Joshua Vensel

Looking for fresh bread, locally-grown vegetables, local Georgia honey, and other fresh-n-tasty treats? I recently had some spare time before a full day of photographing Atlanta real estate, so I strolled through the Sandy Springs Farmers Market. This market seems to have it all!

Here's a photo I snapped with my phone:

There were vendors making street-food, a bicycle vendor, fruit and vegetable farmers, a specialty soap vendor, a boutique doggie-treat vendor (think dog cookies), a tree farmer, and more. I can't remember them all.

I was the most pleased to see two vendors selling honey (sweet tooth). One variety was locally-harvested Georgia honey from Kennesaw. I've heard that eating local honey can help minimize seasonal allergies for those who are affected. The booth was buzzing with customers when I came by, so I didn't get to confirm that. The second honey vendor featured a selection of luxurious Italian honeys. I sampled these and they were truly delicious.

Another vendor that caught my attention was selling Japanese Maple trees. He had a variety of species and a selection of different sizes, which ranged from about 24" to 60" tall. This gentleman was very knowledgable about the trees.

The crowd (vendors and attendees) was a nice collection of folks who appreciate fresh food, boutique products, and being out, about, and involved. I saw families, couples, and individuals of all ages, and the market also appears to be dog-friendly, as I saw several people with their pets in-tow. The market currently runs on Saturdays from 8:30a-12p. For more information visit: http://www.sandyspringsfarmersmarket.com/

Bring out the family for some fun in the sun (I hear there will be adequate shade too) at the Peachtree Corners Festival on Saturday, June 11, 2011.  This free admission event starts at 10:00 a.m., runs until 6:00 p.m., and is open to the residents of Peachtree Corners and the surrounding communities.

The Festival offers live music, a car show, activities for the kids, an art & craft show, and the staple of all great festivals: great food!  Speaking of great food, it's just been announced that Top Chef Allstar and Atlanta restaurateur Richard Blais will be attending in partnership with Ford Motor Company's “Drive with Purpose” nationwide tour.  The tour supports Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome, with Ford donating $2 to D.A.D.S. for each test-drive of the 2012 Ford Focus at the event.

I'll be there as the official photographer for the Peachtree Corners Festival, and while the photos will great, there's no doubt this is one that you'll want to experience in person!  

The Peachtree Corners Festival location:

Here's an unofficial map that I drew up on Google My Maps.  As stated in the map, information presumed accurate but not guaranteed:

I was on a walkabout in Wyoming when I photographed this smiling hillside - okay, it's technically a mountainside - because I was so struck by all of the elements that came together for this view. The contour of the ridge line against the sky suggests a smile, while the vivid blue sky balances the bright yellow flowers, and the green grass provides a gentle backdrop without overpowering the rest.

Here's what you can't tell from this photograph, and what I most take away from it: This scene is not nearly as attractive from a slightly different viewpoint. Standing up, the curve of the ridge line was less dramatic, barren patches were visible in the hillside, and the flowers, though still full of color, all ran together with none really standing out. It wasn't until I looked at it from a different perspective, that it became an inspirational experience. Life's like that sometimes, right? We have the opportunity everyday - truly every minute - to view situations from one perspective or another. And like this photograph, we sometimes may have to stretch a bit to find the best view; but where others see a treacherous climb ahead, we can find a smiling hillside.

Another inspiring element for me, about this photograph, is that it is looking up. Subconsciously I'm reminded by it to look up. Zig Ziglar tells a story of a young sailor who's been given the duty of climbing the mast of a rocking boat to release the sail. It's his first time up the mast, and as the boat rocks back and forth with the waves moving beneath it, he becomes confused and begins to lose his balance. The advice yelled up to him by an older, more experienced sailor was rather simple, "Look up!"

I chose this photograph specifically because it is an inspirational and optimistic view of a mountain, and as entrepreneurs, inspiration and optimism are some of the best tools we can carry as we climb our own mountains.

05/23/2011 Update: This post was recognized with Honorable Mention by The First ActiveRainPhotoBloggerContest judges. Thank you to William Johnson for organizing the contest, and thank you to judges Gary Woltal, Sally Cheeseman, Myrl Jeffcoat, and Michael Thornton, for your recognition.

Here's a good-looking house I recently photographed in Loganville, GA. It sits in a quiet neighborhood with easy access to Atlanta Hwy.

I've been fortunate to photograph several properties recently that have second-story porches. I think it's a very cool feature, and can imagine I'd spend a good amount of time out there if this were my house.

This property had great attention to detail, such as the double-sided fireplace and arched passages between the spacious living room

and window-filled keeping room.

Although I typically prefer to photograph horizontally (landscape orientation), I decided to go vertical to show off the ceiling detail in the dining room.

I photographed much more that this house has to offer, including a splendid kitchen and breakfast area, secondary beds and baths, and a back yard and patio, but I'll close with the master bedroom:

and luxurious master bath:

Additional photos may be viewed at www.realtyclique.com/712-Hope-Hollow-Ln

So I was cruising around the 'Rain tonight, and I came across the Leaderboard link on the site footer:

NBD, right?

I check my local rank from time to time from within "My Home," and I see my Rank in Georgia, Rank in Cobb County, Rank in Marietta. What I hadn't seen before though, was my Overall Rank within the AR community. It had never occured to me to change the dropdowns to see where I was nationally.

Fortunately, there's a handy-dandy "Show Me" shortcut that saved me from going page-by-page:

What did I find?

#8270. Bummer, I thought. Not that I expected #8, or even #82, or even #827. But #8270 seems kind of ho-hum. Then I realized, ActiveRain currently has 206,879 members.

Some quick math (aided by a calculator) tells me that 8270 divided by 206,879 is .0399, aka, 3.99%.

Now that feels good!

I always like to remind myself that there's a positive side to every situation. Sure, there's #8270, but I'd rather be a Top 4%-er!