iconoklahoma

Lights

2011-12-09T21:31:00.001-06:00

I haven't figured out how to capture Christmas Lights properly. It's a work in progress.

In the Night Time

2011-11-05T09:36:00.001-05:00

Well eight hundred million people
With nothing to say
They run around in circles
They just living the day
Stick with me baby
I'll show you how to fly
We'll make some pretty music
Watch the world go by

In the night time
Oh that's the right time
I say the night time
That's the right time
I wanna be with you

In the night time

-George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers

I love this view of the city

Is it just me or does everyone read it as "Chesapeake Arena Energy" instead of "Chesapeake Energy Arena."?

The falls are a new addition to the Myriad Gardens

This view is from the top of the parking garage overlooking Bricktown

The grass is blue from the neon of the Devon Boathouse

See, blue neon, see, I told you it was blue.

Gazette Halloween Parade 2011

2011-10-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

More on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/iconOklahoma/240102255914 check it out and like it.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

2011-10-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places to visit has always been the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It's a 90 minute drive down from OKC, located just outside of Lawton. The middle of October and it was 90 degrees. There are tons of trails and you can always see some buffalo or wild longhorns. It's burned up pretty bad from the wildfires, it'll take a while for it to recover.

Trying to hide

Colorado Balloon Festival

2011-09-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

Whatever happened to Oklahoma City's balloon festival? Is it always so windy they could never get off the ground? I know there is one in Poteau every year. Anyways, here are some photos I took of the Balloon festival in Colorado Springs over the Labor Day Weekend.

Think cool thoughts

2011-08-20T07:40:00.002-05:00

Joy

More Metro Retro Conversions

2011-07-15T20:16:00.002-05:00

I went out in the hot hot heat over the weekend because I was bored. I won't make that mistake again. I took a few photos from the Retro Metro website and did a few more blends.

The first one I really had to do some major photoshop work. It is basically impossible to get a straight on shot of this building as it stands now because of the trees. So I took it from a far right angle, then did a perspective correction, straightened, and resized to get the correct angle so I could clone the old photo on top.

The other two were much easier. More when it cools off. As always, click on the picture for a larger version.

iconColorado?

2011-04-22T20:33:00.000-05:00

Took a short trip to Colorado, first chance I have had in a while to break out the old Canon. I promise to start taking photos in Oklahoma again soon.

I call this one "The Creep"

I forgot to bring the tripod, so this one was taken resting on a rock

What can I say...

I love taking pictures of dogs

This is one of my favorite pictures of Pikes Peak

Weather turned a little cold

But it was a lovely day.

Some "Then and Now" and a Now

2011-01-19T16:11:00.005-06:00

I saw a couple of photo's on Steve Lackmeyer's OKC Central blog that came from the Retro Metro Oklahoma City website and thought I would blend them together for a different take on "Then and Now." I also added a new downtown photo that shows the progress of the Devon Energy Center..

Rocky Mountain High

2010-11-25T11:32:00.001-06:00

Here are some semi-long exposures I shot. These took a lot of trial and error to figure out the right settings to get the right effects. I'm no nature photographer that's for sure.

Dog Days

2010-11-22T22:24:00.000-06:00

Turner Falls

2010-10-31T21:49:00.000-05:00

Ghouls Gone Wild

2010-10-24T00:32:00.002-05:00

Also added some on my facebook page also, please visit: iconOklahoma on facebook

Photowalk Set

2010-07-26T19:12:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of the images I took during the photowalk.

Landrun sculptures

I call this one "Recycle"

This was the only bicycle I could find anywhere in Bricktown

Nice Harley. Of course that's redundant

My favorite. I call this one "Stella"

Scott Kelby’s Third Annual Photo Walk

2010-07-26T18:40:00.001-05:00

Saturday July 24th I was one of the 100 plus participants in the Oklahoma City Bricktown version of Scott Kelby’s Third Annual Photo Walk There was over 33,000 people in over 1100 locations.

The walk was organized by Robert Trawick and Chris Danner. My hats off to both of them for their time and effort they put into leading the walk. They were able to have four models available in different areas and also provided water at different points in the walk because it was HOT!

Somewhere in this photo is a Corvette but I've never been able to find it.

Robert is a professional photographer in Oklahoma City and you can view his work at this website trawickimages.com. I actually spent some of the walk with Chris Danner and he was giving expert advice to a novice photographer on her first outing. Very informative. More from Chris here: padlockedphotography.com

Chuck Majors also had a walk in the area that started at the Civic Center but I did not participate in that one.

We met at CocoFlow at 100 E. Main for a walk map and instructions. I was totally amazed at the number of people sporting such serious hardware. I would estimate there was easily a quarter of a million dollars worth of cameras and lens in that room at that particular moment. Safe to say I had camera envy.

The group was split pretty even male/female and a range of all ages. I would say I noticed more Nikon users (70%) over Canon users (25%). I saw one Holga and a few non DSLR’s.

A small group taking a break from the heat

We basically started near the Spaghetti Warehouse and proceeded east on Sheridan before turning south towards the canal. I’ve taken so many photos of Bricktown before and due to the harsh sunlight, I was very selective in my shot process (only 161 photos taken). I was looking for something a little bit different than the usual tourist grabs. It was pretty humorous anytime a water taxi came by. I can imagine what a tourist visiting the canal for the first time though about having 100 cameras focused on them during their ride.

Smile everyone!

The best part of the walk is getting to talk to fellow photographers. I got to meet two very impressive young photographers and get to know a little bit more about them. We exchanged information later and wow they do some incredible work.

First I spoke with Franklin Wheeler of Edmond, OK. We shared a little bit of our past experience and I found out he was starting to get more involved in wedding photography. We shared a laugh when I told my story of the last wedding I ever photographed. I told him I was glad the marriage ended in divorce because the photos I took were so bad I never did another wedding again.

Photography by Franklin

Well, Franklin shouldn’t have to worry about that. His business card alone will tell you he is immensely talented. Visit his work here: photographybyfranklin.com. No doubt this photographer will have a very successful future.

Next I got to meet Bradi Wells. Bradi is young. But I learned a long time ago that age is not a factor when it comes to artistic talent. When I got to see Bradi’s work bradiwells.com I was totally blown away.

Photo by Bradi Wells

She is an enormously gifted artist. I encourage you to visit her site. I look forward to see more from her in the future.

Over the course of two hours we looped our way back to the start. Dinner arrangements were made at the Spaghetti Warehouse but I chose to pass. It was too hot and I needed to go home and jump in the pool.

Next year I am thinking about heading to Tulsa to do the walk up there.

I’ll add a few photos I took in another post.

Garden of the Gods

2010-07-20T22:53:00.000-05:00

I was able to garner a couple of hours after working to visit the Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs, CO. As many people know, I am one of the worst "nature" photographers on the planet. Seriously, I don't take nature photos very well at all. But I tried a different mindset when photographing these oversized rocks. I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

This rock formation is known as the "Three Graces"

I made the trip up to this vantage point. For someone with a severe case of acrophobia, it is a rather difficult assignment.

People absolutely get a kick when I photograph their dog. I almost always get a laugh out of the owners. These are always my favorite subjects.

I'm thinking about entering this one in Photofest. What do you think?

I'll add a few photos to the facebook page. Head over there and take a look will you? And while you are there, how about you become a fan?

Thanks for looking.

A Little HDR Tutorial

2010-07-17T00:40:00.002-05:00

HDR (or sometimes HDRi) stands for High Dynamic Range image. So what the heck is it and how do you do it?

Let's start with the a photo I took one day at a Civil War battlefield site. This was taken with a general middle ground setting on the camera. It averages out the bright of the sky so you get some clouds and a little of the porch. It's okay but due to the harsh light and the shadows you lose a little detail.

Next take a look at this photo. Here it was taken a stop down so the clouds have more definition. But overall the photo is too dark and you lose almost all detail of the porch.

Then this next photo is taken one stop up. Now you can see the details of the porch better but the sky is whitewashed.

I could play around with the three photos and come up with something decent, but in this case my best method would be to combine all three photos using the best parts of each one.

How to do it? It is best if you shoot using a tripod but I hardly ever do. I just try to hold the old camera as steady as I can and snap away. My camera can be set to automatically bracket three shots and it's my preferred method of shooting.

Next you have to have the software to combine the shots. You can search the web and find software although the best is probably Photomatix. I use the software that came with my Corel Photo Pro x2. There are plenty of good free trial versions available but they will generally leave a watermark on the finished project.

Load the three photos with your software. You usually have to align the images, some software will do it automatically. Then generate the image. What comes out is generally a flat look photo that needs a little bit of help.

But once you tone map it and do some post process work (in this case I did a clarity adjustment, added some color saturation and a little sharpening.) Now the photo has the full detail of the clouds and the porch and looks much better than any of the three originals.

I only use this process on about 10% of my photos and I try not to go too overboard with the adjustments. Some critics really hate HDR but I see it's place in the digital world.

Wallpaper

2010-06-28T17:58:00.002-05:00

Do you have a widescreen monitor? Here are some 1600 x 900 lowres wallpapers you can save and use. You should be able to click on the image for a larger size, then right click and save the image in your pictures file. Open it using Windows then right click and set as wall paper.

Bingen, Germany

Bacharach, Germany

The view from Burg Klopp, Bingen, Germany

Nancy, France

Squares 2

2010-06-25T21:34:00.000-05:00

Some more squares I put together.

Why?

2010-06-11T16:56:00.003-05:00

Some time ago, I made a conscientious life changing decision. I decided I could no longer in good conscience eat another animal.

So I, a carnivorous vegetable hater, became a so-called vegetarian. Imagine the skepticism I received when I begrudgingly told people of my decision.

“Dennis, all you ever eat is meat and potatoes,” they said. “I bet you won’t last one week,” proclaimed others. But the number one question is always “why?”

I believe you can tell someone you are a communist, an atheist or came from outer space and people will accept that. But the concept that you don’t eat meat is so objectively foreign to them that they treat you like you were a communist space-alien that doesn’t believe in God. The first question I almost always get asked is “why?”

So here is the ‘why’.

I had visited my parents on Sunday evening. I ate a leftover steak they had and lounged around watching television. That evening when I had got home, I decided to catch up on a little light reading. The book of choice: Daredevil 271.

That’s right, a comic book.

A comic book that would change my life.

Daredevil 271 doesn’t have a jaw-dropping cover. In fact it’s very plain with a nondescript leaping Daredevil on a pale yellow backdrop. It doesn’t have a notable villain/villainess of which movies will be based. The writer Ann Noncenti isn’t exactly a household name. The artist John Romita Jr. is still a prolific comic book artist, but the work here is not spectacular.

In fact the story is rather silly. An animal liberation activist destroys her father’s animal factory, which in reality is a cover up for science lab where they are genetically altering women to be “perfect.” Silly is an understatement.

So why the life changing moment?

It was caused by these two panels, in which the aforementioned farm owning father (who resembles John Holmes) is talking to his farm/lab manager about wire mesh cages:

The callousness of what he said stopped me. Could that statement have any truth behind it? Think about it, if an animal never got out of a cage, why would they need their legs?

Later in the book, on page 22, the following appeared:

“... an animal raised for food deserves a happy life.”

That statement sealed the deal. At that point I had no idea about the treatment of animals for food consumption. There is another quote in the comic “most people think a farm is a “picture-book” place. A happy place where cows graze, pigs wallow in happy pigpens, chickens sun themselves and peck around.”

That’s what I thought.

Now here is where the clouds roll in. Somehow somewhere I came across a recommended reading list and the book Diet for a New America by John Robbins was at the top. I thought that it was in Daredevil 271 but I can find no such reference. Perhaps it was in a later issue (I had the tendency to buy three or four months worth of comic books and read them in succession.) Regardless I picked up a copy of the book and was horrified by the contents. If one tenth of that book is true, it is still be more than enough to solidify my decision to stop eating animals.

That was twenty one years ago today.

Do I still feel the same way? Yes. It is a conscientious decision. I cannot save the whole world but I can do what I feel is my part. Nothing anyone can say will make me change my mind. Is every animal mistreated? Nope, in fact I would say the cows my son-in-law raises are treated pretty damn well. But I don't eat them either.

I’m not a militant non-meat eater. Most people don’t even notice I don’t eat meat. I certainly don’t advertise it. If people ask me “Are you a vegetarian?”, I might answer “Yes”, but most times I just say “I feel like eating light today.” I have had co-workers, who have known me for years, be absolutely shocked in disbelief when they find out. There is a reason I keep pretty low key about it. I can't stand to hear...

“Why?”

Squares

2010-06-09T21:08:00.003-05:00

Squares is one of my favorite ways to crop a photo. Since it is much more prevalent in Europe, I like to do it on my European photos. Hope you like and thanks for looking.

Going to the Dogs

2010-06-06T03:41:00.001-05:00

You will see lots of people walking their dogs everywhere you go. Most places allow dogs as long as they're on a leash and you clean up after them. When taking pics of the dogs, 80% of the time the owners get a kick out of it and occasionally I'll get a puzzled look. Only once did I get a semi-negative reaction. It happens quick and hopefully I have my camera set right. I'm really happy with the results.

I added some more to my Facebook photo album "Critters". You can see those here: iconOklahoma on Facebook

Bacharach

2010-06-04T01:08:00.001-05:00

A couple of panoramas from the town of Bacharach.

Bingen

2010-06-01T16:14:00.001-05:00

Went to a town called Bingen on the Rhein. Climbed to the top of a castle and walked around a bit.

Burg Eltz

2010-05-31T16:23:00.000-05:00

This is a nice little castle near the Mosel river. We have been there once before in the fall, this time it was open. We toured the inside and it was an enjoyable day.

Bicycles

2010-05-29T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yeah, strange start to my Europe trip, but here's some bicycles. I put some others on my facebook page.IconOklahoma Facebook

Paseo Arts Festival

2010-05-28T22:42:00.000-05:00

Last year at this time I was participating in my first ever Paseo Arts Festival. This year I have other plans and can't be there. If you are in the city go by and support the arts and artists. A good time can be found. For more information visit: http://www.thepaseo.com/events/festival/paseofestival.html

The Bricktown Shots

2010-05-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

The more things change...

the more they stay the same.

Having a bad day? Spend an hour or so people watching here.

Joy.

Cruising...

on a Saturday afternoon..

Twins

The Skyscrapers

2010-05-23T00:07:00.000-05:00

The Federal Reserve

Looking Up

1948 Packard Woody in front of the Skirvin. I converted the image to b/w but kept the car in color for a little drama. That was a pretty sweet ride.

Leadership Square

Skybridge

Desolation Blvd.

Automobile Alley Area

2010-05-22T21:42:00.001-05:00

Broadway Wine Merchants
824 N. Broadway

Bicycle Alley
Coffee Slingers
Cardinal Engineering

1015 N. Broadway

NW 10th and Broadway

Iguana Lounge
9 NW 9th

Sara Sara Cupcakes
7 NW 9th

Pachinko Parlor
1 NW 9th

This horse walks into a bar...

2010-05-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

and orders a drink. The the barkeep says " Why the long face?"

What is Wrong With This Picture?

2010-03-20T17:05:00.001-05:00

Yeah, the flowers have bloomed and it snowed. That's what's wrong. It's cold as crap. It's supposed to be the beginning of Spring and I can't go outside. Yuck.

The Okie Blog Awards

2010-02-15T13:02:00.002-06:00

First off I must thank the unknown person that nominated my little Blog here for the Okie Blog Awards. I was one of the finalists in the Photography category. http://oklahomablogawards.blogspot.com/

As they say, I am honored just to be nominated. The other nominees are fabulous photographers. I encourage you to check them all out:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

http://www.lightsmithphoto.com/pixelpost/

http://melindabrookshirephotography.com/

http://zachgray.me/

http://77counties.blogspot.com/

http://www.zachnash.com/blog/

http://blog.newsok.com/photo/

http://dishygirlsphotography.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=9

http://erinconrad.blogspot.com/

http://www.trryan.com/

The Beauty of Grey

2010-02-14T15:05:00.003-06:00

Just messing around with cars. Fitting for the Daytona 500 don't you think?

This is not a black and white world

To be alive the colors must swirl

I believe that maybe today

We will all get to appreciate

The beauty of grey

Why Are You Doing It Like That?

2010-02-07T10:35:00.010-06:00

Sometime later today, probably around 5 p.m., I'll drive the short two miles over to my Mom and Dad's house to watch The Super Bowl along with my brother. Somewhere in the last five or six years it has become a bit of a tradition. Sure we usually get together for the occasional holiday, but those are somewhat mandatory and planned. The Super Bowl thing somehow just happened over time. There is no elaborate food spread, no huge party, we don't even order a pizza. We just sit and enjoy the game and watch the commercials.

The four of us (Mom is the biggest sports fan of all) usually root for the same team and usually for the same reason. We'll all probably cheer for the Colts because we can't stand Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush.

This year will a little more special because it will be my 74th Dad's birthday.

When I was a kid it always seemed that my older brother was off doing something with his friends, my sister curled up in her room reading a book, and my younger brother was..., well he was just younger. So when Dad needed help with a project he would elicit my help. I spent many hours holding boards, handing him tools, and cleaning up afterwards.

I was able to learn a lot of things by osmosis. I would ask him "Why are you doing it like that?" Dad wouldn't exactly stop and explain things as he'd go along, but he would point out a hint or two. I found out much later why he was like that. When I work on a project and my wife is the one helping me, she always asks "Why are you doing it like that?" I don't answer and just keep working, because it is easier and quicker to show her than tell her. Much like my father and me.

I inherited his appreciation of natural wood. Unfortunately I only inherited about 10% of his ability to transform wood into virtually any shape or form that he wants. I can remember watching him carve a block of wood into an object of art with little effort, usually while watching television. Or take wood he harvested from an old closet shelf and turn it into a toy chest for a co-worker. To this day I find it virtually impossible to throw away the smallest scrap of wood, full knowing the value of how it can used for a future project.

Something I did learn was photography. Dad built a worktable that converted the bathroom into a makeshift darkroom. The table ran across the sink and the toilet, and the tub was used as a wash. We could only work in there a couple of hours at a time because invariably someone would need to use the bathroom. Although the tools have changed dramatically, I still use many of the basic things he taught me in those short hours.

Now that we are all older, my Dad still calls me when he needs help with a project. Only now the roles have changed. I'm the one standing on the ladder, he's the one handing me the tools. And ever so often, he'll ask me the question, "Why are you doing it like that?" I just reply, "Because that's the way you taught me."

Going to the Dogs

2010-02-03T20:59:00.011-06:00

I've had cats. Their okay I guess. I don't really have anything against them. I'm a dog person. Most definitely. I guess my personality has a lot of dog-like qualities. Sometimes I like to lounge around and do absolutely nothing. I'm friendly when I want to be, bark when I need to, sometimes for no reason. I have a short attention span. Playful one minute, protective the next. It takes a while for people to gain my trust, then I'm pretty loyal. Every time the wife thinks she has has me trained, I pee on the floor.

Just kidding.

I currently have four dogs. A lhasa apso that gets called a handful of different names, a pair of Australian shepherds named Duff and Sophie, and my old girl Sable, a lab shepherd mix.

Duff is the puppy of the bunch, he's a year and a half old. One of the smartest dogs I've ever had. No he wasn't named after the beer, he was named after the bass player Duff McKagen of Guns N Roses. Duff likes the snow so much he'll bury himself in it.

Sophie here is Duff's sister from a different litter. She is Paetyn's dog and she's about three years old now. Her main function is to mess with Duff. She doesn't like to have her photo taken. The only way we can tell her and Duff apart is to look at their feet. She has white socks, Duff doesn't. Her face is a little narrower but it's hard to tell when they are moving so fast.

Australian Shepherds are diggers. They love to hunt moles. Duff here is doing his ostrich impersonation. One day I found him carrying a wool sock around in the backyard. Turns out it was a mole. Ewwwwwww.

This is my old girl Sable. She is such a regal dog. I got her and her twin brother Coale about nine years ago from the pound. Unfortunately Coale got poisoned from a snake bite. Sable is the grand dame of the backyard. Her favorite thing to do is get food, set it in front of her, and dare the other dogs to touch it. Sophie will tuck tail and run. Duff hasn't figured it out yet and will go for the food. For such a smart dog, he aint too bright. Sable will tear him a new one. She got out one day and got hit by a car. She ran off and hid for two days. I finally found her in the bushes. Her leg healed all right but she doesn't run too often. Most days she just sits back and watches the other two play.

Duff is a lot of fun. He can sit and shake most of the time. He'll come when you yell. Doesn't bark too much. Paetyn taught him how to fetch. I love to take snowballs and throw them. Duff will run after the snowball and gets utterly confused when he can't find the snowball in the snow. Maybe he isn't one of the smartest dog I ever had after all.

Oklahoma Weather

2010-01-29T09:06:00.002-06:00

Yes the saying is true, if you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute. Tuesday I was wearing shorts, yesterday we had an ice storm.

Whenever we have strange weather, or should I say different weather, I like to go take a picture of my little red water pond. Here is a shot from early summer of 2009.

This was taken this morning after our ice storm.

Taken the last week of December 2009, when the pond froze over.
Taken mid January, early one morning when the fog creeped in.

The Most Important Photo You May Ever Take

2010-01-14T08:34:00.006-06:00

Ever find something of value and wish there was someway you could return it? Imagine finding someone's digital camera and as you look through the photos you see precious family moments. Think of how you would feel if you lost those memories.

One of the most important photos you ever take might be just like the one above. Let's say you were in Vegas for a bachelor party and the future brother-in-law thought it would be funny to spike everyone's drink? And the next morning you woke up and couldn't remember anything? What if you lost the camera that had all kinds of incriminating evidence? If you had the above photo on your memory card, then there is a slight chance that someone will return it and you could erase the evidence.

The Board Meeting

2010-01-11T18:15:00.003-06:00

I don't do much street photography, even though I find it fascinating. I'm too afraid someone will object and it might get ugly. I do it discretely at times though.

But that's not what this post is about. Regardless of how you feel about homeless people (empathy or apathy), I found this website and the stories interesting : http://www.susanmullally.com/photos/wik_photos/index.html

It makes you think about the possessive society we live in, and what really does matter.

Escape

2010-01-10T12:23:00.005-06:00

Today's post is a twofer: The result of a little game I play for inspiration plus a way to say happy birthday to a little five year old.

The game is to pick a random music cd from my collection. The choice was Metallica: Ride the Lightning. Then pick a number between one and twenty (I chose six) and come up with a photo based on the title of the corresponding track. Hence the title "Escape".

I thought about it for a while when I remembered this photo from earlier this summer. We were trying to corral the horses and needed to keep Adyson in the yard for safety.

I love the grim look on her face, reaching through the barrier, longing to be free...

"Out for my own, out to be free
One with my mind, they just can't see
No need to hear things that they say
Life's for my own to live my own way"

I converted it to b/w because I felt it conveyed the mood better even though it nearly blackened her eyes..

It reminds me of the early days when my dad was teaching me the basics of photography. Since black and white film was so much cheaper, plus we could develop and print it ourselves, that is all I shot for many years.

Anyways, Happy Birthday Adyson. Come get your birthday spanking.

Happy New Year, a look back....waaaaay back

2010-01-02T09:56:00.006-06:00

The older I get... seems like every new year or birthday that rolls around, I force myself to remember where I was and what I was doing 10, 20, 30 or 40 years ago. I'm not one that harps on the past or longs for those days. I am quite happy in the present. But I force myself to remember so those memories don't fade. I don't have a pensieve that I can just conjure up memories like Dumbledore. So I look through the few old photos and do the best I can.

Anyways, New Years 40 years ago in 1970 I was 8 years old, the same age that my little girl Paetyn is now. We had just settled into permanent base housing at Grant Heights Air Force Base in Japan. I was in second grade at Narimasu Elementary and a review of the report card says that Mary Galvin was my teacher. She wrote:" Dennis is an excellent student. He is intelligent, conscientious, mature, and enthusiastic. (He) is a very good all around student who continues to show consistent progress in all areas." A hand written certificate reveals that I read 40 supplementary books that year.

It's quite obvious that my academic prowess peaked in second grade. Haha. Truth is living in Japan we didn't spend hours in front of the television, the only English speaking show was Sesame Street on the educational channel. Of course there were no video games or computers to pass the time, we actually had to go outside and play. Makes me wonder if 40 years from now Paetyn will look back and say "We only had 200 channels to choose from and had these things called laptops that weren't even in 3D."

I was looking forward to summer because that's when I could officially start playing baseball. There was no tee-ball or coach pitch back then, it was strictly kid-pitch. Age groups were separated in two year increments, 8-9 year old, 10-11, 12-13 etc. On sign-up day you would get a number pinned to your back, then you went through a series of drills so the coaches could evaluate your skills. They would see how well you could field the ball, throw it, pitch, catch, run, etc. That lasted a couple of hours then they would have a draft. Coaches were allowed to keep the nine year olds of their team from the previous year. The draft would only last five rounds, then the players remaining were put on teams at random.

I was the fourth player chosen overall that day, and I went to the Tigers. Thus beginning my lifelong love affair with the Detroit Tigers. Coincidentally I also instantly started hating the Yankees that day. :) Anyways, as an eight year old on a nine year old team meant more bench time instead of playing time. I played a little outfield and short stop, but it would be the next year before I really played baseball.

Summer that year we went to Expo 70, the world's fair held in Osaka, Japan. Some things I remember: One was the seeing the Taiyo-no-to or the Tower of the Sun which was this double faced totem pole structure that was the symbol for the fair. Here is a link so you can see what I'm talking about: http://worldsfairphotos.blogspot.com/2009/11/expo-70s-tower-of-sun.html. The second was all of the different countries had pavilions. You could buy a commemorative passport and have it stamped at each pavilion. The most popular was the United States pavilion because they had on display an actual moon rock. The third thing I remember is my sister lost her military ID card and she got in big trouble.

I enjoyed the 4 1/2 years I lived in Japan. Now forty years later, I might get to go back because my oldest daughter Shana is trying to get stationed there.

Critters

2009-12-24T17:46:00.002-06:00

I uploaded some photos of animals on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/iconOklahoma/240102255914

If you have a Facebook account, sign up to be a fan!

Santa Fe Station

2009-12-18T09:54:00.002-06:00

A return to photos of Oklahoma City... the website is called iconOklahoma afterall.

This is the Santa Fe Station on EK Gaylord Blvd. The site has been used as a rail station since the 1880's. The art deco style building was constructed in 1934. It's still be used as a passenger station for the Heartland Flyer, the Amtrak passenger train that runs from OKC to Dallas.

I submitted this photo to a city planner for use in a brochure. I did a lot of post production work on it because there was a giant light pole right in the middle. He liked it, but the design team decided not to use it because it was "too dramatic."

Feuerwache

2009-12-15T20:51:00.003-06:00

This was in Primanses, Germany. I had an hour to kill waiting for the train and I spotted a little grocery store about a quarter miles away. Needed some gummies. I had to pass right by this awesome building. I'll give you one guess as to what it is.

The firetrucks were all behind the building in the garage. The cool thing about German fire engines? They're all Mercedes.

Facebook

2009-12-15T20:38:00.004-06:00

You can now become a fan of this website on facebook. If you have a facebook account simply go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/iconOklahoma/240102255914 and become a fan. Then you can be updated easily.

I just opened it so I don't have a lot of content there, but I will be able to add some photos as time allows.

It's Been 29 Years

2009-12-08T18:16:00.004-06:00

I was a skinny 19 year old kid, living on my own in a two bedroom apartment in Midwest City. I could barely pay my bills and I lived on fried potatoes and ramen noodles. Because I couldn't afford electricity I kept my heater turned completely off and the apartment was so cold that downstairs you could see your own breath. My entertainment budget was zero, and the used bookstore was my only means for escape.

I was reading The Two Towers and had less than a couple of dozen pages to finish. I was reading fast, trying to finish because I really needed to go to sleep. I had my radio on, listening to the KATT when the DJ said that there was a report out of New York that John Lennon had been shot.

I didn't really think much about it and plugged away at the book. A few minutes later the DJ came back on and said "John Lennon has died." and launched immediately into "Imagine."

I put my book down.

I couldn't read another word, I was in shock. I turned off the light and listened to the radio for another hour before drifting off to sleep. I don't know exactly why his death affected me so much that day. I was a good Beatles fan as a young lad. I visited a Hard Rock Cafe once and noticed they had the same Beatles lunch box that I had when I was six years old. Yeah I was a cool kid. I did love the Beatles, but in all honesty, Ringo and Paul were my favorites.

Anyways, I think I was affected by John's death because the Beatles were a big part of my youth, and the fact that they would never ever get back together blew me away. I realized that we truly lost an icon, and we would never get him back.

In 2004, December 8th became a double dark day for music, when Dimebag Darrell Abbott was executed in a small club in Ohio. Dimebag was one of my favorite guitarist of all time, he truly reinvented the steel.

Rest In Peace

Coming home

2009-11-30T15:24:00.002-06:00

I get a little bummed when it's time to leave. I've checked my flight, checked the train schedule, and got my bags packed. Tomorrow I'll be Oklahoma bound.

Strasbourg

2009-11-30T03:33:00.004-06:00

As stated, I probably like France more than I like Germany. Strasbourg France is a city with the best of both worlds. The old half timber houses that are prevalent in Germany line up with the more modern architechure of France. In the photo below you can see the half timber houses and if you look in the distance, the entryway to the old hospital zone can be seen.
Strasbourg today was crazy busy for a Sunday. This is my second visit to the city and I love it. It was very difficult finding a parking place, and we ended up parking near the Police station. Pretty good chance nothing was going to happen to the car there. The reason the place is crazy busy is because the Christmas market opened today, and it was the main reason we were going. This town is amazing, nearly every building has some sort of Christmas decoration. When you walk through the small squares, decor hang suspended from above. Windows are wrapped like presents, lights are every where. So are the people.
The focal point to the town is the gothic Cathedral of Our Lady. In the above picture you can see how the one spier towers above the city. Below is a partial side view, complete with gargoyles and flying buttresses. The first stone for this cathedral was laid in 1015, so we are looking at something nearly a thousand years old. Think about it...
The pink sandstone is unique, and it makes the cathedral a little hard to photgraph. Not to mention the thousands of people milling around.

The interior isn't that elaborate, compared to other gothic churches, in fact it is a bit of a let down.

I would love to spend more time in this city,as there is so much more to see, perhaps on my next trip.

Trier Bedlam

2009-11-29T01:57:00.003-06:00

Cold and rainy today, had to punch a few people in the face because they don't know how to walk and hold an umbrella. I coulda lost an eye. Trier is the oldest city in Germany. The Porta Nigra was one of four gates to the city and the only one still standing. This was built by the Romans and does not have any mortar. Think about it.... incredible. They were also having the world's busiest Christmas market going on and it was packed like a 500 pound person in spandex. Add the umbrellas and you have bedlam.

Speaking of bedlam.... I did get to see it, it played on Armed Forces Network. If only the QB and RB weren't hurt and the best WR in the country didn't get hosed by the NCAA, and the refs didn't screw up, then oSu still would have gotten beat by OU's second team. BOOMER SOONER!!

Verdun France

2009-11-27T12:14:00.004-06:00

Friday we stayed at home and rested, so here is the recap for yesterday.

As much as I like Germany, I really love France. I am so glad my daughter lives just an hour's drive from the border. The things about France that I really like are: The French language flows when spoken, German is so abrupt. Germany is more conforming, whereas France more aloof. France has more curves, Germany is more square. German girls are pretty, French women are beautiful. My wife is very French. That should keep me out of trouble.

Another thing I really love about France is the architecture and monuments. Thanksgiving day we went to Verdun, which has been the sight for many a battle since the middle ages. Outside of the city, there are many monuments and cemetaries. One place is the Montfaucon American Monument which was the sight of a 47 day fight during WW1. The ruins of the church are all that is left of the entire village.
The monument itself is 20 feet tall and can be seen from miles away. There are steps inside the monument when it is open and you can walk to the observation tower. It was closed when we went.

From there we went to the 130 acre Meuse-Argonne American Cemetary that has over 14,000 war dead buried or entombed. One cannot help but pause in quiet recollection when seeing the perfectly lined rows crosses and Star of Davids. That is where I took yesterdays photo.

Driving to the Meuse-Argonne we ended up driving by a little battlefield monument. It is a sixteen feet tall grim reaper holding a staff with the French words "They shall not pass." I had to look it up to understand the significance of the words. They were spoken by French General Robert Nivelle when addressing the troops during the Battle of Verdun, one of the deadliest and most devastating battles in war history.

The city of Verdun lies twenty miles west of the cemetery. The city doesn't have a lot to offer as far as tourist attractions go, it does have the Porte Chaussee which is the gateway to the city built in 1380.

There are little monuments and statuary all over the city, and high atop one of the hills over looking the city is the renaissance Cathedrale Notre-Dame du Verdun. The city has that grit and polish look to it, where one building is old and run down and the one next to it is well kept. The Cathedral is the same way, the inside is slick and polished while the outside is old and gritty. These cathedrals are open all of the time, and still hold mass on a regular basis. On Sundays a mix of tourists and church goers often collide. This is one of the back doors to the church, typical of the style of these old cathedrals. The church was consecrated in 1147.

The trip home was a bit flustering, we could not get on the autostrasse because of what we figured was an accident. We had to drive twenty miles to the town of Ettine, and go back south to the highway. So it took nearly three hours to get back.

Thankful

2009-11-26T14:22:00.004-06:00

I have plenty of things to be thankful for. But right now, I want to say thank you to this American soldier, known but to God. Thank you to the thousands of young soldiers who fought in the battle fields far from home, never to return. Without your sacrifice, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have.

I am Trouble Walking

2009-11-25T10:48:00.005-06:00

I wake up this morning and I swear I hear someone screaming, so I think to myself, "I wish someone would do something about that screaming so I could go back to sleep." About an hour later the screaming was still going on so I thought I would get up to investigate. But when I went to stand up I took one step and fell on my face. Turns out that screaming was coming from my calves from all those stairs I climbed yesterday. I took a few meds and got ready to go.

Today I went to the town of Primasens, which is best known for it's shoe manufacturing. The marketplatz is a long walkway that had these interesting cobblestone layouts.
In the middle of the marketplatz is a large square that has this seven story tall waterfall/fountin with a huge bull at the top. Unfortunately the water was drained for the winter so I did not get to see it in it's glory. But I did climb up the eight thousand four hundred and sixty-three stairs to the top. There is this elaborate bull at the top with some awesome horns. I decided to curse Texas and then I spit in the fountain.

I also came across this elaborate fountain with this spier thing in the middle. Turns out that this is an elevator for the parking garage below.

Walking around I saw a sign that said there was a sculpturparke. Turns out it was a century old cemetery. Many of the headstones and markers were in disarray, broken or pushed over. Rather sad.
At the back end there was a monument to the war dead along with more markers.

I did these photos in black and white, I always feel it necessary to do cemetery photos in black and white. It makes me a little depressed.

I was pretty tired at this point, and Pirmanses didn't have too much more to offer. I was going to visit a museum but it closed at 2:00 PM. I decided just to go back to the house.

Bad Kreuznach

2009-11-24T15:12:00.006-06:00

Todays travel brought me to a town called Bad Kreuznach. It did not get it's name because some little boy named Kreuznach misbehaved. There are lots of towns in Germany called Bad something. Bad Ulm, Bad Homburg, Bad Saarow, etc. Bad literally means Bath in German and translated Bad Kreuznach is bath after cross. Many of the towns named Bad are well known for the wellness houses or spas where people come to relax and... well... bathe. It is located on the Nahe river, which flows into the Rhine. It is also in the famous wine country and the city actually dates back to the year 58 A.D. Yeah, that's old. Anyways when I got there I decided once again to make my way to the top of the mountains to visit the remains of an old castle which now hosts a neat little modern hotel that you can see in this pic:
To get there I had to go through the old town, which was a slightly shorter walk than yesterday, only around 63 miles. I thought I would walk the length of the old town, then double back and climb the mountain. In doing so I found a backdoor route that lead up a flight of stairs instead of a path, which meant a shorter trip but it meant stairs. Lots of stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Forty six thousand three hundred and eighty-two stairs. I counted each one, or at least my thighs did. A fat out of shape guy should really think about these things before he gets halfway up ya know. Anyways I took a slight break and snapped this little roof top photo. Look closely at the right side of the pic. Those are two guys working on a new roof about sixty feet in the air on a cold windy rainy day. NO THANK YOU.

When I got to the top I spotted a huge dog and a couple of hippies sitting down drinking a beer. The hippies were drinking the beer, not the dog. The dog was sniffing around looking for a place to poo. Now that I think about it, the hippies were probably doing that as well. I walked around the place and went over to the castle/hotel. Great, more damn stairs. It was worth the hike though, awesome view of the hillside vineyards and the Paulskirche (St. Pauls Church) below.

I then took the path that winds down along the mountain. As usual much easier going down then up. The path takes you right through the vineyards, and you could easily steal all of the grapes you want. Of course this being November there weren't any grapes on the vine, not to mention the fact one would probably get punched in the face for stealing grapes, so I left the vines alone. I did take a bunch of pics. (get it? bunch like a bunch of grapes, get it?haha). Halfway down there is a building called a tea house. Did I mention it was halfway down? In a sense it was half way down, in reality, you had to walk three quarters of the way down, then turn right and walk back UP to get to it. Oh, and guess what? You know it, you had to walk up another flights of stairs. Yes, flights as in plural, as in three thousand six hundred and fifty four flight of stairs. Which totals out to , oh I don't know, somewhere in the neighborhood of 753, 879 total steps. And that view was crappy. Oh well. Back down I walked along the river and short cutted across a park and then through a nice little neighborhood where I saw this little scene:

That's right, freaking palm trees in Germany! This was a wellness house and I am telling you the people there must be doing awfully well because parked in the driveway was a super nice Mercedes and a freaking Bentley. Whoa. OK, a little more walking and then I came to the thing I really wanted to see in Bad Kreuznach, the bridge houses. These bridge houses date back to 1480! They survived the Thirty Years War, and WW1 and WW2. There is actually a cannon ball in the front of one of the houses, allegedly from the Thirty Years War. It amazes me how something over 500 years old can survive like this.

It was a long day, the train ride took nearly two hours for me to get back. I am pooped.

Whine Country

2009-11-23T11:50:00.005-06:00

Today's journey brought me to a town called Neustadt an der Weinstrasse (New City on the Wine Road). I took the train, it was about a forty minute trip. Sometimes I get the sense that I am being watched when on the trains. I feel peoples eyes on me. It's probably because I am the only person wearing sunglasses. Anyways, Neustadt is nestled in a little valley that is surrounded by grape growing hills. It has a mix of new construction along with the old half-timber houses. Many of the half-timber houses have a shop or restaurant on the bottom floor, with living quarters above. Most of these date back to the late 1800's. Most are well kept though, it isn't rare to see a house with a weathered exterior and badly worn shutters, but have brand new energy efficient windows. Like most European cities, the shop signs that hang over the doors are rather ornate. I made my way around the city and decided to take the seventy-eight mile hike to one of the surrounding hills. Once I got there it was another twenty-three miles straight up to the top. Of course the view was almost well worth it. It started raining a little bit which was strange because there really wasn't any rain clouds directly overhead since I was almost to outer-space the clouds should have been below me.

Once I got to the top I got a little confused as to whether or not the schloss (castle) was open to the public. I really don't know any German and the sign said something like Privatelande. But there was a public parking area and a restaurant near there, so I decided to go ahead and continue. I figured the worst they could do is shoot me or have me deported. I took a look around and nobody came out running with rifles, so I pulled the camera out and started taking more photos. The wind was blowing at hurricane force by this time and I almost lost my OKC Thunder cap. I put it in my bag for the time being and snapped a couple of dozen photos.

Anyways, I started the 43 mile journey back down the winding road, that's when I figured that the Privatelunde sign meant that cars weren't past that point but humans were. I took a leisurely stroll because, well it's a hell of alot easier going down hill instead of straight up, and took a few pics of some of the vineyards. Germany has some of the best vineyards in the world because ancient Romans started them when Alexander the Great had his armies here. Vineyards are mainly on the hillsides but individual vines grow throughout the city. Many of the houses have a tiny 12x12 square of dirt near their entryway and will have a grapevine growing out of it. The hotels and such will have these great big thick vines running up the walls and around the terraces.

I saw this magnificent building complete with observation tower and I decided to make my way over to it. The closer I got to it the more magnificent it looked, however, the closer I got to it the more I decided that it was impossible to get there. Kinda like trying to find something in Texas. Every road I took led to another turn, which would lead me away from it, then back, then away, until finally I decided that one more turn and I would quit. Sure enough that was the correct road and when I walked up to the gate to see it, of course it was closed. I couldn't get any closer than 200 feet so I turned around and went back. That's when I found a different route and was able to snap this photo.

I went back down to the city, walking the remaining eighty-four miles. They were having a mini Christmas market near the town cathedral and I bought a Christmas mug that looks like a boot. It only cost 3 euro, which is around $4.50. Add it to my collection. I then went back to the train station where I had to stay in line for 15 minutes to get change for a 20 Euro note. Missed one train in the process. And I was tired from all that walking. I guess that is why I call it whine country.

The Photos

2009-11-23T01:43:00.003-06:00

For some reason the photos I uploaded on my last post do not open larger when you click on them, so I reloaded these two so they will open for a larger view.

Sunday we just sat around the house and rested since we slept late. Shana had pulled 24 hour duty so she slept til noon. Did a little planning for the rest of the week.

En Francais...

2009-11-21T12:23:00.016-06:00

There are rules in photography that generally should be followed. Some are steadfast, other are mere guidelines. Here are two good rules that are steadfast: One - Make sure your batteries are fully charged. Two - Make sure you have plenty of memory cards. More about those rules later.

So today Shane decided that we should go to Metz, France which is about an hours drive. There are lots of different things about Europe that I find to be interesting when comparing it to the United States. For example, so many of the churches are the old world cathedrals with massive ceilings and exquisite entryways. Nearly every town has pedestrian only zones where all kinds of merchants have open storefronts selling everything from clothing to food. Generally there are dozens of people riding bicycles and just as many or more walking their dogs. This time of year many of the towns are gearing up for Christmas, however instead of massive malls, most towns will have a Market that is part carnival part craft show part food festival.

They even set up carnival rides for the kiddos including this double decker ornate carousel.

Walkability is a integeral part of European towns. Generally you just drive near the center of town, find a parking lot, then go. The underground parking garage we used today went four levels down and each level has a electronic display that show how many open spots were available. Each narrow space had a light about it that turned from green to red once you pulled into the spot. Something else that was interesting was chamber music playing throughout the garage. It's not to hard to find interesting things, generally the giants spiers of the cathedrals can be seen throughout the city so just head that way. In Metz the Gothic Cathedral St. Etienne is one of the focal points for the city. This is just the front, as usual with most European cathedrals, massive repair work is being done so the right side was covered in scaffolding and the left side is obscured by other buildings, so I wasn't able to get a satisfactory shot of the entire structure.

Sometimes these cities have the most unusual water towers. This one was built when the Germans occupied the city during the Franco-Prussian war in the 1870's.

We wandered around the city, enjoying the sights and watching the people. The temperature was around 52 degrees and slightly overcast, no wind and 98% of the people walking about wear black coats or jackets. Hardly anyone wears bright colors. We made our way over to the Temple Neuf de Metz which is located on a triangle shaped island. It is right next to a medieval bridge that was built in the 1200's. It was at this point rule number two - have enough memory cards came into play. My 4 gig card was full, with over 1100 photos on it. Luckily I had my spare and swapped it out so I could keep shooting. Easily one of my best snaps of the day.

Unfortunately, rule number one then came into play soon after. My camera battery ran out because I didn't fully charge it. Oh well, never lament about the shots you missed, be happy with the ones you got. Right?? It wasn't soon after we trudged back to the car, the boys were tired and I really needed to pee. That's one other thing about Europe that is so different about the USA, public restrooms. Travelers tip, if you ever find a public bathroom in Europe, use it. Even if you went five minutes before, because they are few and far between. Sometimes you can find them near tourist attractions, but not always. Your best bet it to find a McDonalds, Burger King or some other chain restaurant (in this case it was Subway) and they usually have a water closet you can use. But be prepared to buy something or get yelled at. Like my french teacher in high school would say, "En Francais..."

And so it starts...

2009-11-21T00:53:00.008-06:00

Germany day one.

My flight to Germany was rather uneventful. Uneventful in the fact that I deemed only one person needed a face punching. I flew out of Chicago and right behind me sat a mother with a one year old that proceeded to wail like a fire engine siren en route to a four alarmer. That didn't bother me though because I think about my daughter traveling with her baby and how difficult it is. Plus babies tend to go to sleep, which this one did about an hour later so no big deal.

I had an aisle seat and one of the two ladies that sat next to me informed me that she was pregnant and hoped I didn't mind the fact that she had to get up every five minutes to pee. This didn't bother me either, because I understood the situation and actually welcomed the excuse to stand up every so often to stretch my legs. She told me she was on her way to India for a wedding and had another eight hour flight once she got to Frankfurt. Wow. She did politely turn down my request to name her baby after me though, but that didn't bother me either.

But what DID bother me was the a-hole in front of me that, as soon as the captain turned off the seatbelt sign, proceeded to slam his seat back like he was at home in a La-z-boy, effectively removing about six inches of space I had. Sure I could have reclined my seat, but with the lady behind me holding a child, I was not going to make things worse for her. So instead I just sat there and watched movies and made sure that every time the pregnant lady next to me had to pee, the seat in front of me got an extra hard shove. It never ceases to amaze me how unaware people are about their surroundings and do not think about their actions and how it effects others. Someday Karma will recline its seat in that guys face, and I hope it's a fat stinky one.

After I landed I took the trains to my daughter's house. It was around 9 am when I got there, which is 2 am CST, so I took a nap for a couple of hours. My son-in-law Shane came home and I made me something to eat and I started messing around on my laptop. I had been experiencing issues with the thing and was trying to fix a problem I was having with Google Earth. So when I rebooted my computer, it would not boot. Then we tried to fix it and then the whole thing just crashed. My only possible solution at this point is to buy a boot disk and wipe the harddrive to start over. So big problem, that laptop has my photo editing software on it, and since I can't take a real photo, I am in BIG TROUBLE.

By the way, it is absolutely beautiful here today, 52 degrees and sunny, that cold clean air is so easy to breath, I just love this place. My daughter Shana is pulling 24 hour duty today so Shane and I may head over to Metz, France, a little over an hour away. BTW, Kanoa ate like 5 strips of bacon and wants some more. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.... bacon.

Gingerbread

2009-10-15T09:33:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the lack of updates, but sometimes one has to concentrate on the job that pays the bills andallows for a vacation. Heading back to Germany on November 19th, I just booked my ticket. Sweet.

Art Attack

2009-09-10T22:33:00.002-05:00

Went to Arts Festival Oklahoma at the OCCC campus this weekend. I had thought about doing that festival but when I found out that the OU-BYU game was being played that weekend I decided against it. After the defeat it nearly made me rethink my decision.

I did take a good look around, got to speak to one of my favorite local artists Dean Lauderdale. I have a couple of his pieces on my walls. I always enjoy a conversation with him. Also spoke to alot of good photographers, there were quite a few there. I have linked the Oklahoma ones that had a website to the links section here on this blog. Lot of talent here in Oklahoma.

Speaking of talent, the other art happening going on is the Photofest at Paseo. I attended opening night and it was pretty packed. Quite a few people make it to First Friday Art Walk at the Paseo and this exhibit was well worth the visit. My two pieces are hanging on the back wall in the corner. They look great there. Stop by the Art Space and take a gander. And while you are at it look for Sarah Knight's "Into the Mist," an excellent black and white by an artist making her first foray into the photo world.

Photo Fest on Paseo

2009-08-21T22:36:00.002-05:00

I was fortunate enouch to get two of my works selected for Photo Fest on Paseo. The two selected were The Deep End http://iconoklahoma.blogspot.com/2009/06/deep-end.html and The Wicked http://iconoklahoma.blogspot.com/2009/06/wicked.html.

The Line Up

2009-08-16T11:39:00.002-05:00

A Saturday Night staple, the lineup of motorcycles in front of Fountains at Bricktown.

Night Harp

2009-08-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

The Boathouse at night

City at Night

2009-08-09T11:38:00.004-05:00

This is a rarity for me, I hardly ever venture out at night. Ever since I started wearing glasses I have a problem with depth perception in the dark. Plus my wife and I don't particularly enjoy the nightlife or the drunken party goers that accompany it.

So I was out in the afternoon trying to find something to shoot when the heat started getting to me, and I went back home. With the wife out of town, I was watching one of the worst movies ever made, ("The Condemned") and the thought hit me to go shoot at night. I loaded up the gear and headed downtown.

Anyone who complains about parking near downtown is an idiot, I hardly ever pay for parking and even when I do it's a paltry five dollars. Since I walk all over anyways, I park for free over by the Bass Pro and hoof it.

I basically wandered my way around the canal with my Canon and my tripod. I was semi-surprised by all of the activity. Party-goers for sure but families and teenagers as well. As I walked deeper into Bricktown, I found myself enjoying the bustle of the nightlife. Strolling along the canal you get to experience the things you never see in the daytime, like the happenings inside of Red Pin bowling alley, the dancing bartenders at Coyote Ugly, or the revelers at Michael Murphy's piano bar.

I walk. I stop. I shoot. I adjust. I sweat. I watch. I listen. I enjoy.

Big Truck Tacos

2009-08-02T21:11:00.005-05:00

Early Saturday morning and I was hungry, wanted to check out what the buzz was all about so the wife and I headed to NW 23rd and Dewey to Big Truck Tacos. I wanted me some breakfast.

We arrived around 10 a.m. and the parking lot was 75% full. We were able to grab a menu and step right up and order our breakfast. The wife went with the bacon egg and cheese taco while I thought about a burrito with potato egg and cheese but settled for a taco instead.

While we waited for the food, I surveyed the rather small dining area, it only seats a couple of dozen people at the most. There were some frat boy types sitting at a table swapping stories, a couple eating quietly in the corner, and three people standing in line getting ready to order. I barely had time to soak it in when the food arrived.

Breakfast looked great, however my wife remarked, "I thought with a name like Big Truck Tacos we were going to get a taco that was .... well 'Big"." I just shrugged and took a bite out of the taco (it was five inches, maybe six at the most) and chewed quietly.

"Maybe it's called Big Truck Tacos because it's big on taste," I countered. Mine was really good. On the table there was a green sauce and a red sauce. I grabbed both and squirted them on my taco. Both were quite delicious, lots of flavor and not much heat. A couple of more squirts and a couple of more bites and I was finished. The wife assured me hers was quite good as well.

We grabbed the tray, dumped the trash and bolted out the door. The whole dining experience took less than ten minutes. Our tab was $7.04 and that included one drink. At $2.50 each, I was a little disappointed with the size but the flavor made up for it. Next time I'll order the $4 burrito instead. Definitely would try them for lunch some time.

Townhousemania

2009-07-26T21:27:00.003-05:00

Downtown near downtown apartments, condos and lofts oh my!

What and where?

2009-07-11T11:08:00.002-05:00

Three shot HDR of what??? Is it a monument to the vacuum corner attachment? Haha, I removed the telltale sign. Any guesses??

It is the night drop at the old bank on Classen, which is now the Claims Management Resources building.

American Indian Cultural Center

2009-07-10T23:00:00.003-05:00

The visitor center is the first structure completed for the American Indian Cultural Center (otherwise know as "that huge mound of dirt" off of I-40). It's an elegant building with beautiful wood soffits. The curves, points and lines are reminiscent of the Chesapeake Boathouse only inverted. This is a great starting point of what will eventually be one of the most iconic future structures of Oklahoma City. For more information visit their website http://www.aiccm.com/ . Three shot HDR.

The American Barn

2009-07-05T08:29:00.003-05:00

This one was taken off the side of the highway somewhere between Joplin, MO and Kansas City, MO. It is a three shot HDR with a barrel distortion correction.
I have no clue where this on is, probably in Arkansas, three shot HDR of a hay barn.

Between Springfield and Joplin, another three shot HDR converted to B/W.

The American barn is one of my favorite things to photograph.

The Beast

2009-07-04T22:45:00.002-05:00

An old truck I saw one day. Blackened the background using a technique that someone once taught me.

Nuway Cleaners

2009-07-02T21:04:00.001-05:00

HDR

Scouting Chickasha

2009-06-28T10:30:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite websites is http://www.scoutingny.com/ . This website highlights the hidden and overlooked gems of a huge city. While in Chickasha this weekend I saw this really cool snooker sign for a men's club on main street. With the generic plastic society we live in now, I doubt anyone will every put up a sign like this today.

Licht am Ende der Straße

2009-06-18T21:55:00.004-05:00

This was taken in Strausborg, France. Even though the title is German for "Light at the end of the street." That little girl is the light of my life.

Anyways this is just a single shot with a clarity adjustment. It became one of my most popular photos when I had my deviantArt page. I recieved a Daily Deviation for this in April of 2008. It had over 12,000 views and 850 "faves" before I removed it from that site. I have decided to post my work on this website from now on.

The Canal

2009-06-16T23:28:00.002-05:00

The Colcord

2009-06-15T21:09:00.002-05:00

The Colcord Building, now the Colcord Hotel, was built around 1910. Deemed the first skyscraper in Oklahoma City, it was originally an office building but went through extensive renovations in 2006 to transition into a luxury hotel. Single shot with clarity adjustment.

Myriad Botanical Gardens

2009-06-15T21:05:00.004-05:00

Top photo three shot HDR, bottom photo single shot with clarity and curve adjustment.

Panorama

2009-06-14T20:28:00.007-05:00

From Ballpark to Bridge.

Nine shot panorama with clarity and curve adjustment.

Link to full size image http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8636/stitchedresultn.jpg

Opubco

2009-06-12T20:35:00.002-05:00

Straight up. I really can't remember if this is an HDR or a single shot.

Gothic

2009-06-12T20:24:00.002-05:00

Notre Dame, Paris. Taken with my point and shoot Sony camera. There weren't alot of clouds in the sky that date but when I took this angle it was about the only shot all day that had that kind of sky. Single shot with clarity adjustment.

The Deep End

2009-06-12T20:12:00.001-05:00

Got my new wide angle lens and I took it out back and shot a few pics. Grabbed this one of my pond. Love that dirty water. Single shot with curve adjustment, color layer, and resized as a square.

SIlver

2009-06-08T18:51:00.002-05:00

This Chevy is in a field outside of Hillsboro, TX. I spent an hour or so in the hot blazing sun shooting about 30 old cars there. During postprocessing I wanted to desaturate the greens a bit and quite by accident I desaturate everything except the reds. I absolutely loved the results so I stopped right there. This was taken with my Sony point and shoot camera.

Burnt Offering

2009-06-08T18:48:00.001-05:00

Tken with my point and shoot Sony camera in the Wichita Mountains. Single shot with curve adjustment and color balance.

Sign from the Heavens

2009-06-07T20:57:00.002-05:00

"GET OUT"

That was the words echoing through his head when he told her he wanted to end their relationship. She had been the love of his life for twenty years but he realized they were through.

As the years went by, his love for her blossomed. She was his constant companion. They were always united. No matter what obstacles were thrown their way, they managed to work through it together.

But, as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever. It started with a disagreement and turned into disenchantment. The problems became harder to overcome. They broke apart a few times only to reunite quickly. But lost jobs, money problems, and long angry arguments took its heavy toll. After twenty years they were finally finished.

When he walked out of the bar, the clouds dispersed and the sun broke through brightening the day. He took that as a sign from the heavens, this time he was done with alcohol for good.

Part of my "1100 words" project. Three shot HDR, resized to a square, taken in Rudeshiem, Germany.

Farmers Market

2009-06-05T23:36:00.000-05:00

Three shot HDR.

The Castle on the Rhine

2009-06-04T22:16:00.003-05:00

Taken near the town of Rudeshiem from a boat on the Rhine river. Single shot with clarity and curve adjustment, layered for highlights.

Bernkastel

2009-06-04T21:25:00.002-05:00

The Spitzhäuschen (pointed house) in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. The house leans to the left. Three shot HDR. It took me about ten minutes of waiting until nobody was in the picture, this is just off the market square.

The Wicked

2009-06-03T23:15:00.002-05:00

Somewhere in Missouri. Single shot with Black and white conversion with curve adjustment plus dodge and burn.

The Stadium

2009-06-02T23:02:00.002-05:00

University of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Single shot with curve adjustment.

The Momento

2009-06-02T22:44:00.003-05:00

Rothenburg, Germany. Three shot HDR with clarity adjustment, resized as a square.

Coca Cola Classic

2009-06-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Taken in West Texas, I don't really remember what town. There were a couple of trucks in this garage station and no one was around. I used my Sony point and shoot camera and converted it to black and white.

The Fairytale

2009-06-01T20:59:00.000-05:00

Three shot HDR, tonemapped. Taken in Rothenburg, Germany.

The Innocent

2009-06-01T20:42:00.001-05:00

Single shot with clarity and curve adjustment. Rothenburg, Germany. The hard part was getting Kanoa to stand still long enough.

Chesapeake Energy Boat House

2009-05-31T15:15:00.003-05:00

One of the major MAPS projects for Oklahoma City was the straightening and filling of the Oklahoma River (formerly known as the North Canadian River.) It used to be be so dry that it would have to be mowed a couple of times a year.

One of the benefits of rejuvenating the river was it became an excellent venue for rowing.

The $3.5 million facitlity is the first of many boathouses planned for the river.

This is two three shot HDR photos merged as a vertical panorama.

The Sickness

2009-05-29T11:02:00.003-05:00

Jordie slumped in the corner, her body trembling with the realization of what she had just done. She drew her knees close to her chest, closed her eyes tightly and slowly rocked back and forth.

She forced her eyes open and saw the shotgun where she had dropped it, fine wisps of smoke still slowly rising from the barrels. And beyond that, the outline of a body lay motionless on the floor.

Jordie's ears were still ringing from the boom of the shotgun blast. She replayed the entire incident in her mind... his coming at her... yelling at him to back off... raising the barrel of the gun... the lunge... the blast... the end.

Jordie was sure someone heard it, she waited in the dark silence for someone to come. She shivered even though it was mid-August. Waiting for the sirens, waiting for someone to come through the door, waiting... exhausted... passing out.

When she regained consciousness, her body was stiff from being on the hard floor. She raised up, trying to clear her head. That's when she noticed that her father was gone.

And so was the shotgun.

Three shot HDR, taken between Springfield and Joplin, MO. Cross-process filter and barrel correction.

The Break

2009-05-28T22:45:00.002-05:00

Mannheim, Germany

Single shot photo with curve adjustment

Eight Seconds can be an Eternity

2009-05-28T22:18:00.002-05:00

Felix hopped onto the saddle and cinched himself tight. He dug his boots deep into the stirrups and pulled his hat down low. He was nervous but his determination overcame his jitters. When he was ready he gave a nod and held on firmly as the horse took off like it was shot out of a cannon.

Felix dug the heels of his boots into the side of the wild bronco as it bucked and kicked violently. He arched his back and threw his free arm over his head trying to impress the judges and get maximum points. He only needed to stay on for eight seconds but it seemed like he was spending an eternity on the back of that ferocious beast. And then suddenly it was over. The horse just slowed down and stopped, perhaps realizing that it’s efforts to throw the young rider were futile.

Felix turned and looked at his mother, flashing his toothless grin. “That was fun Mom!!” he shouted, “Can I do it again?? Please can I?? Please?”

His mother dug into her purse and pulled out two more quarters, “Just once more,” she said as she slid the coins into the slot.

Tribute to the Range Riders by Constance Whitney Warren

Oklahoma State Capitol Grounds

3 shot HDR taken on a windy day

Flaming Lips Alley & Oklahoma Hardware Building

2009-05-28T21:24:00.005-05:00

The Flaming Lips. They came up with the name figuring they would eventually change it. They never did. Now known as "the coolest band to ever come out of Oklahoma", the Lips had an alley named after them in Bricktown.

This shot is a three shot HDR, taken with a wide angle extension.

Burg Eltz

2009-05-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

Burg Eltz is a castle in Germany that was built over 800 years ago. It is still owned by the Eltz family. It is located in Western Germany near the town of Münstermaifeld.

The castle is more of a fortified residence than a fortress. The castle construction was stretched out over a period of 500 years.

It is located in a valley and the river Eltz flows around it on three sides. You have to park at the top and you can see the castle below. It is a long walk down the mountain and each turn as you get closer the castle gets more beautiful. Of course the problem is you have to walk all the way back up, and it is a tough climb.

The castle was closed when we went in March., it is only open from April to November.

This is a three shot HDR, tonemapped to enhance the sky. Since the focal point is on the drawbridge, the castle itself has a softer focus. I wanted to emphasis the stone structure.

Big Job F800 with Fangs

2009-05-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

I found this bad boy one day when I was driving through West Texas. It was in the town of Guthrie, TX parked in the lot of an abandoned gas station. It was a cloudy day and I used my point and shoot Sony camera.

I did a curve adjustment to darken the shadows and give the truck a deeper red tone. A clarity adjustment made the clouds more menacing.

One thing I think is cool is the front V8 emblem resembles Dale Earnhart Jr's old #8 logo.

Did you notice the bird?

But Not Without a Fight

2009-05-26T20:38:00.000-05:00

Frank wrapped the heavy chain around the column of the front porch. He turned and looked out across the front yard, remembering the countless hours he spent playing catch. He thought about his parents, how his father would work countless hours out in the field, waking before sunrise every morning. And his mother, her work was never done, always cooking, cleaning or fussing about. He remembered his little sister, running around barefoot as a little kid, then running off to get married to Jimmy next door. He looked at the broken porch swing, and recounted the night he got his first kiss from little Susie Derkins and how ten years later he proposed to her on that very same swing. Frank’s eyes got moist thinking about Susie, the funeral fresh in his mind. He took a deep breath and wrapped the heavy chain around his torso and padlocked it tight to his chest. The bulldozers were coming in the morning to knock it all down.

But not without a fight.

This house was located about ten miles from Danville, KY right next door to my wife's son's house. I got permission from the owner to go up there and take some photos. This is a three shot HDR. I actually used a tripod on this one, a rarity.

The short story I wrote for this picture is part of my "1100 Words" project.

I didn't go in the house, although there were newspapers dated 2002 in a back storage area. The house is currently being torn down, the lumber is being sold off because of it's age.

Doors and Windows in Germany

2009-04-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite things about Europe are the windows and doors.