i run it up the flagpole and see who salutes

Taken: May 27, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 36 mm
ISO Speed: 400

This was the first time I shot the Arkansas State Capitol. It had been a cloud, dark week, and I got a lot of moody shots. The wind wasn't blowing very hard, so I had to stand there for about ten minutes to time the random gusts of wind right to capture the flag.

motionless chaos

Taken: May 1, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 3.2 sec
Aperture: f/29.0
Focal Length: 33 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I had been wanting to try extended exposure shots on fair rides for a while. Toad Suck Daze in Conway, Arkansas was the first chance I got. They only had three rides that I could use, so I didn't get nearly as much practice as I had hoped. I liked how this one turned out anyway though. I especially liked the the ride is moving so much yet the couple in frame is so still.

i'm rubber you're glue...

Taken: April 26, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 33 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I've passed by this building on Broadway Street in Little Rock, Arkansas many times. On this day the light was amazing. It was reflecting off the building next to it and creating these wonderful golden orbs. I had to stop.

signs, signs, everywhere a sign

Taken: March 16, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 30.5 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Hot Springs is one of my favorites places. There is detail and history everywhere. I like to just walk around and see what I can find.

broken glass

Taken: April 19, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 6.1 mm
ISO Speed: 200

This was taken in a house that was gutted by a fire. I found it very sad and wondered about the fate of the homeowners. It was interesting to see the path of the fire through the house.

dunns bridge

Taken: March 26, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 6.1 mm
ISO Speed: 80

This is Dunns Bridge in Jasper County, Indiana. It's actually really cool. I loved the yellow color, which isn't a common color for a bridge. Materials for the bridge were salvaged from the 1890 World's Fair. The bridge itself was built in 1904, though the designer is unknown. It was later turned into a pedestrian bridge in 2003. This is a bridge over the Kankakee River.

stairs

Taken: April 22, 2008
Camera: Canon PowerShot SD750
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 80

I love the hike especially in the Spring. Everything is just the perfect shade of green. This was taken with my old point and shoot back when I shot in "green mode." :-) This is the East Quarry Trail which is part of Pinnacle Mountain Arkansas State Park.

lonely tree

Taken: March 25, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 6.1 mm
ISO Speed: 80

I did a lot of exploring when I was on vacation in Indiana. This was down a very narrow dirt road. I'm ready for vacation again.

vanishing

Taken: May 29, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Well I thought I'd combine many of my loves in one shot. Sunset light, rust, bridges, vanishing points, symmetry, and bokeh. I love shooting in this light. Life is more beautiful before sunset.

scuba girl

Taken: June 6, 2002
Camera: Sony Cybershot
Exposure: 1/1000 sec
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 5 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Here's a blast from the past, because sometimes I like to show where I started. I shot this with my very first digital camera. It was a point and shoot Sony Cybershot. I loved this camera, and I started taking a lot more pictures with it. I never expanded past portraits with it though.

all heart for heartless bastards

Taken: July 7, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 640

This is Erika Wennerstrom, of the band Heartless Bastards. This is probably my most proud picture yet. Shooting this short of thing isn't easy. I typically shoot aperture priority. It gives me enough control to do what I want, but sets the rest of it for me. Well this doesn't work for concerts. The background is just too dark. The camera tries to correct the lighting too much. I basically maxed out everything I could. I opened the aperture as wide as it will go, set the ISO as high as I could without risking noise, then set the shutter speed around 1/125 to 1/200 depending on stage lighting at the time. Anything more than that created a blur.

ain't nothing but a howl dog

Taken: June 14, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 50 mm

This is my mom's new chihuahua puppy. The puppy loved me so much. When I would sit her down and try to take a picture, she would take off running towards me. It became a battle of wills. Finally she got frustrated and plopped down and started howling.

firecracker

I think anyone that loves photography, no matter what way they choice to express it, respects film. It is how it all started out. I have always been a huge fan of Polaroid film. When I heard they weren't making it anymore, I was a little heartbroken. I have a little bit left that I save for special occasions. I thought a festive Independence Day picture was a good reason.

in suspense

Taken: March 23, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 6.1 mm
ISO Speed: 80

I've always loved shooting bridges. I don't really like why. Maybe it's all the lines and the brilliant architecture. Maybe it's just there's not all that many old ones left. Who knows. I just love them. This was taken when I was on vacation in Indiana. It's the Memorial Suspension Bridge in Winamac.

i saw the light

Taken: May 25, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 40 mm

I went to downtown Little Rock to shoot the skyline at sunset. As I almost always do, I picked a random route back to the interstate home. It just seems silly to take the same road over and over again. How will I find something new? So I spotted Mt. Zion Baptist Church and some lovely neon signs. It isn't typical to see religion in neon and with the fading light the signs just popped. I parked the car in the street and ran and took a few pictures.

hay! check out my holga

Taken: June 29, 2009
Camera: Holga 120N and Kodak Portra 400NC film
Exposure: ~1/120 sec
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: ~38mm

Sometimes it's all about the camera. The Holga is a cult favorite among photographers. The casing and lens are all plastic. The thing just feels cheap. It takes amazing pictures though. They have a vintage feel with a sweet focus spot in the middle and blurred edges along with vignetting. The only thing that you can really change on the Holga is the Aperture. There is f/8 and f/11. The shutter speed and focal length are both fixed. Maybe part of the appeal of these is it keeps photography art. It is all about the composition. You give over much of your control to the camera. Because of the quality you risk blurred images, light leaks, and exposure issues. However, all of the pictures have a Holga stamp. I, personally, cannot help but love a Holga picture!

This picture was taken in my hometown. I had been looking for some hay bales worth photographing for a while. I spotted these in one of the school fields and decided to take some pictures.