The Meaning Behind The Name "Bottle Bell" Photography...

Hello Readers-

Hope this post finds everyone well. :)

I've often been asked where the name "Bottle Bell" Photography came from, what it means, and why I chose it for the name of my business. I get many business emails, Flickr messages, Myspace questions, etc. etc.

So, I thought I'd blog about this mysterious word combination, and answer those questions.

A little background, first: Before I ever decided to venture down the path of Photography, I was a poet and writer. I've been writing since I was about 12 years old, and have always considered poetry my first love. Even as I write this, I'm in the process of writing a book. I have boxes full of notebooks, new and old, and have always used words to express myself. Poetry moves me. Words move me. I would even go as far as to say that during my life, poetry has been a form of therapy.

Anywho... As a poet/writer, I often find myself wandering the world with a paper and a pen, looking at things in different ways, thinking of how I can make those experiences unique for another person to read, and how I can turn the experience, moment, or feeling I've had into a beautiful word combination, most commonly referred to as a poem.

That leads me to the name "Bottle Bell".

One day, back in 2005, I had been out wandering a property, near to my own, and came across a very old broken glass bottle. I love old rickety things, and so I picked it up, dusted it off, and blew across the mouthpiece. Those of you who have ever blown across the mouthpiece of a bottle know that when you do so, it makes a low humming sound, (similar to a bellowing wind).

The poet in me immediately dubbed that sound (the low hum it created) "The Bottle Bellow", and created a poem from those three words later that day. Since then, I shortened the name to "Bottle Bell", not only because I thought it sounded beautiful, but also because I felt it was almost a metaphor for who I was at the time I found the bottle- A low empty hum of past experience, aged and forgotten, hidden away, brought out only when the wind blew across me. I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but hey, I'm an artist. ;)

I felt it appropriate to name my company, Bottle Bell Photography, after the old vintage bottle I had found, the experience it represented, the poem that came of it, and finally, the Photographer that now takes your photos.

And there you have it. :)

I hope I've explained it in a way that's understandable.

Take care all-

Ash, Bottle Bell Photography

PS. *Of Note: I've decided to leave my old website up while designing my new one. It's a bit outdated, especially in the galleries, at this point. I'm leaving it up during the redesign primarily because the website does still offer current pricing information, and available services. However, If you would like to view my most current work, please visit my Flickr Galleries where you can find the latest portfolios of mine. Thanks!