the photos of a novice

enter to win a free lense!

2009-07-08T10:11:00.002-05:00

I am a reader of the MCP actions blog. Its a great place to learn about different techniques and tips in photoshop. I have learned so much from her. Anyway, she is giving away a lense for either a Nikon or Canon. All you have to do is link to her blog post and then go back and comment about why you want to win and give a link to your blog so she can verify you are "spreading the good word" about where to win this fabulous prize! So go check it out and thanks for reading.

Red_Earth_Festival

2009-06-14T19:01:00.002-05:00

Red_Earth_Festival
Originally uploaded by pchsfysicstchr

Red_Earth_Festival

2009-06-14T19:00:00.008-05:00

Red_Earth_Festival
Originally uploaded by pchsfysicstchr

Red_Earth_Festival

2009-06-14T19:00:00.007-05:00

Red_Earth_Festival
Originally uploaded by pchsfysicstchr

Red_Earth_Festival

2009-06-14T19:00:00.006-05:00

Red_Earth_Festival
Originally uploaded by pchsfysicstchr

Red_Earth_Festival

2009-06-14T18:59:00.002-05:00

Red_Earth_Festival
Originally uploaded by pchsfysicstchr

Red_Earth_Festival

2009-06-14T18:53:00.002-05:00

Red_Earth_Festival
Originally uploaded by pchsfysicstchr

I was able to attend the Red Earth Parade and got some great pics. This guy was really the only dancer we saw who actually danced. We got CS3 so I'm trying to learn. Please be patient.

New Year's photo shoot

2009-01-12T20:36:00.004-06:00

Sam is adventurous, intelligent, and a born leader.
Abby is sensitive, prissy, and nurturing.

Olivia can be sassy, funny, and curious.

All five grandchildren have something to add to our family.

Thai Kitchen in Oklahoma City

2008-12-13T10:43:00.005-06:00

I love the color of Thai food. This is also some of the best food I have ever eaten in my life. No exaggeration, either.

2008-08-01T17:16:00.001-05:00

probably over processed

2008-07-15T17:31:00.003-05:00

I am still working on the meaning of "subtle". It seems that nothing I do is minor. So here is one that is definitely not underdone. I know, you are tired of the kids. Sorry, but not enough to stop.

Louisiana

2008-07-15T13:24:00.002-05:00

I took this picture when we were in La. and played around with it when we got home. Tweak the contrast, add a little saturation, dodge and burn, and put it in soft light with about 35% level. There is also some vignetting. I thought it turned out nicely.

JC is really growing up...

2008-07-13T13:58:00.003-05:00

Today we were eating lunch and Michelle asked JC, "Are you dipping your chips in salsa?" He said "yes" and we were sure we heard a choir of angels sing the Hallelujah Chorus. Being a picky eater, it is quite a leap of gastro-intestinal variety to get him to eat anything other than pizza, cheeseburgers (ketchup-only), or hot dogs. This event was something akin to seeing Jesus in a grilled-cheese sandwich. It was nearly unbelievable. So, I grabbed the camera to commemorate the event.

Avery Island, La.

2008-07-04T20:33:00.006-05:00

So where were we on the way home from? Its a little place outside of New Iberia, La. called "Avery Island". Have you ever heard of Tabasco sauce? Well, Avery Island is the only place they make it. They have been doing it there since just after the Civil War. When you drive onto the island, its not much different than it was 150 years ago. So here are some pictures I took while we were there. The only thing that grows better than Crepe' Myrtle is Spanish Moss. Here is the evidence:

I'm tweaking my shots from there and will add some as I can...

A taste of Louisiana

2008-07-02T08:11:00.009-05:00

While we were on the way back to Jones Junction we found a little place called Nott's Corner. It was just a hole-in-the-wall seafood joint in Lake Arthur, La. The magazine said "just look for the
giant crawfish". We found what resembled a crawfish and stopped by expecting the best. We were not disappointed.

In spite of all of the many choices, I chose the "Catfish Irene" which is fried catfish covered with crawfish etoufee'. This dish is similar to one I have had at The Landing in Natchitoches called "Saucy Catfish". The only difference between the two is the style of etoufee'. Here is the prepared dish with its stuffed potato; just the insides of a baked potato prepared with cheese, sour cream, etc.

This is my plate after I demolished it. If I had ordered some bread, the plate wouldn't have even needed to be washed.

More Kansas Pictures

2008-06-25T22:42:00.001-05:00

The kids on the caboose at the train in Kansas...

2008-06-23T23:45:00.015-05:00

This weekend we went to Kansas for a family reunion. It was held in Abilene, which is the end of the Chisholm Trail and the hometown of our 34th President, Dwight D Eisenhower. We saw some of the local sites and rode the train about 6 miles over to Enterprise KS. I took some pictures while we were on the train so here are a few. My kids are my favorite subject to photograph, so here is one I really like:

Kansas is a wide open place with lots of sky. We were actually moving in this one, just not very fast.

I love the landscape, rolling hills filled with plenty of wheat and corn.

Pops in Arcadia, OK

2008-06-14T20:06:00.001-05:00

A really large soda bottle at Pop's in Arcadia, OK on Route 66.

My first attempts at photoshop

2008-06-14T19:49:00.000-05:00

2008-01-24T20:21:00.001-06:00

2008-01-24T20:14:00.001-06:00

2008-01-24T20:04:00.001-06:00

2008-01-24T20:02:00.001-06:00

2008-01-24T20:00:00.000-06:00

2008-01-24T19:59:00.001-06:00

2008-01-24T19:56:00.001-06:00

Christmas...

2007-12-28T09:02:00.000-06:00

I was so pleased that Santa brought me some cash this year. I was able to purchase a new camera. I was looking at the Olympus Evolt 510 for a while but at the last minute I decided on the Canon Rebel Xti. It's a 10 Megapixel so I can enlarge pictures at will. Woo-hoo! This could be one of the best gifts ever. I went ahead and ordered the components necessary for a foray into astrophotography. That should be a hoot, although a bit more complicated than "simple photography". I did attempt a bit of composition over the last couple of days. When I get a decent wireless connection, I will try to upload some of them.