Photo of the Month | Joseph Sanders - Palmetto Bella Magazine

Photo of the Month: Joseph Sanders

My journey in portrait photography came in stages that were out of order from what one would typically think. Most of the time, someone will start with taking photos of family and friends, slowly learn the mechanics of the camera, and eventually master the editing techniques needed to produce professional looking headshots. For me, it was quite the opposite.

Starting my freshman year at Williston-Elko High School, I began to explore the world of Adobe Photoshop in my computer graphics class. I liked it so much that I took that same class twice over my four years there just for fun. Once I moved to my new home at the University of South Carolina, I took a photography class on a whim and quickly became enthralled in the mechanics of DSLR photography. After many times of going out and taking pictures of bugs, leaves, water, and other natural environments, I realized what was missing for me was human interaction. I began seeking out friends, family, and models to take pictures of, and I instantly fell in love with the art of portraits.

Fast forward to last fall. I had come home to visit my family one weekend and heard that my little brother, Tre’ Sanders, had missed his 4th grade school pictures. Obviously he was upset, so in order to cheer him up, I took him out to Lemon Park in Barnwell, South Carolina to make sure his growth that year was well documented. Little did I know he was such a photogenic young man!

Photo of the Month | Joseph Sanders | Palmetto Bella

Bella Book Host: Changing Ways We Consume Literature

As I have mentioned before, I am a huge fan of Audible. As a mom of two dancers, I spend a lot of time driving and waiting. Audible allows me to access a nearly endless list of audio books from my phone, in the car, in the studio waiting room, and while sewing. For a monthly charge I receive a limited number of credits included in my plan. This month, after realizing I had already used my credits catching up on speculative fiction series involving dragons and talking ships, I evaluated my options. I keep my in-person shopping limited these days, but Amazon had print and Kindle versions available, and

The August Bella Book Club Review | The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Aiken Bella Magazine

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

The August Bella Book Club Review by Nichole Miller Samuel Hill was teased and bullied as a child due to his unique eyes. He was born with ocular albinism, which caused his eyes to appear red. This led to names such as “devil boy,” and Sam Hill became Sam Hell. His only friends were Ernie Cantwell and Mickie Kennedy, and they stuck by his side. Ernie was the only black boy in their Catholic school, and Mickie was known for breaking all the rules. A group of misfits, they showed that compassion and friendship can break all barriers. This book dares to question how many times someone can be told

A Return to Art and Music

An Evening of Art & Music • September 30 • 4:30 – 7:30 pm We, here at Bella, are excited about small scale events coming back to life. Not only have our beloved Bella Buzz pages been empty, but no events have occurred to fill the famous “Scene Around Town” section, leaving the pages of Bella empty of the faces of Aiken. A duo of women, Peggy Penland and Katy Lipscomb, are rallying for indoor/outdoor events featuring music, art, and community to entice us to get out and experience life. And so was born An Evening of Art & Music, scheduled for September 30, 4:30 – 7:30 pm. The past

Artist Spotlight | Canaan Peeples Joins Aiken Center for the Arts this Fall

Meet Aiken Center for the Arts’ (ACA) new music instructor, Canaan Peeples. Canaan joins ACA this fall and will be offering individual instruction programs for all skill levels on the guitar, bass, banjo, and mandolin. His experience gives the student the opportunity to choose the genre they want to learn, be it bluegrass, blues, rock, or classical. Canaan is a classically trained guitarist from Barnwell, South Carolina. He was endowed with an amazing talent for adding color to music with emotion and tone. At 30 years old, Canaan has over 25 years of performing and musical experience. He started playing guitar when he was only 3 years old, and his