Play it again Sam!

(Looking through Eastern Europe images I made a few years ago, I dug up some that hadn't made it into my favorites pile but interest me more now when I see them with a fresh eye...hope you find them somewhat interesting too.)

Trying to figure out how to get to the outskirts of Budapest on a city bus system without understanding a lick of the local language, was an adventure in itself, one that lasted 2 hours until I finally arrived at my destination, a large, run-down, but popular with the locals, flea market.   The goal seemed simple, find something authentic and unique!  To start off I couldn't resist this toothy piano just begging to have it's picture taken.  But it gets better, stay tuned next week for my post on...the Intimidator!  Otherwise known as the steely-eyed hungarian mafia king pin posing as a bicycle repair man!

Click above picture to see it larger

Going to the birds!

Since it's my firm belief you can never have enough bird pics, here are a few more.....

I was in Santa Fe at a photo workshop.  At the end of each day I would rush out to the hills (or are they called buttes?) to try to get some kind of picture in the remaining hour of light.  Once again a bird flew by and gave me this opportunity.  The flat hills fading away in the dusk were pretty cool themselves but the addition of the bird gave it life and made it much more compelling to me.

Another scene on Lake Waughop next to my home on an early Saturday morning.  I can never get goosed enough I guess :)

Same lake, different day.  That's snow coming down, not dust on my lens.  Of course if I have to explain that, then it's probably not that great of a picture. :)

So if you had to vote would it be bird number 1,2 or 3?

Goose bumps

I guess my wife has a point, I like birds!

At least I think I do, I know I tend to take lots of pictures of them.  I'm not the bird watcher type who gets goose bumps when he comes across that rare tittering red bellied Brazilian pud knocker. aka: Anas brazilmensis.  But when a bird flies by I just have to shoot it (with camera of course).  I guess it's similar to when the ball is thrown and the dog has no choice but to chase it.

This photo was taken near my home in the fall.  Many fall mornings are foggy near the lake making for these great backgrounds.  This picture wouldn't be nearly as appealing to me if it were sunny and the background was competing with the foreground.

*click the pic for a larger view

Rusty Truck

I usually always keep my reject photos on file just in case.  Sometimes when I look at them later with a fresh eye I discover there was something there after all and am thankful I didn't delete them.  This is one of those photos (click on it for a larger version).

I found this in one of my photo rejects folders and thought it might be interesting if I Photoshopped it up a bit.   Below is the original.

I went with my friend Duncan to look at some rural property he wanted to buy.  It had an old tractor, this truck and a number of other old relics lying around.   I asked him to lean on the fender and made a quick portrait, then snapped a couple different angles of the truck just in case I'd ever want to use one in the future.   I guess this is the future. :)

Gray Crane

Waughop lake, near my home is a place I've visited for years, usually for exercise and sometimes for photographing.   One early Saturday morning I caught this shy crane on it's way to the other side of the lake, to get further away from pesky photographers.  The grace of the bird and the symmetry of the image really appeals to me.  Do you think it is stronger with or without the reflection?