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?

Rub-a-dub-dub

On Thanksgiving morning we looked out the window and saw these six fishermen seriously at work.   We pondered their story.  Was this just a fun family tradition?  Did they say, "Hey it's pouring down rain, I know what let's do...."?  Were they driving their wives nuts so got kicked out of the house until the turkey was ready?   Or were they trying to catch their turkey?  Whatever the case, in the short time we were watching, they caught two fish and they didn't sink so we figured they too had a thankful day.

Something's Fishy!

You know how you have a favorite song, then get tired of it and get another favorite song?  Well that's how I am with photographs and this is my favorite image for now.  Philip Peterson, my former student and a photographer extraordinairre turned me onto it.  It's a photo made by Erik Johansson.  He has a bunch of very creative images.  You can check his talent out at http://www.alltelleringet.com/

This motivates me to do something like this.  Anyone care to join me?  I can post our best attempts.

~click on the photo for a larger view~

My wife has a good eye!

Jo is a good photographer!  She has a real natural eye for an interesting subject and has especially shined through the years with candid portraits.  She has a way of making the person comfortable then catching just the right moment to get that great expression.

Recently she ventured into digital photography and has been unofficially the official photographer for our band.  Last night we were playing for a fundraiser in Freight House Square, downtown Tacoma.  She took some colorful pictures of each of the band members then turned around and started watching the crowd.   A cute, spirited gal with bobby socks and red shoes was really stealing the show.  Jo loved the way she danced and how her red shoes sparkled when the light hit them just right.   After taking a few shots she timed it perfectly and caught this image.

When we were all done for the night I stepped outside onto the deck to cool off.  She stood back with her wide angle lens and made this photo with me framed in the doorway.  I love it!  Both images are visually interesting and capture the flavor of the night perfectly.

-Click on an image to see it larger-

Free-Range Tumbleweed

For whatever reason this image I made has been fairly popular.  A company in Wisconsin uses the color version as their web banner.  A head banger band in Germany used it for their CD cover, posters and buttons.  An author put it in his book on social disorders.  And most recently a guy in the Netherlands is using it for a poster on homelessness. 

For me it just reminded me of the fields around my childhood home in eastern Washington. I loved the energy of the wind storms and watching the tumbleweeds come alive. 

~Click on the image to see it larger~

You can see how I created it by going to http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/bbenedet/fall04/Documents/tumbleweed/tumbleweed.htm