BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE...

...when you are in my backyard during the summer.

C.B....

.....contemplative Brady.

SO COLD TODAY...

...but she looks warm with all her feathers.

...and what is she trying to tell me with her eye?

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'...

... and the sky is gray. I went for a walk on a winter's day.

BEHIND BARS...

LOOK CLOSELY...

... and you will see her.

NEVER KNOW...

... what you will see in your back yard through the lens of your camera.

URBAN SPLENDOUR...

My goal was to go out and shoot some black and whites. In the process I saw the sun reflected onto this highway sign and couldn't resist. As I was getting ready to shoot, the flock of birds passed over and I was lucky enough to get them in.

I try very hard to to "play" with my photos. I do not have photoshop software so couldn't do anything magical anyway. Proud to say all I did was crop this one. Love the textures in the hardened concrete. B&W is way cool!

This was one of those I will just shoot a picture while I walk . Had the camera down at my side and just took a chance. I am continually surprised at how well they come out. I like all the different vertical lines and the pop of the curly bike locks.

I really don't know why I like this photo. I guess with art you really don't have to have a reason. It speaks to me and I find myself looking all over the photo and wondering.

Ahhh...traffic from a different perspective.

I thought it weird that someone would take the time to scratch out these X's along a concrete wall. There is a story there somewhere.

GUM...

OK so last week I spent an a few hours in the National Portrait Gallery. So interesting. On display was a series of up close( my fav) portraits (never tried) in black and white. So very cool. I was inspired to stretch my photo abilities and will try to do so in the future. Also on exhibit was a series of color portraits where all the peeps are looking not at the camera, but off to the side. My first and lasting reaction was...creepy peeps. They just didn 't look " normal". Whatever normal is. ANYWAY......... as I was leaving I was in this portrait gallery high and was stunned to see this scene on the side walk. The pic does not do it justice. There were hundrends of wads of gum on the sidewalk. As far as the eye could see. I thought of Singapore and how nice it would be to have the no gum rule. I thought of people who are too lazy to find a trash can. I thought of the complete degradation of society and the people in it in this 21st century. It made me sad. Then I thought of the beauty I just absorbed and reveled in. We are going to be OK.

BACKLOG BLOG...

A week at the beach was not enough. I need some more of this wave watching. I find it to be very calming.

It is always ten of eight - somewhere!

Creepy snake bones!

What does this picture evoke in you? In me, sadness. The lonely sea shell so close but yet so far away from a sea full of friends. That shell was me this summer.

SCORE!!!.......

Ralph taking a shot. My favorite pic from Ralph's season.

THE GRADUATE...

DOO RAGS...

ROLLING THUNDER FACES...

The face of innocence at the end of the day
Almost too severe in color. I like it better below.

Love the reflection in his shades.
The somber look on this man made me want to cry.

GAME FACE...

SPRING PROJECT...

... and good lord it almost broke my back. Now it is a pleasant sight compared to the mucky, muddy mess it used to be.

REFLECTION...

...even in silver and plastic, there is a whole nother world out there.

SNEEZING...

while taking a picture is never good.

RAIN...

Can't believe it has been over 2 weeks since my last post. These are scenes from my spot in the bleacher at K's last game. It was wet. It was cold. I am glad it is not anymore.

MINNOW SHADOW...

I just learned that if you double click on a photo in my blog  it will open up in another window and give you a much better (as in magnified) view. Try it with this photo and you will see the wee little black spot is a shadow of a minnow swimming above this sea turtle.