304/365

High School Ball Field

I was surprised to see the red picnic table in the middle of the two bleacher sections.  Seems like it would be in the way but maybe they move it when there's a game in play.

I'm grateful for:

primary colors

202/365

The Breakroom

Seen in the alleyway area behind a business in Sweetwater, TX.  

I'm grateful today for:

cataract surgery

22/365    

Trees at the Lake

Back in the day when film was transitioning to digital I was very resistant to the new "digital" stuff.  I loved negatives, actual prints and even the smell of developer and I didn't want to give that up.

I finally made the leap and during the following years began to appreciate the digital experience.

Today's field trip to a local state park reinforced that appreciation.  It's winter, so the trees are bare, bushes have no green leaves and everything looks dead. I went to the park mainly to get out of the house hoping  there would be something to photograph. 

Well...hummm, nope.  Not much to see & not much to photograph, but I was happy for  the time outdoors in the beautiful weather (even though cloudy) and the exercise.  I took 35 images.  I'll be trashing 33 of them.  And that's why I'm glad I have a digital camera now.  I can shoot with abandon even though I still  use discretion.  I don't have to worry about wasting film and paying for prints that will just go in the trash.

This is just about the best of the lot and I'm not super-impressed.

It was still a good day out.

Another Trip to Chinatown

8/365

My friend, Jackie, and I decided to make another trip to Chinatown today.  We got there pretty early while it was still cool and not too crowded.  We both did a lot of random shooting.  It surprises me that every time we go there, we manage to find something interesting to shoot, but I think that's pretty true of any street photography--things are different minute by minute and all you have to do is keep your eyes open and be aware of what's going on around you.  

We found a couple of very colorful doors.  We just stood on the street across from the doors and waited for people to walk by.  I've only posted a selection of the ones I took of this green doorway because I didn't want to overload you with such similar images.

After making our usual stop at our favorite Starbucks we drove over Magic Island just to see if there would be anything interesting.  Usually there isn't in the middle of the day, but we took a chance.  There were 4 different bride/groom couples having their photos taken.  This couple was really fun, but I think it was partly to do with the photographer--he kept giving them suggestions for fun things to do.  

Photo Shoot

9/365

It was supposed to be sunny and beautiful that day.  Even the weather announcer on the radio seemed a little surprised that the clouds weren't cooperating by going away.  I was relieved though.  

Clouds mean the lighting is even (sometimes a little too even to be a little flat). They mean there's no need to squint. They mean slightly cooler temps.  They mean the photos can be taken in any direction.  So even though the lighting is not as creative as when the sun is shining, it makes the session a little more pleasant.

It turned out pretty well and everyone seems happy with the results.

Beautiful Morning at the Beach

8/365

I decided to finally get going to a beach this morning.  I only have about 30 more mornings to do that before I head back to NY, where my toes will not touch sand for the next 9 months when/if I return to Hawaii next year.  Insert sad face.

My beach of choice was Ko Olina.  It's close, it's beautiful, and the weather there is usually wonderful even when it's pretty stinky elsewhere on the island.  I packed a book, my camera, a snack and a drink...

Ko Olina is home to Aulani--the Disney Resort.  After grabbing some rays and then walking around to get some photos, I took a walk through the grounds of Aulani.  It's one of my favorite places to be.  I know it's a tourist trap, I know it's crowded, I know it's not what you think of when you imagine Hawaii, but I love it anyway.  

It was designed with an Hawaiian cultural advisor on staff  and it's so NOT hokey.  I lucked out again and saw one of the characters, Stitch, wandering around looking for photo ops with the children.

I.   WANT.   TO.   WORK.   THERE!!

It will never happen, but it tugs at my heart every time I'm there.

Anyway, after several hours at the beach, I packed up, drove to the Y and swam my laps.

It was a really good day, praise God.