Personal Project--Places I Like--Rainbow's End

I won't lie; I'm bad with titles. But I think Places I Like pretty much sums up exactly what I'm going for. I've been flirting with this idea in my head for a little while. This project is not going to win me fame or recognition. I'm not going to get any awards. But it does mean something to me, and I'll tell you why. Back when I was probably about 10 or 11 years old, a small craft store opened up in my hometown. I used to go there after school and look at all the neat stuff and the owner was a nice lady that didn't seem to have any problem with me poking around. But me being a 10 or 11 year old child, I certainly didn't have any kind of income and could never purchase anything in the store. Not too long afterward, the store closed. It couldn't have been open for more than 2 months, and that's when I learned my first valuable lesson about business: if people don't shop in your store, you won't be open for very long. Today we hear a lot about Main Street USA and how much it's hurting. I make it a point to shop on Main Street, not just in Sidney where I live, but anywhere I visit, because I want those stores to be there. The idea of world full of gigantic concrete plazas with no personality and the same stores everywhere you go makes me cringe. So this project for me is to showcase places I like to go in the hopes that maybe a few people might stop in and say hey when they might not normally. I'm not trying to say any of these places are doing bad or in danger of closing; that's not the point at all. The point is to try and spread the love of my favorite places to new folks and to document the store in an artistic way. I believe my first attempt at this was back in Baltimore when I stumbled across Lost in the 50's.  When I walked into the place, I knew I had to document it, even if just for myself. I haven't been back to Baltimore in a while, but I'm pretty sure it's still there.So if you find yourself in the Baltimore area, be sure to check them out! My next installment in this photojournalistic endeavor is Rainbow's End in Sidney NY. I had the pleasure of doing photos for their facebook page a couple of years ago. Pam Ross and Elana Hulsey opened the store in August 2011, and have added a much appreciated bright spot to Sidney's Main Street. Just walking past their colorful rainbow sign and seeing the sparkly displays in the window makes me happy. As a photographer, I had a blast finding colorful little displays to treat as still lifes! Without further ado, here are some photos from my Places I Like Project. I'm hoping to do one of these every week, but once wedding season picks back up, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up!

                                           Need a solid glass Viking head? They have one!

                               I actually went back for this octopus lamp, but he was gone. Sad.

                                           
                                            Handmade soaps that look good enough to eat!

                                     Twin Optimus Primes look dramatic in black and white.

                                            Weiner-dog shaped hot dog plate? Yes please!