Christmas 2015

It has been a few years since I featured the Riverwalk on our card photo, so it felt right to go back there for something new.
Last year, clued in by some nice shots from a member of my camera club, I got some pics that almost made the cut. This is a fairly new section of the San Antonio Riverwalk behind the old and re-purposed Pearl Beer brewery.
On a "scouting mission" I pulled out the camera and tripod anyway, and shot some tests in the area.
One view was better than last year's stuff so we went back 4 days later.
There was a construction crane in the frame, and on our return it was pivoted into a horrible position--so we were out of luck on what I originally wanted.

Trying to stay positive we walked around a bit, hoping that inspiration or good luck would strike.
On our way back to the car, I re-saw a scene that I liked from the previous visit, but had immediately written off as impossible. But it looked SO good, I let my heart overrule my brain.

You can only get this photo from a stairway landing that doesn't have enough room for my tripod.
And there is foliage encroaching from the top and left sides.
Plus a bright light on the right/top just out of frame.
Move the camera more than 2" in any direction, and it all falls apart.
A real prick of a shot, especially at the long exposure times needed.
Anyone walking across the attached steel footbridge will vibrate the crap out of it, leading to a blurry mess.
I had my tripod's legs folded down straight, and then held it in the corner of the guardrail.

We knew we had it as soon as I asked Sylvia to climb back up the stairs and just look at the scene from the landing. After 3 exposures we went to Mama Margie's for dinner.

Watching my new ted2 DVD. Hilarious!
Shot with my phone using the new selfie stick.
Yes, it sounds crazy for a "serious" photographer to even consider such a thing, but I foresee many situations where it'll be exactly what I need. Sometimes "toys" are just what you need, both for fun and a re-thinking of the way things can be done.


My wish for 2016's Christmas card photo is that I get it in the next couple of weeks, to take some of the pressure off.
Merry Christmas.
Happy New Year.
Thanks for visiting.  

10 Years Of Christmas Card Photos

2006, the first one. Might as well start with The Alamo, our most famous landmark. Luckily the tree had white lights so it's brightness in relation to the Alamo is as good as it can get. This year's Spurs-themed tree is very dark.

2007, Tower Of The Americas, San Antonio's other iconic landmark. We made a point to come downtown closer to sunset, for more color in the sky.

 2008 San Fernando Cathedral.
This was the only year this photo was possible because sick trees that would have been in the way were removed and not yet replaced. The fountains had just been installed, too.
Probably the best remembered picture, but it set the bar impossibly high. Sold and gifted a lot of 8x10" prints of this.

2009 The Riverwalk.
Right in the heart of downtown. To get our card photo we go all over town looking at decorations in the weeks after Thanksgiving, then return to the best spots at the optimum time to refine the composition and exposure. I put a lot of work into this project, so it's gratifying to hear that most people save the prints every year and look forward to the next one.

2010 Sneaky Santa.
One of our favorite ornaments, posed on the little silver tree in our front window.
I was looking for a change from "downtown SA at night" and having to drag a heavy camera and tripod all over the place. Super easy, and fun.

 2011 The Riverwalk again.
This was the first year the city used LED lights, to mixed reception. Under the impression that they could leave them up all year, the crews went all-out wrapping the trees almost completely. Unfortunately, the color of these first-generation bulbs leaned pretty far to the blue end of the spectrum. Then squirrels ate the wires when the weather warmed up, destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lights.

2012 St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church.
Taken a couple of years earlier after Christmas Eve Mass.
I was working 60 hours a week that year, and didn't have time to search out something. Also wanted to go in a religious direction. I also took one where the tree is out of focus but Jesus is sharp, then let Sylvia choose.

2013 Little Church At La Villita.
This pic was maybe 5 years old, and is the only daytime shot.
We weren't finding anything else, then quickly ran out of time.
While printing them, the machine got stuck and wouldn't stop. By the time staff got it shut down there were over 100 extra prints that I still have. This was the year my brother Ken died right before Christmas, and I drew some comfort from this picture.

2014 Blanco County Courthouse, Johnson City Texas.
I had been wanting a shot like this for years, to get a small-town view.
Sylvia left work early so we could make the hour+ drive north in time to catch sunset.


2015....to be continued

Fireworks

We went to a wedding last weekend in Cypress Falls, near Wimberley TX. 

During the reception the sun was almost down so I went to our motel room for the camera/tripod. 

Down by the river there wasn't enough artificial light spillage to get anything worth using, but while there I was approached by a man in the dark. 

He told me I was lucky that he'd spotted me, otherwise I could have gotten "blowed up". 

Hmmm...a gay come-on done badly? 

No, it was just that I had walked right into the middle of a fireworks launch zone. 

He was nice enough to let me stay and shoot pics from closer than I've ever been before. and it was pretty intense. Every launch felt like a punch to the gut, and they were bursting right overhead. I had a lot of debris on me afterwards. 

He gave me his business card so I could send him my results, but it wasn't from his fireworks business (don't need an architect right now) and there was no website or email address. Googling and checking Facebook for the name he told me turned up nothing, either. 

When I have the time I'll track him down.

Happy Day, Mothers.

A Pound Of Reese's Cups

I first spotted this while Christmas shopping in late 2013 and apparently wouldn't shut up about it. Last month Sylvia put it under our tree for me, and tonight I finally got up the nerve to open it. 

                                     

The text on the side is the important part--2 HALF POUND CUPS! 
I love Reese's, but this is crazy.

 I'm glad they put them in plastic cups. Still in surprisingly good shape.

 An 8 oz monster dwarfs the standard size.

The chocolate/peanut butter ratio seems about right. Freaking delicious!
You just have to stop after a small fraction.
Half of the wedge I cut out is tomorrow's ration.
And careful study has shown that the choco/PB ratio is measurably different depending on the size of the cup. Rob Cockerham over at Cockeyed conducted this test a few years ago. Looks like it needs an update.

These monsters are available year 'round at Rocket Fizz stores, but their $24 price is a joke.
(They also stock the giant Snickers, York's Peppermint Patty, etc.)

Sear and Target sell it for $10 during the holiday shopping season, which represents a few $$$ saved over a comparable weight of the smaller sizes at non-sale prices.
Mainly it's about the novelty.
I'm thinking of bringing one to a SuperBowl party this weekend.

Li-Ion Vape

My Friends Mike & Amie Just opened a Vape store here in San Antonio. I'm working here on the late shift.

Christmas Card Photo 2014

This was our card:

The new Blanco County Courthouse, in Johnson City Texas.


I say new because this is the old one, in Blanco Texas:

At some point in the distant past, the county seat was moved to the larger city, and the larger courthouse was built.

Looks are deceiving, because we went with a side-view.
Here's a 3/4:

And the long side:

I've been trying to schedule a shot like these for many years, and it finally came together a few weeks ago.
Managed to confuse some people into thinking it's our house, but they really should know better.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my remaining 3 readers.
Much love.

Veteran's Day 2014

Views Of The Crescent

The sharpest bend in the Mississippi River is right here in New Orleans, and also the deepest water at over 200 feet. It looks like a crescent moon on Google Earth which apparently gave NOLA the nickname "Crescent City" a bajillion years ago ago, which I've never even heard before.
Live and learn.

Anyway, tonight I insisted on taking a quick "tripod tour" a few blocks from our hotel not long after sundown to get some long-exposure shit  because that's how I roll:

This is The Natchez which we took on a tour yesterday.
It was docking after a dinner tour tonight and I just barely got into position for this shot--the one before and the one after didn't work at all, yet this has the paddlewheel still turning (thus blurred) and the boat is stationary.

Turned around and took some time composing, and this one made me happy.

There were rats scurrying about.

New Orleans

Two views from the roof of our hotel, pointing towards then away from the Mississippi River:

 

I just ate a big plate of red beans and rice that had a piece of the very best smoked sausage I've ever tasted in my life. 

Birds

This week I built a birdfeeder using crap I had around the house--a scrap of fence board, mason jar, florist wire, and a thin sheet of bamboo Ken and I had bandsawed off a cutlery organizer that was a little too long for it's drawer.

I was instantly disappointed by the photos I could get from inside the house, through the patio window. The birds won't come if you're sitting outside, and it's too hot and boring anyway.  And even a 1/1000 shutter won't freeze bird-motion well at all, so you're stuck with catching them sitting and eating. 

Luckily the plan all along was to get tricky and game those birds: 

 

I need to update this post tomorrow with a photo of my setup and some of the shots without flash.

What I did is put my main flash (Sunpak 383-Super) on a stand on the patio, about 6 feet from the feeder. It fires when the camera's shutter opens, triggered by wireless radio transmitter/receiver. That flash sets off two smaller ones mounted a few inches in front of and below it via their optical sensors. I'm trying to overpower the sun to a currently unknown amount.
The camera is on a tripod about 4 feet closer to the house, and I take the picture from indoors using an infrared remote aimed thru the curtains. Focus is already set manually to cover a zone around the feeder.
Exposure is also set manually to knock down the background levels a stop or two.

Since flashes pulse MUCH faster than typical shutter speeds, they freeze motion more better. Also, lighting something intentionally gives you control over many aspects of how the camera "sees". It's different for sure, and looks cool right out of the camera.

The finch pics were done yesterday, and kept me interested.

This dove shot was from today, and I scrapped the pair of slave flashes 'cuz I didn't need as much light as I thought because of the short distance, and the response delay inherent in optical triggers was giving me a longer duration of flash, although I can't tell if it helps yet.  

I didn't put the feeder and camera stuff outside until 4pm, and that may be responsible for a light turnout. Word hadn't spread that there was a free buffet in our backyard.
We've been getting a nice cardinal couple, and the finch has a wife, too.
Sparrows are like soccer fans--one of them will get on the feeder and sweep a bunch of seed into the grass so his 5 buddies can peck for it.
The woodpecker is a jerk.

Onward To The Capitol

After a nice lunch at Threadgill's, that is. 

 

It's inspiring from the outside, partly because it's bigger than the Federal one in DC. Security was fairly stiff, which I forgot to expect. My camera bag was full of all kinds of sharp and burny things that get emptied out before I fly anywhere, but after a few apologies combined with my joking attitude entry was obtained without getting charged with a crime.  

 

This was my first visit to the center of Texas government, and it was beautiful and inspiring. 

Nice restrooms, too. Definitely going back. 

Texas State Cemetery

A few weeks ago I escorted 75% of my 2013 Lake Tahoe Vacation "Duckies" on a day trip to Austin to visit the resting place of some important people.
Located a mile or so east of the heart of Texas partying--on the other side of Interstate 35 from 6th Street:

 For my international readers who might not know, Texas Governor John Connally was seriously wounded while sitting right next to President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas.

Ann Richards was a much more recent Governor, and the first woman to hold the highest office in Texas. A good sport, she lent her voice and image to an episode of the cartoon "King Of The Hill".

Now we bring things up a notch in the pecking order around here.
Tom Landry was THE coach when the Dallas Cowboys football team meant something.
His body isn't actually here, but his legacy means enough that a monument is mandatory.
His hat is a Texas Icon that rivals those worn by the cowboys and patriots who settled our great state.

Mid-April Already?

One of my recent diversions has been exploring the capabilities of my phone's camera. It's a Galaxy S3 that I've had for a year now, and with all the attention Samsung has gotten with their "serious" cameras lately I finally got off my ass and took a closer look.
It's a fine Texas Springtime, so Bluebonnets are a natural subject:

Overall, not too bad. For a phone.
Being a photographer, I know what all the options available actually mean and how to manipulate them in my favor. And the options are comprehensive despite a few awkward glitches in the implementation.
At a recent party I ended up showing other S3 owners what I was doing and they got very excited by their own results.

Now that the S5 is out, and it's features and specs are pretty damned crazy, I'm looking forward to getting one free next year and skipping past the S4 entirely.
Samsung seems tapped-in to what the public wants in their mobile devices better than most.


In other news: 

I wrote a review on this blast-from-the-past here.
It was fun to pull out all the gear and do some "product" photography again.
Back in 2012 I managed to take over the cellphone and accessories category on Amazon and Ebay with shots like this, although it looks like they're all gone now. Still kinda miss it.