This is where I will write about the how and why of my photography.   It is mostly about my pictures but will often reference the experts from whom I learn or point to websites of special interest.  I don’t want to confine myself to any specific subject.  I will wander around the world and into any area dealing with travel and photography. 

I have also copied several posts from my previous blog.  One, for instance, is my first impression of my new Nikon D80, Nikon D80 — WOW!.  It was written in March 2007, but seemed fitting for this blog.  Any article that seems confusing in relation to time or date was probably copied from the earlier blog.  They will be toward the bottom of this blog.  The more recent posts will be near the top.   I will try to include only those that I think will interest most readers/photographers.  Check the sidebar for subjects.  If you find it interesting … great.  If not … check back tomorrow. 

Spring is bursting out all over. It is a very special time of year for photographers. How can you screw up something as beautiful as a flower? Hmmmm…. maybe you can.

I took this photo of an Amaryllis and was not happy. It was surrounded by distractions. I was so smitten by the beautiful presentation with all those raindrops that I missed a few faded flowers. My wife is very good at seeing those details “before” they show up in a photograph. I’m learning, but am much better at manipulating the distractions with a Photo Shop tool. A lot of the purple delphinium was added by cloning it over the distractions. My wife was unable to detect the photoshopping. That’s good enough for me.

This rose is just naturally beautiful. The raindrop was there. The rose itself was nearly perfect and my Nikon 300mm f4 AFS produced a bokeh that made everything “pop.”

What would spring be without the birds and the bees … and a butterfly? Adding a moving target may make Spring photography a bit more difficult. But, it is hard to think of a more perfect time of year to find photographic subject matter. I probably should add that WIND becomes a factor. It has been ferocious here in Texas. A tripod is recommended for getting closeups of flowers but is of little use in windy conditions. The answer is patience. It may be less frustrating if you will just make yourself leave the camera indoors and work in your garden until the wind settles. Playing in your flowers may be helpful later when you go to compose that masterpiece. Also, you might find early (really early) morning the best time to beat the wind. That would also be the time of the best lighting. Evening light is great too but the wind is likely to be more wicked in the evening.

That’s my offering for the day. I’m waiting for the wind to settle and for my wife to help compose my masterpiece.

l8r

I have just added links to some invaluable information, information that has taken several years of internet browsing to accumulate.  It runs the gamut from general to very specific in nature.  If you are shopping for a camera or trying to decide between a point-and-shoot and that $5000 dSLR, nearly all are covered in the DigitalPhotographyReveiw link.  The art of High Dynamic Range photography is expertly addressed in Trey Ratcliff’s “Stuck in Customs” website.  Click on the HDR Tutorial link and be amazed at the imaginative work of Trey Ratcliff. 

For general information on photography or some casual reviews of equipment, my first stop is always Ken Rockwell’s site. Luminous Landscape is another site for some great articles on a variety of subjects.  The Luminous Landscape link is also home to some extraordinarily beautiful landscape photography.  And, of course, you can access my work directly by clicking on My Flickr Photos or My Imagekind Homepage.

There are many others but rather than overload you with details, I will save a few for another time.  From one avid photographer to another I hope you will find these links as valuable as I have and will pass them on to others. 

My friend Celeste has one of the coolest domain names around — RoadLessTraveled. I know, it’s a poem. But, she got there first.
Today’s adventure reminded me of that poem. I followed a road yesterday that I’ve always wondered about. I got lost in a maze of country roads that finally dumped me back onto State Highway 71. I wasn’t sure that I could retrace my steps but had seen a place that I was sure would make a great photo … if the light was right. By my calculation that had to be really early in the morning. I was on the road before sunrise. As a matter of fact, I found my focal point before sunrise. I was right. This old ranch building is fantastic with the morning sun reflecting off its weathered exterior. The old windmill was nice too. It still pumps water into a tank. I used the tank to capture the windmill reflection in the picture on the right. I was disappointed that the cattle that surrounded the building yesterday were gone. They did, however, leave evidence of their visit in the yard.
It was a fun morning, serving more than one purpose. I’m still breaking in that new diesel engine. The economical 14.7 MPG was from my light foot and some very slow going along a bumpy dirt road.

Wildlife was abundant. Deer were thicker’n fleas on a dog’s back. I saw turkey as well. One old Tom was even strutting for the ladies but I wasn’t close enough for a decent picture. A jack rabbit nearly commited suicide under my new diesel truck. He was just quick enough to escape before I got a picture or assisted in his suicide.
There were far fewer surprises than I had hoped for. I did accomplish the primary mission but really expected more. I finished off the excursion by snapping a few quick pics of the neighbor’s peach tree. Kim, the blooms are fantastic. I’m looking forward to stealing your peaches. Here’s hoping the blooms are still here for your visit.
Now, I have a long list of tasks. Jane is working and I am in charge. I’m in charge of mowing the lawn and getting my office cleaned up before Dillon gets here for Easter.
As usual, click the thumbnail image to see a larger version.

l8r