at this photo what do you see? What I saw was something that somewhat resembled an Escher drawing......all it needs is a progression of monks to make this scene complete! This photograph as well as the next one you are about to see was a photographic study of lines, shape, and perspectives.

For Whom The Bell Tolls
Here we have the bell tower of Parker Memorial Baptist Church in Anniston, the same structure that was featured in my last photograph. In this shot I was trying show the effects of lines as they flow through this picture. Note how the right edge of the bell tower is lined up roughly perpendicular but the left edge is not, and has been lined up with the direction of the branches.

Heaven and Hell
Sometimes you can be amazed by the photographs that can just seem to leap out at you, screaming to be captured on film. This shot was taken a few hours after a pretty good downpour as I was on my way back from a friends house. It really pays off to keep some camera equipment on-hand wherever you go! What I really like about this print is the fact that the grass blades add a texture to the reflected image, which gives is a slightly distorted look, symbolizing the perfection of heaven versus the imperfection of that which resides below.

Gods Work Must Go On!
On one of my little field trips into the countryside I came across this semi-destroyed building off the side of the road near Bynum, Alabama. As I got in closer for this photograph I could see that this used to be a church that had suffered some calamity. What really gives this photograph it's real impact is something that unfortunately can't be made out in these lower quality scans: there is a sign above the entryway that reads simply "God's work must go on."

Homestead
Anyone that has been to Alabama and traveled the backroads has seen more than a few houses that have been deserted and left to the elements. They stand as sad monuments to their previous owners and I found myself wondering what were the occupants like and what caused them to abandon their country home. Did children slam screen doors as they ran outside to play, or did a mother gaze out the window wondering when her son would come back from the war....

Morbidity
On an early photography assignment, my friend Julie suggested that we go to this cemetery in Jacksonville, Alabama for photographs. In a later assignment I returned to take some theme photos for an assignment that captured moods. The shot that you see to the right was almost never taken... after shooting a full roll of film, I handed the camera to my friend Linny and sat down for a moment to tie my shoe. Linny advanced the roll to the mystical 25th frame and snapped this photo of me (in cape).

Traditions
Driving on the roads around campus I discovered some ruins alongside a meandering creek and took this photo. Later on I found out that this was the site of Forney Mill, which had been destroyed by a tornado in the 1950s. In the background you can see a wooden tool shed which survived, but the mill itself was destroyed even though it was a stone structure. This wall and some other debris are all that remains of a community landmark . Also on hand are kudzu vines making their own claim on the property.
River of Times Forgotten
This is another picture of Forney Mill. You can see remnants of the dam that had been built to force water over the great wheel to turn the grindstone. In the end, though, nature wins over man and reclaims the river for her own once again.

Silent Stream
Alabama can also be quite beautiful! Sometimes you need to really get away from it all and there's nothing more relaxing than heading out into the springtime wilderness just taking it all in. Spring rains fill the creeks and streams and provide much needed moisture to start the cycle of life once again in the Talledega National Forest.
Whispers...
Following the stream deeper into the forest I started to hear the gentle whisper of falling water in the distance. Throughout most of the year this is little more than a trickling falls but with the spring rains it had grown powerful indeed. There was a certain feeling of timelessness as the water moved rapidly downstream as it had throughout the centuries, eroding the mountainside to create this gorge.

Linny!
This photo is one of my friends Lindsay who I was lucky enough to meet while I was working my way through college. Linny is a fellow northerner transplanted into the strange new world we call Alabama, and she is one of those rare individuals that is fully alive....vibrant with energy and enthusiasm. Here she worships the spring sunshine, new grass, and the cool stream at her feet....content, relaxed, happy....and quite proud of her new belly ring!
Graduation
Friends and relatives ask me what its like finally pass through those doors of knowledge and take home the degree that I devoted so much of my life to these last few years. I think that this impromptu photo of two girls celebrating at graduation explains it best: : I made it through the support of my friends and by having some fun along the way.

Services Available
If you are close to the Anniston/Ft. McClellan area I am available to provide the following services.

Color scanning into standard formats such as .gif and .jpg.
Developing of true black and white negatives, such as the Kodak TMAX but not TMAX-CN film
(which requires Color Negative equipment).
Black and white printmaking from your negatives into any size up to 8"x10".
Black and white photography for personal portfolios, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, or for advertisement purposes.
Because I own and operate my own darkroom equipment my rates are quite reasonable.
Comments Welcome
If you have a comment about any of these pictures feel free to send me some e-mail. After all...for every budding artist there should be at least a few critics out there!

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Boone's Web Page Last updated 28 May, 1999.
Web page by Ken Yates (kyates@nti.net)

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Bravely On This photograph was taken on a nice spring day in Anniston, Alabama. The statue is a tribute to the brave soldiers that served in WWI when a local fort named Ft. McClellan was opened. Though the statue is well weathered and the base is starting to give way in parts, I thought this gave the impression of the strength of our nation's veterans and how they survived in the midst of adversity to prevail.
	Perspectives When you look at this photo what do you see? What I saw was something that somewhat resembled an Escher drawing......all it needs is a progression of monks to make this scene complete! This photograph as well as the next one you are about to see was a photographic study of lines, shape, and perspectives.
For Whom The Bell Tolls Here we have the bell tower of Parker Memorial Baptist Church in Anniston, the same structure that was featured in my last photograph. In this shot I was trying show the effects of lines as they flow through this picture. Note how the right edge of the bell tower is lined up roughly perpendicular but the left edge is not, and has been lined up with the direction of the branches.
	Heaven and Hell Sometimes you can be amazed by the photographs that can just seem to leap out at you, screaming to be captured on film. This shot was taken a few hours after a pretty good downpour as I was on my way back from a friends house. It really pays off to keep some camera equipment on-hand wherever you go! What I really like about this print is the fact that the grass blades add a texture to the reflected image, which gives is a slightly distorted look, symbolizing the perfection of heaven versus the imperfection of that which resides below.
Gods Work Must Go On! On one of my little field trips into the countryside I came across this semi-destroyed building off the side of the road near Bynum, Alabama. As I got in closer for this photograph I could see that this used to be a church that had suffered some calamity. What really gives this photograph it's real impact is something that unfortunately can't be made out in these lower quality scans: there is a sign above the entryway that reads simply "God's work must go on."
	Homestead Anyone that has been to Alabama and traveled the backroads has seen more than a few houses that have been deserted and left to the elements. They stand as sad monuments to their previous owners and I found myself wondering what were the occupants like and what caused them to abandon their country home. Did children slam screen doors as they ran outside to play, or did a mother gaze out the window wondering when her son would come back from the war....
Morbidity On an early photography assignment, my friend Julie suggested that we go to this cemetery in Jacksonville, Alabama for photographs. In a later assignment I returned to take some theme photos for an assignment that captured moods. The shot that you see to the right was almost never taken... after shooting a full roll of film, I handed the camera to my friend Linny and sat down for a moment to tie my shoe. Linny advanced the roll to the mystical 25th frame and snapped this photo of me (in cape).
	Traditions Driving on the roads around campus I discovered some ruins alongside a meandering creek and took this photo. Later on I found out that this was the site of Forney Mill, which had been destroyed by a tornado in the 1950s. In the background you can see a wooden tool shed which survived, but the mill itself was destroyed even though it was a stone structure. This wall and some other debris are all that remains of a community landmark . Also on hand are kudzu vines making their own claim on the property.
River of Times Forgotten This is another picture of Forney Mill. You can see remnants of the dam that had been built to force water over the great wheel to turn the grindstone. In the end, though, nature wins over man and reclaims the river for her own once again.
	Silent Stream Alabama can also be quite beautiful! Sometimes you need to really get away from it all and there's nothing more relaxing than heading out into the springtime wilderness just taking it all in. Spring rains fill the creeks and streams and provide much needed moisture to start the cycle of life once again in the Talledega National Forest.
Whispers... Following the stream deeper into the forest I started to hear the gentle whisper of falling water in the distance. Throughout most of the year this is little more than a trickling falls but with the spring rains it had grown powerful indeed. There was a certain feeling of timelessness as the water moved rapidly downstream as it had throughout the centuries, eroding the mountainside to create this gorge.
	Linny! This photo is one of my friends Lindsay who I was lucky enough to meet while I was working my way through college. Linny is a fellow northerner transplanted into the strange new world we call Alabama, and she is one of those rare individuals that is fully alive....vibrant with energy and enthusiasm. Here she worships the spring sunshine, new grass, and the cool stream at her feet....content, relaxed, happy....and quite proud of her new belly ring!
Graduation Friends and relatives ask me what its like finally pass through those doors of knowledge and take home the degree that I devoted so much of my life to these last few years. I think that this impromptu photo of two girls celebrating at graduation explains it best: : I made it through the support of my friends and by having some fun along the way.