troy bradford photos

the simple things...

2012-01-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

I hate it when I get caught up in my daily life, get busy and forget to enjoy those closest to me. I sometimes forget how precious the times are until they are gone. Enjoyed this day getting to spend lunch with Sadi at Chic-fil-a. She really hates the fact that I take a camera with me almost everywhere. Someday, she will be glad... Wait a minute, that really seems like something a parent would say... This particular day the camera of choice was my Leica. It does such a great job of isolating the subject from the background. To me the image represents our time together that day. I don't remember anything else about the day there. I couldn't tell you who else was in the restaurant. All I know is that I got to spend 15-20 minutes across the table from someone that is so very precious to me. We ate, talked, laughed and just enjoyed the simple things...

still seeing in squares...

2012-01-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

This is a long-overdue continuation of the square photos below. Nobody else in the family is ready for a closeup photo. All the stars have to align for this to happen. Got Brad to stop by and let me take some Polaroid shots over the Christmas break and I used the opportunity to add to my collection of head shots. Instead of a white background, this one was taken with a gray background. I used the same camera/lens combination because it worked so well last time. What an emotional photo! If you know Brad, then you would know this is definitely a "portrait" of his personality...

leaving pyper alone...

2011-12-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have so many photos to process through, but I can't seem to quit taking them. Took this one today of little miss Pyper. Wanted to take a Polaroid image of her in the leaves. The rain almost dampened that idea, but I persisted and got the image (will post some Polaroids later). While I had her out there for the Polaroid image, I couldn't resist taking a couple more with the Leica. It takes her no time to realize that she is alone and she can do what she wants. Of course she starts eating the leaves... In the picture, she is trying to get a piece of leave off her tongue. So much for leaving her alone...

So then I put her in the house while I get my shoes and socks off, because I have wet grass all over them. Immediately she stands up and starts banging on the glass door (she seems to be in the her destructive phase). The image is a little blurry because she was moving so fast, but when I converted it to sepia, I love the mood it creates. She looks so sweet...

watching like a hawk...

2011-11-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

Was driving through downtown Greenville this morning looking for picture opportunities and something caught my eye. I pulled over, got out of my Land Rover and approached the bird. Originally I thought someone had "propped up" a dead bird on the sidewalk so I thought I would take a couple of low vantage point shots. As I got close and kneeled down to take the shot, the bird's head quickly turned right towards me and the eyes opened! My heart skipped a couple of beats... After I settled down, I approached slowly with my M8 and took a few shots from several directions. Afterwards, I couldn't resist. I took one shot with my latest camera (the Polaroid 250 Land Camera). I hope to scan some of these photos later and end up with a neat post from the Polaroids. Later determined that the bird is probably a baby hawk. Look at those feet/talons and look at those eyes. I think you can see that he was watching me like a hawk...

the bathtub...

2011-11-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

A little self conscious of posting a picture of Pyper in the bathtub. But this picture is so incredibly cute... Amazing that this picture started with a Leica camera, processed through Aperture, emailed to my iPhone, processed in My Sketch App, emailed back to my computer and then brought into a blog post. Not exactly the best way to keep up the image quality, but I wanted to make sure that the post was not something that Pyper would say "really, you had to post that" later...

my polaroid project...

2011-11-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

So Tyler (tylertyndell.blogspot.com) bought a Polaroid camera at a garage sale last week. We both were so excited to try something so basic that we bought some PX 600 Silver Shade film from the-impossible-project.com. Thought it would be as easy as it was when I was a kid when we used to get Polaroid film for Christmas morning or on our birthday. Took my first picture this morning and figured out something right away. It is not easy getting a good picture with the film that is available now. This is actually a good thing. It has challenged me to think about what I am taking a picture of and how much light I really need to avoid overexposing the image. The camera has a flash that always fires. This has proved to be a challenge for the 600 ISO film. It is hard to not overexpose the entire picture, but it is near impossible (no pun intended) to do the same for the subject that is near the camera. The second picture is a prime example. It wasn't as easy as just taking the picture and shaking it until it finished developing (you are not suppose to shake it at all). Had to immediately cover the picture and protect it from any light and place it in the original box for 10 minutes to let it finish developing. Over the course of the day, I took the remaining 7 pictures (8 total). With every picture all I could think about was how much each one cost ($3.00 each). I guess learning something new is not free. I have two more cartridges left. Can't wait to get them in the camera and "learn" some more. However, more than anything, this makes me appreciate the pictures from my Leica M8...

**update** see additional polaroids at my latest blog by clicking the "instant photos" link in My Other Blogs above.

caught up in the moment...

2011-11-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is the desire of most people who take pictures to always take "the perfect picture". The reality is a large number of the pictures that we take will never end up posted, printed or ever looked at again. Sometimes the composition is great but many times, for me, it is less than "perfect". When I become caught up in capturing the moment, I sometimes get the composition a little off. This is one of those pictures. Concentrating on getting a picture of Pyper, I missed the fact that I cut off part of Sherri's head. Some may say that this would be a reason to delete the picture. Others may say that I should crop it tighter to just show Pyper's face. To me, this is one of those opportunities to break the rules. The head is cut off, but the essence of the emotion is still there. What a moment to remember! Pyper was starting to get sleepy, she lays her head on Sherri's shoulder and smiles. I'll always take a moment with a story over any posed photo...

sadi & my Leica...

2011-10-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Another shot of Sadi as we were leaving Maci's yesterday. This is why I always carry my camera with me. Never know when I will get that chance to take a quick picture. Snapshots such as this is why I usually carry the Leica...

pyper is boo-tiful...

2011-10-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

Had the studio stuff set up, so I couldn't pass on the opportunity to take this shot. Pyper was all dressed up in her halloween attire and the shirt says it all...

emotional pictures...

2011-10-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I get these ideas in my head that I never seem to be able to replicate in the camera. This is one of those times when I acted on it quickly and I think I succeeded. I wanted to produce a square head shot that showed some emotion. I love it when I have to dig deep to get the picture that I want. I used my Olympus EP2 camera, my Nikon 50mm f/1.8 manual focus lens, two of my Alien Bee strobe lights and a small white background. Studio shots such as this allow you to focus on the person and their facial features. To me, these shots really show emotion. In the top shot, Maci definitely implies that there is some joy in her life (Pyper is in the other room letting us know she is there). In the bottom shot, Tyler is determined as a person can be and to me the shadows create by the light (or lack of light) help portray this. Seeing these pictures just makes me want to create more. I hope to continue this series with the rest of the family...

pyper the photographer...

2011-10-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Had a quick photo opportunity with Pyper tonight. Set her up with an old camera of mine and let her try to snap a few photos while I took some of her with my Leica using a shoe-mounted flash. Wanted it to be an under-exposed background with her being a little over-exposed to add the effect of an older photo with a bare flash bulb. The setup, photo and editing took less than 10 minutes. Love it when taking pictures is this fun...

me and my girls...

2011-10-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I don't get to post many pictures with me and my two daughters, because most of the time I am behind the camera. This is also one of the few photos on my blog that was not taken by me. It was taken by tylertyndell.com at Tamolly's the other night. He took the picture with ambient/dim lighting using his new Canon 7D. I love this photo...

the end of a family portrait...

2011-10-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Took photos of Tyler, Maci, Pyper (and even Wilco) tonight. Used the sunset as my primary source of light. Set up a strobe light as an auxiliary light to fill in the shadows. The photos went great! With kids and dogs, they will let you know when you have reached the end of shooting the family portrait. Pyper pulled the bow out of her hair and right after I pressed the shutter Wilco jumped out of the chair and started running around the yard. Tyler and Maci posed for me on this one. I love this photo! Probably one of my favorites from tonight...

sunset (without the family)...

2011-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

Was out in the field behind our backyard fence trying to take some test shots for a family photo at sunset. I was taking most of my pictures with the sun behind my back trying to see how the golden light was reflecting off from the trees. When I was done, I turned around and took a few shots of the sunset trying to get the Zeiss 35mm lens to flare on the M8 camera. The flare seemed to partially work, got the starbust, and a little image artifact of the aperture blades. I processed the image in Color Efex Pro and used a graduated neutral density filter to increase the orange from the top down. I know this is opposite of a true sunset, but it seems to create an eerie feeling. I had the aperture nearly wide open and most of the silhouettes are out of focus, but with silhouettes this doesn't seem to matter. Looking forward to the family photo...

clean vs grunge...

2011-09-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Bought a strap for my Leica M8 camera a last week. Ordered it from gordyscamerastraps.com and I would have to say that it is a great strap for a very reasonable price. Used my E-P2 camera to take a picture using just window light and a gray background (the E-P2 is my go-to camera for shots like this). Added some slight basic edits in Aperture. Really liked how clean and sharp the picture was. Today I downloaded the App Snapseed on my iPhone. It is an App created by NIK and it seems to do the edits without degrading the picture. The edit with Snapseed appears to be just the opposite of the original clean/sharp image. It gives the M8 the nostalgic look that breathes Leica. Not for sure which I really like better... Maybe both...

the sign...

2011-09-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have travelled I-30 from Greenville to DFW Airport more times than I can count. Almost every time that I make this trip, I see things that I wish I had time to stop and photograph. If you know me, you would know that I always have my camera with me (at a minimum, my iPhone), so that is never the reason. Usually the reason is that I am running late. Every time that I pass this sign on the way home, I think about stopping. Has the looks of an interesting area. But I never seem to have time. A few weeks ago I decided that it was time to stop. I saw the sign and took the exit. Realized almost immediately that the only thing interesting about the area was the sign. It was on the edge of a riverbed and the grass was almost as tall as my Land Rover. Because of the area, I wasn't about to get out of the car so I just crossed my fingers and headed towards the sign. My worst fears were finding out that someone lived under the bridge (and didn't want me there) or running over a dead body in the tall grass. Well, all of the fears disappeared when I got positioned and started taking pictures. The sun was low, the light was golden and the sky was blue. All of the "signs" were pointing to a great picture...

wilco needs attention...

2011-08-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

Went to Maci and Tyler's today for lunch. As always, when we go in the door, Sherri gets Pyper and I get Wilco. He likes to get (and keep) your attention. After a while, he finally gave up and went to the chair back for some rest...

simple memories...

2011-08-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Amazing that my youngest daughter Sadi is driving now. This just means that Sherri and I are getting older. Sadi only has her permit, so we have to be in the car with her. Of course I use this as an opportunity to take pictures of her. Here is one that I took this afternoon with my Leica M8. Created two different versions because both have a unique character. In the first one I used the Vintage Photo preset in Aperture to give it an faded/muted look. In the second one I used the contrast and structure settings in Silver Efex Pro to give the photo a very clean/detailed look. I love always having a camera with me and being able to create memories of all parts of our lives together as a family...

pyper posing...

2011-08-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the blog is becoming the 'troy-bradford-taking-pictures-of-pyper' blog. I promise that I have some other things to post about. Pyper seems to be the only willing subject that never gripes about how I edit her photo. Took these tonight at Tyler and Maci's apartment. Love how the M8 and Summicron lens can make a mediocre picture still look good because of the bokeh. Converted them using the "Ink" setting in Color Efex Pro. The pictures are a little noisy because they were taken at a higher ISO, indoor lighting with no flash (at night). But Pyper smiled and posed anyway...

pyper in black & white...

2011-08-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Pyper and Maci came by today when I was leaving for work at lunch and then she was still here when I got home. She spent some time with me and my Leica out on the patio. I also included a picture from this past weekend in our kitchen. I love being able to snap quick pictures of her with my M8/50 Summicron combo and process them in Silver Efex Pro. There are no pictures like them...

an afternoon with pyper...

2011-08-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Got to spend the afternoon with Pyper! It would be a waste of an afternoon if I didn't create a memory... Set up my new gray background with the studio lights and waited on Pyper to wake up from her nap. Couldn't wait to try and get a good photo of her sitting up. Wow, it is hard to get a "posed" picture of a 6 month old. Here is one of the keepers...

the bench family...

2011-07-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Finally had the chance to shoot some photos of the Bench Family this afternoon. Tyler did most of the photography (the creative part anyway), but I shot my share of photos using my Leica M8 and Olympus PEN cameras. This is one of the first shots that caught my eye. It was taken with the M8 and converted to black and white using NIK Silver Efex Pro. To me, one of the best part of having friends is being able to photograph them...

el rebano de jesus...

2011-07-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

After my mission trip to Peru, I decided that I wanted to post something that represented a desperate need in that country. I wanted the images to tell a story that would communicate that need. I have struggled with the whole idea because I wasn't finding any of the numerous pictures that I took on this trip that were cohesive and good enough to post. Most of this was my fault because I only took one lens to Peru and it just happened to be my new 50mm Summicron. I also have a 35mm f/2 Biogon, but I left it at home so that I only had one camera and one lens to keep up with. What I found was that it was very hard to capture a moment in a small area with a 50mm lens on an M8 (the lens was essentially a 65mm lens on this camera with the 1.3x lens factor). The field of view was so limited, I kept missing the shots.

Then I ran across the images of the kids/adults that were taken at El Rebano de Jesus. On the last day, I took pictures of everyone at the orphanage for "To Every Nation" to use in some type of sponsorship program. After the trip, during one of my flights for work, I slowly stepped through each of the pictures and studied their facial expressions and looked into their eyes. I tried to recall their personalities that came out while we were at the orphanage. I remembered how some of them were so shy and reclusive at first. It only took a small amount of loving and playing with them for them to become a different kid. How could I forget the last day... As you can see from the pictures, most of the kids were fresh out the the shower. They had just finished eating breakfast and they were ready to play. What a special set of photos these have become. I had a few pictures of each kid/adult. I tried to pick the one that represented their personalities that I remember.

So what is the desperate need? Donations from To Every Nation and other churches/organizations keep the orphanages just like this open so that kids just like this can take a shower and eat meals every day. People like Victor and Isabel have dedicated their lives to ensuring that these kids are taken care of. These kids are fighting the odds of surviving in a sometimes selfish world, much less becoming productive members of society. So the answer to the question above is "you". You need to figure out what part of you. Is it your prayers, your money, your time, your extra clothes or all four? Your decision...

Put all of that aside and take some time to really look at these pictures. Look into their eyes. Imagine what is going through their little minds. Imagine their fears, their needs, their dreams. Imagine what makes them smile...

abigail - 9 yrs old

alondra - 5 yrs old

brenda - 11 yrs old

bresia - 6 yrs old

brisa - 9 yrs old

cindy - 12 yrs old

esteban - 4 yrs old

estrella - 5 yrs old

francesca - 3 yrs old

jesus - 7 yrs old

jhonatan - 12 yrs old

jonas - 4 yrs old

josias - 1 yr old

kassandra - 11 yrs old

kasumi - 3 yrs old

maicol - 1 yr old

maria jose

maria - 10 yrs old

michel - 8 yrs old

milagros - 3 yrs old

nahomi - 10 yrs old

nicol - 6 yrs old

noemi - 5 yrs old

pedro - 13 yrs old

stephanie - 20 yrs old

takachi - 2 yrs old

valeria - 7 yrs old

yanali - 10 yrs old

yessenia - 9 yrs old

miguel - 23 yrs old

sarah

fiorella

isabel

just maci...

2011-07-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

After I took the shot with Maci and Tyler, Maci wanted one by herself. I never pass up the opportunity to snap another picture... I turned the f-stop on the 35mm Zeiss lense down to f/2 to limit the depth of field and I let the lense paint this image on the M8 sensor...

maci and tyler...

2011-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the pictures are just easy... Maci and Tyler stopped by today to drop off Wilco on their way to Babies R Us. Took a quick picture with the Leica M8 and the Zeiss 35mm f/2 (set at f/4) in the front yard. Converted it using the "Ink" preset in NIK Color Efex Pro. I like it when you don't have to really work for a good picture...

a piercing image...

2011-06-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in forever, but I had to post this. Maci took Pyper to the mall today to get her ears pierced. I am not one to watch something like this because I get weak just being there. However, afterwards the photo opportunity was something that I couldn't pass up. Maci was walking out of the mall and Pyper was beginning to stop crying. I wanted to capture her feelings in the aftermath of the pain. After I got home and looked at the image, I was taken back. I noticed Pyper had a single tear coming down her cheek. The new earrings are barely visible because of the shallow depth of field (I used the 50mm Summicron f/2.0 lens), but the tear is clearly there along with a little sparkle in her eyes. Notice how Maci is smiling while looking at Pyper. On the eve of Father's day I must reflect... This is but the first of many opportunities for Maci to smile in the aftermath of Pyper's inevitable pains. What a beautiful feeling to be a father watching your daughter smile after seeing that her daughter is going to be ok. If you know me very well, you would know that I have tears right now...

jimmy and kathleen...

2011-05-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I like to procrastinate, but this is probably to the extreme. This was the first of two photo shoots that I did a few weeks back. The photos were "engagement photos" that were done a little more than two weeks before they were getting married. We had been planning on doing the photos since late January/early February. I processed the photos and had them developed quickly so that they could be displayed at the ceremony, but I kept finding other things to do instead of posting them. Well, here they finally are...

crawfish boil...

2011-05-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

Had a fun night at Cliff and Brooke's house. They had several families over for a crawfish boil. I can honestly say it has been a long time since I have eaten crawfish. The food was great but the conversations around the table was even better... Thanks Cliff!

All of the pictures were taken with my Leica M8 and the CV 75mm f2.5 lens. I processed all of the pictures in NIK Color Efex Pro with the exception of one that was processed in NIK Silver Efex Pro. I used different presets/film settings for each of the photos.

what was she thinking...

2011-05-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

Would be amazing to know what was going through her little mind. She was looking out the window in the kitchen. Maybe she was just daydreaming... The picture is also a little bit dreamy with the focus being only on one side of her face. Very appropriate for the look. Used the Monday Morning filter in my NIK software. Taken with my Leica M8 and 75mm lens.

the serious side of Maci...

2011-05-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

It seems like it has been forever since I have posted any photos. I have been incredibly busy taking and processing photos, but just not posting them. I have done two photo shoots that took quite a bit of planning and post-processing. I will be posting some of them in the coming days, but I wanted to post a photo of Maci that I took today that required no planning whatsoever. It was taken with available window light in the kitchen using the Leica M8 and CV 75mm f/2.5 lens. I processed it using the film effects in NIK Color Efex Pro. The film was Fujichrome Provia 100F. A fine-grained film look, but a great representation of Maci's serious side...

weekend with Pyper...

2011-04-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well most of these have found their way to Maci, Tyler, Sadi or Sherri's facebook pictures (because I couldn't wait to share them) but I wanted to post them on my blog to tell about what a great weekend that I had taking pictures of Pyper. It was almost like she wouldn't let me take a bad picture of her. She just kept looking, smiling and posing for me. They were taken with the 40D and the EP2. Sherri says that Pyper will eventually tire of me taking pictures of her. I know the day will come, but that is when the bribing will kick in...

more photos from my afternoon with Sadi...

2011-03-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some more photos of Sadi from yesterday afternoon. They were shot with my Leica M8 and Olympus EP2. Already looking forward to the next time that I get to take her picture again...

an afternoon with Sadi...

2011-03-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Sadi and I went downtown Greenville today and did a quick photo session in an old vacant building (no really! I had permission to be there)... It is good to have a place to take pictures inside on a windy day. My days are probably limited on finding buildings such as this in the downtown area. Amazing to have such good props. The photo below was taken in front of a window with a bare wooden wall behind her. You can see the filler putty in the voids between the slats. All of the pictures were taken without a flash so the shutter speed was pretty slow even though I had window light coming through. I used a tripod for most of the pictures to limit the blurring. This one was taken with the Leica M8 and the Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 lens. It was the one that immediately caught my eye because of the dark shadows on the right hand side of the picture... I will post more photos from the afternoon later on this weekend.

vacancy - seats available...

2011-03-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

This was outside the Starbucks in the West Village. We stopped by there after we had Grimaldi's pizza a couple of weeks ago. After everyone else started walking back to the car, I stayed behind to take one last picture. I was using my Leica M8 that night, but it was on a high ISO setting (640). I converted it to black and white to create the mood and remove the color cast. Seeing the picture makes me crave coffee...

eye of the Pyper...

2011-03-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

So this morning I was looking forward to the new coffee blend from Starbucks (and it was EXCELLENT), and after work I got to look forward to Pyper at our house. Unfortunately she was asleep when I got home... To make the best of it, I pulled out my camera and stuck it on a tripod to take some low light pictures of her face. Used a very slow shutter speed (0"6 seconds) at f/4.0. Decided on the Lensbaby to really draw attention and focus on her eye and the lashes.

tribute...

2011-03-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

Can't wait 'til tomorrow morning... Bought some new coffee at Starbucks this afternoon: Starbucks Tribute Blend Coffee. Not drinking it tonight, because I want to sleep. Of course I had to get a picture! Now I am just waiting on morning... tick, tock, tick, tock

let it ring...

2011-03-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

A couple more shots from last night using my Canon 40D and the Lensbaby Composer with closeup filters attached. The aperture was set at f/2.8. This lens really blurs and smears the background. The green wall and brownish/red chair make a great background. The purple stone texture and shape, of Sherri's ring, are really brought out in the first photo. Didn't realize that my cross ring was so scratched up...

and then Pyper smiles...

2011-03-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

I would have to say that when Pyper smiles it makes me smile even bigger... Taken with the Lensbaby Composer lens on the 40d.

the eye of a needle...

2011-03-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

A thought provoking subject... to photograph and examine...

the eye of a needle...

In Luke 18 Jesus said, "In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

But in the verses immediately following that statement, He tells us something else... He said, "What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God."

I pray for God's continued grace and an extra dose of discernment in helping me fully understanding how these very verses apply to me today...

an afternoon on the town...

2011-03-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Took my 40D camera out on the streets of Greenville to try out a new lens that I bought. The lens is the Lensbaby Composer (www.lensbaby.com). It is definitely not a lens for the people who examine a photo for sharpness. I would consider it an artsy lens that gets your creative juices flowing. I bought it to use for some ideas that I have for Pyper and Sadi, however I wanted to take it around for a few days and photograph still life (things that don't move) to get used to the lens. As you can see, the photos generally have one area that is in focus and the remaining parts of the photo are way out of focus. If you are facing the sun, the lens flares really bad (see the first photo) across the photo. This is a feature of the lens, not a flaw. Everything about the lens is manual. I really had a great time with this lens and I honestly think you can create better photos when you have to think through all aspects of the photo prior to taking the picture. At least that holds true for taking pictures of things that don't move...

more Maci and Pyper...

2011-03-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of more pictures of Maci and Pyper from this past weekend. So peaceful... I love the closeup shots that isolate the emotions between them.

Took both of these using my studio lights and Canon 40D camera.

the love of a mother...

2011-02-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

Over the last few days I took some pictures of Maci and Pyper. Seems like I am always taking pictures of Pyper, but I realized that I didn't really have any pictures showing the intimate mother/daughter bond. I set up a black background in the kitchen and used the available window light. I took these with the Leica M8 camera and a CV 75mm lens on f/2.5. The pictures are not as crisp as I would normally like because the sun was getting low so I had to use a slow shutter speed (1/45s) to get a good exposure and keep the ISO at 160.

Like always, I was indecisive on whether to post a black and white or color picture. It was easier to just post them both...

on my way home...

2011-02-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

Got off work today and stopped by a cemetery nearby to see if I could get some pictures. My fascination with cemeteries has nothing to do with the fact that I am getting older. They just seem to be a peaceful place to go and be creative. Some may find this a bit unusual... I also love to try and piece together the lives from the brief description on the headstones. With the pictures below I tried to be a little more creative than descriptive...

a(cross) the way...

baby...

cracked...

limited seating...

disappearing memory...

THE END...

an afternoon with uncle tom...

2011-02-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

Just another lonesome day... that was the theme that I was "shooting for" when I met up with Uncle Tom a few weeks ago.

This was my first attempt at a photo narrative for an online photo contest. In this particular photo contest I had to develop the narrative using only two pictures. For days I racked my brain trying to come up with a story, but nothing was standing out. While watching a movie on Netflix, one scene in the movie gave me my idea. Now all I needed was an older man in a suit for the model. It took a while, but then one night it dawned on me that my Uncle Tom would be the perfect subject.

Getting older is a great thing as you have more time to spend with family and friends. However, the downside would be when you outlive the ones that you spend your time with. The activities that you do with those around you become something that you have to do alone. I could imagine him sitting alone in an older restaurant just passing time. Tom and I had a late lunch at Johnson Street Smokehouse in Greenville. About the time that we finished, the place started clearing out and the opportunity for the picture was there. We moved the tables around a little bit and I pulled out the M8 and started shooting. Notice in the picture below the chair opposite Tom is pulled away from the table. This signifies the longing for someone to be there. As much as I love to be alone, I love it when I want it. If I don't want to be alone, I have plenty of people to call to meet up with. What a terrible feeling to have nobody. That was what I wanted to portray. Any of us could be there during the latter part of our lives. (Moral here: "be nice to everyone, you may need them some day")...

So in the movie, when the old man wanted to visit his friends, where did he go? He went where his friends were; the cemetery... After we finished at Johnson Street Smokehouse, we drove to Sulphur Springs to visit the cemetery where Tom's father was buried. What an interesting day to get to listen to Tom's stories of his younger years spent with his dad. We got some good pictures at the Sulphur Springs cemetery, but it wasn't exactly what I had envisioned for the contest. Soooooo, we drove back to Greenville and stopped by East Mount Cemetery which was less than a mile from where we started at lunch. Of course, Uncle Tom didn't have friends or family at this cemetery but what a scenic view (as far as cemeteries go)...

Found out this week that I didn't win the contest (not that it matters, but there were over 1300 entries), but I would do it all again just for the experience. This sort of activity is what keeps a photographer's mind going. What an inspiration to come up with an idea, plan it and put together the pictures to convey the story. I wish that I had time to do this every month of the year...

separate, yet brought together for a purpose...

2011-02-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

I really do have some pictures to post of things other than Pyper, but I want to get these pictures out there before she gets too old. I don't think it would have the same effect to post these after she starts walking and talking...

This is another set of photos taken with two cameras (40d and m8). In this post, I think I like the composition of the 40d picture the best (the first one). It was taken with an 85mm lens at f1.8 which made for a very shallow focus. I had to crop the second one (taken with the m8) so much that it kinda gets noisy. It was taken with a 35mm lens at f2.0.

peaceful...

2011-02-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Wish I could look this peaceful when I sleep. Not a worry in the world...

Two pictures taken from different angles with different cameras. One with the Canon 40D and no cropping. The other with the Leica M8 and cropped over 50 percent of the image out.

Can't wait to get some pictures with her eyes open...

surprise... some more pictures of Pyper...

2011-02-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

You wouldn't know it by my blogs, but I have taken ALOT of pictures over the last couple of weeks. Enough pictures so that I actually told Sherri that I am tired of taking pictures for a while... If you know me, this is significant because I am the type of person that is always willing to take a picture anytime (of anything). I really just need to somehow NOT take any pictures for a few days so that I can start processing through the ones that I have. Hopefully I can stick with this so that I can put up some more posts on this blog.

Pyper has been a blessing to our family in so many ways! What a beautiful baby girl Pyper is!!! Plus she never complains when I want "just one more" picture. She is a photographer's dream! Here are a couple of the pictures from last weekend. I have several more that I will post as I get through them...

pyper's scale photo...

2011-01-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Finally got what I was looking for... Had to do a quick re-take today of Pyper on the scale. Couldn't convince myself that any of the previous photos from Wednesday would work. You can't even imagine the look on Maci and Sherri's face today when I said, "I think I want to re-take Pyper's scale photo." I had to do quite a bit of color adjustments to get the wall and Pyper just how I wanted them. For the detail-oriented person, notice that the scale reading is right at 7 lbs 11 oz (Pyper's actual birth weight)...

am I crazy...

2011-01-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

I have photo ideas running through my head constantly. I know it is weird, but it sometimes makes it hard to sleep. I've got to find a toddler and an older man, another older man for a picture in a cemetery and diner, some old christmas decorations and last but not least I am waiting on Pyper...

more Maci and Tyler and oh yeah, don't forget Pyper...

2011-01-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

A few more shots from last night. Glad we got to capture these moments. We all had alot of fun doing this... When I was modifying the pictures today I noticed right off that I made a slight (or stupid) mistake on the camera settings. I had been messing around taking pictures a few days ago and I changed the ISO setting to 400. Well, I forgot to change it back and I took all of the photos last night with this ISO. The result was alot more digital noise than I planned. Definitely would have rather had this setting at 100, but it is one of those things that you can't have a do-over. Technically I could have a do-over but I wouldn't want to be the one to tell Maci that I needed her to do this again... Will definitely pay more attention when I take the pictures of Pyper. Modified all of them using Aperture 3, Silver Efex Pro an Color Efex Pro.

Maci Silhouette

2011-01-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick preview of one picture from last night. I shot several pictures of Maci and Tyler trying to catch her right before Pyper is born. She is 37 weeks today so I figured that I better take the opportunity while we had it. Next photo shoot setup will be the birth announcement. Finally found a old set of baby scales for the occasion...

i am second...

2011-01-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

I snapped this quick picture over the weekend of Sadi and me. Another picture taken in our garage. I love the shadows that show the direction of the light. I modified it using Color Efex Pro to increase color/contrast and then Silver Efex Pro to change it to black and white and increase the contrast a little more. IMO, this created some neat effects.

For some reason I always like being the first to post a picture that I took, but Sadi beat me to it on this one. She added it to her Facebook pictures just a little bit ago. She has already received more comments than I will get here. In many ways I guess that makes me second...

just a dog...

2011-01-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

A totally random picture that I took about a year and a half ago at a Dallas White Rock Lake 5K. Rest assured that I was not running the race. I was just the nerd with the camera. I keep running (no pun intended :)) across this picture and I always think about posting it. So here it is. One totally random dog...

light up the sky...

2011-01-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

This was taken at Bellingham Bay on my trip at the end of November. Tried to line the sun, that was peeking through the clouds, up with the light bulb in the lamp post. Thought this one turned out pretty good. The sky was blue but there wasn't that much sky showing...

semiahmoo coast...

2011-01-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a version of the Semiahmoo Coast picture that I took during a trip to Bellingham, WA at the end of November. It was one of those times when I really didn't think that I would get any pictures. I wanted to get a sunset photo, but it ended up be a cloudy evening and we got there much later than I wanted. It was starting to get dark, but I took some pictures anyway. I really like the contrast of this picture. I converted it to black and white because that helps bring out the contrast in the light grey sky, the dark grey parts of the buildings and the black rocks. Love the reflections in the water...

last pictures taken in 2010

2011-01-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

So this is my last two pictures that I took in 2010. It was a couple of quick pictures of Sadi and Mikayla taken in our garage when we were on our way out the door. The first one was modified in Color Efex Pro and the second one in Silver Efex Pro. Both were taken with my Leica M8. The more I take pictures with this camera, the more I love it. Hopefully by the time that I go on my next Honduras trip taking pictures with this camera will be second nature.

What a year 2010 was! I feel fortunate that many of the things that made 2010 so great were captured with one of my cameras. I look forward to 2011 and most of all the memories that are waiting to be photographed! May God bless 2011 for us all...

christmas basketball...

2010-12-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

Had a great time in Childress America over Christmas! Took a few pictures, but these first two had to be my favorite. Not necessarily because they are the best pictures, but because they were fun to take and the story behind them. Stratton and Sawyer always seem to have great ideas, but they don't always pan out. Well, during this visit they had plans for a much-hyped tennis match against me and grand plans for a family basketball game. The tennis match was Monday afternoon. I came out on top as far as score goes but I was way too sore/stiff to play in the basketball game scheduled for that night, so I took pictures and videos. When all of the plans came together for the game Stratton, Sawyer and Tyler all three decided to "dress the part". They all put on jerseys, but Stratton and Sawyer carried it a step farther. Stratton combed his hair straight back, which looked more like a 'fro and added NBA ankle socks and very short shorts. Sawyer parted his hair, combed it over, greased it down (the schoolboy look) and added tube socks. Unfortunately, I only got individual pictures of Stratton. Next year (this is now the start of a family tradition) I will get individuals of all team members. I also posted the team pictures (winners first, losers second). Sadi and Maci kept score in the stands with me. All of the pictures were taken with my Leica M8 in a dimly lit gym using a 1250 ISO and no flash.

not just your ordinary coffee shop...

2010-12-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

Here is my version of an interior photo of the original Starbucks across from Pikes Market. Stayed the night in Seattle on my last trip out to Bellingham, WA. As always, I had to visit the downtown area to eat and have coffee. This picture was taken with my Leica M8. The thing that I love about rangefinders is that you can take a handheld picture, with no flash, with a shutter speed down to 1/24th of a second and get a decent picture. Converted it to black and white, with a slight yellow filter, in Silver Efex Pro. With all that said, my best Starbucks picture is still the original one. You can see the post here.

christmas card pictures...

2010-12-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here are the two pictures that we used for our very-limited and last-minute Christmas cards this year. Couldn't get everyone onboard with taking a family picture. Hope to take one soon. Those are harder when you are the one taking the picture...

final honduras image...

2010-12-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

Still have many more Honduras images, but I think I am done posting them for now on my blog (after this one of course). I may actually get a facebook account so I will have a place to put them all. If you know me, then you would understand how monumental it is for me to get a facebook account.

I have been saving this one image for last. It was taken on the day that we built the first house in Tegucigalpa. Kids seem to congregate around the build site to see what's going on. I think that this girl lived in one of the adjacent houses. Haley had all of the kids in a corner playing games, painting fingernails and eating candy. Couldn't help but notice this girl. What a sweet innocent look she has! She couldn't get the wrapper off the candy so I helped her with it. Afterwards, I snapped a couple of pictures and I would say that this is my favorite image from the trip...

the jesus banquet in honduras...

2010-12-19T21:47:00.000-08:00

I have not done as well as I would have liked in getting all of my Honduras pictures put on my blog. I will blame alot of this on the good food that I ate while I was in Honduras. My stomach was very upset that I only had American food to eat when I got back. That, plus one of the worst colds that I have had in many years. It has been a hard week, but I continually think that all of this is nothing compared to what many of the Hondurans endure every day.

My posts are not in any order. I still have at least one more Honduras blog post to go. Tonight's post is from our first full day in Honduras. The day was spent near the dump at Tegucigalpa. I won't go too much into the story around it. I will let the pictures speak (along with a few words) for this day.

we got there very early...

security was provided...

we picked up alot of trash to clean up the area...

dennis, and many others, came to play soccer...

some had to rest...

others discussed what else could be done...

trey found a bobcat fan...

this was a way to get a better view of the banquet...

here are the water bags...

here is the food (minus the corn tortillas)...

we lined up to serve the people of honduras...

while we waited, we took pictures and showed them...

there was no shortage of food or smiles...

who said that you need to know the language to communicate...

my favorite picture of the day...

Words cannot express the impact that a day like this can have on an individual. Trey hit it on the head when he said that "Honduras is something that you have to experience first hand to understand". I can honestly tell you that a trip like this totally changes your perspective. Now that I am back, I count my blessings more and I absolutely look forward to doing this again and again and again...

at the market...

2010-12-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

See Trey's blog for the story (and some color) on our trip to the market. After we left the market and got on the bus, the first thing that I did was text Sherri, Maci and Sadi to tell them that we had just bought 1000 oranges for right at $40 and we were headed to go give them away. What an experience to buy the oranges from people that did not speak English! Nobody in the "orange group" knew Spanish so we struggled through it. We wanted to spread the wealth so we tried buying from multiple people, but that didn't work out so well. We bought 500 oranges from the first guy and took them to the bus. The second guy that we bought from was not getting what we were trying to say, so we stopped at 50 oranges and went back to our original seller for the remaining 450 oranges. We also used a boy with a cart to take the oranges to the bus. Quaid let him ride on top of the oranges on the way to the bus!

These are random pictures from the short time at the market that day. I could have spent all afternoon there taking pictures. I know this seems strange, but I converted all of them to an antique plate in Silver Efex Pro. I know it doesn't show the colors of the fruits, but again I love to focus on the faces and expressions. One regret from the trip is that I didn't know Spanish. More than anything I would love to know their stories...

nuevo oriental...

2010-12-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

We bought several $$$ worth of fruits and vegetables at a Tegucigalpa market (see posting on this maybe tomorrow) and took them to hand out at the place called Nuevo Oriental. Very eye-opening to see how much could be bought with the money and how sought after these fruits and vegetables would be. A picturesque place, if you can get past the fact that the people actually live in the tiny tin or wood houses.

When we pulled up in our big yellow bus, it attracted quite a bit of attention (it seemed to be like this everywhere). We immediately started unloading the fruits and vegetables and the lines started forming (recognize my friend?).

The area was definitely crowded, but I started looking around for pictures. It was amazing to see all of the happiness that was rampant in this place. Everywhere I looked kids were smiling. Two girls were coloring on a page that was given to them (notice I said page, not book). They were coloring with the page on their legs on the side of a hill. When I spoke to them, they could do nothing but smile. I love the fact that they let me take a picture of this precious moment. I saw one of the girls later and she asked me to take her picture again. Absolutely beautiful!

I looked down the hill and saw a man standing outside the local church. Couldn't resist this moment. I walked down the hill and asked him if I could take a picture. Like everyone, he said yes... I converted this one to black and white.

One thing that you saw everywhere was dogs. I bent down to take a picture of this dog and was approached by a boy. He pointed to the dog and said "mi perro". He then pointed to the camera, so I took their picture. He had the appearance that he had got ready for this picture. He didn't have a hair out of place. What a moment!

Lastly, here are some pictures of random people that evening. I was totally surprised at how many of the people had established a bond with one from our group and they wanted a picture taken. I felt humbled to be there to take the picture. Not all of the pictures are the best in the world, but there is a sincerity in the people's faces.

the bride...

2010-12-14T17:23:00.000-08:00

I shared this story with the group on Friday night, but I would have to say that I had a hard time getting it all out. Trey asked us to tell him of people that we saw Jesus "in" during the week. As others were telling their stories, I was trying to go through all of my pictures in my head to see if any of them reminded me of Jesus. The one that popped into my head was this. I asked one of the men if I could take his picture ("una foto por favor"). He looked a little taken back, but he shook his head yes. After he looked at the picture, he pointed to the lady next to him and asked me to take her picture. I took her picture and showed it to her and then to him. His first response was "bonito" (beautiful), then he looked at her (she smiled) and he said "muy bonito" (very beautiful). I assume that they were husband and wife, but I can't for sure tell you that. I just know that his response to her reminded me of Christ's relationship with the church. We aren't alway pretty. We have our days when we look sorta dirty. But when we gaze upon each other, when we look each other in the eye, He looks at His church and says "muy bonito". I want to be part of that church...

dennis...

2010-12-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

If I had to think of just one thing about Honduras that will bring me back, I can honestly tell you that it is Dennis.

During the first day at the Jesus banquet we started playing soccer after we got the trash picked up and the tables set up. I can remember seeing the kids coming down the hill from the dump to join in. Dennis came down and was trying to join in, but some of the other kids were more aggressive. That is when I realized that Sawyer was made for mission work. Sawyer immediately hooked up with Dennis and got him more involved. Sawyer and Dennis bonded almost all day. At one point Sawyer gave Dennis some money and had him go buy some ice cream. Dennis thought he was buying it for Sawyer. You should have seen the look in his eyes when Sawyer gave it to him. Unfortunately, Dennis' dad came along and sent Dennis to go get something and he took his ice cream and ate it.

I can tell you that Sawyer and I have had more than one conversation about Dennis since we got back. I pray for him often and I know that Sawyer does the same. I don't even come close to understanding how God could take someone so precious and have them endure what Dennis is going through every day. But I hope and pray that God has a plan for Dennis. I love the fact that I am now able to associate a real face with this place... Are you at a point where you are ready to do the same?

honduras - the hospital...

2010-12-12T19:24:00.000-08:00

Finally got to sit down and look at my pictures from the mission trip in Honduras today. Started trying to think of what I wanted to post first and these pictures below are the ones that really stuck out. For me every day was an emotional day, because for a short time you have a chance to get immersed in their lives. I was torn the entire trip on whether to love on the kids and play with them or take pictures. I have to be honest, I looked forward to the trip because of the opportunity to take pictures. However, after getting there and seeing the kids (and the adults), the emotions start and the pictures become second.

On Friday, some of us went to the hospital in Tegucigalpa to visit children in the cancer and orthopedic units. Some of the women also went to the maternity unit. Originally I wanted to go build another house that day with the other group (because that is the manly thing to do), but I went to the hospital so that I was able to stay with my nephew Sawyer. After getting to the hospital, I realized almost immediately that I made the right decision. These kids were so precious to get to meet. The different language was a barrier to a point, but I constantly saw people breaking down the barriers by just getting in there and loving on the kids. Coloring with them, teaching them to yo-yo, playing catch, opening their candy, playing with the toy cars, tying bracelets on their wrists and even teaching them to play "hot potato"!

I converted all of the pictures to black and white because I wanted the emotions on their face to be the focal point of the picture. I didn't want the colorful walls, clothes, blankets and toys to take away from this emotion. These are faces that I will not soon forget.

honduras mission trip...

2010-12-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

Sitting in the Miami airport waiting on my flight to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I will be in Honduras thru Saturday. I am a one-camera man on this trip. Only brought my Leica M8. I hope to have great stories and great pictures to share next week...

wilco is paying attention...

2010-11-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what treats can do for some dogs (actually most dogs). Found out a good way to take pictures of Wilco. Had Maci stand beside me with a handful of treats and give him one after every picture. It was a win-win situation. He got the treats and I got the picture. Converted the image to black and white with a small sepia tint in Silver Efex Pro and used Aperture to burn in a little around the edges of Wilco to make him stand out. Just trying to get some use out of the 75mm lens.

school girl...

2010-11-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, this time I didn't buy a new lens, I rented one. So I have six days to take as many pictures as I can with a 75mm lens for my Leica camera before I have to return it. As soon as Sadi came in from school, I had her go to the back yard so I could take a few pictures while it was still light outside. She definitely had the "school girl" look with her glasses and the blue and white pinstriped shirt. The bokeh that the lens produces is very nice. If you look real close you will see that her face in in focus, but the tip of her nose is out of focus. At f/2.5, the lens has a thin focus plane. I love this! Looking forward to the next 5 days...

small steps...

2010-11-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

Here lately I have been teaching too many Sunday School lessons to just keep on ignoring needs all around me... That is how I felt today. If you know me, especially if you go to my Sunday School class, you would know that I don't do well with approaching people in need. My famous line to a lady who approached me one night at a local restaurant was "no thank you". Why would you say "no thank you" to a person approaching you with a need! Was she trying to sell me something? No! She was just asking or maybe even crying for help. And my response was "no thank you"...

I still am not at a point where I can stop and "give" to every person sitting on the side of the road or standing on the corner asking for help. But today I did something... Thanks to a great friend who showed me, by example, how to take time out of my supposedly busy life and stop to see if there is a way to be a small part in meeting someone's needs. If nothing else, I got to listen to this guy's story and meet a need both in his life and in mine. After talking to him for a while, I couldn't resist. I asked him if I could take a picture. To me this picture represents my small step in looking for ways to share more of what I have when I see people that need it.

a lasting memory...

2010-11-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Sure seems like this picture was taken a long time ago... Was looking at some of the pictures that we have around the house. This is one that the girls and I took in May of 2004. We snapped it downtown on the Saturday before Mother's day and had it printed and framed for them to give to Sherri for Mother's Day. I would have to say that it has lasted longer than the box of chocolate covered strawberries that probably came with it...

view from a bridge...

2010-11-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

Would have to say that taking pictures of landscapes is not one of my favorite things to do. When I see landscapes, I usually am in a hurry and I always seem to think that I will come back some other day to get the picture. Unfortunately, that day never seems to come. Also, it is all about being in the right place during the right time of day. The best pictures are at sunrise and sunset. Sunrise is not necessarily my cup of tea (because I would rather be drinking coffee and watch the sunrise) and sunset seems to always get here before I get to where I want to be. Sherri told me about this river (South Sulfur) passing under highway 224 going from Commerce to Greenville. Passed it several times, but just never noticed anything special. Was coming back from Commerce on Saturday and thought I better at least try to get something worth keeping (mainly to let Sherri know that I was listening to her). The light wasn't perfect, but it seemed to be good enough to get a picture. Had to increase the contrast and saturation a little bit to darken the highlights. The sky directly above the trees was washed out. Almost appeared to be a haze in the sky.

wilco all grown up...

2010-11-14T21:12:00.000-08:00

There once was a time when Wilco was easy to photograph. Those days are long gone. Now that he has more personality, I have ideas on some photographs that I want of him. Well, all that I can say is these ideas are just a progress in work. Along with that personality, came alot of speed and hyperactivity. The photo below is the "it'll do for now version"... He looks so calm and innocent. This was truly a very short "moment in time"...

leaving summer behind...

2010-11-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Shot some macro photos today for an upcoming photo contest. Fired off quite a few shots before I finally took this one. Knew it was a keeper when I took it. Wish it would have been the first one instead of the last... Struggled alot with finding a good background. After Sherri saw all of the things that I had set up and was using as the background, she pointed to a plate in the kitchen and said "why don't you just use this". At first, I wasn't going to even try it because I knew how she would rub it in if I used that photo for the contest. After I showed her the photo on the computer, I could already hear her gloating. Oh well, look at it this way, we make a good team!!!

another sign...

2010-11-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

For the most part, I will let this one speak for itself...

Taken in Childress America at the old farmer's co-op. Adjusted the color in Color Efex Pro.

sign...

2010-11-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is a sign that is downtown Greenville. Everybody that lives in Greenville has seen it. However, it is hard to take a good picture of this sign. There is an awning and power lines around it that clutter the picture. While I was out taking pictures of buildings, I tried to get creative with this angle. Took this one with the Leica M8 camera and boosted the color and contrast in Aperture and Color Efex Pro. I think the white clouds add a great balance to the picture.

little miss Sadi...

2010-10-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

You know when you get that idea in your head... You may have seen it somewhere, or if your the super-creative type, you may have imagined it yourself. To me, one of the hardest things is to take this idea and make it a reality. Especially in photography... I love taking pictures, but I sometimes just can't get "that pose" that is trapped inside my head to come out in front of my camera. I always blame the person in front of the camera, because the guy behind the camera knows exactly what this person should be doing. Today was just another example of this... Poor Sadi was the person in front of the camera. I had this idea, but I was having trouble getting it across to her. After a few tries, I was even starting to doubt that the idea was even really that good in the first place. Well, today, persistence ruled in my house... I wanted a picture that seemed extremely personal, in Sherri's words "it had to be vintagey", it had to have a bit of innocence coming through, it also should be one where she had to look comfortable (ie. natural) but stretch/lean forward as much as possible (ie. be very uncomfortable). Oh yeah, I also wanted her to smile. For those that know Sadi, she doesn't like to do this in pictures. I think that I nailed it. I love this picture of "little miss Sadi".

getting a handle on my photography...

2010-10-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Took these picture downtown Greenville. Was needing pictures of architecture to enter in a photo contest. What I found out was that I am not very interested in taking pictures of buildings, but when you break the building down into small bits, it starts to get fun. Both of these doors had character around the handles. Modified the first one in Silver Efex Pro and the second one in Color Efex Pro. Angled the shot and the camera to minimize reflections of myself in the windows and to get more of the interesting parts of the door in the shot using the diagonal.

park closed...

2010-10-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Took this picture on my way back from Salvation Mountain almost a year ago. Going to this mountain in the desert became an obsession. After reading so much about Leonard Knight and using things about him in several Sunday School lessons, I felt like I had to meet him. I knew one thing for sure; he wasn't getting any younger (he was in his 70s) and every year that I waited was going to make it less likely that I would get to meet him. Meeting him was definitely everything that I had expected. It opened my eyes to see someone that supposedly "gave up everything" for God, yet was so incredibly happy with "nothing" but God and his purpose that God put him here to complete. You can see details on my experience at this blog post. The pictures of the visit are in a separate post following the text.

This picture was taken along the Salton Sea. There were many beaches/parks all along the eastern banks of this sea. Because I was by myself, I stopped at almost every one of them. I took several pictures, but didn't post any because, in a way, they are depressing. Here is a National Geographic story on the Salton Sea. There was also a documentary about the place. In all of my stops, I didn't once have to fight for a parking place and I never had to pay for parking. That is a far cry from my latest visit to Southern California this past August. The bad part about this was the beaches and parks were ALL closed. The area that once had great potential was now essentially dead. This picture definitely gives you that feeling of desolation or lack of life. In the horizon, you can see the fog that is floating on top of the Salton Sea and the clouds add to the mood.

The story behind this picture definitely makes me reflect on my life. God has given me so much potential... I have been given so many opportunities... It seems through all of the "stuff" that I have experienced, God has prepared me for something. There is so much that I can do, if only I am willing... The question is: "am I at a point where I am ready for the opportunities that God has for me or am I essentially "closed" like the picture says?"

can somebody give me a hand with this...

2010-10-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Tyler and Maci's hands. Always looking for something new to stretch my picture-taking abilities. Taking pictures of people is easy, because the expressions set the mood or the make the picture interesting. Taking pictures of landscapes or architecture gives you a chance to convey the beauty or majesty of something. But hands... How much can you portray with hands? Plus, it is awkward taking pictures of people's hands. We laughed because they kept getting cramps in their arms and fingers from the "hand poses".

I looked through the images afterwards and this one was "hands down" the best image. I converted it to black and white using the NIK Silver Efex Pro. After all of this, I would have to say that I do believe there is a mood to the picture. The black and white with a dark contrast gives the picture a mysterious tone. And the placement of the hands (after 10-12 tries) seems to leave you expecting movement. Seems as if I may be over analyzing the hands...

listen to the music...

2010-10-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Met this guy at a music store in downtown Memphis, TN on Beale Street. The name of the store was "Memphis Music". The main reason that I went into the store was they had tons of old photos along the walls. Very interesting history in this store (both the music and the pictures). Stopped on the way out to talk with this gentleman. He was part of the family of one of the owners. He had been dancing around the store conversing with all of the customers. He "posed" for a picture in front of the store and then I was on my way. Alot of character in this picture...

manequins...

2010-10-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

Another window shot from a previous night out in downtown Dallas. The picture is interesting because of the realism of the women. The anchors for the "tie downs" kinda give it away to reveal that they are actually manequins. This was taken after dark, but the lighting in the store window was enough to make it look like daytime, hence the women were wearing sunglasses. Took the photo with the Olympus E-P2 camera and converted to a sepia/black and white using Aperture.

338 somewhere, memphis tennessee...

2010-10-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Another picture from Memphis. Along with people photos, I wanted to get some pictures of the buildings in the area. This one was interesting because of the single post in front. I say it is a single post because if there was another, it was not interesting enough to include in the picture. I also like the reflections of the buildings that were across the street and the fact that you can read the text that identifies it as "the memphis college of art". Notice there is minimal distortion in the vertical lines of the picture even though I was fairly close to the building (this speaks very well of the Zeiss 35mm lense). It is hard to go to a city one time and somehow capture the essence or mood of the city and its people or buildings. I already feel like I could do better if I go to Memphis again. I look forward to the opportunity...

a side of Sadi...

2010-10-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Took this one when we were leaving Stratton's baseball game. Sadi was busy texting and unwillingly helped me make this shot... Sadi is showing her talent in being able to walk and text at the same time! Even though the background is busy, it doesn't really distract from the image because it is out of focus. I love these non-posed type images!

Uncle Tom and Aunt Rachael...

2010-10-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we got to spend some time with Sherri's Uncle Tom and Aunt Rachael over in Grand Prarie. We got to sit around and hear Tom wow us with his stories. A fun time listening to him... Rachael always has encouraging words that leaves us all inspired. Look forward to more times in the future. I couldn't let the opportunity pass without a picture to capture this "moment in time". Had my Canon and Leica cameras with me but I used the Leica M8 for this one. There was a lot of separation between them and the background so I knew the out of focus area would make them both really stand out. Converted it to black and white to add character to the picture...

they call him Joe...

2010-10-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

My first opportunity to take the Leica camera in a street setting amongst total strangers. Memphis, TN seemed like a great opportunity... I am absolutely fascinated by street photography, but definitely terrified of approaching people myself and knowingly taking a picture. I see myself being the guy walking down the street taking pictures from his waist hoping that nobody notices. This also has it's own set of challenges, focus and aim being the main ones. Well I passed this guy several times and finally stopped to talk, trying to lead into the question "do you mind if I take your picture". Joe was his name (so he told me), and he had worked on this corner at this restaurant for over 9 years. He definitely was more approachable than his appearance might lead you to believe. He was also overly receptive to "just talking" and even better when it came to the picture. In retrospect, I think the camera around my neck probably let him know what I wanted even before I asked the question... Took several more pictures around Memphis and of course every one has a story. Hope to post them later.

quick shot...

2010-09-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick shot tonight to show another example of a photo with the Leica M8. I love the "leica look" that you get with this camera. The lens was wide open (f/2.0) to create the blurred areas around her face. I focused on Sadi's eyes and exposed on her face to "blacken" the background. Sadi was trying on her Boles Hornets shirt to wear it on Friday for Spirit Day. She was in front of her window and she had me stand on a chair and look down at her for the shot.

same place, same people, different day, different camera...

2010-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Seems that I take alot of pictures of Maci and Tyler in this spot (see one at Maci & Tyler post on Friday June 4th). There always seems to be the right amount of light in this area of our back yard. Love the background, even though it is a bit busy, but I wanted to see how the Leica M8 with a 35mm f/2.0 would make them look with a blurry background (creating the bokeh). Well, the camera/lens did a decent job. Click on the image to make it bigger and you definitely can see that they are separated from the background. I think it would have been better if I would have moved them farther away from the items in the background. Oh well, I should have plenty of other opportunities.

two more...

2010-09-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here is two more from this past weekend. I have more, but I will probably wait for awhile to post them. Feel like I need to move on to something else. This is a good thing... I was able to take several "keepers" in a little over an hour of shooting. I was able to get shots from my Canon 40D, my Olympus E-P2 and last, but certainly not least (for Sherri), my Leica M8. Both of these pictures were taken with the Canon 40D and a 24-70L series lens. Both were edited using one step in separate editing programs. The black & white one was edited in Silver Efex Pro using the "high structure" setting with a vignette added. The other was enhanced in Color Efex Pro using the "tonal contrast" setting. Love them both in their own way. The black and white is a vintage looking image with the white background looking like old/crinkled paper. The color image has alot of "pop" to it. To me, it has depth and almost seems like a 3D image. The setting does add a bit of roughness to their face, but I really like the effect. All in all I had a great time exercising my cameras and improving my skills. Hope to do it again soon...

is anybody there...

2010-09-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, this one is definitely different... They were getting tired of "normal" shots and Sadi and Mikayla started walking toward the camera and acting out. Sadi was inches from the lens and Mikayla was right over her shoulder. Once you get that close to the lens, the perspective is somewhat distorted. I had the aperture wide open (f/1.7) and only with the modeling lights on. The shutter speed was 1/13th of a second and the camera was handheld. This camera (the E-P2) is amazing because it has an internal image stabilization. Sadi is in focus and Mikayla is slightly blurred because the aperture is so small (wide open). Still have the "normal" shots to post later.

sadi & mikayla photo shoot (outside)...

2010-09-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is one of the shots that we took outside on Saturday (after the rain quit). Basically, we were out of time and running late to get the girls to Rockwall. I was determined to get at least one shot using my Leica M8. We stopped and got out for less than 5 minutes and I took around 10 street shots and we got back in the Land Rover and headed to Rockwall. Love the serious look...

sadi & mikayla photo shoot...

2010-09-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sadi and Mikayla let me shoot some photos of them on Saturday morning. Originally I wanted to take the pictures outside in a "street scene" using my Leica M8 camera, but the Saturday morning rain put a damper on that. So I dragged out my white background and studio lights and shot away with my Canon 40D and Olympus E-P2 cameras. If you look on my iPhone blog (troybradfordiphonephotos.blogspot.com), you will see that I also used the opportunity to take some of the pictures with my hipstamatic app (the absolute best camera app). Well the picture below is the first one that caught my eye, so I wanted to post it first. I will post more later after I get some time to do the minor adjustments. This one was taken with the E-P2 pen camera.

sadi with a smile...

2010-09-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, it is official. Sadi is tired of my camera (and I am just getting warmed up to it). Almost every night this week, she has had to endure me taking pictures of her. I don't take that many, but she knows that every picture is at risk of being on my blog. This one is making the blog post because she is actually smiling for the camera. What a beautiful smile...

cotton patch challenge...

2010-09-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Had an opportunity to wake up at 6:00 am on Saturday morning... well, that wasn't exactly the opportunity. The opportunity was to take pictures of the cotton patch challenge. The price was I had to wake up at 6:00 am to get in place for the start of the race. I tagged along with a friend, John Hughes and felt like I got some pretty decent pictures.

sadi posed...

2010-09-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

I would say that this is posed because Sadi didn't want to smile for the picture and she didn't want a picture looking directly at her face. So this is the result; sorta angry and sorta ignoring me. But hey, I'll agree to just about anything to get a chance to take a picture... Modified using Silver Efex Pro.

thought i would also post a color version modified in Color Efex Pro...

sherri...

2010-09-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

This doesn't happen very often... Sherri is not one who likes "posing" for pictures. However, in this case, maybe she just feels sorry for me. Spent all this money on a camera and no pictures to show for it. Made alot of progress this weekend on getting better with the Leica, but lots of learning and practicing will still be required. Small tweaks on contrast and color in Aperture.

first leica image...

2010-09-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

What better image to put first than an image of me with the leica. This one was taken the first day that I got the camera. Was practicing using a higher iso and a small aperture to control the depth of field. Wanted only the camera and part of my face in focus. Worked pretty well! Converted it to a high structure black and white in Silver Efex Pro.

follower...

2010-09-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

It doesn't always pay to be in the lead. In this photo, we were in the Dallas West Village area. Sherri and I was walking behind Sadi and Mikayla. They were oblivious to us, but focused on each other's conversation. Even with one earbud in place. And I thought it was hard to walk and chew gum at the same time...

an addition to the family

2010-09-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

to my family of cameras... Just bought this Leica Rangefinder camera last week. I would have to say that this is one of the simplest cameras that I own, but the hardest to use. All of the people that I have talked to about this say that it becomes easier with use. Time will tell. One thing is for certain, it is fun to take pictures with this camera! I just need to get better at using a manual camera (focus, shutter speed and aperture). Hope to have some good pictures up after shooting with it this weekend.

TJ and Dani

2010-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Took a few pictures at my nephew TJ's wedding this past weekend. Really enjoyed the wedding and the time together with our families. At the wedding, I was the nerd walking around with two cameras on his shoulder. Really liked the colors on this one. Did a small amount of cleanup and enhancements on the picture using Color Efex Pro and Aperture.