Ramblings of a Casual Photographer

Rock Camp USA - June 19, 2010 Show at Antones - Austin, TX

2010-08-31T09:27:00.003-05:00

This was perhaps one of the most exciting "kid" events I've ever attended. A friend of my son's attended Rock Camp USA in Austin, TX this summer. You can check out their web site for a more in-depth view of what they do. In a nutshell, kids of varying ages attend, bands are formed and at the end of the session, they perform live at Antones in Austin.

It was pretty inspiring to see bands made up of elementary, middle and high school kids rockin' out and doing a damn good job of it as well. The show progressed in age groups and skill levels and I have to say that some of the headliner bands were quite talented.

The photo posted here is of my son's friend, Kyle. He is a great singer and talented musician, as were the rest of the kids in his band. They did an excellent job of performing and engaging the audience. I decided to get a little creative with the post-processing of the photo - figured it was a band shot so needed something besides the typical adjustments. Hope you enjoy it.

Strangely enough, I actually knew some of the songs.... I guess I'm not getting too "old" after all, eh?

If you have a kid who's interesting in being a musician or a singer, and actually has some potential, I suggest you consider Rock Camp USA.

Tulum - El Castillo

2010-06-30T12:53:00.002-05:00

El Castillo - June, 2010

The Tulum ruins are located on the Yucatan Peninsula, not far from several vacation spots in Mexico. We were on vacation this year with wonderful friends and were fortunate enough to book this adventure through Adventuras Mayas - Tulum Xtreme. It was a great day of zip-lining, rappelling, swimming in a cenote and finally visiting the Tulum Ruins. I recommend this tour company to anyone going to Cancun.

Tulum was built around 1250 AD during the decline of the Mayan civilization. El Castillo sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea and was used both as a watchtower and a temple. Similar in structure, although considerably smaller than the pyramid at Chichen Itza, El Castillo is the product of several phases of construction. Its height and positioning gave it good visibility over both the land to the west and the sea to the east.

I found it interesting and somewhat funny that the three openings at the front of El Castillo were backed by screen doors. You can see them if you enlarge my photo some.

It was a pretty hot day, and after the tour guide gave us the history of the site, we had about 45 minutes to hoof it around the area and get as many pictures as possible. This made it a bit impossible to really take in the site, but I can relive it through my photos - I took 138 ph0tos while I was there.

Fun!

This blog has moved

2010-04-30T13:11:00.001-05:00

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FTP support to be disabled

2010-02-22T10:42:00.002-06:00

I must say, although I have not blogged in quite a while, (due to the busy nature of real life) I am somewhat disappointed with the decision of Blogger to discontinue FTP support.

That being said, I will see what needs to be done to continue my blog, while redirecting all my links to whereever it may land....

Sea Rats Look Nice Sometimes.....

2008-08-28T17:55:00.002-05:00

Zuma Beach - Malibu, California - August 19, 2008

If you follow my blog, you would have read about the great sushi restaurant Zuma Sushi in my post here. (Again.... yummy stuff. If you are a fan of sushi and you are in Malibu, you MUST go there.)

So, to fill in the background for the story presented there, as we discovered we were starving and we began traveling back south to find a restaurant, I was griping under my breath about not getting ANY sunset shots - which was the complete purpose of my going out that night. So my boss, who was driving, called me something along the lines of a whiner, and whipped into the Zuma Beach entrance.

We pull upto the gate - YEAH A FREAKIN GATE - and there is a guy there ready to take our money. *** Okay... an aside here. We are driving along a public beach in one of the most taxed states in the Union and they want us to pay to enter into a beach and park in a tiny parking lot? Not only that... but it was seven bucks. Aside over. *** We ask the nice attendant if we could just go in for about 10 minutes and take some pics. Promptly we are told that the regulations are that each driver must pay the fee in order to park and that he is not responsible if we decide to drive through, not pay and we get a ticket from the roaming beach cops.

So we drive through.

I'm trying to direct my boss where to park and he keeps passing inlets into the parking lot. So we all tell him where to turn on the next inlet. It was actually quite entertaining. Imagine a bunch of geeks in a car, trying to side-seat/back-seat drive while another geek is driving (fast mind you) and not really wanting to listen to anyone.

So we park... quite roughly.

And we all jump out, me with my gear, my boss and another cohort with their gear, and our fourth in his work business clothes - and we run (kind of... we ARE geeks trying to wear casual clothes) to the beach, taking up positions to catch the sun before it goes down.

I manage to get some nice sunset shots and as the sun continued to lower behind the land jut up the coast, I saw these sea rats (seagulls for you laymen) running with the tide, picking up whatever sea rats pick up. I snapped off a bundle of shots, while my injured foot is killing me (another story) and my sandals are filling up with sand. (Yeah... I should have taken them off.)

Above is the result... and SEE, searats can actually appear to be quite pretty when set in the right lighting with the right scenery.

The Calming Effect of the Sun....

2008-08-27T07:30:00.002-05:00

Near the Cheesecake Factory - Marina Del Rey, California - August 20, 2008

You ever had that bloated feeling? Ever feel like you've eaten so much that you would explode? Has there been a time in your life where you swore you would never eat again? If you need to have one of these life-changing experiences, and I'm no saying change for the better either, then go have a meal at the Cheesecake factory.

This was the second meal I had had there during my trip to Santa Monica and I had a plan in mind: I will eat light and not feel like a beached whale after I had finished my meal. It was an admirable goal... after all, I am filled with enormous amounts of WILL POWER!

So, 1 avocado eggroll, 1 sweet corn "something", 1 spring roll, 1 buffalo chicken stuffer, and 3 corn chips with artichoke dip on them later I received my meal: the thai chicken pasta with peanut sauce. Of course I had to order something to drink besides the 5 glasses of water I consumed during the night... the tropical smoothie was my choice.

30 minutes later I remember that I wore my cargo shorts, and I was now filling them. Normally, I have to wear a belt to keep them up. Glutton is a word that comes to mind. A collegue across the table then said, "Okay gents, what's for desert!" I almost vurped.

During this period of increasing pain, I saw this palm across the small boat inlet near the restaurant and thought, "Would that make a good picture? Ow.... ow......... ow.... Do I have to move to take that picture? Ow.... ow..... ow......"

Well, above is the result - I hope it is okay.

Want to see the new Kia?

2008-08-26T11:46:00.002-05:00

2009 Kia Soul - 3rd Street Promenade - Santa Monica, California - August 19, 2008

This past week, I was staying at the Double Tree Inn on 4th Street in Santa Monica, just over the freeway. Considering our office is located on the opposite side of the Promenade, it was some good morning exercise to walk from the hotel, carrying my backpack with my laptop and work items AND my camera gear. (I try not to go anywhere without it when I'm in Santa Monica.)

After eating breakfast at the diner at 3rd and Broadway, (eggs, hash browns, (yum), chicken sausge (not so yum... more bleh)) my boss and I trekked up 3rd street towards the office. I can't quite remember if we planned to stop at the Coffee Bean or not, but in any case we were walking on the right road.

As we walked along, we noticed people with HDV cameras filming and doing sound checks along the block. Having a few friends in the filming industry I figured they were either a) filming a commercial or b) site scouting - either one would be fun to see. At first, I thought about snapping a few photos of the crew, but then I saw this car at the end of the block.... bonus score.

So, we turned the corner and headed west toward the office and I starting undoing my equipment and switched to my Sigma 24mm f/2.8 lens for a close-up shot. The lighting wasn't great as it was early morning and it was a little hazy - or smoggy... not sure which really. Above is the resulting picture... the only one I was able to get off before being tapped on the shoulder and asked to leave the area.

Anyhow, here we have it - the 2009 Kia Soul!

A Tale of Two Restaurants...

2008-08-24T09:07:00.004-05:00

Zuma Sushi - Malibu, California - August 19, 2008

So we were driving up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), pretty much just gathering in the scenery, (I, of course was looking for something to photograph - but at 60 mph, it was a little difficult) and shortly after sunset, we discovered we were starving. We passed a Mexican restaurant and turned around, only to be honked at.... now why would that happen? Nevermind that our driver had just come to a semi-complete stop to make a left-hand turn on a pretty busy highway. California drivers.... so impatient.

We walked up to the elevated patio (partial outdoor dining) and went to the only open door we noticed. Inside we were greeted by a very attractive blonde hostess who seated us right outside the entry and a table big enough for four hungry men. I have to say that although she was quite attractive, my wife and I would agree that there would be "no friction" - she was a little on the thin side, but not Keira Knightley thin. After the menus were brought, I was the only one excited about being there, since the menus were all over the sushi thing. Woot! Hadn't had sushi in L.A. yet, and I was hoping it was as good as the Taka House in San Diego.

The guys called the hostess over and asked if there was anything besides sushi and she indicated that the restaurant next door (which supposedly was owned by the same people) served Mexican food. BUT, they might not be happy about us sitting over on this side of the patio.... some ancient medieval war which has yet to be resolved. So our hostess went over and offered happy time with the next door cooks and brought over some menus. (Now... keep in mind, she doesn't work at that restaurant and she's just saved them a table and the trouble of having to bring us menus.)

Coral Beach Cantina - Malibu, California - August 19, 2008 (BAD Service)

I order my sushi and my mouth is already starting to water. Spicy tuna and spicy yellowtail rolls were the ticket for me that evening! The guys were still waiting on someone to come over and take their order. When my food arrived, I was happy to see a nice pile of wasabi, which I promptly started adding to my dish of soy sauce.

The sushi was FANTASTIC, although I believe the rice was slightly soft for my taste in sushi. But, overall, I'd have to say this was the best sushi I've ever had - including the Taka House, which was my favorite until now. I savored every bite and finally finished my meal, the guys STILL not having their order taken.

Needless to say, my boss called the hostess over and had her take the menus back to the oblivious people at Coral Beach Cantina in Malibu. I have no clue how the food was, considering nobody in our party was ever spoken to, served, or spit on for that matter. My advice... NEVER go there.... horrible service. (They knew we were there, as the guys has menus and placemats for that restaurant on the table and they served people next to us.)

Conclusion:

Zuma Sushi - Good - Thumb up

Coral Beach Cantina - Bad - Thumb down

Kevin - Stone Artist

2008-08-22T15:30:00.004-05:00

Venice Beach, California - August 21, 2008
This is Kevin the Artist. He is an all-around genuine guy who is passionate about the piece of art he constructs four times each week. As my boss and I were strolling along the beach, taking pictures of various things, we happened upon what is termed the "Gilligan" boat - it's a beached boat with graffiti all over it.

As we headed toward the ocean, we noticed a couple rows of rock statues silhouetted in the descending sunlight. Of course, we had to go check it out and as we got closer we heard this voice call out from behind one of the statues on the end, "Photos are free, but I do accept donations!" He also gave us a heads up that the rocks were balanced and would fall on us if we bumped into them - be careful.

I introduced myself and the artist gave me his name, Kevin. He proceeded to tell me the story behind the statues: "These statues are the angels representing 89 lost souls on Venice Beach. Those souls were lost to senseless acts: drugs, drive-by's, violence.... Back in the day, we would gather here and have bonfires, hang out and just have a good time."

Here is what the statues looked like approaching into the sun.

Kevin had worked in the oil fields in Texas and Louisiana and now lives in Englewood, California. I didn't ask what he was doing now, but I'm sure that one of those things is keeping in shape - the guy was ripped. We talked for quite some time about how Venice has gone from a beautiful place into what it is today. He did say that it has improved and the community is trying to clean it up, but that it was nothing like it used to be.Kevin lamented that the police knock down his work every night so that people do not injure themselves on it, so he travels back to Venice and rebuilds it four times each week. Dedication at its best.

This picture gives an idea on what the piece looks like near completion.

I really enjoyed speaking with Kevin and hearing his story on this work. If any of you readers are ever in Venice Beach, ask where the Gilligan boat is (It's just NW of the grafitti wall) and walk toward the water. You'll come upon a ridge of rocks about 70 yards from the waterline at 5pm. Hopefully you can meet Kevin and give him my best.

You can see more pictures of Kevin's work at my website under the "People" category.

Testing

2008-08-20T15:27:00.001-05:00

Testing the move of the blog.

Westward Bound

2008-08-16T21:52:00.003-05:00

Bees on a bloom....

So Monday I venture back to the west coast on business. We are slated to have meetings with clients concerning procedures for a rollout we performed back in January. Basically soliciting suggestions for improvements on processes which changed almost completely about two months after the rollout was complete.

Warm fuzzies I must presume....

I can hear it now: boss-type person says, "Client A has suggested that we change process 1 into something more like this...." - and I reply, "Well, process 1 hasn't been like that for some time and actually runs quite well. Would you like us to change it anyway?" - to which boss-type person responds, "I'll have to get back with you on that."

On the bright side, I get to hit the pier and get some sunset shots with boats! Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can actually take pictures of something besides the farmers market.
Now, about the shot above.

This is a water lily bloom with two very hyper bees crawling all over them. Personally, I think I was pretty lucky with this shot, but everyone has their own opinion. Taken with a Nikon D80 and a Sigma 105mm macro lens. EXIF data is retained on the file.

Date night is coming!

2008-08-12T12:00:00.003-05:00

This Friday, our son has been invited to a birthday party / sleepover, which leaves us able to have "date night." Being that we have only lived here a little less than a year, these have been few in number as we don't know as many people as we did in our previous home town. Those we've had have been fun and I've been looking forward to the day when the "artist" would have several friends and thus many sleepovers.

So, now we are trying to find a couple to do something with as we miss that type of interaction as well. I've touched base with a guy I know who brought his wife to our marguarita party two weekends ago. Hopefully something will pan out.

If not, then we'll have a nice cozy evening somewhere, doing something. Regardless, it will be nice to have "date night" back again.

Turmoil Emerging...

2008-08-09T08:46:00.003-05:00

I believe no matter what job you have, there is always that one person who seems "untouchable," "made of teflon," or "just plain slick." It almost makes you wonder if there is any justice in the world. How could such a person make it so far and have the ability to snow so many people while rising to the top like thick cream. I've been through several of those types of situations and I've always wanted to be there when the poo hit the rotary.

This time I might actually get to see it. (No details, just enjoy the fact that someone might actually get to witness what you and I know we always want to witness.)

So, in order to properly commemorate this possibility, I post the above picture of a wasp emerging from its hive - something I've also always wanted to see, but have never been in the right place at the right time. I've been there before it's happened, and after... until now.

So, I hope my luck in photography this time actually transfers to my workplace luck.

Time will tell... and so will I.

Up, Up and Awayyyyy......

2008-08-06T08:06:00.004-05:00

CTBA - Lighter Than Air!
Lake Travis - Austin, Texas
August 2, 2008

I was scouring web sites for "something" and I ran across this announcement about the annual hot air balloon launch over Lake Travis, which happens to be here in Austin, so I started doing some research. After finding tons of articles about last year's even, I finally found a link to the CTBA main site and there, big as a bull, was the announcement for this years even - two weeks out.

After reading about it, reviewing the map and trying to figure out where it was, (keep in mind, I've only lived here a year) I made plans to go and have some fun. About three days after, I asked Roy (my photo partner in crime) if he had heard about it, which he had not, but he was just as excited as I and we decided to go together and make a morning out of it.

Saturday, August 2 arrives and Roy shows up in my driveway around 5:40 am and we head out to Mansfield Park on the dam. After a briskly breezy and hazy week, it was a surprisingly clear and calm morning.... YAY for us! We arrived at the park around 6:00 am to see that it was already becoming crowded with onlookers and there had yet to be anyone unpacking or setting up balloons. It was still pretty dark, but I had expected people to be preparing for the sunrise lift-off.

Anyhow, I found this tree and the sun was rising, so I took a few shots. (See previous blog picture.) Told Roy to come get a few shots and his turned out better in my opinion. I'm still pretty green with my equipment - it's nothing like what I'm used to, but I do like the instant notification that your shot sucked. (It's called an LCD display.) In the "old" days, I had to bracket the crap out of my photos and hope everything worked. (my meter, my battery, my shutter, my brain.... you know.. the essentials)

Well, the ballooners started prepping equipment so I started crawling all over, finding whatever vantage point I could for a good shot. Now comes a funny story (in my opinion).

I'm always very conscious of others when I'm shooting. I make every attempt to ensure that I'm not screwing someone else's shot. So, prepping is being done, and I see some guy standing off to the side of a basket with his arms crossed. He has no camera. So I move over, nod my head at him and proceed to take a shot of the ballooners checking their equipment. He promptly says, "Great, just step in front of me while I'm taking a picture," uncrossing his arms to show the point-and-shoot mini camera he had under his left arm. I apologized and said to please take his shot ahd he replied, "Nope... the shot's gone... it's just gone." I had to chuckle.... the basket was still there... and the sun doesn't change much in lighting over the period of 10 seconds.

That situation aside, I met a ton of photographers, and one really nice fellow had an old-school Leica, of which I was quite envious. We talked about my former darkroom (no basements in Austin) and he told me about his, which was set up in his laundry room. (And, no... I would not be able to do that.)

So, this shot was one of the latter ballons in the event. I just happened upon them filling it up and the basket was in the right position for a center-on shot. The flame tender was not in the frame and it turned out perfect. (In my humble opinion) We took a few more of the last balloons floating away and headed back to Round Rock for some breakfast tacos... oh my, they were great!

You can see more of these photographs at my website under the "Events / CTBA" tag.

The Calm of the Morning

2008-08-05T12:49:00.003-05:00

There is nothing more calming to me than watching the sun rise. Something about the fantastic colors which are produced just encourage me to sit, veg and watch in wonder.

So, Roy and I traveled early to Lake Travis to get a good parking spot and vantage point for the annual CTBA Lighter Than Air hot air balloon launch over Lake Travis here in Austin. As you can tell by the picture, we arrived much earlier than necessary. BUT, I think there was a purpose for this - we were supposed to experience this sunrise.

As the orange started to build on the horizon, I walked up to the top of this rock "hill" and found this tree, standing there beckoning me to come over. Approaching the tree, I began to see this picture form and just had to snap off about 15 shots. This was by far one of the better pictures, considering I had to hand hold the shot at a fairly low shutter speed.

Well worth it, though, and I was then able to just sit and watch.....

Rainbow Fire...

2008-07-31T20:17:00.002-05:00

This is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. As best I can tell, this is an event known as "Rainbow Fire" and occurs only under the correct conditions. Look it up on Wiki - very cool and very fascinating.

Our next-door neighbors called us tonight and said "Get Mike outside with his camera now!" So, I went, not sure why I was going outside... a joke, a bug, a turtle.... no idea. But, it was my neighbors and they are pretty cool.

When I get out, she points up to the west and I stood there stunned for a few seconds, until my instincts kicked in and I grabbed my camera like a cat taking after a mouse. 50 or so pictures later, this was my best shot.

I hope everyone enjoys this.

When kids grow up...

2008-07-02T07:50:00.003-05:00

So this is day 3 of our son being on his "vacation" trip back to Kansas. There is no way to accurately describe how much I miss him other than to write the following:

My hug when I get home.... where is it?
Where is my computer partner... sitting next to me, asking questions about Roblox as he creates his "cool world?"
I don't hear the tunes coming from the DS....
There are no explosions happening in our living room....
The TV is not tuned to the Disney channel....
How come there are no wet towels on the floor of the laundry room, smelling of pool chemicals?
Why hasn't the scooter in the garage moved at all?
The upstairs TV isn't turned on... with nobody watching it....
Why hasn't the Wii been played at all today?
Hrmm.... something doesn't feel right... no hug when it's bedtime....

Rinse and repeat until the 10th.....

Casual is a definite...

2008-06-23T17:37:00.002-05:00

Being a casual photographer has its pros and cons...
Pros: You get to take pictures whenever you want.
Cons: Your photography goes in spurts.
Needless to say, it has been quite a while since I've actually picked up my camera and shot anything. Granted, I've SEEN lots of things I should have photographed, but have not actually put forth the effort.
BAD me - I must spank myself.
So, this weekend, my wife and I were slaving over a home project we should have have to undertake (more on that in another blog with many sad pictures) and I noticed this dragonfly sitting atop this very hot decorative piece of metal which is embedded in a raised garden. After a few attempts at getting close enough to get a decent shot, (keep in mind... it's been a while and I'm no longer "stealthy") I finally was able to snap off several photographs, this one being my favorite.
The little guy watched me for a while, flew off and brought back a friend. I have a new favorite photographic subject - dragonflies. I plan on doing some research to find out what I need to grow to attract these guys.... just love em!
Note to self: The next time you buy a house and you HEAR that there used to be a water garden in the back yard, go jump up and down a lot in the back yard to see if the yard collapses...

Ramblings for Hump Day

2008-01-30T09:08:00.000-06:00

Soothing Sunrise....

Last week and this week have been a test to say the least. Family life is great. Work has its moments, but for the most part of this month has been hell. Suffice it to say that I am not a fan of Machiavellian attitudes nor passive-aggressive conduct. If you have something to say to me, say it - right to me... in my face. If you have to send an email, which was meant for me and three other people, and then copy 16 other people, you better have your facts straight. Not only that, be prepared for me to dig, find out JUST how wrong you are, and inform your boss of your unprofessionalism, lack of knowledge and failure to research. Do I copy tons of people? No. Do I respond, showing just how much of an idiot you are? No. I'll just nip it in the bud and go to the right person, with my research in hand. Thank you for your time. Have a wonderful day.

So... my two weeks in a nutshell.

Needless to say, I really needed a GOOD photography today to sooth my nerves and make me see that nature has the most wonderful and relaxing things in the world. Nothing can compare. So when I was driving to work this morning, and saw this flicker of clouds on the horizon, I was stoked. And it got better as I drove... The clouds were at the right position for the pack patio of the office, the sun was cooperating, AND I had my camera with me. (The last one is always a big bonus... I missed one heck of a sunset this last weekend because I forgot my camera. BAD me!)

I took this picture, changed lenses, took another, then stood there and watched the sunrise for about five minutes.

Everyone should try this.

Mike ~

Santa Monica - 3rd and Wilshire

2008-01-29T14:26:00.000-06:00

Neat building...

After eating lunch at a local diner on Wilshire, I happened to look across the street and see this really neat building and a perfectly clear blue sky. It took me a few minutes to find the right spot from which to snap this shot, but I'm pretty satisfied with the results.

Hope you are too.

Mike ~

Santa Monica - Pier Cruisin'

2008-01-29T07:45:00.000-06:00

Just Fishin'....

While strolling along the pier and watching the various "talents" along the way, I happened upon this man, content with leaning on a railing. He had a tray of items posing as bait sitting atop the rail and seemed happy to just "be." There were others there as well, but they definitely wanted some fish. Not this guy... he stood for quite a while, watching the waves crash into the pillars of the pier.

Seemed like a good day for him.

Mike ~

Santa Monica - Farmer's Market

2008-01-26T17:33:00.000-06:00

Street of Wares -

Although I've been to several farmer's markets, I don't think I've been to one where people were setting up (literally) at 5:30 am in the morning.

We had replaced some systems at the office the night before and needed to be on site prior to 6:00 am in order to provide support for those people arriving. So, as I walked the two-block span between the hotel and the office, I was greeted by the sights and sounds of local farmers staking their claims (to space) and setting up their tents for the day's sales.

I didn't get out to the market until well after 11:00 am, though, but I was able to take in some good food and get off a few shots. The people were friendly and outgoing and there were, of course, a few "interesting" people wandering the street, trying to sway opinion about this or that political topic. Luckily I didn't get caught by any of them so I was able to enjoy my lunch hour eating a little and taking photographs.

One thing I was fortunate enough to find was a pecan vendor. Pecans, in my opinion, are one of the best nuts grown. Maybe it's because they can be made into pecan pie.... In any case, nothing beats a pecan. So, as we were passing the last booth before the office building, I glanced over and see piles and piles of bags, filled with nicely-sized pecan halves. There wasn't really much of a debate - I had to have one. I'm still working on the bag, as I try not to go over my grandmother-recommended, four-pecan-a-day, maximum. She always said they were good for your health if you don't over do it.

Enjoy this last picture of a squash or gourd or whatever it is. The pile was colorful, and the arrangement made me stop and take a second look. Needless to say, a photograph had to happen.

Santa Monica - Busy Busy Busy

2008-01-23T12:04:00.000-06:00

Jo Jo the Seagull -

So when we arrived in Santa Monica, my co-worker decided he was hungry. (He was hungry the entire time we were out there... "Lunch?" "Food?" "Time for dinner?") It was actually quite entertaining.

Anyhow, he had been to the west coast office many times and knew where he wanted to eat, which was Bubba Gumps Shrimp on the pier. Of course, who was I to complain about going to eat on the pier? How many photographic opportunities would there be? (83 to be exact) So, off we went.

Needless to say, it took a while to get to the restaurant because I was stopping every 1.5 minutes and taking a shot or two.

So, back up to the photograph above. This is Jo Jo the Seagull. There was an elderly man on the pier who would call this bird by name, it would turn its head and the man would hold up a Cheeto. Jo Jo would fly down, hover for a moment, take the Cheeto and then fly back to its perch atop a flood lamp. It was quite easy to get some good shots of Jo Jo. I think the man wanted money for calling Jo Jo down, but he didn't ask, and I didn't volunteer any. (El Cheepo!)

These pictures were taken with a Sigma 105mm macro lens. I tried to pre-focus where I could, considering I knew the Jo Jo's flight path, and these are the two shots of which I'm most proud. I hope you enjoy them!

Photographic Rehash

2008-01-08T08:28:00.000-06:00

I spent some time this weekend completely revamping the structure of my photographic folders on my computer: Purchased a new external hard drive, moved and renamed all my photos accorcing to EXIF data, rethought how I would post-process them, etc etc.

I also put together my old desk from our basement in Kansas and plopped it into our upstairs guest bedroom. This will be our "manual" photo desk (and my comic book collection desk) for when we decide to unload the 6 small U-Haul boxes of photographs and negatives we moved with us.

What a task that will be!

Needless to say, I took absolutely no photographs this weekend. BAD me! And, it's raining this week, so I may not get any shots off until I head to Santa Monica next week. There should be some things out there to shoot, I'm sure.

I was very disappointed this morning when I typed in my favorite blog One Pic A Day and discovered that its owner has changed it to invitation only. He had to be one of the best "casual" photographers I have ever seen and I always admired his shots and his commentary. I guess he decided his world needed some privacy. I'll miss reading about his daily life and I'll certainly miss the wonderful photographs he took. Being able to keep up that work daily for over 6,000 days is just amazing to me.

I'll keep checking - maybe he just made a template change on accident and hasn't discovered it yet.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk. GO KU!

2008-01-04T07:37:00.000-06:00

Orange Bowl - Miami - January 3, 2008

KU 24 - Virginia Tech 21

I shouldn't have to write anymore. What an exciting game!

Bring in the New Year!

2008-01-03T07:41:00.001-06:00

A new year is always an adventure. Old things to finish. New things to start. And a world of things to try.

This morning, I saw developing, what ended up being a fantastic sunrise. I had intentionally not brought my tripod as I have been wanting to do some experimentation in high-speed, grainy shots. Bringing my tripod with me would have only tempted me into cranking down my ISO and going against what I wanted.

BUT, I saw this sunset, and WANTED my tripod. So, I did the next best thing - found a vertical I-beam on the back patio and leaned up against it. "Poor man's tripod," I've always called it. Well, I think it worked, and I'm pretty happy with the shot. Don't get me wrong. I took some high ISO shots of this scene as well and I plan to put them out on the web site this evening.

As is the norm for me now, I bracketed the shots and will do some HDR work as well. I'm interested to see what grain does in HDR - will it suck toes (no offense to people who like to suck toes) or will it be a new adventure for me and send me off in a different direction for a while.
We had a rather uneventful New Year's Eve - probably old age setting in. But, our New Year's Day was restful and we lounged around the house. No shots of those days as nothing really happened.

I'm planning a day trip soon to get some of this wonderful Texas landscape I keep hearing about. I haven't decided where to go, but it will be either north, east, west or south of Austin. Heh.

Back to Work

2007-12-27T08:44:00.000-06:00

Although the holidays are not yet over, it's back to work for Scott and me. Yesterday was quite lonely with not many people around, but I got a ton of work completed and plenty of things prepared for today.

Needless to say, I had to take a picture of Scott's hand and also had to make a witty remark about "I better get a shot of you working!" Heh.

I'm probably going to take a dive into natural lighting and black and white for a while. I'd like to see just how steady my hand is now, but I'm a little apprehensive as I know that I'm not as steady as I was 10 years ago. Higher films speeds and grain will be my two new friends I'm sure. We'll just have to see.

Mom leaves tomorrow. I'm sure I'll miss her before she steps onto the plane. What a great lady.

Christmas Morning

2007-12-25T10:19:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas All!

Of course, our son was the first person awake this morning, patiently awaiting everyone else. As usual, none of us had showered yet and looked like we just rolled out of bed. (Which we had.) Needless to say, we do not look our best in the pictures which were taken. That will be different tonight when we sit down for dinner.

Our son is at that age where he gets to hand out the presents. (And of course the duty to throw away all the trash afterwards falls on him as well.) So, he presented gifts to each of us, and save the majority of his for last. And there was a present under the tree of which he was not aware, so that was a good time.

Naturally, I had to take a set up photograph, which is posted here. I'm glad I have an outlet for the artistic side of my personality, which doesn't get to rear its head that often.

I wish everyone the best of days and make sure you tell your family members that you love them very much.

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T09:59:00.000-06:00

Here we are near the end of another year with much on which to reflect. So many things have happend this year that we definitely qualify as having "life changing event." The kind that are supposed to cause tons of stress and make bad things happen. (At least according to "them." You know... those people who always say everything. "Well, 'they' say 'blah, blah, blah.'")

The company for which both my wife and I worked was sold. I predicted my division (Technology) would be outsourced and I started looking for a new job. Then I turned out to be correct about the outsourcing and luckily I had found a new job, 12 hours and two states away from home. So, we decided to move and I left to spend a month-and-a-half by my self down in a creepy hotel in Round Rock, Texas. We put our house of almost 9 years on the market. And, in one whirlwind of a weekend, close on our sale, pack up the moving vans, attend a going away party, wake up at 5:30 am and make it to Austin by 6:00 pm to buy a bedroom set because the sale ended that night, close on our house purchase and then promptly lay down and sleep heavily at a much nicer hotel. The next week, van number one shows up, unloads and then the driver informs us that van number two is not following him and most likely will not arrive for a couple weeks.

Pretty adventurous week for us, not to mention the entire year's events leading up to that week. It's all worth it.

My new job is great. My wife is able to work out of the home and keep her old job and my son is enjoying his new school. Our neighbors are fantastic and everyone we've encountered so far has been very kind and outgoing. (With the exception of this family from New York we had to sit behind at the restaurant last night. BUT, they provided us with an excellent example for our son on exactly what are "horrid" table manners - so it was all good in the end. I hope I never have to sit behind 10 - 13 year-old kids making farting noises with their mouths again.)

And through it all, the hobby I loved the most for 20-plus years and let die off has set off a fire in my belly which I haven't felt in 8 years. I will admit, I miss getting under my old Omega enlarger (which is still packed up in the garage, by the way.) but my computer is my new darkroom. And, (in best Monty Python French guy voice) "It's ver' nice."

Tomorrow should be fun with some candid shots of our son opening presents and such. I just need to make sure I set up the camera when he opens the present he doesn't know about yet.

My mother has been here since Friday evening and it's nice having her around. I miss being able to drive 3 hours and be back at the farm. Those days are over for now as it costs just a bit too much to fly back up every time I get the need to hear and smell the farm. I will have to settle for twice a year or less. One thing for sure, we will not miss the annual Swine and Dine.

Well, time for me to go lounge and enjoy my day off. I wish everyone the best.

Sunrise in Austin - HDR Style

2007-12-20T18:01:00.001-06:00

I have found a new favorite thing with photography. HDR. I've been snapping pictures for a LONG time for my relatively short life and I have always enjoyed the amazing things that could be done in a darkroom. Being a black & white fan, multiple filtration always made me gawk in wonder at the results of some careful planning. But....

The things that can be done now with digital photography simply blow me away. Take this shot for example. This is the very same shot which I posted this morning, except this is done with HDR. For those of you who don't know what HDR is, (and I didn't know until about a week ago) it is the combining of photographs of different exposures to gain a wider tonal range in a single photograph. It's simply amazing stuff.

This particular photograph is the combination of three separate pictures: one shot spot on, one overexposed and one underexposed. To me, it reminds me somewhat of infrared photography. At this point, I'm overwhelmed at the ideas which are flowing through my head. The shots I've taken in the past. The things I've seen in the last week. The places I want to travel.

I am so influenced at this point by what I see can be done, that I've set my camera up to take three shots of everything... simply for the adventure of seeing what the shot will look like as an HDR.

Maybe you'll enjoy this as much as I. Well wishes for all over the Christmas holidays.

Oh yeah.... New Website is LIVE

2007-12-20T11:26:00.000-06:00

I forgot to post yesterday evening when I finished uploading the new site. Go check it out at:

Phantom Images

Sunrise Photographs and Sadness

2007-12-20T09:44:00.000-06:00

So, this morning I was all excited and prepared to try and get a few really nice sunrise shots. I had watched the news to find out when sunrise would occur (7:22 am) and loaded up my tripod, camera and extra lens into the carpool car. The sun didn't look like it was going to be very "orangy", most likely because there were few clouds, but I didn't care. I intended to take some pictures today.

Getting out of the car, a co-worker approached me with a question about his new laptop. Remember, I'm one of the resident geeks at the company for which I work. Anyhow, as I was getting my lunch, I turned to acknowledge him and out rolls my lens case onto the parking lot. I heard a definite impact, but no crack or crunch. So, I was hoping for the best. This was my less-expensive 28-70mm AF lens, so I was happy it wasn't my camera, which has my 105mm macro attached to it.

Considering I was after a sunrise, this would be the lens I would be using. I unpacked it and didn't notice any obvious damage. After mounting the lens on my camera, I began to set up my shot and noticed the zoom ring was tighter than normal. Major sadness - I'm sure I've knocked it out of kilter and my shots with that lens look a little soft. I'm going to test it out on some close subjects without any morning haze and check it out tomorrow, during my day off.

Anyhow, I mounted my 105mm lens on my camera and began shooting away, trying not to think of my abused 20-70mm. I duplicated a few shots from the other morning, using some more refined bracketing so I could try some more HDR work. Practice makes perfect, I always say. One of my shots from this morning is attached to this entry.

Once I get the HDR shot completed, I'll post an entry. Have a wonderful day!

Picture of a Mall Kitty

2007-12-19T14:34:00.000-06:00

My wife and I were leaving the Lakeline Mall in Cedar Park, Texas after doing some Christmas shopping when I saw something on the sidewalk out of the corner of my eye. When I turned, I saw this guy looking right at me, getting a little sun. I quickly unpacked my camera (which I had habitually brought with me) and snapped of a few photographs before he dashed back into the evergreen bushes.

I'm assuming he was feral as there are a ton of them in the area, he had no collar and didn't stick around very long. But, as you can see from the picture, he probably has many a mall-goer feeding him on a regular basis.

Big fat mall cat.

New Website Alert!

2007-12-18T10:16:00.000-06:00

For those of you tracking my website:

Phantom Images

I thought I should let you know that I will be revamping this site, most likely tonight, so it will look quite different. I didn't want anyone to think they had typed the address incorrectly and close it down.

Hope you like it!

Night Photography Last Saturday

2007-12-18T09:07:00.000-06:00

I've been a bad blogger... I'll admit it, but this last Saturday I needed to take some pictures. So, I loaded up my gear and my son (who was highly excited to be out taking pictures with Dad) and we went driving down Mopac to hit some sights I had been checking out over the past week.

One is a building I call the Borland Building - which I have named this because Borland resides there. It is located in north Austin, Texas at the intersection of Mopac and Steck. Anyhow, I set up shop across the street in the parking lot on the hill. My son got to "hold the camera," so he was pretty jazzed at the time. I call my Bogen 3047 my "heavy pipe" as the thing weighs about 15 pounds, but it does the trick when I need a good sturdy base. I'll edit this post later and drop the links to these shots here.

Note: The new photoalbum is made in Flash so does not allow direct links. Follow this link: Album on Phantom Images click Architectural and then select Night Shots. It's the panoramic-like picture.

The second building I photographed was the Mariott Hotel in Round Rock, which has some fabulous red lighting on the sign. For this shot, I set up in a vacant parking lot off CR 172, next door to a building which is being constructed. At this point, my son was getting cold and was more than happy to stay in the warm car while I photographed the hotel. I'll edit this post later and drop this link here also.

Note: The new photoalbum is made in Flash so does not allow direct links. Follow this link: Album on Phantom Images click Architectural and then select Night Shots. It's the photograph just previous to the panaoramic-like shot.

I'm not as happy with the Mariott photograph as I am with the Borland building. I think the exposure was a little long. I may go back and retake this shot this weekend if the weather is clear.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2007-12-12T20:58:00.000-06:00

No photography for me today, or probably for the next few days, unless I can find something interesting indoors to frame up. It's been raining here in pretty steady most of the day today and I do not forsee any break in it until possibly the weekend.

Hopefully, the temperature will rise some and I can attempt to take pictures of the skullers on Saturday morning.

In the meantime - working on the website.

Working on the website - no photos for a couple days

2007-12-11T17:19:00.000-06:00

I learned a few new things and I want to employ them on my website. So, I'm concentrating on that for a few days and won't be taking any photographs. This is probably a good thing, since the weather just went south and subject matter for pictures is a little scarce when it's this way.

Anyhow, look for a post when I finish and I'll include a link to the new and improved web site.

- Mike

Mold Count is HIGH

2007-12-10T08:53:00.000-06:00

I had big plans this last weekend to go out early Saturday morning and take some pictures of some skulling on the lake, but woke up to a huge mold count and my lungs were full. I'm highly allergic to mold and this pretty much shot my weekend for doing much of anything except setting up our Christmas tree.

But, I did manage to get a few shots of an injured wasp which was crawling through our grass in the backyard and I snapped a few off of our ornaments on the tree. I'll post links later, but now I have some work I have to get done.

Night Shots!

2007-12-03T20:11:00.000-06:00

I pass this refinery (or something... might be a gravel processing plant) every morning on the way to work. For the last month I've wanted to get some night shots of this beast and tonight I finally did it.

Being very patient, I waited for all the invading cars to clear the highway and took what shots I could. The web views do not do these justice as they are quite processed down. Believe me when I say that these processed as full detail JPEGs are sharp as a tack and gorgeous.

Night Shots

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

The Sun Came Out!

2007-12-02T15:17:00.000-06:00

Just when I was about to give up, the sun came out a tad and allowed me to take a few shots. So I drove around, looking for a few things to shoot and found a future steak dinner:

Moo

And this cool rock:

Picasso-Looking Rock

Rain Rain Go Away

2007-12-01T21:55:00.001-06:00

No shooting for me today - it rain or was quite cloudy all day. Possibly tomorrow. But hey, I got a room painted in the house, so there was some productivity.

Bought a new lens today

2007-11-30T21:06:00.000-06:00

So I went down to Precision Camera today and purchased a Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG Macro lens. Hoping for some clear skies tomorrow so I can go out and take some test shots. FUN FUN!

Details after tomorrow...

- Mike