Thai Tina's & The Amazing Spectacular Rolling Sky

****FYI: May 21 is Jon and Melinda's one year wedding anniversary!****

We went out with a fun group of friends this past Saturday night and--Lo and Behold!--there was this amazing sky outside after we left the restaurant. I really didn't expect to shoot any photos that night but of course something great always pops up when I don't plan on taking pics. At first I shot with our handy little pocket camera, a Canon somethin' or other, just to get some fun mementos of our friends...but that sky was just amazing and there's only so much you can do with a little camera and no tripod. "Magic hour" was already fading by the time I finally decided to take the bigger camera out for a run. Ah, well. So I missed the gorgeous blue and magenta cloud-speckled sky for the following photos but it was still fun experimenting.
I wish I could've had this expression coupled with the lens flare from the photo below. And, ideally, I'd nix the buildings but I couldn't get the angle I wanted when I shifted the cam above the buildings. We later stood him on a chair which helped...but anyway--long story short: just a fun, impromptu shoot while out with 6 friends, everyone's talking, the flash is popping off, strangers are walking by...lots of stuff going on.
Good friends. Good times.

Senior Show and Graduation

Yay! Congratulations to my little sister Rachel who had her senior banquet and graduation last week. It's been six long years and she did it!

Then it was off to the Greenhouse for yummy lunch.

Jon

Rachel and Peter

Sara's Bed

April 2007. Denton, Texas

Bathtub in Oak Cliff

My personal pick from the shoot at the home in Oak Cliff, Texas. It was somewhat dim in there with mixed lighting from the tungsten lights above and the window behind me. Hence the faint blue and orange hues. Cramped shooting in there. See below.

Restored Oak Cliff Home

I got to photograph this neat restored home in Oak Cliff on April 19, 2007. So amazing. You'd never guess that such amazing rooms would greet you on the inside just by driving by this little home in Oak Cliff. I've been in some big, rich houses (including a 7.5 million Highland Park, Texas estate) but this little treasure was by far my favorite. The woodwork was all custom with every little detail taken into consideration. All sorts of little touches made this home an astounding piece of work. I believe the restorer's name was Wayne Woods.

I said I'd post some drawings

The "Clinique Happy" perfume girl.

Well, I said I'd post some old drawings. I fished these out of the closet. Two of them are from high school, 10th grade (about 9 years ago...) and one is from an early drawing class in college. I can see a ton of problems with them. They look incomplete to me, or just plain messed up. As I said before, drawings always take me a long time and I never really finish any of them just b/c I get tired of drawing...terrible, isn't it?
Nevertheless, I said I'd post some drawings, so here they are. I decided against posting any drawings from a class in college known as "Figure Drawing" or what I call "Naked People Drawing Class." Figured that might not be viewer friendly...
It's beyond me why I didn't realize the right leg looked so dark and out of place compared to everything else when I drew this.
...and a page from the sketchbook. Sketchbooks are amazing things. An artist's sketchbook is such a time machine full of writings (ideas, random blurbs, poetry, journals) and sketches from all over. Some good and some really really bad.

busy busy

Goodness. I've been busy lately. I need to do some quick and dirty edits and post some pics that have been floating around in piles all over the place (or on memory cards, whatever).

On another note...Today I decided that I need to get back into painting. It's been a long time since I've painted. It's been a long time since I've done anything really artsy like I used to. I'm talkin' whip out the paints and pencils and charcoals and get back into real traditional old school methods.

Maybe I'll post some of my old drawings. I should do that. No I will do that. Okay. I've made a commitment. I'll post some old drawings. I need to do a pencil portrait of my sweet Jon. I was pretty good at those back in the day. They took three days to finish--and I'm talking 8-10 hour stretches of nothing but drawing--but they were nice.

Trying a different lens

I had the privilege of getting to try out a nice 17-55mm, f2.8 lens. Sadly, I couldn't keep it, but it was nice playing with it. Very nice focus.
And of course I had to get the cliche shot of the eyes. A lens with such nice focus just asks for a close-up of the eyes.

Big D Half Marathon!

Here's our amazing runner towards the tail-end of the race.

The Big Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K took place today, April 1, 2007. There was such excitement in the air when Jon and I arrived to cheer on my little sister. The race started at 7:45am or so (a bit later than the forecasted 7:30am) and we arrived around her 10th mile. Three more to go! I was so proud of all the people out running and even the ones walking. I actually wanted to cry because I was so proud of what all the participants were trying to accomplish. She did it all by herself, arriving early in the morning, checking in and stretching, with no one she knew running by her or cheering her on until we got there at around 9-9:15am. I'm so proud of my little "boogie baby" and although Jon now regrets not running, he's proud of her, too!
She jogged the entire time and never stopped to walk. Way to go! Again, Jon and I are so proud of her. What an exciting morning!
One of the first pictures I snapped. Poor girl was carrying her shirt for most of the journey until I came and relieved her of it.
After the finish line!
Race commotion, much needed water and a much deserved medal.
The star in her post interview caught on video while the paparazzi snapped away. Fantastic job!

And let's not forget the free food and drink. Umm! This table was full of baked potatoes and, yes, those are giant trays full of butter, sour cream and shredded cheese. My sister asked aloud in ironic amazement something to the effect of, "Is that a huge thing of butter?!!!" while those around her laughed. Well, I guess just b/c you ran a marathon doesn't mean you won't be hungry for butter afterwards...
Feeling dizzy and oh so tired, but stuffing down some baked potato and all the free drinks.
And then later at Cafe de Brazil for some yummy lunch.

Crazy Grass

This grass was amazing. Long, thin, green blades--and lots of it!

Light

Watson Family Shoot

Just a sample of the nearly 300 pictures taken during this shoot. Digital is insane. I have mixed feelings about snapping so many pictures. At times I miss the careful eye and slower pace of using film. But digital does have it's advantages.
Anyway, here's the lovely and intelligent Watson Family. Very nice people.