Grafton
A town that time forgot! Once a small but bustling seat of a cotton-growing community, now a relic of pioneer times AND the film industry.
A few weeks ago, back when we had some greenery still, I went for a drive and, as I often do, stumbled upon something cool. I had heard that there was a ghost town back where I was headed but I wasn't sure where it was or what its importance is.
Well, I found Grafton and it was pretty cool! I'd read some of its history from its pioneer days but I was surprised to learn that it has been used in several movies including 1929's In Old Arizona—the first talkie filmed outdoors—and the classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Pretty cool, huh? To this day, it looks like it can be used for a Western film. I may even have a cool photoshoot planned ... but more on that when it happens.
In the weeks since my first visit, the surrounding desert has turned from having a lush, green carpet to being, well ... a desert. The colors of this place are unique and different than any other place that I've visited and the shapes and patterns of it are unlike anything that I've seen thus far even within this area. It's a truly unique valley carved and eroded in a way I haven't seen replicated elsewhere.
Commerce Tower - Kansas City
Just before my departure from Kansas City, I was granted permission to shoot from high atop the roof of the historic Commerce Tower. What a treat!
The Commerce Tower has a fantastic history and because of its uniqueness as an example of architecture, it has managed to get itself protected status. For the few months that I lived in Kansas City recently, I was able to work at this gem and was lucky enough to be granted access to the (very scary) roof of this gem.
Located in the heart of KC's old financial district, the tower now exists as modestly-priced apartments and condos. You can walk to all the coolest spots in the area and the streetcar will take you to even more fun neighborhoods. That's cool and all ... but that view!
My friend, Shella, and I (go check out her awesome Instagram page) went up there in there in the early evening so we could make certain to get plenty of light for the views but also to ensure we would get great sunset imagery. I think we succeeded.
From the top, we could see far into Kansas, miles and miles of Big Muddy, the super cool River Market neighborhood, and we got an eyeful of the many, swell art deco elements on the nearby buildings.
I've lived in and moved away from Kansas City enough times to know that it's not the kind of town for me to live in long-term, but I also know that the place is chock full of American history and in its present form is a fantastic destination for visitors. For residents, the art and entertainment scene is top notch and I'm grateful that KC is making huge steps to create a pedestrian/bicycle friendly downtown.
... but that view!
An Unusually, Grey Day in Zion
Very soon after my arrival in Zion National Park, we had a humdinger of rainstorm. The after-show was epic
Having grown up in California, I am quite used to having clear, blue blanket above me. As I traveled around the country and the world, I always seemed to be more attracted to clouds and grey skies than the sunny ones from my youth.
In Germany, I loved the high, thin clouds that blew in from the Atlantic. In South Carolina, the thunderstorms were some of the most powerful ones I'd ever seen. Juneau, Alaska has 250+ days a year of precipitation and the resultant clouds billowing over the water and the mountaintops were things of amazement and beauty that I've never seen since. Idaho's high prairies created some of the highest/tallest clouds known to man ... or at least this man. So, yeah. You can say that I appreciate clouds.
When I moved to Zion National Park, I knew that it be in a desert and the heat and dryness would be covered by clear, blue and yellow heat. What I did not expect was the incredible power and beauty of the few storms that run through here. Soon after my arrival, I was lucky enough to see an awesome storm that swept through the canyon depositing enough rain to create powerful waterfalls on all the cliffs and made all the dry washes and river beds come to life.
My favorite part of it all was the play of light as it emerged at the tail end of the storm. As the clouds thin and the rays broke through, I was able to see these stones, cliffs, and pillars in an entirely new way.
Enjoy!
The Zion Petroglyphs
Tucked away in plain sight, 100 ft from the road but they still seem hidden, these awesome artifacts of Southwest history show images of what our forebearers saw … and did.
Go click through the NPS handout regarding these glyphs as it explains their awesomeness better than I can. I'm just here to show off the pics.
I'm reluctant to share information about exactly where these artifacts are hidden as the park seems to be consciously making an effort NOT to advertise them. Probably an effort to deter over-viewing or vandalism. Sometimes, people can suck so I understand.
I only heard about them from a friend who has worked in the park for a number of years and they're surprisingly easy to find. Stop, park, walk down a slope and along a dry river bed. Make a couple turns and Boom! You're there.
Tucked away in a small canyon of their own, the place seems a worthy shrine to history.
What's there to say about them? I'd rather have you look at them in their natural surroundings and think about what life may have been like in this beautiful but harsh landscape. Scorching hot nights, chilly nights and death just one misstep away. Those cliffs are unforgiving.
Angel's Landing - GoPro
Angel's Landing is often rated as one of the very best hikes in America. I can see why!
This hike was rated as "Moderate" on most of the guides that I read, and "Hard" on a few others. I can see why. At points, you'll have to scramble up the stones like a mountain goat. Even without that, some parts are quite steep and you'll be feeling it the next day.
Despite the toughness of the route, the place was quite popular and crowded. I saw little kids and older folks all over the place. It was a tough hike but anyone in decent shape and with a desire to reach the top can make it.
My favorite part of the hike was watching the human stories unfold. Sorority sisters talked trash about their teachers, young sibling conspired to scare the bejesus out of their parents and the older folks determined to make it up "that damn hill".
The best of them all was the Korean family whose dad was trying to take pictures of his kids in a manner that made it look the kids were about to fall off the cliff. He was just using angles to make it look worse than it was and at no point were the kids in jeopardy but the mom was having none of it. She was so worried about the kids freaking out that she freaked them out by freaking out herself. It would have been a cool shot, something silly I would have taken with my boys but her fussing seemed to interrupted the shot. Still, it was entertaining to watch.
On ... and the views of the canyon were alright, too.
And now ... Zion National Park!
My new home in Zion National Park will fill my days with photographic opportunities and challenges that shall keep me quite busy. I'm up for the challenge. Wanna follow along?
How does one create interesting imagery for sights that have been seen by millions upon millions of eyeballs? My new home in Zion National Park will provide me with countless photographic opportunities but also some challenges in how I present the things I see.
You can't fly a drone in National Parks but there is plenty of BLM land in which to fly.
I feel that my strong history of portraiture and theatre photography will allow me to see drama in a scene that others may not have been able to recognize. There are countless landscape photographers that have covered every square inch of this area so there's no need to replicate their masterful work but I know that I'll want to cover some of those same areas ... just with my unique danscape view of seeing things. Sometimes that will be with drone images and other times it will require patience on my part to wait for the sun and clouds to create a darkened mood that others may overlook.
Because the great extent of natural scenerey already covered in these parts, I plan to make a stronger effort to create unique portraiture. The red clay, the shifting and winding canyons and the strong gold in the evening hours combine to create some of the best shooting locations that Ive been lucky enough to find.
If you stick around, you'll also be able to follow me along on some of my hikes and adventures! I've been using a variety of cameras and tools to capture video imagery that I've been placing on my Youtube Channel! Come along with me on my hikes and adventures in the Southwest.
I hope that y'all can appreciate the things that I see and how I see them. I'd love for you to follow along as I go See Things!
A Trip to Orrick, Mo - Part II
Sometimes pictures are easy to edit. Sometimes they're not and they take a bit longer. These pictures from my visit to Orrick, Mo took a bit longer because they deserved it.
Sometimes, I can go through a few hundred images and easily find the best images and get them edited right away in a fit of energy and inspiration. Then again, sometimes, I find ones that require more time and effort to parse and find the best possible edits for. That;s the case with these images. I hope that you feel they're worth the extra time.
Just north of Big Muddy and about 30 minutes east of Kansas City sits a farm town named Orrick, Mo., named in honor of W. W. Orrick who had drawn up the plat. Despite the addition of railroads, a grain silo, and a modest downtown, I don't suspect too much has changed with the land since it was incorporated in 1873.
On my Youtube channel, you'll see an aerial view of the Orrick area filmed with the new drone. You'll also see more images from the trip in the first blog post about Orrick.
A Trip to Orrick, Mo
Just 30 minutes outside of Kansas City ... but a hundred years apart.
Just north of Big Muddy and about 30 minutes east of Kansas City sits a farm town named Orrick, Mo., named in honor of W. W. Orrick who had drawn up the plat. Despite the addition of railroads, a grain silo, and a modest downtown, I don't suspect too much has changed with the land since it was incorporated in 1873.
Very soon, on my Youtube channel, you'll see the video that I created with the drone and I'll also soon be releasing the architectural pictures ... but those will take a bit.
Lake Jacomo - Blue Springs, MO
Yup! I'm in Missouri now, just outside of Kansas City. The move provides me an opportunity to meet new folks, shoot at new theaters and explore the new scenery. Come on and join me!
Sunset on Lake Jacomo
Moving always sucks. Yes, a move always provides the chance to see new things and meet new folks but the logistics, administration, and hassle of a move are never fun. It took me a few days to unbury all my stuff and get my humble operation together in order to take, edit, and post a few pics.
I've lived in the area before so I knew what type of nature and geography to expect but I didn't remember the sunsets being this crisp and sharp. The blues were stronger than I recall and the contrast of the hardwoods against the sky was dark and strong. The waves of light and color that washed over Lake Jacomo in the waning minutes of the light ebbed and flowed from one shade to another with ease and quickness.
The area is more varied in its landscape than Texas so it'll provide plenty of natural vistas to seek and shoot and the grit and grunge of Kansas City are legendary so I can't wait to explore the not-so-natural areas, too!
Stay tuned and you just may see a cool thing or two!
Street Art of San Jose
I love me some great street art. Not sh#tty vandalism but the real good stuff that has artistic quality and a social message. The dudes in San Jose have their game on point!
Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. Other terms for this type of art can be "urban art", "guerrilla art", "independent public art", "post-graffiti",
and "neo-graffiti".
That's all a very nice way to go and say "F*ck you!" to the man and be able to get away with it. Some cities, though, are forward thinking and progressive enough to dedicate some of its public spaces to just this type of art. That's the case in San Jose, Costa Rica. On government-controlled walls near the main judicial and legislative offices, you'll find loads of sanctioned art. Near the train station, underpasses and other urban spcaces in that area, it seems that the area has become a Mecca for public art.
click any image to embiggen
I think they're a litmus test of sorts. Do you see disrespect towards the system or to authority? Do you see just the art or just a distasteful message?
Y'all KNOW I dig the graffiti art in San Antonio but this stuff is amazing. Upon my return to town, I'll have to go to some of SA's other well-known street art collections and see what's what. Until then, and I'm proven wrong, I gotta say that San Jose, CR has got better game at this point.
click any image to embiggen
Mission Reach - The San Antonio RiverWalk
The San Antonio RiverWalk is an extraordinarily popular attraction in San Antonio but most of our visitors don't realize just how extensive the developed area is
I've done it again! I went on a little adventure, captured and edited images and never got around to posting them in a blog post. No worries. The San Antonio RiverWalk isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
For this quick trip, I only brought my iPhone but wasn't disappointed. That little thing can capture so much wonderful imagery in the world around us, no? Sure, there's no replacing a bigger, "grown-up" camera but I've never been disappointed with what I can create with it.
The visitors to San Antonio love the RiverWalk but so rarely get to see the parts of it outside of the main hub. That's just fine with me as it means there's so much less traffic on the outer stretches of the river. Go north of town and you'll find what's called Museum Reach which goes near the museums, the zoo, and a few awesome parks. I go there quite often and this trip was my first exploring the Mission Reach portion and I was certainly not disappointed.
So many bits of nature and beauty popping up. Many wonderfully cool and abandoned structures along the way and if you've known me for awhile, you know that I'm a sucker for a good freeway underpass.
Again sorry (not really) for the delay.
Columbia Plateau Trail - Cheney, WA
Here there be monsters! ... and bikers and strollers and puppies.
OK. I have no excuse for the tardiness of this post. I took this brief trip to Columbia Plateau Trail just shortly before my move to San Antonio and never got around to completing this post.
That's a shame because I had a blast and I'm sure that I had some wonderful and witty things to say. Or not!
The 130-mile Columbia Plateau State Park Trail is one of the state’s hidden riches; explorers who find it are rewarded with big eastern Washington skies, rolling landscapes and unforgettable journeys.
So sorry (not really sorry) for the delay. In brief ... Go!
Snakey Snake!
Springtime in the Suburbs
I don't have a favorite season of the year. They all have their equal charms but I won't lie and say that I don't get a bit giddy when the new flowers pop up ... even the ones in the yard.
Yep. I'm still a sucker for flowers in almost all forms
Texas is blessed with warm temps for most of the year so these little suckers are popping up left and right with no fear of frost. In the fields, there are plenty of native grasses and wildflowers springing forth and in every yard in town (in this case Olmos Park), the colors are coming on full speed.
I had an hour to kill so I spent it in one of my favorite ways ... walking. This time is was through the very nice homes in this little township near my home. So much color.
I don't even have a yard at the moment so I've been tempted to find an ignored part of town to adopt and tame. I spent many years as a landscaper and as a certified Master Gardner and the desire to start working in the soil again is quite strong.
The book below is one of my longtime favorite gardening books. The folks at Sunset do a great job of updating the climate information in the various zones and the number of plants that they have contained in the book is stunning. Soon I'll have a yard again ... but not soon enough.
San Antonio Graffiti - San Pedro Ave
I've noticed that the style of graffit is quite different in San Antonio as opposed to Spokane. Super Cool stuff!
Now that I'm comfortable ensconced in my new town, I've taken to one of my favorite hobbies, walking. One of the things that I've noticed on my walks (and drives) is the very unique nature of this town's graffiti art.
Bright, loud, colorful. I won't pretend to be an aficionado of the world's different styles but the art around San Antonio seems to be laced with more humanity than I've seen elsewhere. More human elements.
This is far and above cheap street tagging. This is graffiti art in its finest form. Many of the bigger pieces have unique signatures on them and in time, I'm certain that I'll be able to recognize both the signatures and the flairs and flourishes that each artist has.
All of these images were found along San Pedro Ave and all within a few blocks of each other. As I spend more time in this town, I'll be on the lookout for more pockets of color like this
Wallace by iPhone
As many times as I've been here, I never get tired of exploring what Wallace has to offer!
From the Wallace Chamber of Commerce:
Danger, intrigue, passion, great wealth, heroics and comedy are set against the breathtaking backdrop of northern Idaho’s Bitterroot mountains. Those are the elements of the 12 decade story of Wallace. The entire town of Wallace, Idaho is on the national Historic Register.
I think that you all know me well enough by now that I'm not one to take pictures of the traditionally photographed parts of a town .... even one as pretty as Wallace. I'm funny that way. Wallace has hundreds of buildings that date from the town's early silver-minig daysand most of them are still in use. The downtown area is quite lively and hosts a great many restauarnts, pubs and shopping opportunities for visitors but it managaes to NOT feel like a hokey tourist spot. Locals and tourists sit side-by-side in most places.
I always swing by the place after I finish a hike to Stevens Lake and I'm never disappointed. The place that I normally stop at, The Silver Corner, was undergoing renovations so I wasn't able to get their greasy burger that hits the spot after a hike so I had to go without this time. Thus, I had some extra time to walk about and find things that drew my eyes.
Wallace may be slightly behind the times but that's to be expected for small Idaho towns and, in some ways, that can be quite a benefit. They don't have a Starbucks or fast food joint on every corner. Walmart is not gonna move in, either. There's room for improvement or upgrading in some areas but the lack of development has allowed so many of the great pieces of its history to stay in place and for them to be revered and allowed to be a part of the present and future. Everywhere you look in this town you'll find countless angles and colors and reminders of its colorful past. This was my first time really taking time to photograph some of these things and had I more time, I could have spent many hours poking around.
I'll be back again just after the first snows to hike to the lakes again and I'm certain that I'll be coming back to Wallace again. This time, I'll make certain to create extra time to take it in properly.
A Trip Through Sprague, Wa
A car, a camera and a few spare hours!
The town has a seasonal creek running through it named "Negro Creek." Much debate has occurred regarding the creek's name but the name remains.
Yeah! An interesting town, for sure.
Hey! Which way do I .... Oh, I see. thanks!
For this trip, I took the GoPro Hero 4 that I've borrowed from the good folks at Huppin's. Using the Hero 4 for the type of photography I do is certainly a stretch. It has great features but I don't think that it was designed for landscapes or cityscapes and stuff. Despite that, I think that I've found an interesting mix of photo taking and processing that ends up with a pretty cool final product. I capture the images at about 14 MB so there's plenty of detail with which to work.
The area around Sprague, Wa has such wonderful views of the horizon. I intend to return again this summer and try a few new things with this camera. The time-lapse and video features will be great tools with which to capture the shifting skies. Stay tuned for that. Even in its basic modes, the expanses captured are impressive.
Hey, Buddy?! Why the long .... Oh, you've heard that one before?
I'm pretty certain that some of these images will end up on my print gallery. I really do like how the nuances of the GoPro seem to add more cool elements than they take away.
And look! I DID return to Sprague!
2016 Lilac City ComiCon
Come for the comics. Stay for the information on eCommerce, order fulfillment and drop shipping!
My disclaimer ... I am not a fan of comics. I like the superhero movies and I used to collect the books when I was younger but I lack the fervor for them that the attendees of the 2016 Lilac City Comicon have. I come to these (and it's only my 2nd such 'con) because I'm a fan of devotees, artists and entrepreneurs that put so much effort and vigor into making this culture fun and vibrant!
Rebecca Cook was here to chat up the super cool web-series of which she's a part. Music of the Spheres, a live-action Virtual Reality series.
Several of my friends and acquaintances either had booths here or participated in the various discussion events. It's always cool to see friends engaged in the furthering of their art and passion!
Karl Schafer, the top guy from Z Nation made a fun announcement during the discussion. He said that in addition to the show still being filmed in Spokane, Season 3 will actually show the characters in Spokane in the show.
Shaun Springer leads a discussion with folks from Z Nation. Russell Hodgkinson (Doc), Karl Schafer (Z Nation Show Runner) and Kevin Cook (Z Nation Gaffer)
My dear friend, Jeremy Whittington, was here showing off both his cool originals and the Fan Art that has his distinct look and feel. Additionally, as he's the creator of all the season artwork for The Modern Theater's 2016-17 Season, he had all those posters displayed and he did a fine job of telling folks about all the upcoming shows.
Jeremy works on a piece of commissioned art for a Comicon patron.
In addition to the artists that I already knew and follow, I found a few new ones that I really liked.
Travis Bundy from Creator's Edge
Antonio J.B. Dela Cruz
Noah Kroese
These guys and their art leapt out at me. In a sea of great comic art and design, their work had a simpleness and cleanliness to it that I found appealing, Noah's especially. I was only able to chat with them for a few minutes but it's cool to see folks get animated when they talk about what they love doing.
Plus, Adam the Woo was there. That was unexpected! He has such cool videos and is a super successful YouTuber!
My inner nerd did make an appearance, after all. It wasn't for all the cosplay girls or cool costumes or characters. It was, oddly enough, in finding out all the different ways that artists are monetizing their work. All of them sold items at the convention. That's expected. What impressed me, though, was all the various ways that they sold their goods online. There are many different ways to do it ... and some of the folks seem to do it quite poorly, but others had their stuff together.
I found a few with sites that handled all the ordering, printing and shipping. All the artists had to do was set up the initial printing and sales parameters and all the rest was handled by a third party. I admit that that's a silly thing to geek out about but it's a topic that near and dear to me because of the changing landscape of photography and how to succeed in that world. A very illuminating day!
Anyways ... I'm a dork! Thank you very much to Nathan OBrien, the Founder of the event, for being such a cool host.
A Visit to Northern Quest - Revisited
Located in Airway Heights, WA, Northern Quest has so much going on! They're done a wonderful job of filling the space with beauty!
By request, I've gone back and re-edited some of the photos from my visits to Northern Quest Casino and Hotel. The main reason for my visits there was to capture imagery from the cool concerts they had going on during their Summer series and, me being me, I strolled into other areas to find pretty things. Yes, as I have time, I'll get those cool concert images, re-edited and reposted, too.
Yes, I had permission to go into the closed areas, but you know me. Wherever I go, I'll something pretty to shoot ... even a lonely vase in a corner.
This was my first real foray into interior photography. I think I did well!
Bing by iPhone
Spokane is lucky to have such a spectacular gem in the heart of its Entertainment District! Every corner of it is stunning!
The Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, Wa has a spectacular history. Though it’s previous owner allowed it to get run down a bit, the current owner, Jery Dicker, has spared no expense to bring the place back to its full glory. In addition to just upgrading infrastructure, the new team has added so many flourishes of art and color and style. I dare say that The Bing is more glorious now than it has ever been. I’m lucky to have been allowed the chance to visit the place during off hours in order to capture these images.
It seems that you can’t go anywhere in the building without finding a beautiful angle or color or shape. A walk around the exterior of the building will show you plenty of texture and detail of the bygone days. Lamps, stairways and even walls seem to capture light and shed color in return. Oh, and they have concerts, too.
Do yourself a favor. Go to their event page, find a show you’d like to see and arrive early. Take a walking tour of the place and look for more hidden gems.
Next to Normal - Rehearsals
Rehearsals for any show can be a hectic times ... but they're always exciting!
The Modern Theater will be presenting Next to Normal as a co-production with Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre in just a couple weeks! Tonight, I got to visit their rehearsal space and capture the images that I'll be using for their character portraits. Naturally, as I always do, I managed to create a number of extras.
I appear in one or two shows a year. I do well enough that I'm not booed offstage and I always have fun performing ... but I wouldn't call me an "actor" and certainly not a professional. These folks, most of whom are far younger than me, are champs and all seem to have more experience than I do. So much hard work and dedication, so many years getting to this point and so many hours creating the character they plan to portray onstage. They've got a lot of work to do in a compressed time period but a good stage manager will keep a brisk pace at each rehearsal. These folks are up to the task.
I've listened to the soundtrack for 'Next to Normal' numerous times and I certainly enjoy its beauty and the depth of its topic but when I heard the songs sung by those that I know, love and respect, my appreciation for the both music and my friends increased tremendously. Though an already fantastic soundtrack, hearing it performed by folks that I know and respect gives it an entirely new level of wonder.
There are just two more weeks of rehearsal. LOTS of work to do in a short amount of time but, as these folks have done many times before, they're gonna create something magical!
