This Photographer&#39;s Life

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Farms are cool. So is Widespread Panic.

Blayne Beacham February 1, 2012

I've always fancied myself a little farm-ie... Screen Shot 2012-02-01 at 3.29.52 PM

Here I am in college with my rabbit, Napoleon. I bought this little guy without telling my mom... not smart. Then he grew to be like 8 lbs and would chew up all the wires/hardwoods in my apartment. I really loved him and was able to tolerate it, but as soon as I moved back in with my mom on Habersham we had to find Napoleon a new home. Bummer.

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Here I am holding a goat. Classic. If I had a back yard big enough you better believe I would have my own goat. How cute is he??

And who could forget the great chicken experiment of 2010?

I got 8 of these little fellows... and 5 of them were... well, fellows. That left me with three of the meanest hens you've ever met.

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See, she's plotting to peck my eyes out. Kidding... kind of. It turns out chickens don't really love being raised in the city on a concerte slab. They would much rather be out in the country... like me.

If I had my own farm I could own all the crazy animals I wanted, thus I was THRILLED when Nan Haverty asked me to go shoot her new farm near Serenbe. (Hey, you never know when the opportunity might present itself and you just NEED to buy a farm.)

8275 Chochan Mill was exactly what I was looking for in a farm property. I love that wide front porch!

Here is the barn, which is located just steps from the main house.

Of course I had to get a peak inside. Don't hate me, but I am not a huge fan of horses. I had a scary experience riding one once when I was little and have never really had any desire to climb aboard... that being said I do think they are beautiful and love watching them... from afar. BTW, there is an artist studio in the attic space of this barn, so go ahead and sign me up for spending time in there!

There are acres and acres of horse paddocks behind the house. We walked back so you could see the home, barn and garage/guest house. The homeowner told me that every night she pours herself a glass of wine and walks around the property checking the fences. I'm sorry, but how pleasant does that sound?

I was really impressed by the inside of the house. It was so bright and comfortable!

Isn't that great?

Digging this fireplace in the master!

This is the perfect place to cook meals for your family while they are out tending the pigs!

My favorite part of the house is the huge back poch overlooking the fields. I would love to sit out here at night with a glass of wine. Apparently when I move to the country I am also going to start drinking a lot of wine. :)

I asked Jim-Bo if he could ever see himself moving to the country. He didn't answer... but he did buy me a nice little ticket to Widespread Panic at the Tabernacle last weekend (wood tour, for those of you in the know).

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City Mouse + Country Mouse = Two very in love little mice.

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My Puppy Goes to Heaven: Brownies Should Always Accompany Sorrow

Blayne Beacham January 18, 2012

My baby, Sister, died last Thursday. I feel like my heart is breaking. Let me start with the story of how I got Sister, so you can understand why she is so important...

b and m

This is Milly. Milly was my dog in college. Unlike most people, I would say I had a pretty crappy college experience. I started at BU and then transfered to UGA. My life at UGA was sad and lonely (except for you Lindley) due to the fact that I transfered and didn't get a chance to know anybody outside my high school friends.

b and l I got Milly about a month after going to UGA, and she and I did everything together. She went to class with me most of the time... we cleaned my apartment and watched movies and went on car trips. You name it... Milly came. In 2008 Milly was killed by a pit bull I invited in to my home. I had never been exposed to a pit bull before and innocently thought a dog was a dog. As Milly ran up to greet the pit bull, it bit Milly's neck and she died instantly. I can say without a shadow of a doubt it was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I could not see a way to go on: I invited the dog in that killed my Milly and truly accepted all blame for her death. I had killed my best friend. I have never been lower than I was that day.

In an effort to cheer me up/keep me sane, my mom insisted we get a new puppy right away. She and my bffs Brittany and Matthew and I piled in the car and went back to the breeder to get another yorkie. I looked at all the puppies and did not bond with any of them...

I saw this one puppy in the corner but refused to hold her because she looked so much like Milly. (see how similar they look?) When I decided I did not like any of the other puppies I finally asked to hold the last one, and I broke down as soon as I got her in my arms. I kept saying over and over that I couldn't take the puppy... she just looked too much like Milly. At that moment two things happened. The puppy jumped up and started licking the tears off of my face just as the breeder said, "Well of course she looks like Milly. That's Milly's Sister."

From that day on Sister and I were connected at the hip. I felt like God had given my my best friend again. This was my second chance. I loved Sister as much as I could possibly love her. I slept with her every night and told her I loved her constantly. I call her my angel, and I believe she was.

Sister 16

When Jimmy and I were planning our trip to New York I looked into doggie airfare because I just didn't want to be without Sister for 10 days. It turns out it would have cost me $450 to take her with me, which was a luxury I could not afford. She spent the holidays with my mom and her dog Tommy (i.e. Sister's boyfriend). The last day of our trip my mom called and told me that Sister had hurt her hind leg and was running a little funny. We got home late on the night of the 2nd and went straight to Mom's to get Sister. I saw what Mom was talking about... Sister was running a little funny. As I went to sleep that night with Sister next to me I noticed she was breathing a little funny as well. Early on the morning of the 3rd, Sister and I went over to Treehouse Animal Clinic. I was expecting them to tell me she had fallen or gotten stepped on, etc. At the best I was expecting she needed time, at the worst a small surgery. I was not prepared for the doctor to tell me her condition was neurological. He said one of her eyes was dilated more than the other, which pointed to a neurological condition. The vet took some blood work and started Sister on a course of antibiotics and steroids. I gave her the medicine religiously, and I swear I saw some improvement.

Sisiter 17

On Thursday the 5th the vet called and said Sister did not have an infection, which meant it truly was a neurological condition. She referred us to Georgia Veterinary Specialist where we met with a neurologist (Jan.9th). I was convinced there was nothing truly wrong with Sister. I was thinking maybe she was tired or injured. I was totally unprepared for his diagnosis, which was Yorkie Encephalitis. The vet said that the only treatment was to start her on a strong dose of steroids, and even then she may only live 4-6 weeks. I would rather have been kicked in the face with a metal boot.

Sister15

In total disbelief my mom and I headed to Athens to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine on the morning of the 10th. This is a photo of my sweet Sister on the way to Athens. When we got there I recounted her symptoms, which were: back legs moving at a different rate that the front legs, her body seemed crooked, head tilt, trouble breathing, general confusion and extreem neediness/lack of ability to climb stairs. They did an MRI and spinal tap and came back with the same result. Encephalitis. Instead of explaining it as a death sentence, the vets there seems confident they could help her and prolongue her life with Chemo. They asked us to leave her there with them until the 13th so the could monitor the Chemo injections. Even though I was going to miss her, I agreed.

On the morning of the 12th they called and said Sister was having trouble breathing. They did a chest x-ray, and her lungs were almost full of fluid. Mom, Jimmy and I headed to Athens knowing it was not going to be pleasant. When we got there we were lead in to see Sister in an oxygen container that looked like an incubator. She looked happy and alert. I asked to hold her. As soon as they handed her to me she started panting in the most horrible way. She just could not breathe outside the chamber. That's when it hit me just how sick she really was. We put her back in the chamber and went into a room to talk. The vet told us that she did not know where the fluid came from or how long it had been there... but I did. I knew her breathing had been off since the night I picked her up on the 2nd. Nobody had thought it was an issue because they could not hear any crackling sounds in her lungs (the sign of fluid). Nobody thought to do a chest x-ray. When I told the vet how long it had been going on she looked disheartened. She said that even if Sister could get over the fluid in her lungs, which was very serious, she was still facing a very dangerous condition with her Encephalitis. It was then I knew she had fought enough. I didn't want her to go through anything else... because the end would not be good. I wanted to be there with her at the end.

I decided to put her to sleep. They brought her out to me in her favorite orange blanked I had just gotten her for Christmas. They laid her in my arms. I told her how much I loved her. I told her she had saved my life. I told her how grateful I was to be her mom, and how much I would miss her. She died in my arms with me telling her how much I loved her.

Even though I know it was the right thing to do, I feel like there is a hole in my heart, and it physically aches. I miss her all day every day. I miss her at bed time. I miss her sleeping next to me. I miss her in the morning when we would go on Facebook and she would type while I dried my hair. I miss her in the car... I even miss her accidents in the house. I miss her watching over me and making sure I am ok... even though I pray she still does that.

Time has not made it any easier...

Because I could not imagine going through this pain alone, Jimmy and I decided to get a puppy. Her name is Charlotte. She is a malitpoo/mutt/redneck. She is fiesty and bitey and terribly tough and sweet. She likes to eat a lot and lay on her back. She is strong and determined... and she is mine. I love her to death, but GOD do I still miss Sister.

I am trying to take it day by day, and with the help of Charlotte and Jimmy and my family and my amazing Friends, I pray I can get through this. I was having a particularly hard day today, and the pain in my chest had almost become unbearable, when these arrived in the mail...

Capella, thank you so very much for sending just what I needed at the exact moment I needed it. Your brownies gave me the strength to write this post, which I have been dreading. Although it was amazingly sad, I knew it would help me to tell the story of what happened to my sweet Sister. You're such a good friend. Thank you.

If you guys are looking for me today... I'll be next to the brownies :)

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Photographer Angela West's Personal Home: Before and After

Blayne Beacham January 17, 2012

Glennis Beacham sold 3198 Habersham Road a few years ago...

Famed photographer Angela West and her husband were the buyers. Angela and her husband have decided to sell the home, and they listed it with Glennis once again. I went to shoot the home last week! I was so excited. I have always loved this house....

Angela West got a BA from UGA and an MFA from Yale. I've seen a lot of her pieces at Jackson Fine Art.

Since my main two loves are photography and houses, I was so excited to see the changes she had made to the home. How did her skills as a photographer influence the choices she made in the house? Lucky for you guys I have the before pictures (I know, I spoil you), so you can see for yourselves how skilled Angela is not only at photography, but also at transforming a home! Before the home was done very traditionally. I loved it then, but I am really enjoying Angela's modern approach to the home.

Here is the kitchen before..

And here is is now. I never get tired of seeing how fresh paint can change a room. I love the bare walls and that simple green vase on top of the cabinets.

The before breakfast area...

I love the paint color and new pillows. Did you see the chairs? The different fabrics on the front and back are really cool. The table is perfect as well. It's much lighter.

Here is the dining room before. It's very Traditional with the Oriental rug and furniture.

Here it is now. Obvious changes: wallpaper, curtains, chandelier, larger table, rug removal, de-cluttering. I am usually a fan of rugs, but these hardwoods are so beautiful I am glad we can see them. I believe Angela and her husband had all the floors refinished.

Here is another view of the dining room where you can see Angela's beautiful photograph on the back wall!

The living room is where you can see the biggest difference. Here is the before picture. I remember being amazed with how large this room was the first time I shot the house.

Here is an additional before picture form the other direction.

Ready to see it now?

Doesn't that look great? I love the style of this room now, and the painted beams almost seem to disappear. The room is light and airy. They added custom fireplace screens and a built-in bar in the second enclave. Also, isn't that chandelier beautiful?

I wanted you to see Angela's photography above the fireplace. Those are the same pieces highlighted above on the Jackson Fine Art website.

Here is a better view of the bar they added.

And I include this overview so you can see how large the room really is, and how functional the room is with this furniture layout. Didn't she do a great job?

To see more of the amazing rooms in the house, including these...

... and to see the gardens...

... and the guest house...

...please visit Glennis' listing here!

Have a great week everybody!