August 7, 2008
Right as I was about to put some burgers on the grill tonight, I got a call about a last-minute assignment. Turns out, this summer they’ve been running a Street Eliminator Series at the local dragstrip, where any street-legal car can rev it up, smoke the tires, and tear off town a 1/8 mile track. I wound up spending three hours out in the hot West Texas night shooting some of the competitors and scenery, and having a great time.
I enjoy getting these local assignments that get me out into the community, into places I wouldn’t usually go. I have learned more about Abilene in the past four months than I did in the previous six years!
Posted in Abilene, Assignments, Black and White, Colors, Life, Photojournalism, Texas 
| 2 Comments » |
August 6, 2008
Deion “Prime Time” Sanders came to Abilene last night, and I got a call about an hour before he was scheduled to speak at a Boys and Girls Club 50th Birthday Celebration Dinner. I figured it was worth it giving up a few hours of my Tuesday evening to snag a few shots of such an interesting figure. You can read about the evening here.
And, even though he was only “outside” for a few minutes (walking from his van to the banquet room), it takes a special kind of guy to wear a three-piece suit in Abilene in August!
Posted in Abilene, Assignments, Life, Photojournalism, Reporter-News, Texas | 5 Comments » |
August 2, 2008
ATTENTION: If you’re ever out in a private cemetery in the middle of a ranch, and you try to circle around closer to get some detail shots of a 19th century grave marker, please be sure to take special note of the flora and fauna around you. You might save yourself the pain of 5 wasp stings about the neck and shoulders, and the embarrassment of screaming like a little kid when the searing hot stinging sensation shoots through your upper body.
Posted in Assignments, Life, Texas | 3 Comments » |
July 27, 2008
I was in Idaho recently for work, and decided that I would probably never be as close to Ketchum as I was at the moment, so I made the short trip over to see Ernest Hemingway’s final resting place. I don’t think he would be too fond of the town it has become, though.
Posted in Black and White, Life, Photo Safari, Random, travel | 1 Comment » |
July 24, 2008
Last Saturday, I had another assignment at the local farmer’s market. The shoot was to illustrate a feature article on things you can cook with ingredients are currently available at the market. While I usually enjoy capturing people doing things, it was fun to do some “product” shots on location.
I just liked the colors, and the lines (the organic shapes of the veggies, and the inorganic straight lines made by the baskets) of this one.
If you squint, you can kinda sorta see a ying-yang thing going on 
Shallow DOF makes me happy. Some days I really miss my 50mm f/1.4.
I don’t like to eat okra, but taking pictures of it is okay.
Posted in Abilene, Assignments, Colors, Published, Texas | 4 Comments » |
July 21, 2008
On Saturday I had three assignments for the paper, all before noon. One of them involved driving for about an hour out to this family-owned farm near Cross Plains where you can pick your own peaches. This is a shot similar to one that ran in the paper, but oriented a little differently.
I had to try the peach you see bitten in to. I am not fond of peaches, but sometimes, you have to suffer for your art!
Posted in Assignments, Colors, Random, Texas | 1 Comment » |
July 19, 2008
Just a weird looking vegetable from an assignment this morning.
Posted in Assignments, Colors, Random | No Comments » |
July 17, 2008
For my wife, who has this bizarre obsession with bright colors.
Posted in Colors, Random | 2 Comments » |
July 14, 2008
Last week I was sent out to shoot the Change of Command ceremony of the 7th Bomb Wing at the local air force base.
The ceremony took place inside a huge B-1 hangar, and I was quite impressed with the pageantry and pomp of the whole thing. Technically, the change of command (the practice of which predates the Norman conquest of England, according to the handout) requires only eight words: The departing commander hands over the colors and guidon of the wing to the reviewing officer and says “Sir, I relinquish command.” The reviewing officer then hands the colors to the new commander who says, “Sir, I assume command.” But, of course, there were much more than eight words spoken that morning.
As an aside, the departing commander’s speech was the first time I had heard “Death from Above” (Mors Ab Alto is the Bomb Wing’s motto), and “My Personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” used so closely together without being in a fire-and-brimstone sermon!
Posted in Assignments, Colors, Published, Reporter-News | 2 Comments » |
July 9, 2008
I tried to find someone to attribute this to, but to no avail.
“Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about money, masters worry about light.”- Unknown
Posted in Life, Quotes | 5 Comments » |
