Photography Blog
Ernst Haas: New York in Color 1952-1962
Back in April 2023, I mentioned a future review of “Ernst Haas: New York in Color 1952-1962.” Well, 8 months later, I finally made the time to actually sit down and put this together. During those 8 months my appreciation of this book has grown, not only for the individual images but also for the way the editors paired the images in laying out the book itself.
Wylie ISD’s 2023 Combined Orchestra Concert
The Wylie ISD Orchestra program has seen tremendous growth in the last few years, and that is easy to see in these photos of the 2023 combined concert. A packed gym floor of Orchestra students played to packed gym risers. The orchestras of Davis Intermediate, McMillan Junior High, and Wylie High School each played their individual pieces, and then joined in concert to play “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven.
“A Night Under the Stars” - 2023 Wylie High School Theatre
A few photos of the 2023 production of Tracy Wells’ “A Night Under the Stars.” These photos are from a single vignette titled, ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place,’ directed by Erick Cestelos.
Fall Color in the Northern Plains of Texas - Part 2
It is always great to visit with family over the holidays, eating good food, catching up on life events, and sharing a good laugh but after a few days of being cooped up indoors, I enjoy a good photo walk to get some exercise, soak up the sunshine, breath some fresh air, and look at beautiful world God has provided for us. Lots to be thankful for.
Fall Color in the Northern Plains of Texas
Living in the north central plains of Texas, we don’t get a lot of Fall color. So, you have to hunt for it and be happy with what you get. Yes, there are a few Oaks and Maples, but it’s mostly Locust, Pecan, various scrub trees, and, well, poison ivy is actually very pretty in the fall. After all, beauty is where you look for it.
Beaches of San Diego, California 2022
I’m a year late posting these photos, but it took that long to process them in a way that I was happy with them. San Diego was beautiful and oh so sunny. Because I was always shooting in bright sunlight, I struggled getting photos with the depth and detail that I like. The photos in this blog post were taken at a variety of places including, Coronado Island, La Jolla Beach, and Torrey Pines Nature Reserve.
Oregon - Corvallis Farmer’s Market and the Coast
My wife, daughter, and I spent a nice extended weekend in Oregon visiting OSU. On the Saturday after the visit, we spent the day eating a great breakfast at Le Patissier, perusing the local farmer’s market, driving the Mary Peak to Pacific Scenic Byway, and exploring the tidepools along the coast.
CityLine Live - John Herbert
Beautiful weather for alfresco dining, live music, and a little late night shopping at CityLine.
Anatomy of Gray
Opening night of the Wylie High’s Fall production of Anatomy of Gray. So proud of my son who had the lead male role!
Gear, Packing, and Flying with Photography Equipment
In the lengthy post below, I talk about photography equipment, vital things to consider when flying with such equipment, men’s clothing for this type of cruise, and a little more.
Photography on a Cruise
If you want to be happy with the photos you captured on a cruise, you’ll need to assume the mindset of a candid photographer. Have your camera with you at all times, be open minded and observant, and take photos of everything that catches your eye. That’s what I did, and I’m very happy with the results!
Here is New York: A Democracy of Photographs
Everyone of a certain age remembers exactly where they were when 9/11/2001 became a tragic part of American history. I know I do.
Ketchikan, AK
For us, Ketchikan was a day of stories. Our story of a run-in with two black bears, stories of a hawk who is scared of his prey, stories told in totems, and more. If any of that sounds interesting to you, click through!
Wylie High School Homecoming Parade
Photos of the 2023 Wylie High School Homecoming Parade
A Quick stop in Anchorage, Alaska
The last thing we wanted to do was arrive in Alaska on our departure day. Too many things could go wrong, and we could wind up missing our train to Seward, or even worse, miss our ship’s departure, so we decided to call NCL to book an earlier flight and arrange to land in Anchorage a day early.
From Anchorage to Seward by Train
I definitely recommend taking this train excursion if you haven't already. Yes, it is a 4-hour trip, but I would rather spend 4 hours seeing Alaska like this than a 1 hour in a cramped bus. We chose to cruise Alaska instead of somewhere else, because we wanted to see Alaska. We could not afford some of the more expensive excursions, so this was a pretty good compromise that enabled us able to see parts of Alaska that you can’t see unless you take this train or fly in. The last half of the trip, not being accessible to those who take the Alaska highway.
Hubbard Glacier, AK
Trying to take photos of the Hubbard Glacier and the surrounding landscape was a bit of a challenge, but it was glorious! A cutting wind was blowing off the glacier, throwing water and ice directly at us and my camera and lens.
Skagway, AK
Soon after arriving in Skagway, we attempted one of several self-guided nature walks. We ended up biting off more than we could chew but before turning around, we were thrilled to experience some gorgeous landscapes, interesting conifers, and several varieties of moss and lichen that I have never seen before.
Juneau, AK
Whale-watching, Mendenhall Glacier, and beautiful mountain scenery.
The Theater
I’m in the middle of culling and editing around 2500 photos I took last weekend during a nearly 3-hour-long production of Something Rotten performed by Wylie Actor’s Group (WAG), our local community acting group. While the editing process is still underway, I thought I’d post a couple of my favorite individual photos from the shoot.