reaching out

Now, I'm not usually the type to photoshop a lot of things. I tend to just fix white balance and maybe up saturation. Call it lazy or call it purist..either way. Sometimes I just get bored or a photo wants for more. The shot above was pretty cool, but for whatever reason I wanted to push it to ominous. I added a sky and cloned out a few things so the house looked completely alone helpless. This was one of the last shots I took on my Illinois/Indiana vacation. I was actually on the road headed home when I spotted this place. It's in Goodland, Indiana.

slippery when wet

This was taken in Heber Springs, Arkansas at the popular Collins Creek. I'd say it's popular for two reasons. First it is downright beautiful. Second is runs all year. We can overlook the fact that it's man-made given these two facts.

I managed to trip and slip so many times here. I had amazing time despite all the clumsiness on my part.

reflecting on a new day

I've decided to drop the camera information part of the photo. Anyone that wants that can click on the picture and view it on flickr. Most people probably don't care all that much anyway.

This was a shot taken shortly after sunrise. I usually wake up before sunrise, but I don't typically feel like dragging myself outside for photos. I had a special project that needed me in North Little Rock around sunrise. I took the 40D along hoping to get something good. This is the Broadway Bridge. It picks up light really well and tends to be great for sunset/sunrise shots.

keep your eye on the ball

Taken: September 13, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Sigma 55-200mm
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 176 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I went to see the Cubs play a couple of games in Chicago. I had a blast.

choppy waters

Taken: September 16, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon 10-22mm
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 400

My mom wanted to ride on a sailboat on vacation because it was called the Tall Ship Windy. My name is Windy, so yeah... I picked one of the late sails hoping for some nice sunset colors. I didn't really think about the direction of the skyline, so I was stuck with doing silhouettes. I think it ended up working out though.

autumn approaches

Taken: September 18, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 21 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Happy first day of Fall everyone.

if you build it...

Taken: September 14, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon 10-22mm
Exposure: 0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 400

...they will come
even when you having a rough season
and cheer for every play

I had one goal on the trip to Chicago and that was to get a nice wide angle shot of Wrigley Field. You see, I love baseball. I love the Chicago Cubs. I had never been to Wrigley, and going was on my bucket list. This is an amazing place. There is so much history and hope in this place.

objects in mirror are dorkier than they appear

Taken: July 26, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 34 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I should be headed home from Chicago today, so this is probably similar to what the day will be like. This was taken on a trip I made with my parents to Blytheville, Arkansas. For me the side mirror sums up a road trip so well. You can see what is ahead, but keep all that's behind in mind as well.

this day by the lake went too fast

Taken: August 30, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon 10-22mm
Exposure: 0.3 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Some days last longer than others
But this day by the lake went too fast.
-Rilo Kiley

Sometimes you just get a perfect day. They are rare but the memory lasts at least. I've been told my mood shows in my photos. I do believe it's true. Some of my better shots (in my opinion) were on the days I was having the best time. Hopefully above is a case and point. This is from Woolly Hollow State Park in Greenbrier, Arkansas.

it's black! it's white!

Taken: July 14, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 161 mm
ISO Speed: 640

I thought this guy was in the River Market dressed as Michael Jackson just to get attention after MJ's death. However, after doing some research apparently this guy has been doing this for years. What I found most interesting was he was a mime that liked to talk, especially to the ladies. He stopped a few, and even tried to motion me over when he spotted me. I noticed he took his gloves off when he was talking. I guess that's how a mime goes off duty??

sun flowers

Taken: August 24/25th, 2009
Camera: Holga 135BC and Kodak 200 Gold film

This was a happy accident. I couldn't remember if my film had 24 or 36 exposures on it. So when my camera seemed to wind past 24 just fine, I figured I had 36. I took the next picture and it wouldn't advance at all. The first one didn't wind fully either, but I didn't notice that at the time. Here's how it looked before I cropped it:

radiated decay

Taken: August 9, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.2 sec (1/5)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO Speed: 640

Here's another shot from the abandoned school in Helena, Arkansas. This place had such grandeur that I'm sad was just abandoned. I've always been a little weirded out by empty schools so being in one that was falling apart was extra scary.

capitalizing on golden hour

Taken: August 23, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 1 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

We all want those amazing sunsets with perfect clouds and bursts of sunrays, but it doesn't always happen. Sometimes the sun dips below the horizon without any accompaniment. I was memorized by the sunset glow mixed with the Arkansas State Capitol.

a study of the gravitational pull on dihydrogen oxide as seen over an extended period of time

Taken: August 30, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.6 sec
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Like a lot of Arkansas photographers I really love waterfalls. Arkansas is such a nice state in the diversity offered. If I'm willing to drive an hour I can shoot flat lands, mountains, cities, and farms.

This is part of Collins Creek in Heber Springs, Arkansas. It is such a pretty place with one major selling point - year round waterfalls! This is man-made, but still a beauty. I tried for a while to shoot from dry land, but ended up giving in and heading into the water. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

This was part of one of those rare wonderfully perfect days. Not only was the weather amazing, but I got to spend it at some beautiful (and new to me) spots around the state. Plus my shooting buddy likes to sing 80s music in the car, so you can't beat that!

The things we do for pictures:

hats off to you

Taken: July 4, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 800

I'm headed to Chicago so that it can live up to it's name of being the WINDY city. I have great love for Chicago and the Cubs. The plan is to catch a couple of games and take a couple hundred pictures!!

faith a faith a faith BABY!

Taken: June 16, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I like old churches. It does make you wonder how a church becomes so worn down and in some cases abandoned. Parishes usually take great care of their place of worship, so it does make one wonder what happened to see one in such a state. I ended up using a texture on this. It just felt right.

the other summit

Taken: April 21, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 6.8 mm
ISO Speed: 80

This is one of those shots that isn't a personal favorite. I liked it enough to post, but didn't expect to get any reaction out of it. Proof you don't always know your best work, because a lot of people have sited this as one of my better shots.

This is the East Quarry Trail. It is a spur off of the Rocky Valley Trail at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. The spur no longer as signs indicating it's a trail, but the trail itself is still maintained and blazed. I don't think a lot of people know what it is or where it goes, which means it typically isn't all that busy. It is a lot easier than the summit trails and offers a great view of Pinnacle Mountain. Sometimes if I really just need to be left alone I head out and hike this trail.

herbie's retirement

Taken: June 16, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 21 mm
ISO Speed: 400

My nickname is Windybug. I'm sure it wouldn't take much time to guess that I like Volkswagen Bugs. I always wanted one, but at this point I'll just settle for photographing a few. I especially love the old ones like this that are all rusted up. I hate to see them not being used, but there's a beauty to the way these things age.

timeless summer days

Taken: June 29, 2009
Camera: Holga 135BC and Kodak 200 Gold film

I had just taken a picture of the Rock Island Bridge with the Polaroid seen laying on the ground. I looked up and saw this shot. It just seemed to capture Summer days and what photography is like. It just felt so carefree.

bah-bye now. see you again tomorrow.

Taken: July 11, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 640

Another day - another shot from Big Dam Bridge. This place has been where I learned a lot about photography. My shooting buddy always wants to get a nice sunset. I've had to explain a few time that not every night as a good one and they fad a lot faster than you think. This was the first time we planned things on a nice sunset night. This was the first shot I got after pulling the camera out of my bag. We seriously almost missed this one by about two minutes. Time goes on with or without you, eh?

deere(st) john

Taken: July 4, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 34 mm
ISO Speed: 400

My dad drove me around for a bit so I could take some pictures. It tends to be easier to stop along the highway and shoot if you have someone else driving you. My dad doesn't shoot, but he's been very encouraging of my hobby. This was taken in my hometown - Vilonia, Arkansas. This was other one of those things I pass all the time, but it finally stuck me to be something worth photographing. I mean, who doesn't love a tractor?

spaceship landing!!!

Taken: May 1, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 1 sec
Aperture: f/36.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Here's another extended exposure shot from Toad Suck Daze. I was so excited to get to try this out. There was a group of kids next to me throwing stink bombs, and a man in front of the camera that was overly concerned I was taking his picture. All of this made me a little antsy, but this was the first time I'd done any sort of photography in a crowd setting. Thankfully Tillie was with me and had my back (literally) . She stood behind the me sort of diverting the crowd away from my tripod, because a few people had almost ran straight into it.

lean on me

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

One thing I love about photography is it casts a new light on familiar things. I pass by this every single time I go to my parents' house, yet I had never noticed it. With a brand new camera to test out, I began looking for things to shoot on the way to my hometown. I ended up spotting this barn and a few other cool finds.

what is it boy!?

Taken: April 26, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 32 mm
ISO Speed: 400

My neighbors were up to yet another renovation, which had my dogs' attention. This was actually the first day I had the 40D, but I stayed at home, because one of the dogs was sick. I ended up practicing the camera on the dogs. This one is probably my favorite picture of my dogs.

natural dam goodness

Taken: April 19, 2009
Camera: Canon PowerShot G10
Exposure: 0.6
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 12.1 mm
ISO Speed: 80

I fell in love with this place after I saw a blog about it here. This is the Natural Dam of Crawford County. It's part of the Ozark National Forest. As the name suggests it is natural.

In theory, places like this are just how they were decades and centuries ago. The uninterrupted beauty of nature always gives me a sense of history. Unlike things man-made nature never ages. So I wondered about the people that may have found this place when Arkansas was a fledgling territory and Manifest Destiny was just a speck in someone's eye.