No Sunset Today

I am certain the sun did set, I just didn't see it.  The clouds looked great in the late afternoon as I headed to Memorial Park to create stunning, colorful sunset images.  Then the wind started to blow and the clouds turned dark in a matter of minutes.  This probably happened to Ansel Adams all the time.

JRT

Swanee

 

"Swanee" is what my In-laws have nick-named the Mute Swan that has been a frequent visitor to their lake since Christmas.  He (?) is beautiful to watch glide about, feed on the grasses that grow in the water, and preen himself before naps.

JRT

Classical Guitar

I bought this guitar while visiting Catacamas, Honduras in 1995.  It is not a great guitar in many ways: the tuners are wacky, the finish is uneven, the action is too high, and the sound will not confuse the listener with finer instruments; but it is a fine guitar in its own way.  I purchased it because I was able to watch the maker, Marco Cruz, create guitars in a dingy shop with a bare minimum of tools, and, I had an admiration for why he was making guitars.  Senor Cruz was taught by Christian missionaries to make guitars as a way to support himself as a preacher.  I pray he has been able to sustain his mission and flourish.

JRT

Knit by a Brit

 

Have your toes been chilly lately?  Find yourself a Brit that can knit and endear yourself to her until you score some handmade socks.  No, socks have not always been mass produced and sold by the dozen.  This used to be the only way to get socks.  People used to actually repair socks when they became holy instead of flipping them into the trash and ripping open another Fruit of the Loom bag.

Thanks, Julie!

JRT

Lilies

One person's trash is another person's photo opportunity.  Yes, that was me pulling these lilies out of the garbage can for a photo-shoot, to give them one last chance for glory.  Even as they wither and lose their color, there is still beauty to be seen in their once elegant blossoms.  It looks as if they have been overrun by the vines that were part of a once spectacular arrangement.

JRT

Not Just Another Pair of Pretty Feet

Great artist through time have painted portraits of themselves in which they not only gave us their idea of what they thought they looked like, but also a glimpse of their soul.  I think I have done that.

JRT

Radishes

Radishes caught my attention as I walked through the fresh produce section of the grocery store recently.  These root vegetables are never anything I really get hungry for, though they are tolerable in moderation as part of a fresh green salad.  The roots and textures stand out against the rich red of the radishes and make an interesting still life composition.

You should always give your vegetables a cat scan.

 

JRT

Photo Day at the Houston Zoo

 

The Houston Zoo allows early access to  photographers on a regular basis. This provides earlier access before the crowds arrive and an  opportunity to take advantage of early morning light.   I always head straight for the big cats because this is the time of day when they are awake and moving about.  The Sumatran Tiger in this photograph posed on a bench for awhile before prowling around his enclosure, showing off his beautiful markings.  The older I get the less I understand why people would kill these magnificent beasts.  

To see more zoo pics, click here.

JRT

Gerbera Daisy

This is not the side of a flower that usually draws attention.  The traditional viewing side of the Gerbera Daisy was a vivid red, and the flower was sprinkled with yellow pollen, it was quite pretty. There will probably be honey bees lined up at the door in the morning.  This side of the flower was beautiful in its own way, with subtle hues of reddish orange, and the intricate green pattern at the top of the stem supporting the head of the flower and seemingly holding all the petals together. 

JRT

2401 Fountain View

There was a beautiful blue sky full of wispy white clouds as I left my office this evening.  My first idea was to find a building corner to shoot along straight up as a sight line to the sky.  After looking for a few minutes to find an ideal location, I turned around and was drawn to the way the sky could be seen through the branches of the tree, and how the light reflected off of the office building in this scene.  I shot several different angles and compositions to get this one that I believe really captures my feelings about what I was seeing.

JRT

Hand In Motion

Today's post is an experiment in motion. I moved my hand and the camera at the same time, while using a slow shutter speed, to blur the background.  I resisted the urge to use a strobe to freeze the motion, and instead used shutter speed and synchronized motion to keep my hand in focus and as sharp as possible.  No effects were added in post.  There are lots more possibilities here!

JRT

Wood Scape

My father gave me this wooden puzzle box several years ago.  Its interlocking pieces have been cut from a single piece of spalted maple.  There are many interesting patterns in the wood, which are accented by the graceful band-sawn cuts that created a box from a solid peice of wood.

JRT

Searching for a Sunset

 

I was watching the afternoon sky for signs of a beautiful sunset: clear air, fluffy clouds, light breeze.  Everything looked good as Dad and I headed for Sugar Land's Memorial Park.  Then (I wish there could be audio sound effects inserted here) dark clouds rolled in front of the sun, the wind began blowing, and rain soon followed.  The sun did go down, but we couldn't really see it.  I turned to the east and took the pic above while waiting for said missing sunset.  The guys who make their living doing this sort of thing must have patience to spare.

JRT

Old House And Snow

 

Snow is not something we see much of in  South-east Texas.  But snow is what a large part of Texas that parallels Dallas received yesterday, in record amounts.  I spotted this abandoned house covered in snow south of the Oklahoma border along Highway 24 as Dad and I drove home today.  It looks like it has given up its attempts to weather storms.  I did a black and white version also, let me know what you think...

JRT

Peggy's Orchid

This evening I attended the funeral of my step-sister, Peggy Bernard.  She suffered from cancer for along time before passing away peacefully.  The ceremony was a wonderful celebration of her life and a sweet reunion of family and friends.  Peggy gave my father this beautiful orchid awhile back as thanks for some projects he did for her.  I am sure it will always evoke beautiful memories of Peg.

JRT

Hawk

 

I spent the day driving from Sugar Land, Texas, to Springfield, Missouri.  It took about fourteen hours, but I could have done it faster if never had to feed myself or the truck.  Going through Oklahoma, I started noticing Hawks in the trees along the highway.  The fellow (or fella?) in the photograph was in a tree very near the road, and was the only of three I tried to photograph from the truck that did did fly away.  If you know what kind it is, please let me know.

JRT

Aquatic Center Sunset

 

Sometimes I get a little discouraged, letting thoughts creep into my mind that not being able to travel to exotic locales is keeping me from creating great images.  It is also one of the reasons I challenged myself to do this daily photo blog - to train myself to see great images wherever I may be.  Even right in my own neighborhood.

JRT

Plastic Bug

 

It is a cold, dark, rainy night here in Sugar Land, Texas.  Not the kind of night to go outside and find some amazing bug to photograph.  So instead I found this toy bug in the house and decided I would use it to practice a few macro shots, and experiment with flash.   If I do this everynight I may be ready when the real bugs come back.

JRT

Hot Wings

 

My friend Gary, and my other friend Gary, came over to watch the big game with me tonight.  I tried to think of a photo project during the day that would really say Super Bowl.  When I picked up the hot wings I knew I had it.  The picture is not very artistic or especially creative, but they were certainly delicious!

JRT

Duck Walk

I drove to this afternoon to a nearby park that I had never visited before near the Sugar Land Airport, Cullinan Park, hoping to witness some beautiful scenery and capture a little wildlife on a memory card - what a disappointment.  The park is in a sad state of neglect with a great amount of trash floating in the water and on the grounds.  There was suspicious human behavior going on as well.  We left.

Earlier when we were driving out of the neighborhood, my wife and I spotted this duck family out on a stroll.  There were still in the area on tway back in so I followed them around for a bit.  The ducklings were never still as they constantly peeped and pecked their way through the grass.  Mama was ever vigilant and always kept them herded in her direction.  It seems very early in the year for babies, but it is sure fun watching them.

JRT

Cat Portraits

 

There are actually photographers that make a full time living doing pet photography.  I am just guessing it is mostly dogs, a horse now and then, maybe a cockatoo once in a while, but not so many cats.  Cats don't enjoy doing much of anything that was not their idea in the first place and I am certain they have never thought about sitting for a portrait session.

  

JRT

Bird-of-Paradise

 

This Bird-of-Paradise was past its prime as part of  a flower arrangement and headed for the trash before I intercepted it for a photo shoot.  It was dried out and faded, which I chose to accentuate with hard, direct light.  The resulting image is strong and stark, emphasizing the flower's angular shape.  Even though the usually vibrant tropical colors have faded, its distinctive shape is still proud.

JRT

Broken CDs

Do you have any old music CDs that you don't listen to anymore?  Maybe they had music on them you never realy liked anyway, or somebody gave them to you who was completely ignorant of your fine taste in music.  I suggest you break them into pieces and take cool photographs of the refracted light that bounces off the shiny backside.  This is probably my first piece that will sell for millions and hang in a museum.

JRT

Coke Sign

 

I noticed this hand painted Coca-Cola sign on the side of this old brick building as I drove through Willis, TX, several years ago.  Since first becoming aware of it,  I have driven by several times, always in too big a hurry to stop and photograph it, until today The textures of the fading, eroding paint on the decaying brick are wonderful.  The overcast sky and the light rain that was falling really accentuated the red and green paint.  This building is no longer in use and perhaps may be demolished in the future.  I am happy to have captured this image - there probably will not be new signs painted like this one.

JRT

Green Buds

I sent my wife some flowers recently that were very beautiful.  Like all cut flowers, they eventually wilted and needed to be thrown out.  As the dying stems were being transferred to a garbage bag, we noticed that a few branches used for decoration had started to bud.  Hidden amongst the bright flowers, the branches looked like dead sticks, but they came to life as the flowers died.

JRT