17th Annual Palo Alto Weekly Photo Contest
Third Place, Views Beyond the Peninsula

"Goin' To Guinness"
By Cathy Cakebread

About Cathy Cakebread

Click on photo for larger image.

I shot this image while traveling in Ireland with the Foothill College Campus Abroad Program. Being of Irish descent and having grown up in California (where not much is older than 1906), this was an especially moving experience for me. All the history, the intriguing textures, the beautiful landscapes and the diverse cities paint a picture of all that the Irish have experienced and are as a culture.

This image is literally the railroad tracks leading to the Guinness Beer Factory. However, to me it is so very much more; it represents the different paths available to us in creating our own history. Do we follow the straight and narrow or do we veer to the right or left and experience what's there? With each choice we have made and will make, we add to the richness of who we are.

I grew up taking photos, from my Kodak Brownie and Polaroid Swinger to my Nikon D200 (digital). I have taken photography classes at Foothill College and Stanford Continuing Studies. My profession is as a self-employed high-tech consultant. Photography has provided me with the opportunity to slow down and take a closer look at all that is around me.