Sunglasses

Leaving the Puyallup Fair with my brother-in-law Troy we came across Mr. Sunglasses getting ready to close up shop.  I liked the silhouette but before I could get my camera out, he backed away.  After waiting for him to return, I finally just walked up and asked if he'd stand there again for this cool picture.   He barked 'NO!!!', so we left him to his cheap sunglasses and bad attitude (although I probably wouldn't have been too happy either trying to sell sunglasses on a dark, rainy night).  

Down the way I realized I had to go back and try again, so I worked my way around with camera ready. Finally he moved near the tarp for a few seconds and I made this picture.  I GOT YOU, MR.SUNGLASSES DUDE!  Ok, it wasn't as good of a silhouette, but sometimes you just take your small victories wherever you can.-ha
ps- (you can click on the picture twice to see it bigger)

Atlanta

Funny how you take a photo but it doesn't really move you, then a couple years later you run across it again and say 'Hey, that's not so bad!   This is one of those for me.

The Vortex

So what is a vortex anyway?  That was the question I asked while looking into hiking around Sedona last week.  The answer, 'vortexes are energy centers in the earth where spiritual and psychic powers are enhanced.' Sedona has a whole bunch in the surrounding hills where people come to interact with them.  'it's not easily explained, it must be experienced.", I was told.    Cool!  I'll go with that!

Pecking around on a map I found the Boynton Canyon vista, believed to be one of the more powerful vortexes. 

It also said while most people go there to pray, mediate and heal, some experience premonitions, see energy waves, and if you take pictures you might find hovering orbs of light in your images.      

So off to Boynton Canyon vista I went.  Refraining from whistling or yodeling I respectfully made a few photos, and enjoyed the whole peaceful experience.   I admit I didn't catch anything other than my breath (the terrain is a mile high) and a warm sunny day surrounded by a wonderful view.   I liked it so much I brought Jo back up with me later.  

It wasn't until today though, while processing my images, that I remembered what they said about 'hovering orbs' in vortex photos.  If you click in the image above a few times, or look at the insert below, you'll notice the lady sitting in the rocks and there is indeed a mysterious orb hovering over her.   (I promise I didn't put it there!)   Any other time I would have called that a lens flare ....... what do you think?   

Off to Arizona tomorrow!

This was actually taken in New Mexico though.  The three pleasant surprises I had with making this photo were how sharp it turned out considering I had to hand-hold the camera with a long exposure, how nice and cool it was inside when it was a furnace outside, and there weren't any teeth or stingers inside to greet me.  

In a fog!

It's always a photo event when the fog drifts in.   This is a common occurrence in the wee morning hours at the park next to my home.    While looking for something interesting to photograph and pondering why I just didn't stay in bed a little longer I saw from a distance this couple out for their morning walk and talk.

From my original angle the top of the man's head was blending into the dark background so I stood on a clump of grass on my tip toes just barely getting all of his silhouette to show.   The foreground really didn't add to the picture so I cropped it out bringing more attention to the line of fog leading to the couple.

A few minutes later these Rangers ran by.  The light was so low I had to use a slower shutter speed which made it a bit blurry but the thin drift of fog makes it a little more interesting to me.  Also those are some short shorts they must have been required to wear.   My guess, they wanted to get their run over before anyone saw them.

Where the Rubber Tree Meets the Road!

To You Love Birds!

Happy Valentines Day!  (Resurrection of a photo I took last year on Valentines Day at Paradise near Mt. Rainier)