Hummer

One of nature's gifts that most amazes me is the hummingbird. If you have never seen one you would be amazed at just how small they are. I know hummingbirds are in town when I begin to think I am seeing really large flying bugs that zip past me in a blur. They aren't bugs, they are really hummingbirds. Not the easiest thing to photograph due to their size and their speed, many people go to great lengths to set up areas to take pictures with flashes and syringes of sugar water dropped into flower blooms. My neighbors Hank and Ann kept telling me they had some stopping by their yard, I was surprised since this is the first year in 13 years since I began seeing hummingbirds that I had not had any stop by my feeder. Low and behold they really did have some in their yard and after patiently shooting and waiting for about an hour I got my favorite shot of the day. I hope you enjoy it too.

My Favorite Time of Year

Yes Yes Yes it is State Fair time!! I love October, usually it is beginning to cool off and the State Fair comes to town. I love the State Fair, corny dogs, night lights, interesting people, exhibits, Texas vs OU game. You can't make this stuff up either. If you get there during the early weeks of the fair you can see some of the live stock competitions, if you get there later during the run you can see the dancing dogs or the cat show. All very exciting stuff. Make the time to stop by the fair and I would highly recommend you park on the Fair grounds if possible, easier in and out. Just don't forget to get yourself a Fletcher's corny dog.

Shadowing Myself

While waiting for some folks to show up I noticed my shadow so here it is. Funny how when you are a kid you are so aware of your shadow but once grown I hardly ever notice it, and I should considering it sometimes creeps into my photos. I try to keep that from happening and I actually do notice it and rearrange the shot. Confused, so am I . Anyway I think this may become one of my favorite self portraits since I generally shy away from the camera this way I can be in the picture but not really there.

Shrooms

wish I had moved those blades of grass!

Where exactly do they come from? Mushrooms have taken over my backyard and I am sure there is something about rain that makes them appear. Surely I learned this in school at some point. For whatever reason they are everywhere. Most look exactly alike, the come up as these little bulb like growth and then pop out into this white flat thing with the remnants of the bulb left on top, really weird almost like someone peppered them. Then out of nowhere all alone is one that has a red bottom. How exactly do I know the bottom is red? I was crawling around the yard again, getting the toes of my shoes all muddy, remember it had been raining when these things popped up. Now if I had been all together I would have paid better attention to the details around my mushrooms and cleared the stray blades of grass away to get a better photo but rushing through so the dog could come back out I did not do my best work but here for your wonder are my shrooms.

look at the detail that goes into one of these things only to shrivel up a few days later.

Fun Surprise

Sometimes in life you have fun little surprises. One day while crawling around the yard trying to find bees and other things of interest to photograph I discovered this whole crop of wild strawberries. I had no idea they were growing in our yard and most looked to be in pretty good shape, the bugs and the dog had yet to discover them. I challenge you to go out and be surprised in a good way today.

I am Back

I have no real excuse for taking a short sabbatical from here but I have been cleaning and organizing and getting ready for another school year. With that in mind this photo reminds me what is so great about summer, very little to your schedule. If you want to fish all day you can. No teachers to assign you projects, no rush on the chores and there are small crowds at the local creek since temperatures hovered around 100 degrees. Back to business and back to the routine, hopefully I will be better about posting my favorite images here that I really have no where else to post.

Back to Business

Not sure where that last month went but it went without me noticing. I have been busy cleaning out the house. The girl child decided it was time to redo her room that she has been in since she was four so she actually cleaned out her room. Oh if only I had a before and after you would not believe it, just imagine a wall to wall mess of clothes and stuff with a bed hidden in the corner under a mess of clothes. Out of date furniture that was just sitting there, my old bedroom suit from when I was a little girl, that has been a while and you get the picture. In one morning we removed everything from the walls, filled in the holes and cracks in the wall, removed and cleaned all vent cover, shutters and outlet covers. Then we taped off the walls and commenced on painting. Let's just say it is officially the second room in our house that has colored walls. It has been an amazing metamorphisis and more importantly a great motivator for her younger brother who also wants colored walls. It has taken us a week but between the two of us we have managed to clear a path through his room and believe it or not we found the floor was carpeted. The closet is the next hurdle which I will take a before and after shot. That you truly will not believe. A cumulation of three kids living in the same space for 14years. With that said check out the video of my newest teenager helping me in a very rough video, not my specialty, explaining pocket wizards, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syzarj7f0HQ. Amazing what kids will do for a small fee. Off to clean out the closet!

Fish on a Fence

Every day I try to experience something new and different and honestly it is not that easy to do. You know the routine, you get up, you go through your day and you go to bed, day in, day out. I revisited one of my favorite places over the weekend and should have taken new pictures but really wasn't feelin' it so I just drove by Boot Hill. Boot Hill is a long stretch of fence with an old boot sitting upside down on each fence post. When I was telling a friend about it they said well did you see Fish Fence? A simple stroll down the street I had driven down over 10 times throughout the weekend and sure enough there it was, Fish Fence. Believe it or not someone places a fish head on the fence posts, leaving the head there for scavengers in the wild to do their thing until all that is left is the skeleton remains. Glad I didn't stroll by when there was still stinky fish meat left on the bone. Some of the remains were more complete than others but it did fulfill my need to experience something new on Sunday. So I give you Fish Fence.

Taste of Texas

I happened on something today I have never really noticed but had heard about. There are probably 30 or so Longhorn statues running down this hill. Pretty amazing site and when you stand among them you can only imagine what it would be like to be caught in the middle of this stampede. Ouch!

Corn

It seems like corn is a huge asset right now in the agriculture world. I have seen corn growing along the highways in nice straight lines and have never actually seen it up close. Well now I can say I have. With a slightly overcast sky I snapped a quick shot across the road of some crops and am fascinated by the gold color of the crops. Nothing fancy just wanted to share the simplicity of a plant that has been around since the indians taught the pilgrims to use the land respectfully.

Unexpected Beauty

There is beauty all around, you just have to stop and take the time to notice it. In this case it stuck me in my side as I boldly tried to reach over it. A piece of a barbed wire fence, hey this is Texas, barbed wire is everywhere, it keeps our horses from straying too far. Anyway, after feeling pain from the barb, I looked at it more closely and saw this beautiful twisted piece of rusted metal. The rust not only gave it wonderful color but also texture. Enjoy.

Simpler Times

Gas prices may be the reason but whatever it is I am desiring to go back to simpler times when we weren't connected 24/7 to our computers, cell phones, tivo etc. Times when we weren't scheduled every minute of the day. Times when weekends were really for relaxing and catching up with friends and not working Saturday and Sunday. I have noticed more kids riding their bikes, which is refreshing and probably mandated by mom who is tired of paying for gas and driving kids all day long to their friends' houses. My family knows I threaten daily to move to the country so when I drove along the country road yesterday I was amazed that there are still these simple Post Offices in small towns, it was closed but I would assume there is some general store items in there to. If you ever find yourself in Hye, Texas stop by and tell them I sent you.

Forgotten

Have you ever been driving down the highway and noticed the old things long forgotten sitting in a field? Since I was a little girl sitting in the backseat driving back and forth on I-35 watching out the window I have wondered how the old barns become forgotten and left to fall down and why equipment is left in a field only to rust and be overgrown with brush. Today I got off of I-35 and jumped over to a slower paced two lane road and found a few opportunities to capture a moment in time of things forgotten. I drove by more than I photographed but I did stop and shoot out the window along peaceful roads in little towns.

Cherries

I have been playing around with my lighting set up. I had taken this photo and realized that the photo was junk due to a filthy sensor. Yes I could have cloned out the dust spots but why not just clean the sensor and get back to making the photo I intended to make. So I think I like this one better anyway. In reality there isn't much difference but this one doesn't have dust spots. I use to be terrified of cleaning my sensor but with the right equipment and a soft touch it is really easy. Now I need to find someone who likes cherries since I have quite a few sitting in a bowl.

Smells Bad but Looks Good

Funny thing I discovered yesterday on my trek through the creek bed is somethings smell bad but on closer examination the appearance overpowers the smell. Trying to train my structured, not artsy mind to see beyond the obvious. What is it? It is the moss growing under the streaming water moving from the drainage pipe to the creek. Our creek runs underground throughout the neighborhood in drainage pipes and the pipes then feed into the next finger of the surface creek. Many a neighborhood kid has discovered you can travel miles through these pipes and end up on the other side of town. I for one will not venture too far into one, something to do with the sizable rats, raccoons and opossums in our area.

Weird Stuff

I just wanted to share a weird shot with you. No life's lessons or thoughts for the day. This reminds me of a dream scene. Kind of different but it is really growing on me.

Seeing Beauty All Around

Today is officially the first day of summer! I found myself left all alone while everyone else was off enjoying the sunshine. I decided to wonder off myself and I challenged myself to see the world around me differently. To my surprise my first discovery was a tiedye shirt left hanging over the creek with no one in sight. I began to look at nature for its beauty. What I found was the sun creeping through the tree tops, a pair of ducks nesting, mossy ick under streaming water which actually was very pretty when you stopped and really looked at the moss instead of smelling it. As I was walking along a path I heard a rustling in the bushes, thinking it was a bird I glanced into the under brush only to find a beautiful lizard showing off his stuff. So I challenge you to stop and enjoy the world around you, see the ordinary in a different light and it becomes extraordinary.

Big Picture

I had the opportunity to get the big picture today. I have a friend who loves the upper deck for sporting events. For my whole life I have wondered why in the world anyone would want to sit in the upper deck instead of sitting down close to the action. I decided to honor my friend today by sitting in the "upper deck", actually it was a balcony and I sat alone at my friend's funeral. I know, I know, not another funeral but yes that is where I found myself . I sat alone and in amazement at the fact that no one else had the thought to sit in the upper deck seats just like he would have done. What I learned was that it is a totally different view from up high. First thing I noticed is that no one else could see me since they were all looking forward. Secondly I was amazed at how many men there were balding. Thirdly it suddenly hit me at what a cool site it was to see the whole scene in one view. I could see every seat filled and the pattern all of those heads made. I am an up close sort of person but it was a wonderful reminder to stop and take in the big picture. Sometimes it takes the big picture to understand a situation. I also chuckled to myself as the family can always say, it was a full house, there were even people in the balcony! I wondered what the preacher and three speakers whom I know all pretty well, were thinking about that lone person sitting up in the nose bleed seats. Maybe they realized I knew doctor 9X pretty well and knew right where he would have been sitting if he had still been with us.

From Above

We went to the Rose Bowl a few years ago and my youngest took a photo from the window that is one of my favorite photos ever. I decided to try to create my own shot from above and clearly he is a better photographer than I am. Mine doesn't touch his but due to the polarization of the window mine is sort of a technocolored mystery. What amazes me as I live in the burbs is that there is actually land out there that is totally not developed and is as natural as it could possibly be. As we flew over this pond, what caught my eye was how green the water was and how beautifully the land met the water. So my from above shot may not be perfect but it did catch a perfect moment in time where I could enjoy nature's beauty without disturbing it.

Nelo has arrived

Nelo who you ask. Well glad you asked Nelo is a great band that has gotten their first record deal and is available on ITunes (whiched turned 5 today). I recommend you downloading their album or some of their songs. Nelo has been hard at work, paying their dues for over three years. Hard work has paid off and they are launching their newly released album. Last night they played at the Granada in Dallas, Texas. To get you started in the right direction here is a link to songs you can download from their selfnamed album, Nelo, http://www.apple.com/search/ipoditunes/?q=nelo

Dreams

Anyone that knows me, knows I have come to a point in my life that I am grasping "life" more clearly than ever. What I have come to realize is life is short and we should make the most of what we have been given. Each and everyone of us has some wonderful gift. I think the whole purpose of life is discovering what our gift is and using it to make the world a better place. Your gift may be as simple as making people smile, which we have learned recently is almost better than receiving money. Well, rambling aside, I want to introduce you to Freddy Wexler. Freddy is a college age musician who had a record deal that was pulled out from underneath him as the label went through some restructuring. He has made his way from Philly to Dallas via a radio station that heard his music and wanted to get his sound out there. He has now decided to stay in Dallas and let the radio station and its listeners help him record an album. The listeners will decide which of the songs he writes he should record and will be pitching in helping he with a place to stay and all of the basics of day to day life. Give him a look and a listen and see what you think of him. Just imagine he his living out his dreams while sharing his gift with others whose lives he has touched along his journey. Click on the link and you can follow along with Freddy as he works through the process of writing, producing and recording an album this summer before school resumes in the fall. http://www.kiddlive.com/freddy/

Lizard Mystery

Weather has been like a revolving door around here, hot, windy, wet, cold , hot. Last weekend I heard a yelp at the front door. As someone was heading out they discovered this on the front door.

He was a very calm and seemed to feel right at home on my front screen. He moved up and down and would stand still while I took photos of him from the outside too, much to my daughter's horror as I heard her telling a friend , "yea, mom found a lizard on the door and of course had to take pictures of it." I am an oddity in myself to her at times. Anyway the next day the lizard had taken up residence in the piece of paper that makes like a tube over the broken doorbell reminding people to knock since it has been broken for years. I checked on my little lizard friend the following day and much to my horror there was the lizard still curled up within the paper only one little claw clinging to the top part of the paper. Thinking lizards need warmth to stay alive I feared it had gotten too cold during the first night and had crawled into this paper home feeling safe only to freeze to death. A few hours later I went back out and there and the little guy was gone. Assuming it had fallen on the porch, which would have been painful if he wasn't already frozen, I looked all around. No sign of him anywhere. I realize some other creature may have discovered him and found him to be a tasty morsel but I choose to think of him waking from his hibernation and realizing he had lost two days curled up in the hot pink paper note. If you see him wondering around your front door please do a better job of giving him a warm spot for the night.

Squatting

With great joy my neighbors youngest child who is just learning to stand on her own was pleased as punch today with herself. Why was she so pleased you ask? Well she was just sitting there all squatty like they do without appreciating her flexibility and I started clapping as she was sitting there all squatty like. She got to clapping and smiling and laughing herself. Eventually she stood up and of course there was more clapping and smiling. What I wouldn't give to be able to squat and not get stuck like that. Even if I could stand up straight from a squat I would feel it in the morning. So for all those who are pleased with them self, I am clapping and cheering you on.

Sunshine

It has been a wild couple of weeks but I have found myself outside more than usual. I am not sure if it is the plethora of sporting events to cover or that the writers' strike made my favorite tv shows seem to stop and life still went on keeping me busy and changing up my routine. I have not have much time to take photographs for myself but have had some great opportunities to cover different sports. What I did notice at these events is how many people are out living and enjoying life. They are not worried about the work they left sitting on their desk, I suppose it will still be there when they return on Monday, they are not running errands like crazy all over town. No, these people were out with friends or family and talking about what was going on in their life and taking in a sporting event, relaxed, happy and smiling. You will have to forgive me for my amazement at the ease in which these people seem to be carefree. I am still stuck in a what can we get done this weekend, where do we have to be this weekend and how much work can I get caught up on this weekend world. Kids are afraid to get too far away from the computer, video game and broken tivo. I am sorry to say I have become a terrible role model in how to have fun. Fun for me is taking pictures, not much fun for anyone around you. When I do get back home, all of the crisis of the day, which I was not around for all get thrown in my lap. I begin to think my fun wasn't worth the hassle I endure when I return. Ok so you have a better understanding in what my life has become , one big hole of workaholics.

With that all said here are a few of my favorite shots taken while getting a tan.

Score Keepers

I have noticed in life there are a lot of different types of people. Not sure what I am but believe I am evolving from one type into another. Today let's talk about "score keepers". You know who I am talking about, those people who have nothing to do but keep score in life. For example if you miss their party due to a once in a life opportunity, they see that as a negative in your score column instead of a positive that you had an amazing opportunity to do something that only comes around once in a life time. They are so caught up in keeping score they totally miss the bigger picture of what is really going on in life around them. I feel really sorry for score keepers because they miss out on so much and carry so much angst around with them fearing they or those they care about will not end up on top with the highest score, what they don't know is that the things they are keeping score on have no value in what type of person you are and actually reflects a very shallow, insecure person who has no deep meaning to their life. Everyone has their own purpose in life that may not be evident to those around them. Score keepers should put away their pencils and paper and start living their own life instead of watching everyone else's .

When it Rains it Pours

It seems my birthday week is not safe for those near to me. I can count four people that have passed away on my birthday or during my birthday week. This year two moved on. As I sat down for a memorial service today, my mother leaned over and said, oh by the way your uncle passed away last night. I am becoming very sensitive to my birthday hex. Why is it always those I really care about. My grandfather chose my birthday a few years back to head on upstairs. Since these things usually occur in threes , take your vitamins, exercise and stay away from me for the next few days til this things passes , no pun intended.

Goodbye to a Friend

When the phone rang yesterday I already knew what was about to be said. Life is full of twists and turns, with some twists being more predictable than others. I have a friend, notice I say have because her funny little spirit will always be with me. Her laugh will always be in the air, her off key singing loudly on Sundays will always bring a smile to my face. I will remember the way you would say something to her and she would sort of jump back and look at you like she couldn't believe you just said what you said. She has moved on and is in a better place, she is whole again and was greeted by a beautiful angel waiting at the gate for her. Her amazingly creative spirit still floats around those that knew and loved her, no she wasn't perfect , but who is. She lived life her own way and by her own rules. Her heart was always in the right place. So I leave this tulip for my dear friend who has moved on to a much larger decorating area that will have much more style after she is done fixing it up.

Think it , Don't Say it

My newest mantra is , Think it, Don't Say it. I guess if I was one of those wonderfully perfect people I wouldn't even think it, but I am not perfect. To not say it is reallllly hard for me. I am clearly one of those people that likes to hear the sound of my own voice. I am trying really hard to be a better person and keep thoughts to myself. So that is my new mantra. I will let you know how it works out for me. Don't try to figure out why I have a plane above, I just love this plane and when I saw it flying directly over my head I tried to follow it and not fall over backwards and drop my long glass. So hopefully the people in the stands watching me bend over backwards were thinking it but not saying it. It being, what is that nutty photographer doing down there and what is going to happen when they fall over trying to take a picture of that plane directly overhead.

The Reality of Life and Death

I was fortunate enough to cover an interesting program the other day. It is called Shattered Dreams and it is a dramatization of a teen drinking accident. It includes injuries, fatalities, arrests, police, EMS, coroners and parents. Students wearing microphones act out the part of teens out driving after drinking. I was so caught up taking pictures I didn't realize until afterwards that it really affected me on some level. I was off just a bit the rest of the day.

Dogwood from Below

We have had some beautiful skies lately. I got lucky today when I decided to get out and take some shots of our beautiful dogwood tree. I had to climb a ten foot ladder to get up high enough to shoot down on some of the blooms and then I decided to shoot up and capture the flowers against the blue sky. The tree is covered with blooms and will probably be gone by weekend with storms predicted. I always love this time of year because this tree mystifies me. If you have never seen a dogwood before make it a mission of yours. These blooms start out as small petals already in the shape they end up but much smaller. I can never figure out how the get wider since they are already a small version of what they end up as. Each day the flowers get a little wider and rounder until they reach this size. It almost always blooms around Easter and is a symbol of the cross with each petal having a brown indention like the nail holes of the cross. Our dogwood is one of the few things in life that is very predictable.

A Cat Wedding

I got the call from some of my nine year old friends today that they were having a wedding for two cats. Of course I couldn't pass it up. I arrived just before the ceremony, signed the guestbook and walked in just behind the groom who was acting a bit edgy as most grooms do on the big day. Kitty, the groom was dressed in an orange knit polo as were his two groomsmen. After a quick photo session with the groom I found my way to the bride's room where one of the wedding planners was putting the final touches on Ginger Juno Gotts' wedding attire, a flowing powder pink gown that streamed from her collar. I made my way back downstairs to the beautiful backyard setting for the ceremony. As the bride was carried to the official ceremony table, the groom's owner, who had been pulled into the whole scene at the last minute, stood there holding Kitty who jumped out of the owner's grib and made a run for it. Kitty took off down the side yard, losing his shirt in the bushes as it became evident Kitty was not in this relationship for the long haul. Like any top wedding planner worth their fee this planner had a back up plan, she reappeared with a kitty webkinz and the ceremony went on as planned. Ginger was a bit confused as to where her strapping husband to be had taken off to and who the fuzzy black and white creature was that was standing in but she took it all in stride and went through with the ceremony even having her new pink wedding collar placed around her neck. She dined on fine cat food instead of her regular dry cuisine and the guests toasted the happy couple and enjoyed the rest of the festivities. With the wedding behind her Ginger can focus on the next chapter of her young life, raising her kittens, due any day now, as a single mom while the good for nothing daddy spends his days in the lap of luxury in the warm house across the street.

Fog and My Mind

It has been a crazy few weeks, a quick trip out to the LA area, a wild household with early depatures, ill mornings and fog. Lacking my regular sleep the fog that uncharacteristically blanketed our area until nearly 10am was really amazing to see. I have been wanting to get out and capture a cool fog shot but never am willing to miss my morning slumber. Usually the fog burns off as soon as the sun rises but not this day. I was lucky to hit an appointment and still have fog hanging around just long enough for me to try to fill my minds need with a cool shot. A man walked right through this scene while I was shooting and looked off into the fog, turned back to me and said, "It looks like infinity." I have to agree with him. I will get up early next time fog hits our burb because I can see things I want to do differently next time but here is my first fog shot for your enjoyment. (One of these days I am going to figure out how to get my photos just where I want them on this blog.)

Looking at Life Differently

I tend to get into a rut and I am trying to shove myself through it. I spent the last week challenging myself to shoot differently. Some of my approaches worked great, others failed miserably. I know this is sort of elementary but I had honeslty never seen a pool with such beautiful water and the colors amazed me. Water polo is an amazing sport to watch, I had never seen it played before, very rough.

A Different Positive Spin

I am attempting to stretch myself photographically, I am becoming more attentive to the smaller details and have noticed what gives the world its unique quality and to be a bit cliché-ish, makes the world go round. Watching a local soccer game, with every player in their matching uniforms I suddenly noticed this one player. Do you ever wish you just stepped out and did something you really wanted to do but fear the consequences? Let’s face it , we only live once and life is terribly short do something you have always wanted to do but on some level were afraid of what people would think of you. Now I am not giving you license to spin off, and make it a positive thing, not a negative. Just think if everyone does something different with a positive spin we could have a positive impact as a group.

A Day the Way I like

I don't get too many days to do what I want without answering to others and doing for others so today was a treat. I think everone should have one of these days at least once a month. Seriously, I got all of my 'to do's ' done and had the rest of the day to do anything I wanted. Those that know me, will know exactly what I did, I found sport events all over town to cover. I was inside, I was outside and now I need to sort through them. I am calling it a day, A Great Day!

Diverse

What is diverse? Well I would consider my special day this week to be diverse. I really wondered what kind of reality show it would have made. What exactly happened on this specific day was a day at County jury duty. After arriving at the court house by 8:30am. I discovered my dentist sitting behind me. You have to love the court system, after everyone was in their seat we watched a short film on exemptions we were told to take a twenty minute break. A room withover 1000 people told to be back in twenty minutes. Whoever thought that out, hmmmm. Once assigned to a jury pool I had no idea that by the end of the day I would have met some of the most interesting people I will probably come across this month. I was seated next to girl I had gone to high school with. To my other side was a very nice guy who use to be in the armed services and has spent time working as a teacher to teenagers who have violent backgrounds, drug or alcohol issues. Amazing difference he has made in kids' lives. Another young man sat behind me who has started his own businesses. We had a parole officer, a former court reporter, a coach/referee, a restaurant owner and a rebellious young juror who never returned after lunch. By that evening when jury selection was finally finished I truly felt like I had been in the trenches with a room full of people I would feel honored to call friends. Twelve lucky folks were selected for the three week long case. I was released, which was a smart call by the lawyers. I would not have had the patience to sit there and listen to all of the posturing the lawyers were already up to. I do have the court system to thank for introducing some interesting people into my life and I am off to visit the upstart restaurant one of my fellow jurors is hard at work making work.

Overlooked

As in life we tend to go about our business and forget to see the small things around us. I decided to throw the camera in the car for a quick trip to drop off something across town. I found myself at my parents' house and not a care in the world. Everyone I am responsible for was taken care of and I looked around the house for odd things to take pictures of. Well there was a lot of fun things to take pictures of but I noticed how many things I had gotten in the habit of walking by and overlooking. I won't bore you with the pictures of the girls in the backyard. Don't get all excited, the girls are the two little black cats my mother adopted as kittens from a young girl standing on a street corner. They are now very use to my camera being stuck in their face. Here is one item I have walked by countless times and forgotten to appreciate the beauty of.

When Others ...

Have you ever had one of those days or weeks when everything you do is sort of dictated by other people and what they are doing? I have had about two weeks of that and I think it is time I took my life back and did the things that I need to be doing instead of waiting to see what other people need from me only to find out they were not really to concerned about whether or not I was putting things on hold to be there when they needed me. Ok I probably have you all turned around but here is the best part. Today while waiting for all of those things I was to be sort of on call for, I found time to play around with some different lighting techniques. Actually I had done some shots last night only to discover my sensors were pretty dirty, weird since I had cleaned them recently but with most of my normal day to day shots shot wide open the dust wasn't really a factor. No big deal, I lined up my bodies and cleaned the sensors and what a difference if made.

shot with flash thru umbrella off to camera left.

The Window

I was sitting in the Jr High gym watching a basketball game when I suddenly noticed way up high there is a window. It wasn't on the side of the gym where the rest of the windows were, it was almost in the rafters and positioned to stream in sunshine from the south. Very strange place for a window. Generally the sun would move right above the gym. During the winter months I suppose there could be a bit of daylight that would dart into the gym and brighten the room. Just a reminder to keep your eyes peeled for the smallest of sunshine to brighten your day, it can come from the most unexpected places.

The Paparazzi In Me

It isn't every day that I have the time or the interest in trying to get a celebrity image. I really feel like they should have the opportunity to go about their day like any of us common folk. Last night I found myself in the surreal world of acting like a trained paparazzi. I guess that isn't totally true since the celebrity was here with a purpose and wanted to be seen and was very friendly to everyone who showed up at the premiere of her new movie. I won't bore you with the very childish title. These people know just when to look at you and how to look at you to make a great shot. Their whole self importance is determined by how many frames are clicked off as they walk by. I had missed the early media time and found myself smack in the middle of the situation with a less than perfect set up of equipment since I had been shooting indoor basketball I had my camera with me as I came upon the scene. (side note- I am reminded every day I should carry some sort of camera with me, I missed a truck exploding the other day since I drove by as the whole thing became a ball of fire, no camera on hand). It was really a funny experience and can't imagine having to do this type of photography all the time but who knows when I will find myself with a willing celebrity and the crowd numbers in my favor so I happily snapped a few frames. I can also say the said celebrity could not have been nicer to everyone there and took time with people who had lined up to see her. You know the old saying that they are prettier in real life is accurate in this case.

Social Media as I See It

participating in a project this is my read on social media as it has touched my life.

As I have mentioned before photography has become a huge part of who I am. I have made some great friends through photography and have found some in the strangest places. The funny part is I wouldn't recognize some of them if they kicked me in the knee. I know that sounds strange but they are people I have met via the internet. No, not the weird stuff you find on the internet. The one that has had the biggest impact on me is http://www.strobist.blogspot.com or strobist.com. David Hobby has created a community with his site. He has selflessly shared his knowledge with all of us to improve our lighting. He unknowingly pushed me to challenge myself in areas I have always wanted to tread but didn't know where to start. Have I mastered all he has taught, not even close but I am a better photographer because of him and I know there is always room for improvement. The other strobists are very open to sharing ideas and feedback in a positive way. The discussions are positive unlike other forums where there is always someone ruining the fun. David has encouraged people to get together in towns all over the world to practice what they have learned from his site. This blog is really an outlet for me to practice what I have learned from strobist.com, forcing me to shoot things I would not normally shoot in ways that stretch me as a photographer, hopefully for the better.

Another Cold Day

We are actually having cold weather which might just mean less bugs come Spring time. I have momentarily been over run with flowers so I took some time to play around with my lighting and came away with some interesting shots of one arrangement. Lit remotely from both sides, one with a gobo and bubble wrap infront of the light to limit it and the other one with a diffuser on it. Aiming low allowed the light to hit from below the vase and I played around with different settings to get some light from above to light the top of the flowers. The flowers were all nestled into the glass vase and looked like people all smushed together to keep warm. I hope you find this shot interesting.

All Eyes Watching

Have you ever felt like all eyes were on you? Well today I found myself in a situation like that and realized I don't sit still very well. If I wasn't digging into my bag under the table to find out what time my phone said it was ( I hadn't set my watch and it was reading 5 hours ahead of schedule and then some), I was looking for lip gloss or my notes or to dig out another camera. I truly hoped no one was looking at those of us sitting at the head table because I was like that kid in church that was squirming all around. Once settled in, I would have to jump or lightly step down from the head table that was raised to stand down and take pictures of others speaking. I looked at a girl half my age that was seated a seat over from me and explained "I'm not very graceful". That is an understatement.

Looking at Things Differently

Add to your take on life by actually looking at those things you see everyday. I have seen pansies every winter and never really stopped to look at the beauty of the bloom. The gracefulness of the center is amazing and detailed. Today stop and look at the beauty of the every day things around you. You might too be surprised at how something so simple is really more beautiful than you first thought.

Friday Fun

Another Friday and time for some fun shots on a grey day. Too cold to do much outside so here are some more colorful spots from my day.

Simplicity

Life has taken on such a frantic pace. I wonder how we can ever get back to simpler times. Everything is instantaneous, there is no time to fix an error before someone finds out, no time to sit and enjoy life, no time to really soak up the simple things. With that in mind I bring to you a photo I took tonight of a simple yellow rose.

Twelve Months Makes a Difference

Twelve months ago I was at a loss. I was faced with a decision to make about where I was headed with my photography. Having a regular schedule covering events for a smaller paper and doing some freelance along the way I had sort of plateaued. I discovered I had lost the passion for something I had loved and was going through the motions for the wrong reasons. Having always been the one with a camera at various family function as I was younger, I rediscoverd photography as I got older and it had reignited a drive in me. Amazingly I had found a small niche in a very competitive market - market being the key word. I had lost a grip on why I took pictures. Making money is great but to make great photos you need to feel it and have a passion for it. It isn't like bookkeeping and going through the motions, when you start to slip, your photos don't lie , they show that you are not really giving 100% to it. I took a step back and reexamined how and why I was taking pictures. I don't ever just want to take pictures, I want to make photographs that have a purpose or a meaning at least to me. I want to look at one of my images and see a moment and in a weird way feel that moment. It was a long year and some wonderful things landed in my lap. On a lark I applied for a simple writing position and actually got it. I have met some of the most amazing photographers in my area and consider some friends. I have gained new insight and knowledge into my photographs and have grown as a person. Here I sit twelve months after considering selling all my equipment and I have more opportunities then I could have imagined, made more acquaintances in the photography world who are always willing to give me suggestions when needed and have learned even more about the art of making photographs. Twelve months from now I hope to have learned even more and continued to keep my mind open to all possibilities.

Predictable

Life is pretty predictable some times. Maybe it isn't life but the people in it. Whether they want to be predictable I don't know but you can usually tell how someone is going to react to something or to a situation. You can be surprised though, when blood becomes part of the equation I am unusually calm, which I would not have thought would be the case. Anyway try to do something no one would expect next time you are faced with a situation. I have found even though I don't do what someone is expecting their recollection of the experience is not what happened but what they expected to happen.

Epiphany

I have always thought an epiphany was when I had a revelation of sorts, which does happen occassionally. Well low and behold this past Sunday was epiphany Sunday. Theoretically epiphany means "to be made manifest". Evidently the oldest epiphany observances were based on the Jewish Feast of Lights, now known as Hanukkah. So with that in mind I will share some of my personal epiphanies that have come to me over the last few years.

-Stick yourself out there, it might just benefit you in the long run.

-Life is what you make of it and it can be rather fun if you think of it that way.

-Everyone has issues, just some of us will admit that we have them.

-Life is too short to spend time with people who really are not fun to be with.

-There is beauty all around you, you just have to take the time to appreciate it.

-Ninety percent of life can be viewed as a comedy the other ten percent a tragedy.

-We do learn from our mistakes and if we don’t then we are fools.

-Try to figure out what crazy gifts God has given you and do something with them.

Well you get the point. As to me, I try to find something good in situations, even the bad ones but other times I wonder just what is going on around me. I feel like this little guy looks. Everything out of my control, maybe that is the point.

Up Close

I have been wanting to try some new things so here is my first attempt. They aren't perfect but I feel pretty good about them. Some holiday flowers on their last leg lead me to push that envelope and see what I could come up with.

Holiday Color

Today I decided to play around with the last strand of lights I have left up. With some creative focusing and some colorful lights I created a unique shot, at least unique for me. Very simple to accomplish but I think it is fun and different from my normal work.

Something Different

Throwing caution to the wind on my basic discipline with my photography, I took great joy in doing the unthinkable and created some fun and different shots from my normal style. I am not exactly sure what my camera captured but I can tell you I set it on a very slow shutter and sort of moved the camera this way and that way and was amazed at the colors it captured.