Day 13: A Building

Day 13: Your FAvorite Building

As the artist behind the camera, and every English teachers worst nightmare doing the blogging, I feel a need to take a few liberties with the assignment.  Today i did that and removed some annoying letters and made "Your Favorite Building" into "A Building",  I could have taken it further and made it "A window in a Building" but that would just be manipulating the assignment too much to fit my subject.

Living in the architectural wonderland of Seminole i had such a plethora (Who ever said you couldn't learn anything from "The Three Amigos" movie) of amazing buildings to take a photo of, that I just couldn't decide which one would get the honor of becoming the star of my blog today.  If i were somewhere else say College Station I would most likely venture to the Dixie Chicken and take a few shots there. (Pictures come on guys, everyone knows you have to go to the Dry Bean Saloon for a shot.)  If I were in New York I would try to find a place to capture the Art Deco beauty of the Chrysler Building, but I am not so you gets what ya's gets.  My favorite all time building is any building where my girls are. (WOW that is sappy enough to make a years worth of syrup from, but true.)

I snapped this one on Thanksgiving day while I was out taking a few others and enjoying the outside and stretching out the gut so I could go back for round two on the turkey later.  This is just a window in an old adobe house on the farm in Hobbs, I liked the weathered look of it and I enhanced it in Lightroom for a more rugged look.

Come back for Day 14: Looking Down From Something

Day 12: An Animal

I really want to post the photo of the burrowing owl I took a couple months ago. (Getting fancy aren't I, making words click-able to take you somewhere else.)  But it really wouldn't be much of a challenge and educational experience if i just regurgitated photos i had already taken.  So alas another picture i shall take.

But what Smokey Zoee's dog, Tiger Zoee's cat or Thunder Zoee's rabbit.  Dog is too hyper, cat skiddish unless you are Zoee, rabbit has gotten a little wild and it is a rabbit so it is fast and I am not! Zoee's menagerie is out.  Just saw on TV that barbers were prohibited from practicing surgery in 1745 now if they will just ban Doctors from giving haircuts.  Back on topic I shot the owl today (No not like that don't call the game warden) but he was too far away and the light wasn't right and no dice on replicating my lucky shot of that little guy.  I think my little ground squirrel buddy has gone south for the winter or whatever those little guys do.

You guessed it I took the easy way out and too a pic of a cow.  I made it a little different at least it isn't your everyday cow chewing her cud looking looking at the camera.  I was headed home after a day of trying to stay awake at the office (not much going on this time of year being able to stay awake all day is a major accomplishment) and i saw the sunset and the heard munching away and headed to the waterin' hole. So i said to myself "Self why don't you get a nice sunset silhouette of a cow for your animal assignment." Here it is Day 12: An Animal.

 

Come back tomorrow or the next day or whenever i get to day 13 for Day 13: Your Favorite Building.

Day 11

I'm Back!

And as usual I am also behind,  I hope your symptoms of withdrawal from my not feeding your need for my deep philosophical views of the art of the photograph were not too bad.  (I really know you just come back to see how bad I am going to destroy the proper use of grammar but I just type the ramblings the fly through my disjointed mind.)

Back on point Day 11: An Interesting Geological Feature.

As I signed off on my last post I mused of what type of dirt I was going to photograph for today's shot.  Well I do believe that the beautiful sand storm we had Saturday led to the creation of the subject I found to shoot today.  Who wooda thunk it that some'n good would come outta that nasty brown day.  I had about decided the most interesting geological feature i was going to be able to shoot was a red sand hump where an old barbed wire fence caused sand to pile up after many years, and I captured a few interesting images of a sand hump.  After i was done with the pics of the hump i started driving back to the barn when something caught my eye poking out of the ground.  It looked like a sole of a shoe sticking up,  I got out to investigate and saw that it was an old boot that had been buried in the ground for who knows how long and the wind Saturday has excavated it.  It may not be a grand landscape from Arches National Park nut I thought it fit the assignment, if you don't then go suck an egg.

Enjoy and Come back tomorrow for Day 12: An Animal

Day 10: Something Sentimental

Happy Thanksgiving (better late than never)!!!


I think I am going to keep today's post short.  It has been a great day, had a wonderful thanksgiving meal with Wende's family, watched Pumpkin Chunkin, ate leftovers, I guess the only bad part of my day was the Aggies (ugh nuff said).

I already had an idea of what i was going to shoot today since we were going to be at Nadine's house.  My subject is a 1979 year model Case 2290.  Why you ask is my subject an old tractor and why is it sentimental?  This was the first new tractor dad ever bought,  I remember well driving it as a kid it was our workhorse of the farm it did everything,  but time passed and it was replaced by newer and bigger tractors and this little guy has been put to pasture working at the hay farm in Hobbs, an easy life for an old guy. 

Tomorrow: An Interesting Geological Feature What will I choose Dirt, Dirt or Dirt

Day 9: Somewhere you like to relax

If you know me you should know this shouldn't be too hard for me.  I am a pretty laid back dude and anywhere i am is as good place as any to relax.  There are plenty of places to relax but the assignment is for a somewhere you LIKE to relax, well I like to relax wherever i am but some places are more relaxing and enjoyable than others.  I mean you could relax while you are in the doctors office (Depending on what type of Doctor or what procedure you are having done some you sure had better be relaxed or it could be painful) But inst it better and less productive to relax laying back in a hammock on the beach.  Since it is a little over a month before I will be relaxing on a beach, I though i would share one of my favorite spots and ways to just lay back and chill to the max.at the most relaxing place in town.

If you guessed the most relaxing place in town is home you are correct, winner winner chicken dinner.  The pool is closed and it is just a bit nippley to be relaxing in the pool this time of the year.  The recliner is an awesome place to relax but the TV and laptop are just a little to distracting to get to the point of nirvana total relaxation.  I am a man and all real manly men enjoy and like to relax during their time on the pot, but when I brought this idea up it was quickly vetoed by the lovely ladies of the house with a groaning GROSS.

It really doesn't get better than setting on the back deck reading a book, (I know it is a Kindle not a true book but if you love to read and don't have a Kindle you need one they rock) kicked back in the zero gravity lounger enjoying a beautiful fall day.

Merry Thanksgiving Eve Y'all

Come back for Day Ten: Something sentimental

Days 7 and 8

Day 7: Something Green

Well something green sure as heck should be easy for me since I an a farmer and there is plenty of green to be found around the farm.  We have green in all shades, the gorgeous blue-green of cotton, yellow-green of peanuts, bright green of newly emerging wheat, the pungent green of a steaming cow patty, and of course John Deere green in all its shade from shiny and new to well used and faded to perfection.

"Well why didn't you just take a picture of on of those things and throw it up to stay on schedule we have been waiting on pins and needles for your next post."  I know that is what everyone has been thinking over the last couple days waiting on me to update my blog.  Not really i know you were too busy watching football.  Here is why i didn't post a pic of one of the obvious farm shots, first off it is late fall and the only thing growing and green is some seedling wheat, that isn't too photogenic yet, and weeds that are too dumb to realize that it has frozen and they are supposed to be dead,  I am keeping the steamer in mind for another photo opportunity so you may still see it in the future and I already did the John Deere thing.

While walking around Daddy Doc's old shop looking for something interesting to shoot I saw this old screwdriver sticking into a board holding a key.  I am not sure what the key goes to since we don't keep that old building locked since Cory took Old Blue to KC, Cory has that old truck looking good.  I liked the look and decided that this would be my subject for "Something Green"

Day 8: Something Tall

Guess what, I found the subject for my next challenge on the farm amazing isn't it?  I think part of this challenge is to take something you see everyday and find an artistic and unique way to capture in in one of the categories of the challenge.  When I first saw the challenge of the day was something tall I thought I had better call up my buddy Kurt, he is tall, but then I dont always go for the obvious, so lets look for something else.

I decided to use the old overhead fertilizer bins for today's shoot, might as well use them for something, as much as fertilizer costs I don't see them getting filled until we recover form this dad'gum drought.  They are tall I am guessing about 40' or so.  I stood under them shooting up the leg by the latter to force the perspective to make them look even taller. 

A little work in Light room to give them a harder more industrial look, so here we go with "Something Tall"

Come back tomorrow for Day 9: Somewhere you like to relax.

Day 6: A Colleague

Today's challenge is to shoot a Colleague, sometimes that would be a therapeutic release and not a challenge, but i guess that is not exactly the meaning the author of the challenge had in mind.  Websters defines colleague as: a fellow worker or member of a staff, department, profession, etc Webster defines it better than me, my definition is: Bubba that works with me.  Well I was out working with John yesterday and after we were finished for the day and knowing that the photo of the day was supposed to be of a colleague, so I grabbed the camera outta the truck and snapped a couple off.  John is a hard worker, as a matter of fact he did all the work i just pointed him in the right direction and told him how fast to do it (I'm a nice co-worker huh wanna job?)

Well it is time for John and I to get back to work, so enjoy my colleague, John Deere.

 All my guys that work around here are great, and i don't know how I would get along with out them.  We are all scattered out doing what needs to be done so I didn't even see any of them to snap a pic of any of them.

Come back Tomorrow and see what the Challenge: Green will bring. 

Day 5: Some Shadows

Well todays creativity challenge should be an easy one especially out here where we are deep in the grasp of La Nina and her drought and endless high pressure sure makes for good sun so good shadows. (I don't know how to put the little ~ over the n so live with it, if I was still in school and taking spanish I would probably know but I don't and this is about learning photography not tilde insertion 101)  But what do I do yep you guessed it I procrastinated and it got dark on me no easy outs on todays photo,  or was it my inner demon saying don't take the easy way out you have that high dollar flash, that you really should learn to use, use it force the daylight loving shadow to make an unscheduled nighttime appearance.

How should I get the shadow to come out to visit?  First things first, let there be light, or get the flash out and put it on a light stand but not just any light stand I had a totally rad gnarly to the max voice activated light stand that kinda did what i wanted, Thanks Mom!  Next on the agenda what to use to coax the shadow out of, yeah you guessed it oh Zoee wanna come outside in the cold and dark to be my model yet again.  What am i forgetting...Ah the camera I set it on the tripod, set the mode dial to the dreaded manual used f8@1 sec and iso 100 for my basic exposure setting, the flash was going to do all the work anyway so I set the cameras flash to commander and the off camera flash was the slave also set to manual and an output of 1/2 power.

OK here is the Pic I have Words With Friends to play enough blogging for tonight. (AggieBonfire is my WWF name if anyone is up for a game)

See you tomorrow for Day 6: A Colleague

Day 3 & 4

Today it is time to double up and catch up.  I am not really behind but ahead, I already have today's photo ready so I will get it up on the same post.

Day 3:  Somebody that you Love.

OK, so Drew Barrymore wasn't available for a photo shoot today, but more importantly both my beautiful girls were.  It seem like the only time Zoee will climb into our laps is when she is attempting to delay going to bed or when she has to know what you are looking at on the computer.  Last night it was the latter,  Dee was looking at embroidery designs for her new machine  and Zoee had to get on the couch on top of her and give her input, so a grat time to grab the camera and see what will come together.  Worked over a little more than usual in Lightroom to give it a warm fuzzy look and cropped down to remove the living room as a background and bring in the area of interest to my two loves.

 Day 4: Your Favorite Drink

Well Beer Duh!  Well it once was but I seem to have grown up or just gotten tired of feeling like crap the next day, don't get me wrong I still love beer Bud Light Lime is my current goto adult beverage and I am becoming more fond of red wines 14 Hands Cabernet rocks.

The next logical choice for the favorite drink photo was a Red Solo Cup, but i thought it was just a little too fadish and i didn't feel like drinking a bunch of beer so i could have the bottles to set a poor broken red solo cup on top of in a trash can for the love me and leave me photo that i saw in my head.

So i settled on what is my favorite drink, goes good with any meal, nothing is more refreshing on a hot day, always cool and refreshing with a little kick.  With out further delay my favorite drink.

Too corny?  I like it shows off my rockin sidewalk art skills and a little Light room magic to give it a little more depth.  Enjoy "Ice T"

Come back for Day 5:  Some Shadows.

Day 2: Outside your bedroon window.

Day 2 of my month long photographic trek to expand my creativity and master my camera.  Speaking of my camera I am shooting with a Nikon D-80 it is a couple generations past being the newest bestest greatest but it still does a great job, I'm not saying i am not chomping at the bit for Nikon to announce the D400 because I am :), but the D-80 will keep me going for a long time if I so choose.

The Day 2 Challenge was exactly that a challenge in several aspects.  I guess I added the challenge to my self that I decided i was going to shoot through the window and i also chose to leave the blinds down.  So in addition to a colorless lifeless back yard i gave my self the added difficulty of window blinds and glare to deal with.  (Thanks to Mr Gomez and unfortunately due to this damn drought we have clean windows at least i didn't have to worry about grimy glass to shoot through.)

Challenge 1 how to liven up the scene?  You guessed it Zoee :)  "Zoee go play with Smokey" and be sure to do it by the outdoor fireplace and kinda look back toward the bedroom window where I will just happen to be with my camera.  Colorless lifeless converted to colorful and fun, and a very happy Smokey.

Challenge 2 Window blinds.  What was i thinking not raising the blinds, seriously i knew better, but this exercise is about learning and pushing the creative envelope. (My creative envelope is about the size of a school valentine card envelope so i start pushing my creativity pretty quick.)  Aperture should be the key to this problem i think to my self so lets experiment: Mode dial to Aperture Priority and start shooting and changing the aperture.  Here is what i found, I think I knew the outcome isn't that the purpose of the scientific process set a hypothesis and experiment to prove or disprove, a wide aperture (little f number) gives the blinds and glare a very soft look since they as so out of focus a smaller aperture (bigger f number) adds some crispness to the blinds but they are still so close the the camera that they are out of focus but no so much and they add contrast and texture to the image.

I know your thinking shut it and show me the pic already.  Well here are two of the them one wide open

  and another stopped down.

I like the both so today I have 2 photos for the challenge.  Both have a little work done to them in Lightroom, the second the most due to my trying to bring the glare down a little since it fell right across Zoee's face.

Whats coming for day 3?  Somebody That You Love.  Let me take A wild guess it will be one of my girls, but which one the eager model or the elusive one, i love a challenge so i may have to be a little sneaky and covert.

Day 1 of the 30 day Photo Challenge: Yourself

I have decided to make myself work on my photography creativity by participating in one of the many 30 day photo challenges floating around the web.  I have also recently gotten my first flash and I want to incorporate the learning to use it in a creative and atypical manner i.e. the off camera Strobist look.

Well here is what I tried for today:

I sat the flash on a light stand directly across and pointing directly at the camera.  I set the camera in flash commander mode to control the off camera flash.  The camera was set to Manual Mode and after a few test shots I ended up with a setting of 1/200 sec @ f16 and ISO 100 the flash was set for a 3 stop overexposure.    I did a little editing and cropping in iPhoto Bringing down the exposure and desaturating for a more black and white feel.(i usually use Lightroom but I am at the house and using Zoee's macbook, expanding my comfort zones in other areas as well)

Tomorrows challenge is "A View from your Bedroom Window" gotta start thinking about that one.

Here is the list of the daily challenges i will be using as my guide:
Day One: Yourself.
Day Two: A view from your bedroom window.
Day Three: Somebody that you love.
Day Four: Your favourite drink.
Day Five: Some shadows.
Day Six: A colleague.
Day Seven: Something green.
Day Eight: Something tall.
Day Nine: Somewhere you like to relax.
Day Ten: Something sentimental.
Day Eleven: An interesting geological feature.
Day Twelve: An animal.
Day Thirteen: Your favourite building.
Day Fourteen: Looking down from something.
Day Fifteen: Water.
Day Sixteen: Some letters (not mail).
Day Seventeen: A clock.
Day Eighteen: The sky.
Day Nineteen: Something red.
Day Twenty: A collection of your favourite things.
Day Twenty One: Somebody you don't know.
Day Twenty Two: Something delicious.
Day Twenty Three: A picture taken at night.
Day Twenty Four: An interesting pattern.
Day Twenty Five: Your best friend.
Day Twenty Six: Something round.
Day Twenty Seven: Something seasonal.
Day Twenty Eight: A car.
Day Twenty Nine: Something reflective.
Day Thirty: A smile :)