Stretching my comfort zone

Holga images for Pho 369 Class

2012-02-04T17:25:00.000-06:00

These images were taken with a cheap Holga camera using 120 film and developed in the dark room. I am taking PHO 369, Alternative Printmaking, with Chad Smith at Texas A&M Commerce this semester and we are learning how to make prints using old processes from the 1800's. It is the most fun..ever! I can hardly wait to see what they look like printed!

First image for PHO 369

2012-02-03T16:41:00.001-06:00

Last summer when I was visiting my son Eric in Houston we drove by a men's store that was going out of business. We stopped and the coolest thing for sale were some damaged mannequins. I paid my $15 and packed my very own damaged Apollo into the car. He seemed just the item to use for our first assignment.

This semester I am taking and assisting Chad Smith with PHO 369 Alternative Printmaking . The class is using Holga's with 120 film and old 4x5 camera's to make negatives in order to try different kinds of old printing processes. This image was taken with an old 4x5 camera.

To me, this class is as fun as recess was in the 5th grade!

Last of my West Texas photos

2012-01-23T10:40:00.001-06:00

The beautiful open blue sky is one of the things I love most about West Texas. Below are the rest of the pictures I took at the beginning of January when David and I drove from Paris to Denver City and back. The pictures include Bud Mathews, Post, Albany, Hobbs New Mexico, Lamesa, Seminole, Lovington New Mexico, Denver City and Palo Pinto, Texas.

Canada Geese in Migratory Pond in Brownfield TX

2012-01-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

Just before David and I got to Brownfield Texas we saw wave after wave of Canada Geese flying overhead. I tried to get some shots of them flying over the fields but I just didn't have the right lens. As we drove through Brownfield we saw thousands of the geese resting in the City Park on the ponds. My thought is it was the only water for miles around. The local waterfowl seemed none too happy about the intruders! We stayed about an hour photographing and watching the antics of the waterfowl. It was magical.

Landscapes of West Texas

2012-01-20T14:39:00.000-06:00

2012-01-20T09:20:00.001-06:00

There are certain landmarks I look for when I travel home to West Texas. The old vintage signs along the two-lane highways tell me that I'm getting closer to Denver City or that I'm moving further away.

Windows to West Texas

2012-01-19T18:23:00.002-06:00

The first of January David and I piled all of our camera equipment into the car and headed West. The windows in the stucco houses and buildings captivated me throughout the whole trip. Here are a few of the images that I have edited so far from Plains, Brownfield, Clairemont, Haskell, Jayton and Tahoka.

My top pictures for 2011

2011-12-31T15:08:00.002-06:00

Just a few of my favorite pictures I took this year!

Final Graduate Review 9 December 2011

2011-12-13T15:48:00.001-06:00

Below are images from the Texas A&M University - Commerce Fine Arts Graduate Program's Final Review on 9 December 2011.

The program has 9 professors and 14 graduate students. This is just a sampling of some of the student's work. I didn't have a chance to take pictures of all the work or all of the faculty and students. It is a grueling and rewarding day of review and critique.

Setting up the 2011 Red River Valley County Fair

2011-11-09T12:15:00.001-06:00

The workers who arrive early to set up the Red River Valley County Fair are amazing. This year, 3 different carnival operations came together to make this one of the best County Fairs I can remember.

Here are just a few of the images I managed to take this year while everyone was setting up.

20th Regiment Texas Volunteers in Paris, Texas

2011-08-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

The 20th Regiment Texas Volunteers, a Confederate re-enactment group, were in Paris, Saturday, August 20th. Gosh, I felt so sorry for them in their wool uniforms and long gingham dresses. But, they put on a really nice demonstration of what it must have been like during the Civil War years. To the left are a few of the pictures I took. It was so very hot and humid, I didn't stay too very long. I scooted off to the 21st century and air conditioning.

Here is a link to the story in The Paris News: http://theparisnews.com/news/article_d2435d68-cb99-11e0-a3e2-001cc4c03286.html

Myrtle Vance and the Lynching in Paris Texas

2011-08-20T12:41:00.002-05:00

Paris has a sad history of lynchings. Local historian, Skipper Steely will be publishing a book in late October or November 2011 about the lynchings that have occurred in Paris, Lamar County. The pictures included to the left are the grave site of a little girl of 3 named Myrtle Vance who was murdered in the summer of 1893. Skipper told me that she was found dead in a pasture near the old Gibbon's House on 6th Street. A black man named Henry Smith was accused of her murder and was brutally lynched at a site near the railway tracks and the old Rogers and Wade building. Skipper tells the story so much better than I so you will want to read the account in his book. One of the saddest facts he told me about Myrtle's murder was that her mother lost 3 children in 1 year and her husband died not long after Myrtle. The statute on Myrtle's grave is located on Lily Lane in Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Texas.

A friend and a poet from Paris has written two poems about Myrtle. One of her poems follows. Aubry, Sherry's daughter went with us this morning to visit Myrtle's grave. We spent time in the early morning light and August heat taking pictures of Myrtle's resting place. We are planning to take more next Saturday. So, hopefully we will have more pictures and another poem to share with you next week. By the way, Sherry Scott is the founder of the Paris Poetry Society. They meet once a month at venues all across Paris.

Where She Lives

by S. L. Margaret

Myrtle lives on Lily Lane

I once found her sitting on

a clump of rock

beneath the elms.

I didn’t know her story

the findings in the field

the fear and terror unleashed

that darkened the town and

stained the ground.

Only, that she sits gently

with a lily at her feet

stares down at her clasp hands

where the rain water collects in

her arms

and remains forever three

on Lily Lane.

Awkward Space Artist: August Hunt

2011-08-13T15:38:00.000-05:00

August Hunt was one of three artists showing at Awkward Spaces show August 4th through the 6th at The Gallery on 1st.The three Hunt siblings, Rainer, August and Harper put on a remarkable showing of their creative talent. The collection of work was titled "Awkward Space". Their artwork is perspective driven, by themselves, their subjects, and audience. They provoke the space in which young artists lie, a space between the novice artist and the established, the awkward space. This gap allows flexibility as a creator, encouraging participation in different art forms and pushing the exploration of the unfamiliar, all of which August, Rainer, and Harper are accomplishing. In addition, they are taking this moment in time to collaborate together and produce a work of art that is expressive of their lives and their collective creativity.

Name: August Hunt

Age: 16
School Attending: The Kildonan School

August grew up in Paris, Texas. He is sixteen years old and a student at The Kildonan School in Amenia, New York. He will be returning as a junior this fall.

August studied photography for four terms at Paris Junior College under the guidance of Marvin Gorley where his focus was digital photography. He has continued to navigate his way thru the study of photography at Kildonan branching into analog photography and the darkroom. He finished his sophomore year with a panoramic installation. He built an 8' x 11' enclosed structure that once entered provided a 360° virtual experience of the corner of Broom St. and Crosby St. in New York City.

At The Gallery on 1st exhibted a collection of portraits titled "First Impression" that were taken on the Sarah Lawrence College campus in September 2010. The portraits have been enlarged to a 4' x 6' x format. August did amazing for his first gallery showing.

Awkward Space Artist: Harper Hunt

2011-08-13T15:18:00.001-05:00

Harper Hunt was one of three artists showing at Awkward Spaces show August 4th through the 6th at The Gallery on 1st.

The three Hunt siblings, Rainer, August and Harper put on a remarkable showing of their creative talent. The collection of work was titled "Awkward Space". Their artwork is perspective driven, by themselves, their subjects, and audience. They provoke the space in which young artists lie, a space between the novice artist and the established, the awkward space. This gap allows flexibility as a creator, encouraging participation in different art forms and pushing the exploration of the unfamiliar, all of which August, Rainer, and Harper are accomplishing. In addition, they are taking this moment in time to collaborate together and produce a work of art that is expressive of their lives and their collective creativity.

Name: Harper Hunt
Age: 20
School Attending: Sarah Lawrence College

Harper Hunt, resident of Paris, Texas, attends Sarah Lawrence College in New York. In 2007 he held his first solo art show in Paris where he questioned the defining properties of art. Since then he has furthered his art interest in the film medium, and exercised his abilities through internships in-office and on set.

At Sarah Lawrence this past year he engaged in the art of screenwriting and perfecting the color photograph. His film background soon collided with photography and resulted in his ongoing body of work titled "Portable Objects". This project juxtaposes three elements: six props, a photograph of each prop, and a film that incorporates the same props. This comparison is meant to encourage the viewer to consider the movie prop as something more than just a portable object, in addition to, learning how to appreciate the inanimate. This project was inspired by the discovery of his uncle's, Dr. Harold E Hunt Sr's, opthalmology equipment, as well as the artwork he will display at The Gallery on 1st.

Harper displayed a series of images that were taken alongside his ongoing project, "Portable Objects". The digital images blend a contemporary perspective with the antiquated objects, ophthalmology instruments. Harper can't wait to bring a piece of history back to the Paris community with a modern perspective

Awkward Space Artist: Rainer Hunt

2011-08-13T15:14:00.000-05:00

Rainer Hunt was one of three artists showing at Awkward Spaces show August 4th through the 6th at The Gallery on 1st.

The three Hunt siblings, Rainer, August and Harper put on a remarkable showing of their creative talent. The collection of work was titled "Awkward Space". Their artwork is perspective driven, by themselves, their subjects, and audience. They provoke the space in which young artists lie, a space between the novice artist and the established, the awkward space. This gap allows flexibility as a creator, encouraging participation in different art forms and pushing the exploration of the unfamiliar, all of which August, Rainer, and Harper are accomplishing. In addition, they are taking this moment in time to collaborate together and produce a work of art that is expressive of their lives and their collective creativity.

Name: Rainer Hunt
Age: 20
School Attending: Bennington College

Rainer Hunt grew up in Paris, Texas along with her twin brother, Harper, and youngest brother, August. After graduating from Paris High School in 2009 she began studying at Bennington College in Vermont. She is a rising junior with a continuing focus on "Media for Social Change and Public Action".

During the past two terms Rainer's film professor has challenged her to edit films using multi-channel. As described by her professor Julie Talen, multi-channel is a narrative told "through a symphony of constantly shifting pictures and borders''. Rainer will be showing Different Perspectives, a twenty-four minute video installation that stemmed from her studies in multi-channel. She decided to incorporate this project into the art show because of her plans to use the artwork in her junior review. She looks forward to seeing how the audience in Paris will react opposed to others who have previously had the chance to witness Different Perspectives.

Paris Texas Rodeo 2011

2011-08-08T17:11:00.001-05:00

It was a rodeo kind of weekend. Man, was it ever hot, sweaty and dusty.

My camera equipment seemed to choose Saturday night to malfunction at the Paris rodeo. It was frustrating to say the least!

My focus for the evening was to continue trying to capture the rodeo using a very slow shutter speed and a wide open aperture. This is much harder than it sounds. I'm thinking I may try some stop motion at the Sulphur Springs rodeo next weekend.

Wolfe City Rodeo 2011

2011-08-08T16:13:00.000-05:00

Friday night at the Wolfe City Rodeo was awesome! My intent was to try and capture some images using a very slow shutter speed showing lots of movement. I don't know if you've ever seen some of the rodeo pictures that Vaughn Wascovich has taken using this technique or not but they are candy to the eye. I didn't quite get the images that I was hoping for but I feel as if I learned a lot.

Kueckelhan Ranch Rodeo on Fri night

2011-07-30T14:54:00.000-05:00

What a show the Kueckelhan Ranch Rodeo put on Friday night! The Kueckelhan Ranch is north of Bonham, Texas on US 78. It was over 100 degrees when we got there but a cool breeze soon cooled things off.

I am usually not in to rodeos but I really enjoyed our evening.

My intent for the evening was to try and do what one of my photography teachers did when he photographed rodeos last year. Vaughn Wascovich has some really nice photographs using a slow shutter speed. His shots are fantastic. Mine look like mistakes. You can never truly appreciate how hard something is until you try to do it yourself.

I did not get one good shot of the bull riders because I was sitting at the wrong spot. Darn it. But the shots underneath the stands turned out pretty decent!

Even more pictures from Alaska

2011-07-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

At the first of May, I had the opportunity to go to Alaska as part of a group of photographers aboard the National Geographic Seabird.

Since it is so hot in Texas, I am taking the time to begin the process of going through my many images of Alaska.

Being from Texas, I had never taken pictures from the bow of a ship. It was a learning experience for me! So many of my pictures are blurred from the movement of the ship not being in sync with the movement of my camera!

One of the most extraordinary experiences I had was taking a sea plane over the Le Conte Glacier. Wow. It was an amazing experience.

More pictures from Alaska

2011-07-26T18:17:00.001-05:00

Oh, to be in the coolness of Alaska instead of the heat of Texas right now. Just going through the pictures taken in Alaska in May cools my mind and warms my soul.

These are just a few of the images I have gone through so far. I have lots more!

Ashley's 16th Birthday

2011-07-25T16:52:00.007-05:00

Ashley Parker had her 16th birthday party at The Gallery on 1st. What a great group of teenagers. Here are a few of the shots from the night. I'll add more as I can get them uploaded.

Ashley is truly a sweet 16 year old! Happy happy birthday to you!

Summer Rain Storm in Lamar County

2011-06-29T09:17:00.000-05:00

As I was driving home yesterday a summer storm drenched Lamar County with some much needed rain.

The temperature felt like it dropped at least 20 degrees. What a welcome relief from the sweltering heat.

Hoga camera with 120 color film

2011-06-22T11:41:00.000-05:00

Holga cameras are just so much fun. The aspect that I like so much is that you never know how your picture is going to turn out. There are light leaks, uneven colorization, wierd saturations, and an overall unusual quality to the pictures.

I actually took these pictures last summer after I took a Holga class from Chad Smith at Commerce. In class we used black and white film and developed the film in the dark room. After class I wanted to experiment with color film. It is kind of expensive and it is just a little difficult to get it processed.

Next I think Iam going to try cross-processing the color film and see what images develop!

Whatever struck my fancy!

2011-06-09T18:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I drove home from Austin to Paris on HWY 79 North. It was such a lovely day with a bright blue sky, wispy clouds and georgeous summer lighting. All along the way I stopped at the little towns and took pictures of whatever caught my fancy. I have more but thought this was enough to share for the moment!

Cafe in Franklin, TX off HWY 79 N

In downtown Thrall TX off of HWY 79 N

Downtown Hearne Texas off HWY 79 N

Corn field near Hearne TX on HWY 79 N

Downtown Hearne Texas off HWY 79 N

Old gate in front of home in Hearne, TX

Old theater in Hearne, TX

Old car hoods in Thrall, TX off HWY 79 N

Old church at sunset near Holly Cemetery off HWY 79 N

Old place outside of Hearne on HWY 79

Howard Theater in Taylor Texas off HWY 79

Old store fronts in Taylor, TX off HWY 79

Bright house off HWY 79 in Taylor, Texas

Heading off HWY 79 in Taylor, Texas

Store front in Hearne, TX off HWY 79

Sunset on HWY 79 June 8, 2011

Howard Theater sign in Taylor, Texas off HWY 79

Proof I exist

2011-05-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

I do exist. I exist in a hot dark room with smelly chemicals and a red light. The final day of our May Mini pinhole photography class is June 1st. There is going to be an exhibit of all of the student's work at The Gallery on 1st Street on June 1st from 4 pm to 8 pm. There will be some great food and wonderful pinhole images. Stop by and support the students from Texas A&M Commerce. Everyone has been working hard for the past 10 days trying to get some good images.

Pinhole Photography May Mini Class

2011-05-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

Life in the darkroom is good. I am taking a pinhole photography May Mini class. This means devoting almost 12 hours a day for 10 days to get 4 hours of college credit at Texas A&M Commerce. I liked it so much last summer I decided to continue my study of the pinhole camera.

The instructor is Vaughn Wascovich who is a hard task master but a wonderful teacher. By June 1st the goal is to have 3 pinhole images in the categories of landscape, nature, architecture, portraits and still life. There is going to be a gallery show from 4-8 on Wednesday, June 1st from 4-8 at The Gallery on 1st.

Whew.....

Here are my best prints so far. I have not even started on my nature shots yet. Which two do you think I should have framed for the show?

North to Alaska

2011-05-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

What an amazing 9 days.

If you have ever thought about taking a trip to Alaska, book it right now! Little did I know that booking a trip with the National Geographic Society's Photography tour would be the most amazing trip I have ever taken.

I just landed back to the lower 48 and I'm sitting in a hotel in Seattle. It is off to DFW early tomorrow morning and then the drive back to Paris. I'll blog more after I get home and have time to go through the images.

LeConte Glacier, Tracy Arm Alaska

Greeters at the sea plane in Petersburg, Alaska.

Glacier at National Bay National Park

Self portrait at Elfin Cove, Alaska

Just playing!

2011-04-13T19:47:00.007-05:00

I had so much fun with Brittney and Misty trying to get shots for my PHO 210 class.

I think they are both ready for America's next Top Teen Model!

Low key and no high key images!

2011-04-07T14:59:00.008-05:00

I was just crestfallen yesterday when my instructor told me that I did not get a high key image for my assignment in PHO 210. The models were beautiful, their make-up and hair was beautiful, the clothes were beautiful but I failed to get the assignment. I have to re-do it. After the teacher pointed out where I didn't quite make it, I could see what he was talking about. I still need models for my final exam and portfolio. Please call me at 903.783.1132 if you are interested in having a portrait done before April 30th.

A box, a beverage and still life

2011-03-30T09:11:00.014-05:00

Images for the mid-term assignment in PH 210 have been printed and are ready for critique this afternoon. Our task was to learn how to control the light source and to remember color combinations.

The assignment was to photograph in the studio:

1. A still life

2. A beverage that looks drinkable or a

3. Box and a bottle that relate to each other.

I re-worked each of these 3 times before I captured a suitable image.

I'm pretty sure that I am not cut out to be a product photographer. David and I would starve!

Which image do you think is most successful?

Moonlight over Lake Pat Mayse

2011-03-19T22:27:00.004-05:00

David and I went to Pat Mayse Lake to take pictures of the full moon. This was harder than I thought it would be to get a sharp image along with the mood of the moonlight. It was fun!

The full moon

2011-03-19T13:27:00.003-05:00

I was in Arlington, Texas, getting some gas and I glanced up at the moon. The birds in the trees seemed to be looking at the moon as well. So, I pulled out my camera and took a shot.

Skipper's back yard

2011-03-13T11:38:00.010-05:00

Last night was a perfect spring evening for a barbecue in the backyard of Skipper's house. Everytime we go over to Skipper's house I am awed by the history of this old homestead. His ancestor, George Wright is the person who offered the land for what is now Paris, Texas.

I wonder how many founding fathers of Paris and Lamar County have sat outside on this particular lawn and discussed the politics of the day.

As we were sitting and talking I couldn't help but notice the play of light on an old shed, the way the light was hitting the old bathtub in the garden and the light streaming from the back door. I didn't bring my camera but David had his. He let me use his camera and tripod to take the images of the evening.

Thank you Skipper and Paul for inviting to share the evening.

Paris in a fog

2011-03-09T17:44:00.010-06:00

I stepped outside the building late last night to get a breath of fresh air and became transfixed with the colors of the stop lights in the fog.

We seldom have fog in Paris or least I seldom see it. A storm had blown through earlier in the day bringing cool air. I hate to admit it but I don't remember what was taught in science class about how fog is created.

I forgot all about the guests at the Mardi Gras celebration and went upstairs to get my camera and the tripod. I drifted to the corner of 1st and Houston and started taking pictures.

I now realize that I don't quite know how to control the light in the fog but I sure had fun trying to capture the moment.

National Pinhole Photography Day

2011-03-05T12:38:00.003-06:00

Eleventh Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day

News Release from the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day

The Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) celebrates its eleventh edition. The international event that promotes the fantasy, art, fun and experience of lens-less photography, will occur on April 24, 2011 and expects to break last year's record that saw the participation of over 3400 photographers from all over the world. Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day is always the last Sunday in April.

In 2011. Since this is also Easter Sunday, for 2011 only, we will accept pinhole photographs taken between April 23 and May 1.

HOW
Everyone in the world is invited to take a picture with a pinhole camera during between April 23 and May 1 and upload it to http://www.pinholeday.org. One photo by each artist will become part of the internet's premier pinhole photography gallery.

WHAT IT IS
Pinhole photos are taken without a lens but simply through a small hole, about the size of the period at the end of a sentence. Photos can be made using regular cameras, including digital, fitted with a pinhole aperture. Refined results can be obtained using pinhole cameras purposely made for the lens-less photography. It is creative, funny and educational to use a self-made camera from ordinary items such as shoe boxes, peeled tomato cans or tea boxes. Any container that can be made light-tight can become a pinhole camera.

An increasing number of people are showing interest in the exciting practice of pinhole photography. In 2001, 291 pinhole photographers from 24 countries took part in the web exhibition. Last year they were 3449 from 70 countries.

Website: http://www.pinholeday.org/

Anyone want to participate? I have some extra pinhole cameras.

Call me and let's get this party started. 903.783.1132

2011-03-04T13:27:00.011-06:00

Have you ever been to the sweetest little town in Texas? Well, David and I ate dinner there after a meeting last night. Honey Grove is just down the road from Paris on HWY 82.

As we were eating supper on the square in Honey Grove we began admiring the cobbled stone streets and the quaint lights. As soon as the meal was finished we took out our cameras and began taking pictures of the square at night.

We were in David's car so I didn't have my tripod. The pictures I took of the downtown area are all hand held and at a high ISO. So, they aren't sharp and they are grainy but what the heck, we had a ball just walking the streets and snapping away.

On the other hand, David did have his tripod. Oh, my gosh! Wait until you see his pictures of downtown Honey Grove at night.
The Honey Grove Library is planning a photography exhibit on Thursday, March 31st from 5-9 or so. Boy, I hope David has some of his images printed and framed to hang in their show.

By the way, the exhibit is open to everyone. They will love it if you bring your best photo(s) to show! For more details call Patsy at 903.227.8951.

As for me, I think I am just going to consider the images posted here to be test shots. I'm going back some day real soon with my tripod on my shoulder and my camera batteries charged!

A day at the horse farm

2011-03-02T08:24:00.011-06:00

Tuesday, David's photography class traveled to a horse farm near Honey Grove, Texas to take pictures. Chad Smith, the teacher, graciously allowed me to tag along.

We shot between the hours of about 10 am to noon. It was hard for me to get my exposures correct. You have to think fast around horses!

The horse farm was just beautiful. The day was beautiful and the horses were stunning. I'd like to have the opportunity to return to the farm at day break or sun set to try to take a true portrait of these absolutely beautiful animals.

Shiny metal devils

2011-02-22T17:11:00.004-06:00

My assignment this week in PHO 210 Formal Studio Lighting was to photograph shiny metal objects.

The task was to take a photo in the studio on campus of one 3-D and one 2-D object. We used a Hasselblad medium format camera and only one light source. One image had to be on grey paper and the other had to be using something with color.

Trust me when I tell you that it is very hard to control the highlights and shadows on a shiny metal object with a single light source.

I looked like a bag lady carrying all of my equipment, props, cameras, etc., from the car to the photography studio on the 3rd floor of the journalism building.

I am pretty sure that I will not be getting any product gigs in the near future....nor do I want any!

The pictures have been printed out with care and are awaiting to be torn apart verbally by both fellow students and the teacher.

Lightbulb in the back room

2011-02-20T12:48:00.003-06:00

Small odd things seem to capture my eye and my attention. In the back room of our building down town there is a large old light bulb hanging from the fixture. The windows from the room and other buldings from downtown are always reflected in this old bulb. It just facinates me.

There is a lightbulb contest on one of the sites I frequent. I decided I'd try to enter it. I know I haven't quite captured the uniqueness of the bulb but these are my best shots!

Gene's Flea Market finds

2011-02-13T13:26:00.022-06:00

You have not experienced Paris Texas until you have gone to Gene's Flea Market on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Instead of shopping, I go on a Scavanger's Hunt for interesting photo opportunities.

The sellers and the lookers are very good spirited about pictures being taken.

Here are a few of my fabulous 'finds'!

From my office window

2011-02-10T19:41:00.009-06:00

I know I am probably the only one that does this but I was supposed to be doing something else this evening. Instead, I was sitting and looking out the window in my office. The lights were mesmerizing. I decided to pull out my camera and just see what I could take in such low light conditions and without a tripod.

This is downtown Paris. My version of street photography in a small town. Well, the images are different. But I did kill some time avoiding work!

Snow in northeast Texas

2011-02-05T19:27:00.018-06:00

I am glad we live in the South where snow is an anomaly. It is so much fun to go out and play in the white stuff and then come in and have a cup of hot tea. David and I went out Friday after the second snow storm blew through our area. We trudged out to the back of our property trying to out best the other in finding 'cool' places to take landscapes.

Well, here are my best shots. Can't wait to see what he comes up with for snow landscapes!

New clock donated to the citizens of Paris, Texas

2011-01-31T09:29:00.003-06:00

The Hagood family donated and dedicated a clock to Paris, Texas, on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 2:00 pm. The clock was placed on the downtown square near the fountain.

The square was filled Sunday with an appreciative audience. What a wonderful gift to the citizens of Paris.

Thank you to all the Hagood family.

Mirabeau Square

2011-01-24T19:00:00.003-06:00

Boy, you never know when it is going to be your last time to take a picture of something. I had no idea when I took this picture of the sign at Mirabeau Square that it would be gone the next week.

This was taken with a Holga camera using color 120 film. I obviously did something wrong but it came out kind of neat.

I try to take pictures of the signs in and around Paris, Texas. If you know a sign is about to be taken down, would you give me a call?

James and his bandage!

2011-01-18T19:06:00.004-06:00

James took a tumble today at the playground. Seven staples later he was ready for a burger at Jack-in-the Box!

Snow at night

2011-01-13T10:14:00.010-06:00

Being from Texas I have not had much experience taking pictures of snow. It is really pretty silly that when it snows I usually run outside like a small child with my camera in hand to take pictures of that pretty white stufff on the ground.

This time I found that it was our porch lights shining on the newly fallen snow that captured my attention. The dark shadows on the white snow looked different at night. The bark on the trees reflected the light and seemed more appealing than in the light of day.

So, here are my snow pictures from the snow of January 2011.

I must say that it was my photography class with Vaughn Wascovich at TAMU-Commerce that made me look at and appreciate the modulated light and shadows upon the snow. I realize that I still can't take outstanding landscape images yet but I am beginning to see the light differently.

Thank you Vaughn.

The birds in our backyard

2011-01-12T10:07:00.012-06:00

I feel so sorry for my sweet husband sometimes. This is a man who reads bird field guides like others read the stock reports. He participates each year in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count and is invited to go with the Pat Mayse Lake park ranger to ride in the boat to count the eagles. This man knows birds.

When we were snowed in on Monday, David took the screen off of our kitchen window and we sat our tripods in the sink with cameras attached to take pictures of the birds who visited our birdfeeder.

Here is why I feel sorry for David. I don't know the difference between a Junco and a Chickadee. And really, I don't care. I care about if they are pretty or not.

David rattles off their names and marks them in his book if they have never appeared in our back yard before or not. But I can tell you that we had so much fun sitting by the sink taking pictures and commenting on the antics of the different birds.

This is what I learned from our bird adventure. Cardinals are polite. All the birds clear out when the Bluejays arrive. They make room for the big boys who are the bullies in our backyard.

I loved the snow and I really enjoyed David's enthusiasm for the birds.

Hope you like my pretty pictures!

Snowmen on the streets of Paris

2011-01-11T13:38:00.018-06:00

For the past several years I have driven up and down the streets of Paris, Texas, taking pictures of snowmen. This year seems to have the least number of snowmen since I began taking these shots. My thought is that kids are staying in the house playing video games instead of going outside and playing in the snow.

At the risk of sounding old, I remember when there was a sort of pride in having the best dressed snowman on the block!

Three New Year's Eve Revellers

2011-01-05T15:28:00.005-06:00

New Year's Eve is our anniversary. Eric and Heather joined us for dinner at a quaint little restaurant in Lake Charles, Louisiana named Harlequins. Eric's friend, Morgan, stopped by and bought a very nice bottle of wine for us to celebrate the evening.

After we rang in the new year at L’Auberge, David and I called it a night. We met up with Heather, Eric and Morgan the next morning. Here are pictures of the young revellers on 01,11,11.

Now I wish I had taken pictures of everyone gussied up for New Year's eve!

Painting with light at night

2010-12-26T16:27:00.009-06:00

Those of you who rode up and down the back roads looking for a place to park might find these to be familiar scenes! These are pictures taken as the blue moon rose over a road near Snyder, Texas. David turned on the headlights for me to use as a light source to add interest to the landscape as the moon began to rise. Ah....such sweet memories!

The Christmas spirit in Paris

2010-12-25T18:18:00.010-06:00

Is it just me or does it seem like there are less Christmas decorations this year to you? My thought is that the economy is affecting how people are choosing to decorate outside this year.

My friend, Skipper Steely, and I drove around Paris on Friday afternoon. He told me stories about the history of the houses we drove by and I took pictures.

It was a little scary taking pictures of people's homes I didn't know. Sure didn't want anyone to think we were casing the place!

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Lunar Eclipse 20-21 Dec 2010

2010-12-21T13:17:00.008-06:00

Just let me say that I should have spent some time researching how to photograph a lunar eclipse instead of spending all day in Dallas shopping with David.

Lesson learned: find out what settings to use, where to shoot, what lens to use, etc., etc.

Oh well, they are what they are.

This is the first time in a VERY long time that I stayed up in a lawn chair until 4 am in the morning.

Signs to Santa Fe

2010-12-02T08:12:00.011-06:00

Don't know why I have this thing about old signs.

West Texas to New Mexico and back

2010-12-02T08:05:00.005-06:00

The world is just full of pictures waiting to be taken!

First trys at Panoramas

2010-12-02T07:53:00.005-06:00

My first try to take and stitch together pictures into a panorama. These were taken on our trip to Santa Fe before Thanksgiving.

This last one is not a panorama but I really liked how the road and the clouds turned out in this picture.

My Blurb Book: Portraiture

2010-11-30T09:42:00.002-06:00

Here is the link to my Blurb book for PHO 209 class.
http://www.blurb.com/books/1781787

Denver City Texas

2010-11-29T14:34:00.013-06:00

It was so much fun running around Denver City taking pictures. We left town a little after 3 pm so I did not have near enough time to take all the pictures I wanted to take!

View of Denver City and West Texas

2010-11-27T13:58:00.011-06:00

Ah, the sweet smell of oil money greeted me at the edge of town as we drove into Denver City. Gone was the flame at the edge of town that used to light the back yard where we would play football until our parents called us in for supper. Still are the friendly faces and sweet people that I rembered as a child and those who I went to school with from 1st grade to graduation.

It was my husband's first time to visit West Texas and my hometown of Denver City, Texas. He was much impressed with how friendly and kind everyone was that we met on the street and in the cafes.

Here are a few of the photographs I have worked on so far. I'll post more as I finish them. It was good to go back home as a photographer and take pictures of my memories.

First visit to Santa Fe

2010-11-27T13:47:00.008-06:00

Santa Fe was as beautiful as I imagined it would be in my thoughts. There were not near as many tourists as I thought we would see so the pace was slow and pleasant. We had such an enjoyable trip going and coming back to reality. I have a lot of pictures I haven't even begun to go through from the trip. Just thought I'd share a few as I got them processed.

PHO 209 Fall 2010 Project

2010-11-16T15:37:00.002-06:00

Here is a look at my Fall 2010 project for PHO 209 in Vaughn Wascovich's class. The project I chose for this class was to work on portraits emulating the work of master photographers.

To see my work thus far, please go to my portfolio page:
http://gingersfunkyphotos.daportfolio.com/

and go to the Project 2010 Project area.

The 1st Photograph is in Austin

2010-11-12T17:03:00.004-06:00

If you are traveling to Austin over Thanksgiving, you might want to stop by and visit the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin on 300 West 21st Street.

The website suggests that you call first and make sure they are open. The number is 512.471-9124.

The Helmut and Alison Gernsheim collection includes the world's first photograph, created in 1826 by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. According to the website the photography section "...holdings currently amount to over five million prints and negatives, supplemented by books, manuscripts, journals, and memorabilia of significant photographers since the medium's invention."

I want to see this piece of history! My next trip to Austin is going to include a trip to the UT campus.

Source: http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/collections/photography/

Portrait Semester Project

2010-11-09T10:22:00.003-06:00

My proposed semester project is to explore some of the top portrait photographers and create unique images in terms of style and lighting using the research as an inspiration for the final matted portraits.

Artists and portrait photographers such as Edward Hopper, Louise Brooks, Greg Gorman, Rankin, Yousuf Karsh and others as outlined in a separate spreadsheet will be referenced.

Hollywood Lighting Assignment

2010-11-04T14:21:00.010-05:00

Our assignment for the past two weeks in PHO 209 was to shoot, print and mat 8 images immolating the grand ole Hollywood photographers. The students had some awesome pictures this morning in class for critique. I really enjoyed this assignment.

If you want a Hollywood picture done, I'm your girl!

Painting with Light Two

2010-10-21T07:20:00.007-05:00

Tomye and Lonnie

Just thought I'd try for some more images in the Painting with Light Assignment. Closer but still no cigar.

Do-Over

2010-10-20T11:27:00.006-05:00

Painting with Light at Night

I re-took the picture of David hiking in the woods at night. The aperture was reduced from 22 to 8 and the ISO was changed from 400 to 100. The time exposure was changed from bulb to 5 seconds.

There is still quite a bit of noise in the image but the final image is somewhat improved.

Painting with Light Assignment

2010-10-17T15:58:00.011-05:00

OK but no cigars.

This assignment had a steep learning curve since I have never done any painting with light before. My images are elementary. Sorry but I did try.

Of all our assignments, this has taken the longest because I had to redo a couple of the shots. Learning how handle images in post-processing took the most time. My not knowing how to do layers in Photoshop was the most difficult hurdle to overcome.

After seeing what can be done with light painting and how it can be used to enhance certain situations, I can tell that I'll keep this little skill in my handy tool bag.

Mid-Semester Project Update

2010-10-11T12:31:00.023-05:00

Studied Portrature

This semester in PHO 209 my goal is to study the work of accomplished portrait artists and try to emulate their styles in order to take my own work to another level. This has been so much harder than I ever imagined. A portrait looks so easy to do but it is not. After attempting to duplicate the work of several artists, I am developing a whole new appreciation for those who can capture light, character, posture, a sense of time and place, etc. in their portraiture. I must admit that I have failed to produce the quality of most of the artists I have tried to study so far this semester.

Ambria.
One of my favorite artists is Edward Hopper. His work looks almost like a photograph to me although he worked with oils, watercolors and etchings. According to Wikiipedia, "Most of Hopper's figure paintings focus on the subtle interaction of human beings with their environment—carried out with solo figures, couples, or groups. His primary emotional themes are solitude, loneliness, regret, boredom, and resignation. He expresses the emotions in various environments, including the office, in public places, in apartments, on the road, or on vacation.[ As if he were creating stills for a movie or tableaux in a play, Hopper positioned his characters as if they were captured just before or just after the climax of a scene." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hopper)

With the photograph of Ambria, I tried to capture the sense of lonliness.

Blossom VFD Hamburger Stand
Another image I tried to do like that of Edward Hopper is the Blossom VFD Hamburger Stand. I have written grants for the Blossom Volunteer Fire Department off and on for the past 16 years. A couple of weeks ago there was a street dance in Blossom and a few of the guys were manning the stand. I wish I would have taken a lot more exposures of this scene but people were constantly moving about and it was hard to isolate the people for a composition.

Gary.
The portrait of Gary was done with the idea of Yousuf Karsh. Karsh's portraits are simple, utilize available light and have little to no props. Some of his most famous portraits include Sir Winston Churchill, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Albert Einstein. The images are all in black and white.

Nudes in Modulated Light.
There is a book on my shelf simply titled, Herve Leger. The book is of Herve Leger's designs photographed by Francis Giacobetti. The images are all modulated light using zebra stripes. I tried everything I knew to get the stripe patterns across the nude model. I never achieved the lighting. So, I attempted to use everything else I could find at my office to modulate the light on the model.

Elizabeth.
Another book on my shelf is of the photographical work of Lewis Carroll. Carroll photographed children from May 1856 to July 1880. My only knowledge of Lewis Carroll was of him as an author of Alice in Wonderland which was published in 1865. Portraiture was Carroll's main field of interest and specifically little girls. The pictures of Elizabeth are my take on Carroll's portrait of Agnes Florence Price, the daughter of one of his contemporaries.

Stephen.
Andrew Eccles, who was Annie Leibovitz's assistant, has a unique portrait style. His portrait of James Thomas influenced me to take this picture of Stephen. The portrait of him is in his own environment and lit with only one light source. I think I might need to reshoot this picture of Stephen with a softer light coming from the closet. I think the image works better as a black and white just like Eccle's picture of Thomas.

Carrissa.
The image of Carrissa is my attempt to imitate Patrick Fraser. Specifically, I tried to capture the essence of his photograph of Penny, Wyoming Rancher. His portraits have been termed 'classic with a twist'. My image does not have the fine details that Fraser's work captures.

Art Streiber.
I failed miserably at trying to do a picture like Art Streiber. They are so bad that I am not even going to share the final images. The picture I tried to do was like Streiber's photograph of Nicole Kidman. A friend of mine is elegant and has a beautiful home. The model and the setting were beautiful, my picture was not. If I try this again, I think I need to use a different lens.

The PHO 209 Project images can be found on my website at: http://gingersfunkyphotos.daportfolio.com/gallery/435878

Classless Trys

2010-10-07T13:52:00.006-05:00

Painting with Light

Here are my three trys at painting with light in class. I have a funny feeling this assignment is not going to be some of my finest work. The learning curve is steep!

Visions of Light

2010-10-06T12:18:00.007-05:00

The Art of Cinemaphotography

I am not a movie buff. We were very very poor growing up and I did not get to go to the movies very much until I was an adult and then I had children. All fun stopped for about 10 years.

Not having seen very many of the movies introduced and discussed in the documentary, “Visions of Light - The Art of Cinemaphotography” in class on Tuesday, I found it very interesting and educational.

I had not an idea what the definition of Film Noir was. Good ole Wikipedia defines it as:
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir

I was mesmerized by the lighting in the film noir period more than any of the other time frames covered in the documentary. Some of the films discussed included The Docks of New York, The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man.

Another style that captivated me was that The Grapes of Wrath was filmed in journalistic, documentary-style with black and white textures and low-key lighting and chiaroscuro (often provided by a candle or low light source). After a little research I found out the cinemaphotographer, Gregg Toland, was not even nominated for an academy award. All the praise for the cinemaphotography went to John Ford.

The change in film size from 70 mm from the standard 35 mm motion picture film format in the movie Lawrence of Arabia (1962) was enlightening. I had never heard of Super Panavision 70 technology which was used by the cinemaphotographer, Freddie Young.

A term that I had not heard of and was not familiar with was New York Style Films. The example given was Naked City by William Daniels. “The movie, shot partially in documentary style, was filmed on location on the streets of New York City, featuring landmarks such as the Williamsburg Bridge the Whitehall Building and an apartment building on West 83rd Street (Manhattan) where the murder took place. William H. Daniels won an Academy Award for his cinematography. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_City)

The movie, Days of Heaven, was one that I had never even heard about. However, just from the small clips shown to us, I found the light coming from the windows and doors to be quite lovely.

I came away with a sense that I want to rent some of the film noir movies and steal some of the styles of photography out of them!

Playing with the lighting of toys

2010-09-28T16:17:00.008-05:00

Well, here are a few different trys at lighting toys.

The guy at Bongo's Tattoo parlor wouldn't give Barbie a tat. Said it was too time consuming. I wanted a 'Born to be Wild' inking but he just wasn't that in to her. Damn.

I have a lot of other poses of her with different lighting and another Barbie doll but I'm afrain that Google might give me the boot. Literally.

Sorry about the cliche Christmas village scene. David has been collecting those little porcelain pieces for years. He was pulling for the little guys to be in the shoot.

There is not a tableau that goes into great detail but I did try all kinds of different ways to light each set of toys. If the lights ever go out, I am set. There are 6 different flash lights in varying sizes on the table. One flashlight has plastic colored pieces to go over it if I ever need red, yellow or blue gels.

All things considered, I probably spent about 20 hours on this project. There are about 600-700 shots in this week's file.

Doll Face

2010-09-24T20:17:00.008-05:00

This little red headed step-child of a doll just fascinated me in that there is no position where she looks directly into the camera. Who ever painted her eyes made them so that she is always looking slightly away.

It certainly has occured to me that I am venturing away from the assignment of creating a tableau. These dolls just seemed like they were waiting in line to get their portrait taken!

This music box dancer looks so out of place at the ball. Her awkward stance made me think of the girl who probably would never be asked for the next dance.

Playing with cowboys and army guys

2010-09-24T18:02:00.010-05:00

OMG, have I had fun today playing with other people's toys.

My son Stephen, a former Army Ranger, and his girlfriend Rhonda came over this afternoon and he put together the army tableau for me. They both held the flashlights to help me light the scene and take some pictures. How often does a mother get to play army with her 30 year old son?

Learning how to light the cowboy and his horse was an experience. It took me 4 hours and 5 different lights to determine that the size of the light worked better when it was scaled to the size of the toy. Obviously, I'm a slow learner.

I have about 5 other 'scenes' ready to photograph. Sure wish I didn't have to stop and cook supper. It would be so much more fun to play!

Little bitty tourists

2010-09-22T11:01:00.004-05:00

and a duck pond too!

I know these do not quite fit our tableau assignment but I thought I'd share them anyway!

Layered Modulated Light with Assignments

2010-09-19T12:46:00.007-05:00

Let me tell you up front that I do not know how to layer in PhotoShop. Nevertheless, I decided to try and layer my modulated light images with my studio light images to see what I could come up with in the merging. There are definitely no award winners but I tried my best.

Natures way of modulating light

2010-09-18T15:21:00.013-05:00

The sun, the great naked lamp in the sky.

Trees, natures way of modulating light.

On the street

2010-09-18T12:46:00.005-05:00

with Bill Cunningham

I hesitate to even bring this up. My fear is that Vaughn will read this and then make us do a video blog. That said, take a look at On the Street Views by Bill Cunningham who documents the people who may be the real stars of New York Fashion Week: the guests. Cunningham’s comments are a real hoot! The music adds a comic interest as well.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/09/18/style/1248069050418/on-the-street-views.html?ref=multimedia

While doing a little follow up on who Bill Cunningham is exactly in relation to the New York Times, I found that he has been a photographer for over 50 years! The first picture he took of someone on the streets of New York was a picture of Greta Garbo. The cut and the quality of her coat caught his attention. The quality and interest in the subject of his picture caught an editor’s eye. The rest is history as they say. His first pictures were of Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, the king and queen of Spain, a Kennedy in a fox coat. I doubt he thought his first pictures of people on the streets of New York would lead him into a 50-year career of photography!

His words: “I go out every day. When I get depressed at the office, I go out, and as soon as I'm on the street and see people, I feel better. But I never go out with a preconceived idea. I let the street speak to me.”

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res

Glass Lights

2010-09-17T10:10:00.012-05:00

Our particular challenge in this lighting assignment was to make a glass of water interesting using a variety of techniques.

From this point forward, when I see a glass of water in a magazine or in an ad, I will have a whole new appreciation for the skill of that particular photographer.

I think I need some private tutoring lessons on lighting a simple glass of water.

Modulated light

2010-09-16T12:56:00.015-05:00

On White Paper

This assignment was most interesting. I tried all kinds of things to modulate light. Who would have ever thought I'd be using liquor bottles, broken mirrors, scraps of lace, a waste paper basket and old architect templates to vary light on white paper in order to make a different image? Only in Vaughn's class!

In the words of Mr. Wascovich, " Modulation- In electronics, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a high frequency periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with respect to a modulating signal. This is done in a similar fashion as a musician may modulate a tone (a periodic waveform) from a musical instrument by varying its volume, timing and pitch. The three key parameters of a periodic waveform are its amplitude ("volume"), its phase ("timing") and its frequency ("pitch"), all of which can be modified in accordance with a low frequency signal to obtain the modulated signal. "

Next, my plan is to take these modulated images of light and layer them into my other product pieces to create a new and interesting image.

Pictures of paper

2010-09-15T15:43:00.016-05:00

I must say that now I look at toilet paper in a whole new light!

Types of paper used:
1. Regular typing paper
2. Resume paper
3. Toilet paper
4. Paper napkin
5. Piece of paper in a book

Bows and Arrows Gallery Show in Dallas

2010-09-14T12:36:00.006-05:00

Third Floor Photo Summer Show

If you live in Dallas or visit often....please make plans to come to the Photography Exhibit at the Bows and Arrows Gallery on September 25th. One of my pinhole pictures and three of my Holga images from the summer classes at Texas A&M Commerce will be included in the show.

If you like alternative photo processes, you will really enjoy this exhibit. Hope to see you there!

Third Floor Photo Summer Show at
Bows and Arrows Gallery
1925 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 828-2697
Time: 5:00PM Saturday, September 25th

http://bowsandarrowsdeluxe.com/

A dozen eggs

2010-09-13T18:48:00.016-05:00

I have no idea if I am doing this assignment of photographing an egg correctly or not. But...here are a dozen of my best attempts. I have varied the main light, used a mirror, diffused the light, focused the light, etc. This took me a little under 8 hours from start to finish.