Day 152. May 31.

Day One Hundred Fifty Two. May 31. Picture # 152. "Untitled" A nice evening spent at my friend Richard's land. Saw a big coyote as I drove in but this trip I was talking on the phone and had not stopped to get the camera ready for quick animal shots. I have seen other animals and birds when I first arrive and drive in. The list includes but is not limited to turkeys, deer, bob cat, jack rabbits and even ringtailed cats. So tonight instead of a beautiful coyote you get a sunset. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 41mm. f/22. ISO 200. Exposure 1/125 second. 

Day 151. May 30.

Day One Hundred Fifty One. May 30. Picture # 151. "Untitled". This wonderful still life was created by my friend Cindy Thoreson on the back porch of her house. I know she was not thinking about photography when she created this scene but I am sure she has noticed how the late afternoon sun paints the pots and cactus with a warm yellow glow. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 53mm. f/18. ISO 100. Exposure 1/5 second.

Day 150. May 29.

Day One Hundred Fifty. May 29. Picture # 150. I first saw this bloom a few days ago while out shooting pictures. It was tightly closed and not very interesting. Stopped by today to see if it had opened up yet. I will check back later but I am wondering how the open flower can surpass the elegant beauty of this yet to bloom flower. Canon Rebel XTI, handheld. Canon 75-300mm lens. Focal length 300mm. f/13. ISO 1600. Exposure 1/200 second.

Day 149. May 28.

Day One Hundred Forty Nine. May 28. Picture # 149. "Memorial Day". Today is not about debating right or wrong. Judgement has no place or purpose. Memorial Day is a day in which to reflect on the collective history that is the glue that binds this great nation together.

Day 148. May 27.

Day One Hundred Forty Eight. May 27. Picture # 148. "Untitled". This young dove did not seem to mind my truck driving toward it on the road. Picture was taken while leaning out my truck window. Canon Rebel XTI, handheld. Canon 75-300 lens. Focal length 300mm. f/5.6. ISO 400. 1/4000 second.

Day 147. May 26.

Day One Hundred Forty Seven. May 26. Picture # 147. "Royalty Texas". Texas history is the story of boom and bust economies. Much of this cycle was tied to oil. The Permian Basin area of West Texas is dotted with dead towns from earlier oil booms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian_Basin_(North_America) . The town of Royalty, Texas never was big but it only has about four occupied houses now. There are old abandoned oil pumps in the fields around the old buildings. I took many pictures in this empty town. Some how this newspaper tube eloquently spoke the story of this town then and now. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 56mm. f/22. ISO 400. Exposure 1/25 second.



Day 146. May 25.

Day One Hundred Forty Six. May 25. Picture # 146. "Untitled". Like a mythical plague of old, there were millions of these grasshoppers in the Hill Country. There were miles and miles of roadway stained with dead grasshoppers as seen below. This was one of the lucky ones who safely crossed the road. When I stopped to take this picture, there were so many bugs, I could hear them moving through the grass. Canon Rebel XTI, hand held. Canon 75-300 lens. Focal length 270mm. f/5.6. ISO 400. Exposure 1/3200 second.



Day 145. May 24.

Day One Hundred Forty Five. May 24. Picture # 145. "Untitled" Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon28-135mm lens. Focal length 28mm. f/20. ISO 200. Exposure 7 minutes and 2 seconds.

Day 144. May 23.

Day One Hundred Forty Four. May 23. Picture # 144. "Untitled" Taken with my iPhone.

Day 143. May 22.

Day One Hundred Forty Three. May 22. Picture # 143. "Sundown, Downtown". A view into downtown Austin,Texas after rush hour. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon75-300mm lens. Focal length 160mm. f/10. ISO 100. Exposure 1/13 second.

Day 142. May 21.

Day One Hundred Forty Two. May 21. Picture # 142. "End of the Day". This peaceful view is the entry road to Richard Garriott's Lake Austin property. I have stood at this vantage point many times this year with camera in hand. I have even shot a few exposures. The pictures were "OK" but they needed something. Today was the day for the picture. The combination of new spring foliage and the long afternoon shadows are what had been missing from the scene. Canon Rebel XTI, handheld. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 100mm. f/8. ISO 400. Exposure 1/250 second.

Day 141. May 20.

Day One Hundred Forty One. May 20. Picture # 141. "Untitled". Today there was a solar eclipse around sundown that could be viewed from west Texas to California. I was curious if any of it could be viewed from Austin. The partial eclipse could be seen before the sun dropped below the horizon. I took a few unremarkable shots of it. One appears below. Luckly I had already found this wooden building that seemed to be standing on will power alone. The "smoke" like distortion around the chimney is dust from a farmer cutting hay in another field. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 135mm. f/22. ISO 400. Exposure 1/5 second.

Day 140. May 19.

Day One Hundred Forty. May 19. Picture # 140 A & B. "Beauty" & "The Beast". I know I have already shot and posted a lot of flower pictures but I keep seeing different ways to shoot them. The flowers will soon be gone. Once summer brings it's day after day of one hundred degree plus weather the color will vanish from the landscape. Just in case some of you are sick of flowers, I included a bonus picture for today. As the sun got lower in the sky the tarantulas started crossing the road all headed in the same direction. I had to chase one from under the truck so I would not risk running over it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula . Flower picture was shot using, Canon Rebel XTI, handheld. Canon 75-300mm lens. Focal length 260mm. f/5.6. ISO 1600. Exposure 1/2500 second. Tarantula picture was taken with Canon Rebel XTI, handheld. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 44mm. f/13. ISO 400. Exposure 1/125 second.

Day 139. May 18.

Day One Hundred Thirty Nine. May 18. Picture # 139. "Untitled". After the very long drought followed by a wet spring, the wildflowers seem to  plan on never stop blooming. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 75-300mm lens. Focal length 190mm. f/5. ISO 1600. Exposure 1/640 second.

Day 138. May 17.

Day One Hundred Thirty Eight. May 17. Picture # 138. "Study in White". This is not a black & white edited picture. I have a collection of fossil shells that were dug up in central Florida. They are very young as far as fossils go but they are unusual in that their details are very sharp but they have lost all of their color. I love their graceful flowing lines and felt shadows would be the best way to share it's beauty. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 18-55mm lens. Focal length 46mm. f/22. ISO 100. Exposure 2.5 seconds.

Day 137. May 16.

Day One Hundred Thirty Seven. May 16. Picture # 137."Renewal". I visited this location three or four times early in the year. because of the drought it was just a stagnant puddle, surrounded by grey leafless trees. The spring rains brought the stream back to life and painted the trees with green. This scene can be found on the Spicewood Valley Trail in the Jollyville section of Austin, Texas. http://www.austinexplorer.com/Locations/ShowLocation.aspx?LocationID=1887 . Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. f/22. ISO 100. Multiple exposures 1.6 - 4.0 seconds.

Day 136. May 15.

Day One Hundred Thirty Six. May 15. Picture # 136. "Looks Like Rain". It actually just sprinkled a little bit. It never turned into real rain while I was there but judging from the puddle it had rained earlier. This is on the south bank of Lady Bird Lake. This area is part of an extensive trail system that runs along the banks of the lake. http://www.texasoutside.com/townlakemap.htm . This view makes it appear to be empty of people but right behind the camera is a very busy trail full of early morning visitors. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 18-55mm lens. Focal length 18mm. f/22. ISO 400. Exposure 1/4 second.

Day 135. May 14.

Day One Hundred Thirty Five. May 14. Picture # 135. "Untitled". I stopped by my friends Robert & Cindy Thoreson's office today for a short visit. Robert is a Doctor and Cindy is the office manager. They have a family practice. It is always a pleasure to visit their medical practice.They have a nice office and their wall space is adorned with original art, posters and photographs, including some of mine.Their love of art and design does not stop at their office door but continues into their lobby with its custom painted mural of Texas wildflowers. Of course the attention to detail is also reflected on the outside of the building architecturally and in the landscaping. This plant study was one of the plants in front of their building. I started to title this picture "Sleeping Cat", but I think it best that it speak for it self. Canon Rebel XTI, handheld. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 135mm. f/10. ISO 400. Exposure 1/400 second. 

Day 134. May 13.

Day One Hundred Thirty Four. May 13. Picture # 134. "Water,Wire & Sun". Sunset over a stock tank outside of Briggs, Texas. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 18-55mm lens. Focal length 21mm. f/22. ISO 800. Exposure 1/160 second.

Day 133. May 12.

Day One Hundred Thirty Three. May 12. Picture # 133. "Untitled" Afternoon on Lake Austin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Austin . The lake was surprisingly empty of boat traffic for a pretty afternoon. There were a couple of wake boarders and a jet ski passing by now and then. All in all just a quiet day on the lake. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 135mm. f/22. ISO 100. Exposure 1/6 second.

Day 132. May 11.

Day One Thirty Two. May 11. Picture # 132. "Tearing a Hole in the Sky". With all the storm clouds in central Texas right now, I was gambling on a nice sunset. I drove east to get into "big sky" farming country only to be disappointed by by a solid row of black clouds between me and the sunset. Then this single hole lit up and these rays came shining through. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 56mm. f/22. ISO 400. Exposure 1/250 second.

Day 131. May 10

Day One Hundred Thirty One. May 10. Picture # 131. "End of the Day". It was a grey and rainy day in Austin, Texas. As I was closing up the shop for the day, it began to rain harder. I did not want to struggle with keeping the gear dry so I decided to wander around the warehouse with the camera. This is one of our rows of tradeshow crates and the light is doing a good job reflecting the mood of the day. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 18-55mm lens.Bower Super Wide lens. Focal length 28mm. f/22. ISO 400. Exposure 4 seconds.

Day 130. May 9.

Day One Hundred Thirty. May 9. Picture # 130. "Of Bugs & Flowers". This has been the longest and most amazing spring since I have been in Texas. The flowers just keep blooming and the insects are loving it. This collection of pictures were all taken at St Edwards Park which is about ten minutes from my house. http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?parkId=339 . Canon Rebel XTI, on monopod. Canon 75-300mm lens. Focal length 220mm. f/5. ISO 400. Exposure 1/1600 second.

Day 129. May 8.

Day One Hundred Twenty Nine. May 8. Picture 129. "Thistles & Daisies". The amazing wildflower season of 2012 continues . . . Canon XTI Rebel, on tripod. Canon 18-55 lens. Bower Super Wide lens. Focal length 32mm. f/22. ISO 100. Exposure 1.6 seconds.

Day 128. May 7.

Day One Hundred Twenty Eight. May 7. Picture # 128. "Untitled". A quiet evening on Bull Creek. Had this section of creek all to myself. My trouble is that I just wanted to sit.This unremarkable log was in the creek directly in front of me. As the level of light changed, the surface of the water took on a satin quality. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 75-300mm. Focal length 190mm. f/22. ISO 400. Exposure 1/3 second.

Day 127. May 6.

Day One Hundred Twenty Seven. May 6. Picture # 127. "Rick's Cleaners". More of my love for neon. Still not feeling great I did not venture out far from my apartment. This sign is beside my mail box service. iPhone, handheld. Edited on iPhone with Photo Toaster app.

Day 126. May 5.

Day One Hundred Twenty Six. May 5. Picture # 126. "Untitled". Went out with all intention of shootint the "Super Moon". I was looking for a high point to allow me to frame some foreground in the picture. But the weather did not turn out as I would have hoped. The heavy haze in this picture was the edge of a major storm system that passed through overnight. This was my first outing since becoming sick. I think I may have pushed it to early. Canon Rebel XTI, on tripod. Canon 28-135mm lens. Focal length 47mm. f/22. ISO 200. Exposure 1/3 second.

The Lost Week

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this week of "less than stellar" or "maybe just above bad" pictures. It has been a tough week. I developed shingles on the right side of my head that also involved my right eye. Luckly it did not spread to the optic nerve or the retina so no permanent damage. Between large doses of painkillers, balance issues and being somewhat contagious, going out has been out of the question. I am hoping to get out with the real camera, and aim it at real things on Saturday. Thank you, Jay Baum.

Day 125. May 4.

Day One Hundred Twenty Five. May 4. Picture # 125. "Untitled" My good friend Cindy Thoreson called to check up on my progress getting over my sickness. I was bemoaning the fact there was nothing to shoot in my apartment. She is very creative and suggested the universes that briefly exist in swirling coffee. I did not have much luck finding any neat universes but was fairly happy with this. Thanks Cindy iPhone, hand held. Edited with Phototoaster iPhone app

Day 124. May 3.

Day One Hundred Twenty Four. May 3. Picture # 124. "Looking Glass". Still stuck at home. I have been sleeping sixteen to twenty hours a day of pain killer enhanced sleep. I have started tapering off the pain meds and hope to get out starting this week end. Thank you for sticking with me during the "Lost Week". Today's picture is looking through one of my antique bottles at my other collections. It is an Adam Baum & Co whiskey bottle. iPhone, handheld. Edited on iPhone with Photo Toaster app.

Day 123. May 2.

Day One Hundred Twenty Three. May 2. Picture # 123. "Picture in Darkness" or "The Light Within". Todays pictures are about shooting memories. On Saturday I was diagnosed with Shingles. It was very painfully affecting my right eye. There was talk of permanent damage and needing to be  admitted to the hospital to prevent serious complications. The doctors are saying I need to miss two weeks of work. I am relieved that my eyes should make a full recovery. Pondering blindness and the idea of keeping images alive in memory brought me to today's idea for a picture. I would set my camera on full auto, and without opening my eyes, compose five pictures from memory, I would not review or reshoot any pictures. I would allow my complete set of editing tools. so I could straighten and make adjustments as needed. Canon Rebel XTI. 28-135mm lens. Full Auto. Focal length 28mm. f/4. ISO 400. Exposure 1/60 second.

Day 122. May 1.

Day One Hundred Twenty Two. May 1. Picture # 122. "Mood". iPhone, handheld. Edited on iPhone using Photo Toaster editing app and Trey Ratcliff's filter app called 100 Cameras.