The Friday Night Lights are On! - Cedar Park, TX

Last night was a National Holiday in Texas. Yes I do understand the irony in that last statement but it is true. Yesterday was the kickoff of High School Football across the state of Texas. Friday Night Lights as it is called across the state. Young boys suit up to clash on the gridiron against cross town and cross state rivals. I was witness to the cross town match up between the Westwood Warriors of Austin and the Cedar Park Timberwolves. Here are a few of the shots from yesterday.

The Debut - Round Rock, TX

I was very lucky the other day when the Round Rock Leader sent an email asking if I was available to shoot the Express baseball game Tuesday night. I happen to be open so accepted the assignment. On the mound that night was Jordan Lyles, the 19 yr old pitching phenom and top prospect for the Houston Astros, making his Tripple-A debut. In the end it was less than a stellar night for Jordan, but based on his 9 strikeouts, I imagine it will only be a short stint in Round Rock. For my work I was rewarded with a half page spread in the paper. I have posted the three images they ran.. Of all the images I shot, my favorite is the third, as it captures the emotion and thoughts going through Justin head as he thinks about what has transpired. Like any top tier athlete, this emotion is short lived. He will shake it off and most likely pitch a gem during his next outing. Shooting tonight made me think about some of the other big dogs that I have been fortunate to photograph from the photo well at Dell Diamond and at the top of the list is Hunter Pence. I may not be on the sidelines of the big venues or the pro sidelines but I actually quite love just where I am

George - Milano, TX

Street portraits are always very challenging to me but also some of my most rewarding work. There is something about approaching a complete stranger in an everyday scene and asking them to pose for a portrait. These portraits to me capture the everyday man. The folks you pass on the street everyday and pay no attention to. They all have stories and a portrait of these folks tells a unique story every time. George works and helps run the My Flea Market. A eclectic store composed of several colorfully painted buildings that is just off the highway 79 in Milano, TX. When talking to George he was very proud of the store, the friends he worked with and the work he had done to make this little place more inviting and interesting. It is a place you almost have to stop to look at when driving along the highway. At My Flea Market you can find everything from gorgeous Mexican pottery to a plastic light up Winne the Pooh. It is a place full of interesting things and even more interesting people like George.

Sunset on the San Gabriel - Georgetown, TX

A few weeks ago I was sitting at home and looking out our back window. It was about one hour until sunset and I thought conditions were going to pan out for a pretty nice sunset. I packed the gear up and headed to one of my more photographed locations on the San Gabriel river. Conditions turned out as expected with some high clouds and zero wind that made the river almost appear to be a pane of glass. The lack of wind makes for nice reflections on the water. To make this photo I waded into the middle of the river and set up my tripod in the water and took three bracketed photos to make and HDR of the scene. The HDR processing really brings out the rocks under the water and of course makes sunsets spectacular.

Snow's BBQ - Lexington, TX

First it was the best Barbecue in Texas voted by Texas Monthly, and now TLC just voted it the "Best Food EVER!" This little hidden gem about an hr outside of Austin is Snow's BBQ. They are located in Lexington, TX pop. 1,178. and these awards ain't no joke! You can take the big bbq joints and toss them aside as there is no comparison to the delicious food that comes out of this small little building just off the main street in Lexington. Not sure what the secret it but I bet money it is the dedication and passion these folks put in to every piece of meet they smoke up. They don't worry about quantity but rather quality. Owner Kerry Bexley and Pit Master Ms Tootsie fire up the giant pit you see below every Saturday morning at 3AM and then open the doors to the mouth watering patrons waiting in line at 8AM. They then promptly close the doors as soon as the food runs out. So if you were looking for a late BBQ lunch you can forget about Snows because with the line wrapped down the porch at 8AM the food is running on scraps by 11:30 and out by 12:00 in most cases. My suggestion is to show up early and order some brisket for breakfast and a slab of brisket to go, because it is just impossible to not taste this BBQ after waiting in line and seeing and smelling the plates that come out before you. For the brisket to go they will wrap it up for you uncut and when you arrive home and unwrapped the foil and slice it up it will still taste just as good as if it just came off the pit. This is one place you have to try and go if you are in and around the Lexington area. the photo below is just part of the huge pit built for snows. The photo is a 3 shot HDR converted to black and white with selective coloring added into the lettering. Next time I will try to provide a picture of the food!

Inside the Dome - Austin, TX

The Texas State Capitol is such a great place to visit. You take it for granted sometimes if you live in and around Austin but I would encourage everyone in the area to visit if you have not been in awhile. To me this is one of the last true public places. The capitol takes extra steps to preserve being able to walk openly around the building. Heck if you have a concealed hand gun license you can even walk inside with your gun. The steps of the capitol are used on many occasions for people of all walks to speak their mind openly and freely like it should be. This photo is from the second floor looking out across the open rotunda. Inside the walls are lined with portraits of all the past governors of Texas. the detail and architecture of this capitol building has no rival not even the nations capitol. I have even been told the Texas Capitol dome is actually larger the the dome on the US Capitol.

Night Flyer - Trinity, TX

My little girl had always wanted to see a"real live owl" out in the country we hear them a lot but could never see them. One night out near Trinity we had a family member hear one up in a tree near by. We got some flashlights out and found this little guy perched up in the tree. Needless to say my daughter was thrilled. For the lighting on this I had someone hold a speed light about 5 feet to my left and point it up to the tree. I powered it down to about 3/4s power and underexposed by a quarter stop on the in camera meter to get a more balanced softer light. By moving the flash off camera I can avoid the deer in headlight look. Getting a photo of an owl in the wild at night was also a first for me so I was just as thrilled as my daughter in the end. Feel free to let me know what type of owl this is in the comments.

Sunset From the Congress Bridge - Austin, TX

Here is another photograph from last weeks downtown photowalk. Shooting cityscapes is not something I shoot a lot of most of my work these days are from away from the big cities and shooting cities presents a new set of challenges. The biggest one I find is creating pleasing compositions. Cities are so full of dissecting lines and objects that slice your frame up into a disorganized mess. When photographing a cityscape be sure to pay special attention to this as the slightest item in the wrong place in your frame could ruin your image.

This is Austin - Austin, TX

I enjoyed a nice photo walk with the Austin SMUG meetup group last night and met some great folks. What is a SMUG Meetup group you ask? Well I was fortunate to connect with the great folks over at SmugMug and when they said they were going to launch a users group in Austin I eagerly volunteered to lead it. We meet once a month and just talk photography. We have great speakers like Jay Janner and Trey Ratcliff who have already come to speak and we have many more lined up in the near future. For July we decided to take what we have learned and hit the streets with our cameras. We walked down Congress Avenue and I saw this wall mural off on a side Street. I decided to go check it out when I saw this great turquoise scooter parked right in front. It made for a great frontal subject against the mural and I took some photos. The crazy eclectic art and the energy efficient scooter is what Austin is all about. An eclectic liberal population right in the heart of Texas. Austin as a whole is a stark contrast to the majority of Texas but that is what makes it special. Its great to venture downtown and get a taste of the Austin scene. If photography in any sense inspires you come out to the next Austin Smug. I guarantee you will enjoy it and learn something new. Also if you want to see more about what SmugMug is all about I have some links over on the right side of my blog including a $5 off coupon.

Just Another Texas Weed - La Grange, TX

In our yards we pull them, we spray the, we wack them we do everything we can to keep them away. Very seldom do we actually ever see what they look like in full bloom. That is unless you meander out of the yard and out onto the trails. So what separates a weed from a flower? Scientifically nothing, it is just a beauty designation. Kind of like a squirrel is nothing more than a rat with a fluffy tail. These flowers by all accounts to most people would be nothing more than an unsightly weed. The flower on top however was just as beautiful as any flower in a well kept garden. if you are in Austin tomorrow night don't forget to join the Austin SMUG group for our July photowalk down Congress Ave. We are meeting on the south steps of the capitol at 7PM and will make our way toward the river for sunset and drinks at the Cedar Door. All the details can be found on our meetup page. Hope to see you there.

Corn Rows - Taylor, TX

So if I mention Lebron James and the Miami Heat should my SEO go up? Hmm lets see. As a University of Texas alumni I have to think about what is going through Dexter Pittman's head right now. As it stands he went from one of his worst seasons at UT to being the starting center on paper with James, Wade and Bosh.

Ohh well enough of that. The picture below is of a cornfield along a small farm road in Taylor Texas. Taylor Texas is just east of the Austin Area and is such a stark contrast to the city lights of Austin. A few short minutes north east of Austin you leave the city streets and big buildings and enter a world that seems like it should be far far away located somewhere closer to Nebraska. Acre after acre as far as the eye can see is filled with corn stalks as high as the roofs on the houses. Driving down the roads your eyes can get lost and dizzy following the perfectly planted rows of corn. I drive through this are quite a bit but have always been waiting for the perfect summer blue skies and white puffy clouds to make a photograph. The other day this situation presented itself and I took this picture.

Texas Rattler - Waco, TX

For full disclosure this guy was safely behind a pane of glass when I shot this photo at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. If Texas had a state snake I think the Western Diamondback Rattle snake would make a good candidate. He looks pretty tough, will stand his ground, and if push comes to shove packs a mean punch! Hope everyone had a good long weekend.

4th of July - Round Top, TX

Today's post is not about photographs but rather simply a celebration of the country I call home. Today is July 4th which is Americas birthday. A celebration of our independence, and our core values that make the United States great! "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" The photos today were taken in Round Top Texas this morning. Round Top is a small town known for antiques and good food. The population doesn't break 100 but yet they have hosted the longest continually running fourth of July parade west of the Mississippi. Yeah I could have spent the fourth in a big city like Austin, Dallas or Houston and probably seen a marvelous fireworks display but to me this is what the fourth is all about! Everyone here was there for one reason to celebrate America. To our surprise there was another quite significant person in Texas who also thought this would be a good place to celebrate. We were honored to learn that the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, was going to act as Grand Marshall. I took the first photo during his speech and the second as he waved to our daughter along the parade route. The third was actually taken a few years back at the same parade of one of the Round Top Brass Band players as he wailed away with another classic patriotic song. Tonight we will head over to the birthplace of Texas, Washington on the Brazos where another declaration of Independence was signed. The Texas declaration of Independence from Mexico and take in some fireworks just as grand and just as big as the big city. Happy 4th everyone!

Full Moon Champions - Austin, TX

It has been awhile folks! Sorry it has been a busy month for me as I took on a new job at work, and have been busy this summer taking some vacation and taking a lot of photos. I wanted to get a new photo up and the University of Texas photos seem to be pretty popular. This image was shot from a parking garage I saw from the top of Dolby, I thought it would be the best vantage point to capture the Tower and full moon. It was indeed a great vantage point off to the west side of Guadalupe St. This was shot at 200mm to give the image a compressed look. The problem however became properly exposing for both the moon and Tower. I ended up making a composite image that was composed of a single image of the moon which was then blended in with a 5 shot HDR of the tower and buildings. This definitely falls under the realm of photo manipulation, but as simply a piece of art that is ok. This image does however capture the scene as I saw it on that night.

The Summer Camp House - La Grange, TX

Remember those great 80s horror movies. they almost always involved some teens that end up stuck in the woods or at a summer camp only to be haunted by an ax murder that has risen from the dead 20 times. Walking through this camp in La Grange Texas I think I came across the inspiration for these movies. This little cabin in the woods has all the makings of a great place for some unsuspecting young girl who hears something scream out her window to get out of bed in her nightgown then quietly tiptoe to the door. Her Oscar worthy acting makes us completely rationalize this action and justify that seeing what is on the other side of the door is indeed the best thing to do. Well we all know what happens next. Yep I am pretty sure this is that place.

Spider Art - LaGrange, TX

Early one morning in LaGrange Texas I came across a gazebo that had some art work completed the night before that was truly amazing. This gazebo had a rail around the outside with about 20 evenly spaced pieces of vertical wood. Inside each section was a beautifully spun spider web each of which had collected the morning dew making them sparkle like diamond necklaces. Looking at all these webs it was as if the spiders intentionally set out to create this scene not out of necessity but out of a love for natures beauty.

Winding Road - Burton, TX

I have taken many photos from this location but I never really had an image I liked very well. On this day I think the cloudy weather and how the clouds still had some definition made this photo finally one I liked. I know this a long way out but I have some plans in the works for a weekend photo workshop out in this area during peak wildflower season next spring. We will spend 2 days shooting around small towns in and around Burton with access to some great private locations. If you are interested let me know and I can put you on a mailing list for when the firmed up details become available.

Bluebonnets Among the Rocks - Burton, TX

Just a simple photos of our state flower scattered among some boulders in Burton. No real story to this photo other than that I thought this would be a nice place to pack a lunch and sit down for a picnic. Hope ya'll are having a wonderful week.

Hernandez Portrait Session - Georgetown, TX

This week I had a wonderful portrait session with the Hernandez family. The children wanted to give their mom a portrait of the three of them for mothers day so we were on a tight timeline but made it work! The Hernandez's were such a fun group and they were so easy to shoot. The session was done out at Lake Georgetown and the setting was beautiful. I was a little worried when I pulled up and got out and was almost blown over by 20mph winds. Luckily the wind was out of the south so we could work with our backs to the sun without hair blowing in their faces. I kept telling myself glamor photographers would pay hundreds of dollars for fans to blow this hard but we got ours for free :) We manged through the wind and got some beautiful images. I know their mother will love their gift! Let me know if you are looking for a portrait and we can get you on the schedule soon!

White Bluebonnets - Burton, TX

This is something I had not seen before but was given a tip that these white Bluebonnets were seen out in a pasture out in Burton. I would be curious to know if anyone out there knows exactly how rare it is to see these white bluebonnets. I have a couple photos of them and I found one group that was even whiter then the ones here. However the cloud formation was muchbnicer for this photo so decided to give this one first run honors. Let me know what yall know about these!

You Sure about That? - Waco, TX

Sprinkling in another zoo photo from the trip to Cameron Park Zoo early this spring. This alligator is part of the new Brazos River Country Exhibit. For the most part this gator sat there on his resting spot snoozing away with his eyes closed. He finally opened them for a few seconds and I took my picture. Seemed to be telling me something with his eyes so I moved on.

Red Poppy Field - Georgetown, TX

In celebration of the Georgetown Texas Red Poppy Festival that kicked off tonight I will share with you another angle of the Red Poppy Field I came across in downtown Georgetown. Come on out and join us at the Parade tomorrow morning 10AM.

Walking the Red Carpet - Burton, TX

I came across this field of Indian Paintbrushes on my way out of Burton Texas last weekend. It looked like a giant red carpet had been spread out across the land. It was an awesome sight. This year has been a pretty good year for the Texas wildflowers. why i just say "pretty good" is the weekend weather has not cooperated. Almost every weekend has been cloudy and dreary and sunsets and sunrises were few and far between so I just had to make do with the weather we had. I have so far been unable to capture a sunset or sunrise shot because of the weather. We have a few weeks left so still hoping. The clouds broke just slightly during this picture to have a little blue peek out in the sky. Also I mentioned this before but f you are in the Austin area over the weekend be sure to stop by the Framers Gallery in downtown Georgetown between 3:30 - 6:00 for a reception marking the release of my new prints. I would love to meet some folks that view my work online. Don't worry though no red carpet at this event just some good Texas fun!

An Era Long Past - St. John, USVI

This image was almost lost. I came across it tonight and I don't think I had posted it before on my blog. This is another photo of the ruins you can find throughout St. John. What is great about these ruins is you can walk right up to them and through them and sit among them thinking about the era that has long gone. Almost all the ruins on St. John are from the Sugar Plantation era where European colonist settled on the islands to try their hand at the sugar industry. When slavery was abolished the industry became unsupportable financially and this era on St. John came to an end.

Spring Calf - Burton, TX

This past weekend I was lucky and took my daughter with me to shoot some pictures with me. She is only 4 years old but is already expressing great interest in photography. On this particular morning she asked where I was going and I said to take some photos. she asked if she could come and there was no reason she could not so I said sure. She was super excited. We were on a private road so I let her ride in the front seat with the wondows rolled down. She would point out to me the things she thought were pretty enough for a picture. When we came across the cows she thought they would make a pretty picture so we decided to make some photographs of this calf. Her role as my assistant was to get the calfs attention so the moos began bellowing from her and this calf looked up to see who was calling. The moos continued all the way home with her head out the window, mooo, mooo, mooo, mooo. It was just one of those father daughter moments I will always remember.

Red Poppies - Georgetown, TX

The Red Poppy Festival is held each spring in Georgetown Texas as their adopted flower begins to bloom across the city. These poppies were found in an abandoned lot a block a way from the square in downtown. This festival is a celebration of the city and all the great things it has to offer. It will be a great event for the whole family and if you have the chance come out and have some fun with us, and don't forget to stop by the Framers Gallery where I will be hosting a reception to announce the release of 6 new original works that will be going on sale. Come in and enjoy some snacks and a cold beverage as you partake in all the fun of the Red Poppy Festival.

The Tower - Austin TX

Ok so I have done the UT Tower from above, shown you a panoramic now here is the one angle you see a lot. I even posted a shot of the tower from this location earlier but it just does not look as nice with out the orange and #1. To see the regular tower photo click here.

The Crosses on Good Friday - La Grange, TX

Over Easter Weekend we were in La Grange. On the morning of good Friday we awoke to some dense fog covering the area. On the grounds of camp lone star sits an outdoor chapel that look upon three crosses. The mood the fog set was very appropriate in remembrance of good Friday. This is a simple single exposure image that was gradient mapped in photoshop to bring some added contrast into the black and white presentation. Sometimes I thing the best black and white images are the simple ones that have a main subject balanced by clean negative space. This is the case i felt with this image. Don't forget this Wednesday is the Austin Smug. We are hosting 10 minutes shows where each member will have 10 minutes to showcase their work and have a group critique if they wish. You can RSVP here It is a great group of photographers and we have already learned so much. I hope you can join us.

Downtown at Night - Austin, TX

While photographing the tower from atop Dobie center I couldn't pass up the opportunity to walk to the other side to get the downtown cityscape and capitol lit up at night. What a view from Dobie. The UT campus from one side and downtown Austin on the other. Downtown Austin is a vibrant spot at night with live music, clubs and restaurants keeping people up and moving around early into the morning. The tall building you see in the background is the New Austonian which is a high rise condo development. It is now Austin's tallest building.

Art Exhibit Opening - April 24th - Georgetown, TX

Coming up on October 24th, the city of Georgetown host their Annual Red Poppy Festival. This is a great event and one the whole family will enjoy. If you have never been you should clear your calendar for a full day of fun and music on the Georgetown Square. In conjunction with the festival I have decided to showcase 6 new works at the Framers Gallery. I don't show work in galleries all that often and this is a chance to see 6 originals signed framed and in print and if you really like one they all will be for sale. This is three of the works that will be up on display. I will be hosting a reception with some free food and beverages from 3:30-6:00 at the gallery. Afterwords join us for some camaraderie as we head over to the main stage for the start of the evening music. Its going to be a good time so please join me if nothing more to stop by and say Hi. You can RSVP on facebook here