Hot Day At The Zoo
The Houston Zoo
June 6, 2004 - Sunday

This morning was nice and clear since the storm finally ran its course and left town late last night. We decided to go to the zoo for a little bit to get some more camera time with these two rental lenses that I have before I have to return them on Monday.



Like I mentioned in the title for today, it was very hot outside today and many of the animals were tucked away in the shade. I can't imagine how hot this black bear was with his thick black coat as he paced back and forth out in the sun.



This little guy was in the Rhino's habitat and just hung out there as if everyone at the fencing was there to see him instead of the mammoth beast sitting in the shade. 



Flamingos galore! We enjoyed photographing these guys the most because there was a covered viewing area there that kept us in the shade for awhile. I sure wish every habitat at the zoo had a covered viewing area like this Flamingo exhibit did.



I've really enjoyed these two lenses and now have to return them tomorrow and go back to my little fixed 50mm lens until I can decide on which new news to get. One of the things I did learn is that I have to use a program called IntelliSharpen in order to get my stock 50mm 10D images nice and crisp but with these Canon "L"  lenses the images are very sharp by themselves. I learn something new about this camera every time I pick it up which makes for a pretty steep learning curve which is a good thing.
 

A Long Day
Dickinson, Texas
June 5, 2004 - Saturday

Along our drive today we noticed a park on the side of the road so we decided to pull in and check it out. It was called Paul Hopkins Community Park and was located on Dickinson Bayou in far south of Houston. We were greeted by a large group of about 20 Brown Chinese Geese thinking that we were there to feed them for the day. The 70-200mm lens came in very handy in this photo in order to get a nice close up of one of our new found friends.



On the way home I noticed the Addicks United Methodist Church off of Highway 6 just north of I-10 Katy Freeway. A large storm was brewing to the east of the church and I thought it would make for a very eerie backdrop so I pulled over to take a few shots.



This church was originally founded in 1879 and went by the name of Bear Creek German Methodist Church. The town of Addicks was originally named for the town's first postmaster, Henry Addicks in 1884. The church originally stood a couple miles north near Addicks Bear Creek Cemetery but was destroyed due to flooding in the mid 1940s due to the Addicks Dam Reservoir which was built to protect nearby Houston from flood waters. By 1947 homes and buildings including this church were relocated outside of the reservoir for obvious reasons.
 

Day Hike
Mercer Arboretum
June 4, 2004 - Friday

Lisa and I went to go pick up the two Canon lenses that I am renting for the weekend. The place was located in Spring which is on the north side of Houston. In order to let rush hour traffic die down a bit we decided to head to Mercer Arboretum in order to give the lenses a test run.

I took this photo with a 16-35mm L f/2.8 lens and I must say that I am very impressed with the clarity. It is very hard to tell on this particular image especially at this given size but trust me it's nice. No wonder the lens sells for like $1200. This is the Lily Pond which is nestled inside the park and surrounded by trees which makes for a great place to relax.



Now to the second lens I rented, this bad boy is a 70-200mm L f/2.8 lens and is absolutely HUGE. It's a good thing I brought along my monopod because this thing would have worn me out VERY quick. This lens is very sharp and I love the zoom that it offers although something in the 400mm range would also be nice.



Unfortunately we weren't able to spend too much time here at the park because some pretty bad thunder storms rolled in but all in all we had fun. One day we will make it out to the Arboretum again, but this time I think we will have to plan for an early morning trip to try and miss the 100 degree weather.
 

Wild Flowers
Grayson Lakes
June 3, 2004 - Thursday

Today after work I decided to drive around a little bit to look for a nice spot to photograph. It is really nice that it doesn’t get dark until 8pm or so because that gives me time to go out and have a good hour of so to photograph in the evening light.

I stumbled across Grayson Lakes which is a neighborhood on the west side of Houston. They had a bunch of flowers planted in the front entrance so I decided to pull over and try some shots. I really love this new camera because I have total control of my depth of field which I did not have on my Canon G5. Being able to control the depth of field adds a whole other level of creativity for me now. I have a lot to learn.



I took this picture with my 50mm f/1.8 lens but have plans to go and pick up the two lenses I'm renting for the weekend. You may be asking yourself why am I renting camera lenses? Well since each of the two lenses sell for about $1300 each I think it is a pretty good deal to get them for the weekend so I can try them out. :o)
 

My First Canon 10D Image
Mary Jo Peckham Park
June 2, 2004 - Wednesday

All I can say is WOW. I ordered my Canon 10D on Friday and had it delivered this morning. Charged up the battery and headed out to lunch with my new toy. I grabbed some lunch and drove to the local park for lunch. After about 30 minutes or so of reading the manual and trying to find out where all of the controls are I walked out to the Koi pond to photograph the lilies that were in bloom.

After shooting a bunch of pictures of the lilies I noticed this dragonfly land near me on a bush. I snuck in closer to get a better photo since the only lens I have right now is a fixed 50mm f/1.8. The dragonfly just sat still and let me fire off about 10-15 pictures of him while I messed around with different settings and such. At one point I know the end of the lens was about 10" away from him but I did not seem to bother him at all. He just sat there and posed.



The overall feel and response of this camera is incredible, the focus time is quick and shutter lag is nonexistent. I think this camera will be a great investment into this new found hobby of mine. I am renting 2 different lenses this weekend so I can get out and experiment with some high quality glass. I am getting a Canon 16-35 L 2.8 and a 70-200 L 2.8 lens to slap onto this new bad boy of mine. I can't wait.
 

Digital Photo
My Library
June 1, 2004 - Tuesday

If there was one magazine that I have found to recommend about digital photography it would have to be Digital Photo. Digital Photo is printed in the United Kingdom and sells for about $11.50 here in the states at large bookstores such as Barnes & Noble. This magazine teaches many different tips, tricks and techniques every month and in fact it is where I learned the blue light technique I used back on my March 5th entry.



Not only does the magazine teach different photography techniques, it also teaches many post processing methods in Photoshop to make your photos have a bit more punch. Digital Photo has been the one magazine that I have to pick up every month since I've gotten my digital camera a couple of months ago. I would definitely recommend it to others that share this little addiction of mine called digital photography.

Bonsai Update: Within the first 24 hours of The Bonsai Experiment, it has taken a turn for the worst. Tonight was our weekly poker night and Lisa and I had 6 friends over for drinks and gaming. Sometime after the first 2 pitchers of margaritas were emptied, somehow someway the small glass that I had the seeds soaking in was emptied into the sink. Oh well. It looks like I will have to make a trip to the store and pick up a new kit. I'll keep you informed.
 

Bonsai Tree
My Greenhouse
May 31, 2004 - Monday

This weekend we made our monthly trip to Barnes & Noble bookstore so that I can feed my photography magazine addiction. My favorite magazines are from the United Kingdom so they tend to run about $11.50 here in the states. As I was in line waiting to pay, I saw this small Bonsai Tree Kit for $5.95 so I went ahead and bought one just to try it out. The image below shows everything that came in the Bonsai Kit. So that you can get and idea of its size, the small clay pot is about 2 1/2" inches in diameter.



The initial step is to let the seeds soak in water for 24 hours, so I placed the 7 seeds in a small glass of water. Tomorrow evening I will continue on to the next step. I will chronicle the life, or the lack thereof, of this Bonsai tree and photograph it at every important stage. It will be interesting to see how long it takes this Bonsai Tree to mature.
 

A Country Drive
Tons Of Places
May 30, 2004 - Sunday

The traffic in Houston yesterday was absolutely crazy so Lisa and I made it a point to avoid it altogether today. With my Texas state map in hand an a full tank of fuel, we headed out of town for a good day of sightseeing.

Our first stop was Washington On The Brazos State Park located in Washington, Texas which is about 80 miles or so northwest of Houston. The small town of Washington is noted as being  the birth place of Texas. It was here that the Convention of 1836 took place which declared Texas' independence from Mexico. The most notable place in Washington is called Independence Hall which is where the convention took place. It is ironic that the Texas Declaration was written and signed in a town named Washington.

This is Independence Hall. It is not the original structure that stood over 150 years ago but it is almost an exact replica and is actually built on the original cornerstones that were used in the early 1800's.



A mile or so outside of the park we noticed an old gas station that has long since been abandoned. Structures like this just don't exist in the big city so it is a real treat to stumble across this piece of history out here in the country.



Of course this fuel pump is a modern design to a certain extent. I am guessing somewhere along the lines of the early 80's. I think it still makes for a very cool antique type photo.



After a long day of learning, driving and sightseeing it was time for us to make our trek home. Along the way we noticed a Texas Historical Landmark sign which directed us a couple of miles of off Highway 36 South and it led us into a small town named Kenney. The main downtown portion of Kenney seemed to have been made up of about five different buildings which were all located on the same side of the road. Two of those buildings seemed to still be open for business and one of them being the town's Post Office which serves the town's population of about 200 people.



All in all today was a great day even though it was all completely unplanned. We will venture out again one weekend once the weather is nice and clear. Today was very cloudy and gloomy which is the primary reason that all of my images are in a sepia tone. The sepia tone hides the bland colors and plain sky but also adds a certain antique feel to the old historic subjects.
 

Hummer Recovery Vehicle
Whataburger Restaurant
May 29, 2004 - Saturday

Lisa and I were out and about today and decided to stop in at Whataburger for a quick lunch. When we pulled in I noticed this beastly Land Rover sitting in the front with a very cool spare tire cover. I am a big fan of the new H2 Hummers but I still found this very amusing. It is good to see some people do have a sense of humor. 


 

The First Piece
My Studio
May 28, 2004 - Friday

Today is the day, I finally made the big leap and ordered a Canon 10D DSLR camera. Since it is a holiday weekend it will be shipped out on Tuesday and delivered to me on Wednesday. I am a very impatient person so I had to have it shipped overnight. 

I purchased my first and definitely not my last lens today. From the research I have done on the internet it is a definite must have for an Canon DSLR owner. It is a 50mm f/1.8 fixed focal lens and only runs for about $70 on the internet. Well unfortunately every online store I checked the lens was sold out and on backorder. I was left to purchase this lens here locally and pay about $30 more than the internet price. Supply and demand at its finest I guess. Since I didn't have any lenses of my own so far I wanted to get one before my camera came in so that I could go ahead and start learning my new camera. I will purchase more flexible lenses very soon but this little guy will keep me busy for a couple of days.