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Posts tagged ‘friends’

Jun 15

Denver

This past weekend, I was in Denver visiting friends and attending a couple of parties.

On Friday, I went to Roxborough State Park, southwest of Denver.

roxboroughmap

Roxborough is a pretty park, with some nice red rocks.  I’d been to Roxborough a few years ago, spending a few hours with John Fielder, a well-known Colorado photographer.  At the suggestion of the park ranger at the front gate, I hiked the South Rim trail, which I had not hiked before.  This was an excellent choice, with good views of the rock formations in the middle of the park.

RoxboroughClick to Enlarge

I was also in town to attend the opening reception for a show entitled “Sense of Place | Landscape Photography”, at the FLASH Gallery in Lakewood, Colorado.  One of my Bosque del Apache photographs is in the show, which runs June 11 through August 1, 2010.

I was honored that about twenty of my friends from the Denver area made it to the opening reception.  Thanks to all of you who made it out on a rainy night.  Here I am at the gallery with one of my best friends, Nancy.

Brian_Nancy

I enjoyed the whole weekend, including the cool weather, and hope I’m back soon.

Apr 11

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Bluebonnets

Thanks to a wet winter, we’ve had a really good spring for wildflowers in central Texas.  There are millions of bluebonnets and other wildflowers along the major highways in Austin.  (Thanks, Lady Bird.)

Sometimes, I think I take the wildflowers for granted.  Growing up in Texas, I’ve seen and photographed a lot of bluebonnets.  So rather than go out and photograph them, I’ve just been enjoying the wildflowers as I’ve been driving around town.

Do I really need another bluebonnet portrait?  Can I find a new, interesting wildflower composition I haven’t seen before?  Still, the flowers are so good this year, maybe it’s worth at least a little effort.

Texas Bluebonnet

Click to enlarge

So this past weekend, one of my best friends and I decided to try to find a good spot for wildflower photography.

But first, we had lunch.  And then we went shopping for a hat for her.  Next, we drove down some country roads, but didn’t find any wildflower patches that inspired us.  Then we gave up the wildflower search to visit a neighborhood garden tour, and to spend some time with a couple of friends who live there.

Near the end of the day, we still hadn’t taken a photo of wildflowers.  As we left our friends, we drove by a neighborhood park flooded with the distinctive, blue, state flower of Texas.  We got out our gear and walked around.  I took several dozen photos, but we were tired, and I don’t think either of us felt particularly inspired.

Back home at the end of the day, I went through my images, and selected a few worth keeping.  And when I saw the image below, I was reminded that it’s not about the photography, and it’s not about the flowers.  It’s about being inspired by the people who touch us.  It’s about friends who make us laugh.  It’s about sharing life.  Thanks, Nicole, for being part of it.

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Sep 21

Fall Color in Colorado

AspensClick Images to Enlarge

I’ve just returned from a week in Colorado.

I enjoyed…

  • visiting great friends,
  • great weather,
  • the peak of fall color of the aspens.

A mountainside of beautiful fall color is a wonderful thing, but my “traditional portraits” of the aspens just weren’t exciting me.

So my friend Micaela and I walked into the forest a few yards.  I aimed the camera up.  And down.  I slowed the shutter speed.  I overexposed.  I underexposed.  I twisted the camera during the exposures.

I was having fun with my camera. And I finally felt creative. Let me know what you think.

Aspen Leaves on the Forest Floor

 Aspens and Clouds

Jul 28

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Summer Trip Epilogue

bristlecone_pineI’ve been back for a couple of weeks now from my trip to the Pacific Northwest. The return to my “normal” life was slow and arduous. I was so ready to turn around and escape again.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s a lot I like about my “normal” life. But there’s a lot I like about traveling and experiencing new places.

As I look back on the experience, the most meaningful parts of the trip were the beginning and end. I started my trip visiting my college friend Claire and her family. I ended my trip visiting my friend Tricia and her collection of Hood River friends.

Yosemite, the Eastern Sierra, and the Cascade Range are fabulous. But they don’t hold as much meaning to me as renewing and growing old friendships. So thank you, Claire and Trish, for being the bookends of a wonderful trip. I can’t wait to see you again.

I was inspired by the long hikes.

I was inspired by blue skies and mild temperatures.

I was inspired by the beauty of the nature around me.

I was inspired by the people I met along the journey.

I was inspired by the photos that came out of my cameras at the end of each day.

I was inspired by my friends around the world who followed me on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.  I wish you could have come along.

Photographically, there were a few themes that really stand out about the trip…

  1. Mount_HoodWith each use, I grow more and more excited about the images coming out of my infrared camera.  (I had my Nikon D200 converted to infrared by Life Pixel.)  I’m pleased to announced that I’ve started making prints for sale directly from my Zenfolio Landscapes Gallery, and the first three images are all infrared photos from this trip.  I’ll be expanding this gallery in the coming weeks and months.
  2. windsurferI had a blast photographing the windsurfers on the Columbia River. It requires a lot of the same skills as bird photography. I flipped a few familiar settings on the camera, and I was ready to follow the action.
  3. Mikes_TreeI enjoyed learning about night photography from Michael Frye, Mike Osborne, and my fellow Ansel Adams Gallery workshop participants.

For those who care about equipment…

  • Nikon D200, converted to infrared by Life Pixel
  • Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
  • Nikon D700
  • Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 lens
  • Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens
  • Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens
  • Canon Vixia HF S100 High-Definition Camcorder
  • Sandisk Extreme III and Lexar Professional CompactFlash cards, Delkin SDHC cards
  • Domke F-1X Camera Bag, my favorite camera bag ever
  • REI Lookout 40 Daypack
  • Gitzo G1027 Mark II Mountaineer Carbon Fiber tripod
  • Bogen/Manfrotto 3221W tripod
  • Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead

And for those who care about numbers…

  • 688 photos with the D700
  • 516 infrared photos with the D200
  • 15 still photos with the Canon Vixia, and about 45 minutes of video

Yes, that’s right, I really took two tripods, three camera bodies, and four lenses with me. They all got used. (One tripod is lightweight and small for hiking.  The other is sturdy and great for night photography and windsurfing photography.)

Thanks for reading this blog. I can’t wait to take you along again. More to come soon.

Jun 29

Summer Trip Day One, Reno

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Just a quick blog post to say that there’s no blog post today.

Thanks to an “equipment change”, I had a four-hour layover in DFW and it took me a lot longer to get to Reno than expected.

I did have dinner with one of my best friends from college and her family.  It was great catching up.

See you tomorrow.