One Good Eye

2009-12-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

Two Train Stations

Miles City and Missoula Montana

Train Station - 23 November 2009 - Miles City, Montana - The only common architectual feature between this train station and the one in Missoula are the chains holding up the cover for the passenger platform and the yin-yang accents. The city is thinking about turning the station into office space. They had better pick up the pace - every opening admits countless birds to the interior - which can't be any good.

Northern Pacific Railroad Depot -Missoula, Montana. 31 July 2006. Nikon FE2 w/35-70 Sigma.

2009-11-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

Lotus Elan S4SE

Boulder, Colorado

Lotus Elan S4SE - Boulder, Colorado - September 1973. This harvest gold example hung around the sports car dealership my entire senior year. In retrospect - I first saw it the year before. It would still be there when I graduated the following June. I REALLY wanted want one of these cars when I was younger. From high-school until my late twenties - the desire was always there. Pentax Spotmatic 35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar w/Tri-X.

2009-11-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Supermarine Spitfire LF16E

London, Ohio Supermarine Spitfire LF16E- London, Ohio - July 1970. Nearly forty years after taking this photograph I found myself appreciating the abstract quality of it and decided to take a second look... This will happen to you if you go over your older images. Only the passage of time might enable you to appreciate why you even took the shot. A case, I suppose, for negatives over digital. Pentax Spotmatic w/24mm F:3.5 Super Takumar on Tri-X.

2009-11-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

HGTV Nightmare Bathroom

Carlsbad, New Mexico

HGTV Nightmare Bathroom - Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico - August 2003.
Nikon FE2 w/24mm F:3.5 Auto Nikkor.

2009-11-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

Pool Break

Dayton, Ohio

Pool Break - Dayton, Ohio - January 1971. Home for winter break - I was just fooling around in the basement. I used the overhead lamp to light the pool table/balls. I side lighted myself with my dads' Bausch & Lomb slide projector. I set the camera on self timer and waited to make the shot. This was my favorite of the series. Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic w/35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar w/Tri-X.

2009-11-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Steam Tractor Covention

Heuston Woods, Ohio

Steam Tractor Convention - Heuston Woods Ohio - June 1970. The people who make the tractors go are at least as interesting as the tractors. I don't remember much about this event. There was, however, a flea market associated with this event. I bought a 1946 Martin fly reel for $26.00. I still have the reel and it has served me well through the years. Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic w/35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar on Tri-X.

2009-11-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Life in the Lower Brackett

University of Colorado

Kincaide

Blake

John Millard and Kincaide

John Geyer

Life in the Lower Brackett - University of Colorado - October 1972. Four of us just hanging out one evening. I know where Kincaide is today. I have an idea where my roomate, Blake is located. Geyer and Millard are a mystery. Leica M2 w/50mm F:1.5 Summarit on Kodak 2475 B&W Film.

2009-11-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Fishing

Oregon Inlet, North Carolina

Putting Out

Day's Catch

Fishing - Oregon Inlet, North Carolina - May 1989. One of the favorite things about a week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina was to charter a boat and spend the day catching fish out on the open ocean. No matter how much fish you caught - it was always (strictly speaking) the most expensive fish on the planet. Nikon FE2 w/35-70 Sigma

2009-11-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Impending Tragedy!!!

Circleville, Ohio

Impending Tragedy!!! - Circleville, Ohio - October 2007. Onlookers were transfixed as the hanging chair ride spun up to velocity nobody had ever witnessed. The disk made a turbine sound with the overriding high pitched keening sound of small children screaming.

First to exit the disk were small items like stuffed animals, handbags, glasses, shoes and socks. There was an occasional vapor trail of vomit.

The speed increased . . . until two chairs broke free. One traced a ballistic arc through the air - crashing through the windshield of a Ford Escort three blocks. The other chair and occupants impacted a building at it's third story, striking with such force that it left a Warner-Brothers Cartoon style hole in the bick wall. Two upstairs rooms were completely destroyed.

With a loud crack - the central axle failed and the disk went skittering through the Pumpkin Festival crowd leaving a path of unspeakable carnage. Twenty seven people were killed instantly, another 62 severely injured.

Nikon FE2 w/35-70 Sigma + 4X Neutral Density Filter on 50 ASA Color Negative Film

2009-11-01T06:57:00.000-08:00

Swainson's Hawk

Walden, Colorado

Swainson's Hawk - Walden, Colorado - May 1987. The last good shot of the day as I recall. This hawk was very obliging as I fumbled around getting the longest lens I had available on the camera. I had this enlarged to poster sized - something I ought to do that with some other images. Nikon FE2 w/300mm F:4.0 Auto Nikkor

2009-10-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

Firebush

Stoutsville, Ohio

Firebush - Stoutsville, Ohio - 27 October 2009. As I post this - less than four days later - the bushes are bare. That's the nature of autumn in Ohio. If the light is good and you're thinking about shooting some pictures - do it - otherwise tomorrow the weather will be horrid and all the leaves will be on the ground. Leica IIIc w/15mm F:4.5 Voigtlander and 200 ASA Kodak Gold.

2009-10-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Smokestack

Sudbury, Ontario

Smokestack - Sudbury, Ontario - June 1976. When I took this image, I believe this was the tallest freestanding chminey in the world. You can see it for miles. Pentax SP w/24mm F:3.5 Super Takumar

2009-10-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

289 AC Cobra

Dayton, Ohio

AC Cobra 289 - Dayton, Ohio - Spring 1975. Looking back, I realize this is the only 289-cubic inch Cobra I have ever seen. All the others are the more hulkish 427 version. I like the moe delicate lines of this version. I undestand they were also more fun to drive than their more brutish successors. Pentax Spotmatic 35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar

2009-10-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

A Vanished Place

New Burlington, Ohio

A Vanished Place - New Burlington, Ohio - July 1970. This particular place vanished beneath the rising waters of a recreational resevoir in the early 1970's. A friend of mine, Dan Patterson, did a lot of the photography for a book that described the town in its' final years.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Burlington-Death-American-Village/dp/0393320200

Zeiss Ikonta A w/Plus-X Film.

2009-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

Globe Swift

Hamilton, Ohio

Globe Swift - Hamilton, Ohio - November 1987. On an unusually warm fall day two of these aircraft showed up at the same time. One pilot looked old enough that he could have been one of the Tuskeegee Airmen from WW2 - still enjoying - if only in his memories - piloting a P-51 Mustang through the skies. I Googled this particular aircraft and it turned up still flying out of Madison, Indiana. Nikon FE2 w/35-50mm Sigma

2009-10-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

Truss Bridge - Yellowstone River

Fallon, Montana

Truss Bridge - 24 October 2009. Drove over to Glendive from Miles City, MT – doubling back once to shoot a truss bridge over the Yellowstone River just east of Fallon, MT. I have since Googled the bridge and discovered that some other folks are as impressed with it as myself – trying to get it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

http://www.his.state.mt.us/shpo/register/YlwstnRvrBridge.pdf

“The Yellowstone River Bridge near the community of Fallon is a 2-span riveted continuous steel Warren through truss. The bridge is 1,142-feet in length and 29.9-feet wide and rests on three concrete piers. Built between 1943 and 1944, the bridge was one of only a very few major bridge projects undertaken by the Montana Highway Department during World War II. The bridge is a component of US Highway 10, a highway deemed strategically important to the nation’s defense during the war. It is the most massive continuous span through truss built by the highway department and one of the last truss bridges built by it. The bridge is distinguished by its long, massive spans rising above the eastern Montana prairie.”

Leica IIIc w/15mm F:4.5 Voigtlander – 1/200th sec at F:16. Double click on the image.

2009-10-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Barney

The Purple Velociraptor

Robin was driving her children to the new day care center in town. The children were addicted to the large purple velociraptor like a bird overtaken by the pheromones of his mate. They demanded that they be allowed to attend, they had to, they were born to. The name on the sign seemed rather odd but there were children out playing on the jungle gym's and swingsets in the side yard. The sun shined brightly yet seemed to cast eery shadows over the parking lot and building. Once parked, the children scrambled from their car seats, flinging open the sliding door on the "soccer mom" van. They scampered off into the building ahead of their mother. Screams of delight instantly turned to screams of terror upon entering the new facility. Seemed it lived up to it's name. In the back corner of the room was a solid concrete wall with shackles and chains, 2 children were there, bound in the chains, crying for their mommy's when all of a sudden, the lights dimmed and the scream of a hellish beast could be heard....all the teachers were chanting in a foreign tongue, and then ................it appeared!!!!!!! - by John Westenhaver

I never trusted that damned purple thing from the moment we brought it home from a garage sale. It always seemed to be leering at the outher stuffed toys. I begged my older brother to keep them seperated. Then one afternoon we came home and were confronted with this scene of carnage in our garage. It is true: "In the End there can be only One. . . "

2009-10-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

TWA Convair 880

Dayton, Ohio

Shot from te observation deck at Cox International Airport. Try doing this today.

Very graceful airliner - daparting the gate.

Same airplane - being dismantled at a TWA facility in Kansas City, November 1979.

Convair 880 - Dayton, Ohio - August 1970. Back in the day one could go up to an outside observation deck and watch the comings and goings at Dayton. Somewhere in my collection of pictures are some taken at night. The first two images were taken on a sultry late August evening as the sun was just touching the horizon with thin clouds - hence no demonstrable shadow and the fuel truck that looks like it is storming around the parked airliner.

Only 65 Convair 880s were ever produced. Fewer of the 990 version were made. The vast majority are now gone. However - if you absolutely MUST see a Convair 880 - visit (of all places) Graceland. Elvis bought one and named it after his daughter. . . Both the B&W images were with a Zeiss Super Ikonta B.

2009-10-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Boeing B-47 Stratojets

Dayton, Ohio / Tucson, Arizona

Probably the most graceful of Boeings' jet designs.

The tiny out-rigger wheel is shown here to good advantage.

Boeing B-47 Stratojets - Fairborn, Ohio - July 1970 / Tucson, Arizona - July 2007. As a matter of fact, when the black & white images were made, the B-47 had already been out of squadron service for five years. I've got some slides of these birds actually flying around at Armed Forces Day airshows at Wright Patterson AFB. I've always thought they were very graceful aircraft. Zeiss Ikonta Super B and Nikon FE2.

2009-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Daughter on a Swing

Cincinnati, Ohio

Daughter on a Swing - Cincinnati, Ohio - October 1988. Maricela and I visited the newly opened Riverfront Park - and she got to swing on a big swing. I have regular photos of her on a swing having a good time. The shadow treatment seemed more graphic. Nikon FE2 w/35-70mm Sigma on Ektachrome.

2009-10-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Vanished Warrior

Dayton, Ohio

Curtiss C-46 Commando - August 1967 - Dayton, Ohio. My older brother and I would occasionally roam around the civilian aviation side of the airport looking for aircraft of interest. This was my first encounter with a C-46. It looked like a DC-3 (C-47) on steroids. Most of them saw service in the Pacific or China-Burma Theatres of operation. I did a search on the Internet to determine if this old bird still existed somewhere. The result was not encouraging. . .

78553 (c/n 22376) to N1535V Ortiner Air Service, ufo (withdrawn from
use, stored) Sunnyside Ent, Reg. Cancelled 5/2001.

Another C-46 operated by Ortiner Air Service went to a Confederate Air Force chapter in California. Maybe this bird became a hangar queen?

2009-10-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Giants at Rest

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Union Pacific 8444 and a pair of steam powered rotary plows wait for the call.

Driver Union Pacific 8444 - Cheyenne, Wyoming - Summer 1973. Besides the light shimmering off the driver, I noticed the whole thing was slathered with a fine grease to prevent corrosion. What remains of the roundhouse at Cheyenne houses the 844 and a Challenger 3985. Both are honest to God Titans of the rails. Zeiss Super Ikonta B w/Ektachrome.

2009-10-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

There I was, at 5,000 Feet . . .

Versailles, Ohio

The I was, at 5,000 feet . . . - Versailles, Ohio - November 1991. It was a cold and windy morning. . . This was a setup for an advertising photograph for a maker of "authentic replica" WW2 flight jackets. One fellow was wearing the new jacket. The other fellow was wearing vintage WW2 gear. The point was - you couldn't tell the difference. Aircraft in the backround is an Allison engined P-51A Mustang. Nikon FE2 w/35-70mm Sigma - Kodachrome.

2009-10-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Aspen

Cripple Creek, Colorado

Aspen - Cripple Creek, Colorado - October 1989. I've got a pile of fall color shots from when I was in college . . . but I havent found them yet. This will have to do for the time being. Nikon FE2 w/35-70mm Sigma on Kodachrome.

2009-10-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Vanity Plate

Columbus, Ohio

Just another big black H2 Hummer . . .
Vanity Plate - Columbus, Ohio - 07 October 2009. This beast was parked in the vivistor lot outside Mount Carmel East Hospital. It is one of the better vanity plates I've ever captured. The pocket digital camera is tailor made for this sort of stuff. Panasonic Lumix DMC LX2

2009-10-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Stormy Crossing

Port Clinton, Ohio

Stormy Crossing - Port Clinton, Ohio - September 2009. A photo of the Miller Boat Line ferry that runs from Port Clinton,Ohio to Put-in-Bay, Ohio. It was shot last week when the waves were cresting at 10 to 12ft. One hour later they hit 14 and they shut the boats down for the rest of the day and part of the day Tuesday. The ferry is 96 feet long and stand 20 feet tall from the water line to the top of the pilot house. That should give it a little more perspective to the size of the waves. Photographer: Billy Market.

2009-10-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Cold Swim

Lake Superior, Ontario

Cold Swim - Lake Superior - June 1976. On a graduate geology field trip to Ontario, one of the places we camped was on Lake Superior. A couple guys went for a swim. This was the last fellow out. He was about as blue as the water. Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic w/35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar.

2009-10-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Capri RS 2600

Dayton, Ohio

Capri RS 2600 - Dayton, Ohio - August 1977. It was a rainy day for an autocross. Some interesting vehicles showed up nevertheless. This is probably the leanest and meanest Capri I ever saw. It ran as fast as it looked. Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic w/35mm and 24mm Super Takumar.

2009-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

1917

Stoutsville, Ohio

1917 Stoutsville, Ohio - No matter how well preserved, buildings from another time seem separated from me. The people that inhabited them are long gone - so they are less than they were - different from what they were. Adding snow is, for me, a sort of visual acknowledgement of this separation.

2009-10-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Mixed Drink

Boulder, Colorado

Mixed Drink - Boulder Colorado - 1973. This Black Widow Spider landed on my hand while I was reading one evening in Brackett Hall, University of Colorado. I flipped it onto the floor and my enterprising roomate - in turn - tossed her into a partly filled shot glass of Southern Comfort. That made short work of the spider - and created (I thought) an interesting image to be captured. The negative was thin - and I never got a decent image off it until the advent of Photoshop. Kodak Recomar 35 9 X 12 cm sheet film camera. Kodak Tri-X.

2009-10-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Lotus Elan DHC SS

Dayton, Ohio

"N" Sticker on the rear bumper and the Ministry of Transport number suggests (to me anyway) this car was originally bought by a United States Air Force officer on station in the UK and subsequently brought to the United States.

Classic British sports car interior - circa 1967/8.

Lotus Pilot - May 1975. This fellow struck me as the quintessential Lotus pilot - complete with the wool sweater, beard, touring cap, and that expression. . . It would be ten years efore I finally got a 1972 Lotus Elan Sprint DHC for myself. I don't think I still have sweater like that, as big a beard, or a touring cap. I always thought they were something of an amusing affectation. Asahi Pentax Spotmatic w/35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar - Kodachrome.

2009-10-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

CF-FUZ

Windsor, Ontario - CANADA

CF-FUZ - This is how this particular P-51 Mustang appeared at the Dominion Day Airshow in 1974. Alas - it is no longer painted a stylish black, white, and red. I've always felt that if you could put a P-51 Mustang into a tuxedo - this is how it would appear.

More about this particular aircraft can be found on this page.

http://mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/survivors/pages/44-63889.shtml

Happily - it hasn't bee taken to Reno, Nevada and flown into the ground by some egotistical moron with more dollars than SENSE. I have very strong opinions about taking irreplaceable pieces of aviation history - aeronautically "hot rodding them" - and flying them at the ragged limit until they break and scatter themselves across the desert floor. I can't really sympathize with the pilots. They're (supposedly) sentient beings who should know better. These aircraft are entirely at our mercy - and need to be protected from this sort of nonsense. Pentax Spotmatic w/200mm F:4.0 Super Takumar

2009-09-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Rolling Billboard

Columbus, Ohio

Rolling Billboard - Columbus, Ohio - October 2006. I ran across a small classic car show in east Columbus. The most interesting vehicle there was, for me, a replica 427 Cobra that was race-spec. Even the decals were vintage. Canon FTQL w/35mm F:2.5 Canon FL.

2009-09-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Blues Harmonica

Soul Shine Blues Festival

Blues Harmonica - Soul Shine Blues Festival - 26 August 2009. This guy had a case wil more harmonicas in it than I've seen in my entire life!

2009-09-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Take Two - Blues Pianist

Take Two - Blues Pianist - Same picture as previously - but more tightly cropped. I think it looks better. . .

2009-09-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

Soul Shine Blues Festival

Bascom, Ohio

26 August 2009

Henry Gray - Blues Pianist

Sean Carney - Blues Guitarist

Henry Gray - doing his thing. Seems to be good fellow.

All photos - Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma DG or 70-200mm Sigma DG

2009-09-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Cymbals

Bascomb, Ohio

Cymbals - Bascomb, Ohio - 26 September 2009. While roaming about the stage photographing at a blues festival - the light on the cymbals caught my eye. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma DG.

2009-09-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Minds' Eye

Montana Muscle & Classics

If what I saw on this lot was "the best" - I'm very reluctant to see "the worst."

I spied this lot full of old cars as I rolled down Highway 93 between Missoula and Hamilton, Montana. My eye caught the body of an early 70’s Trans AM in the line-up. On a day off I found my way back, and wandered through the lot. There has to be at least twenty five mid-late 1970’s Pontiac Trans Ams in various states of decay – plus a few other vehicles. But what captured my imagination is the white Trans Am. I don’t see it as the bleaching carcass of a muscle car baking in the Montana sun.

In my minds' eye - I see this.

IMHO - the 455HO Trans Ams of this vintage are the most beautiful Pontiacs ever created - and the very embodiment of the assertion that "Pontiac Builds Excitement!"

Unless I am very mistaken - the only way that at least 80% of the vehicles on this lot are going anywhere is on a hook. Lot's of spares!

2009-09-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

1930 Buick Pick Up Truck

Kim, Colorado

1930 Buick Pick Up Truck - 30 August 2009 - Kim, Colorado. We turned south at La Junta and drove through the Commanche Grasslands straight to a lonely, windswept little corner of southeast Colorado called Kim. It has the finest collection of 1920’s-30’s derelict iron I’ve yet seen.
Most interesting to me was a Buick that had been converted into a pick-up truck. It was a very handsome conversion and would make great bones for a full restoration. The condition of the chrome headlamp assemblies are nothng short of eerie. Also - note the keys still in the ignition. Canon 5D 12-24mm Sigma DG and Panasonic DMC LX2.

2009-09-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Abandoned Homestead

Baca County - Colorado

Norman Lewis Kincaide, PhD - my friend from our time at the University of Colorado and since.

Abandoned Homestead - Baca County Colorado - 28 August 2009

Time and the elements are winning out on this place. The silence is deafening. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma DG.

2009-09-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Maid - Cast Photo

Circleville, Ohio

Maid - Community Theatre - Circleville, Ohio. Leica M-2 w/50mm F:1.2 Canon

2009-09-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Old Bents Fort

La Junta, Colorado

Adobe chimneys

Sunlight streaming through the south gate.

2009-09-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

A.I.

Artificial Intelligence

Movie tonight was AI – Artificial Intelligence. I could have done without the middle third. It still strikes me as, overall, a decent flick. I do find myself commiserating with the robots more than the people.

2009-09-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Brick Layer - Old Bents Fort

La Junta, Colorado

Brick Layer - Old Bents Fort - August 2009. For more information on this excellent historic site

http://www.nps.gov/beol/index.htm

Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma.

2009-09-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

Canyon de Chelly

Chinle, Arizona

Canyon de Chelly - Chinle, Arizona - June 2000. I wish there could have ben sheep in the pen - but I like how it adds a sense of scale to the rock face. Nikon FE2 w/35-70mm Sigma.

2009-09-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Waiting

Columbus, Ohio

Waiting - Columbus, Ohio - 14 September 2009. I got back to Ohio after being in Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana for nearly a month. While waiting to be picked up - I stuck an ND400 filter on my camera - set the F-Stop to 5.6 and exposure to 30-seconds at an ISO of 400. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma + ND400 Filter.

2009-09-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

Petrified Wood Building

Lamar, Colorado

Lamar's Petrified Wood Building – 27 August 2009. The building started out as a gas station, built by lumber dealer W.G. Brown in 1932. The building walls and floors are constructed of large pieces of petrified wood over 175 million years old. In 1962, the service station became Lamar Tire Service. It currently houses the offices of Stagner Tire and a used car dealership... This place is truly hideous. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma.

2009-09-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

Concrete Silo - Cudahy Ranch

Olney Springs, Colorado

Concrete Silos - Cudahy Ranch - Olney Springs, Colorado - 31 August 2009. Two lonely concrete silos and a livestock barn are about all that remain of a cattle ranch that never took off in the early 1900's. A website gives a narrative of this windswept spot, southeast of Pueblo, Colorado.

http://www.crowleyheritagecenter.com/museum/cudahy.php

The wooden cap of one silo is gone. What remained of the second casts interesting shadows on the inner walls of the silo. Canon 5D w/12-24mm Sigma.

2009-09-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Lotus and Lotii

Lotus and Lotii - October 2008 - There was that time I parked my 1972 Elan nose to nose with a 2009 Lotus Exige. The owner was very happy to show me around his car – but showed not a flicker of recognition of my Elan. Another member of that class of car drivers I characterize as having more dollars than sense. No sense or knowledge of their own vehicles' heritage. To be honest – I wouldn’t trade my Elan Sprint for his Exige under any circumstance.

2009-09-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

Cumbres & Toltec Railroad

Chama, New Mexico

Cleaning the grates prior to departure.

Positioning the engine prior to departure.

Both images were with a Canon FT-QL – an absolute tank of a camera. Through Ebay, I managed to amass an entire outfit of two bodies (one black), and a gaggle of lenses: 28mm, 35mm, 85mm, 135mm, and 200mm. The optics were all first rate. The biggest issue I had was with the weight. An outfit made up of Asahi Pentax gear from the same period weighed about half as much – item for item. The Canon gear is all gone – except for my very first interchangeable lens SLR set-up. The Pentax gear – I still use. . .

2009-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Moving Ahead!

Rawlins, Wyoming

Moving Ahead - 06 September 2009. Just another gigantic, mid-fifties Cadillac land argonaut . . . until closer inspection reveals . . .

Oh Dear . . . This was too good to pass up - and best of all - I didn't have to Photoshop anything! There really is a Perkins CONOCO station in Rawlins, Wyoming. Panasonic LUMIX DMC LX2.

2009-09-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

I Wrote You

But I Bever Heard Back . . .

Old Post Office - Hartman, Colorado - 27 August 2009. The new one is across the street and south about 75 feet. Unfortunately this place more closely resembles the rest of the town. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma DG.

2009-09-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Two Buttes, Colorado

Two Buttes, Colorado - August 2009. Yes. Those are two buttes . . . on the other side of a sunflower field that seems to stretch to infinity. . . Canon 5D w/70-200mm F:2.8 Sigma + Polarizer @200mm.

2009-09-03T17:12:00.001-07:00

Abandoned Ford

Lycan, Colorado

Ford - Lycan, Colorado - August 2009. We were heading south, then turned west at Lycan towards Two Buttes. Before going far, I spied an old Ford out in a field. At first, I thought it used to be a convertible. I never got a look at the 8-cylinder engine . . . snakes can be a problem out here. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma and Panasonic DMC-X2.

2009-09-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

Genetic Engineering

I Knew It Would Come to This . . . 31 August 2009. Rocky Ford, Colorado. Imagine what is going on inside - the creation of giant, quivering expanses of LIVER. . . Oh the horror! Canon 5D w/12-24mm Sigma.

2009-08-24T20:31:00.001-07:00

Oklahoma Aquarium

Jenks, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Aquarium - 24 August 2009 - Fifteen dollars and twenty cents was a trifle steep – and I’d certainly never go there again. It was OK for what it is – but nothing beats lofting over a reef – and being enveloped by an explosion of color as thousands of fish swirl around. That’s scuba diving – and good as this place was – it wasn't scuba diving. Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma.

2009-08-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Woodland Stream - Yellow Springs, Ohio

Woodland Stream - Yellow Springs, Ohio - October 2004. I'm glad I brought my tripod this outing. Exposure was about 1-second. Pentax Spotmatic [SP] w/24mm F:3.5 Super Takumar.

2009-08-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Director - Circleville, Ohio

Director - Roundtown Players - 22 March 2004. Canon FT-QL w/85mm F:1.8 Canon.

2009-08-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Free Speech - Nelsonville, Ohio

Free Speech - Nelsonville, Ohio - October 2007. Somebody with red paint and some spare trailers was mighty angry about something. Leica M2 w/15mm F:4.5 Voigtlander.

2009-08-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sweet Smell of Success - Artesia, New Mexico

Artesia, New Mexico - 08 August 2004 - Just north of Artesia, I stopped and got a good picture of the Chamber of Commertce sign that states “The Sweet Smell of Success - ARTESIA.” Yes - that IS an oil refinery smack dab in the middle of town. I guess if you are in to huffing gasoline - this would be a wonderful place. . . Nikon FE2 w/35-70mm Sigma.

2009-08-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Grain Elevator - Kevin, Montana

Grain Elevator - Kevin Montana - 03 August 2009. I jokingly thought to myself - "Little wonder there are scarcely any trees for 50-miles in any direction . . . they cut them all down to build this thing!" I had never seen a wooden grain elevator before. Likely I never will again. Asahi Pentax SP and SV w/50mm/35mm Super Takumar.

2009-08-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

Mara - Stoutsville, Ohio

She lay by the cold air return.
The sunlight sprinkled in through the maple tree outside.
Mara was at least 12 years old.
Her meow and purr had a “trilling” quality.
I had watched her through the day - and suspected her time was near.
She barely stirred as I roamed about the house.
As I reached down to pet her one last time.
Her eyes opened, but she did not purr.
One half hour later I walked by, and found her still.
She was a neat old cat.
She did not “own” me - but I miss her nonetheless.

2009-08-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Address Sign - Dunkirk, Montana

Address Sign - Dunkirk, Montana - 03 August 2009. One visible expression of how far everything is from everything in northern Montana are the roadsigns for individual homesteads. Pentax SP w/50mm F:1.8 Super Takumar.

2009-08-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Right / Left / Straight Ahead

Kevin, Montana

Right / Left / Straight Ahead - 03 August 2009. It's impossible to transmit the utter vastness of the northern Montana landscape - but it is fun trying. Double click on the image. Pentax SP w/35mm F:3.5 Super Takumar.

2009-08-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Singer

Chama, New Mexico

Cowboy Singer - Chama New Mexico - Saturday: 11 September 2004
Off on the front of the train the whistle sounded the five minute warning.
One of the conductors introduced himself and gave a briefing about the upcoming trip.
Our car was just opposite the train station platform - a local cowboy song performer was meandering through a beautiful instrumental piece on his Martin guitar. It drifted in through the open windows and mixed with the excited conversations in the car.
The conductor asked for a few moments of silence to observe this third anniversary. People on the train got quiet. The guitar fell silent.
The whistle sounded again, the slack went out of the couplers, and we were underway.

Canon FT-QL w/85mm F:1.8 Canon FL

2009-08-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Broom - East Glacier, Montana

Broom - East Glacier, Montana - 30 July 2009. I will be the first to admit that I frequently am attracted by detail, that I find delight in picking out a detail in an image and moving in on it. I came to this conclusion while shooting this Burlington Northern and Santa Fe engine at East Glacier. I liked photographing the engine - but found the shadow of the broom on the orange of the engine cowling more interesting. - Asahi Pentax SP w/35mm F:3.5 Super Takumar.

2009-08-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Bounty - Circleville, Ohio

The Bounty - Circleville, Ohio - 14 June 2005. Sony Cybershot

2009-08-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

Best Out West - Hardin, Montana

Best Out West – Hardin, Montana - 20 May 2007 – Going over all the pictures I have of grain elevators, this is one of my earliest and prettiest. Asahi Pentax SP w/200mm F:4.0 Super Takumar.

2009-08-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

The Source - Browning, Montana

The Source - Browning, Montana - 07 August 2009. This place is on the main drag of the Blackfoot Indian Reservation capital. Every night, the emergency room sees and treats the human wreckage of what gets served here. . . A night ambulance call to Icks or the parking lot / sidewalk outside usually nets us an alcohol waistoid.

2009-08-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

Bison Hunter - Central Ohio

Bison Hunter – 12 October 2006. Well – it certainly isn’t as bad as shooting him point blank with a 38-calibre High Wall Sharps Buffalo gun. John Westenhaver – the entity on the left was using a Canon AE-1 (if memory serves). He was also a Hell of a lot closer to even an intensely domesticated Bison than I would ever consider. What I find probably the most amusing about this image is how much hair is on the right – and how little is on the left. Leica M-2 w/100mm Canon F:2.0.

2009-07-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

Orienteering at the Zoo

Maricela and Jacob - just about the only picture I have of them together. All three of us visited the Cincinnati Zoo last month. Nikon F3HP w/70-200mm Sigma

2009-07-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

City Veterinary Hospital - Tulsa, Oklahoma

City Veterinary Hospital - Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a one-story, buff brick building with rounded Streamline corners, and large, full curved glass block windows. It has a flat roof with a banded parapet and a curved, smooth metal-faced canopy above the entrance. Of this suite the surgeon remarked, "In the morning, we scarcely have to use the lights." Canon 5D w/17mm Tamron SP and 24-60mm Sigma DG.

2009-07-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Boulder on the Park - Tulsa, Oklahoma. Got its' name when used as a radio station by KTUL from 1947 to 1955. Originally built as a school in 1923. Remodeled internally and externally to something called "Art Moderne" in the late 1940's. Canon 5D w/17mm Tamron SP

2009-07-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Four Compadres - Santa Fe, NM

Four Compadres: From right to left: 1921 Kodak Autographic Jr. (120), c.1937-1940 Kodak Junior Six-16 Series II (620), Zeiss Ikonta A (120), Zeiss Super Ikonta C (120).
I’m going to take some pictures with the Autographic and the Ikonta A just as an excuse to soup some B&W roll film. I’ve got a couple rolls hanging about – and I’ve not hand processed a roll of film in about ten years! I can scan the negs and make prints off the scans.
Do I miss working in a wet darkroom? Not one bit. It took forever to get a good exposure, paper wastage was terrible, you smelled like a chemical spill for the next four days, and if you wanted to accomplish anything – you had to have at least six hours set aside to work.
While digital cameras free you from the hassles of film development – I never found that aspect of film gear that daunting.

2009-07-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Tool of the Trade - Santa Fe, NM

Tool of the Trade – My son and I visited Rancho de Las Golandrinas – Santa Fe, NM. One of the featured craftsmen was a blacksmith. Sony Cybershot DSC-P30

2009-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

F-104D Starfighter - Dutton, Montana

F-104D Starfighter – Dutton, Montana - 01 July 2009. It seems this/any F-104D Starfighter is something of a rare bird. The F-104D entered operational service in November, 1958. Production ended in September 1959. They were phased out of active inventory in 1967.
The only new feature on the F-104D was the addition of a rear cockpit, a basic component to most trainers. To make room for the cockpit, the M-61 Vulcan cannon had to be removed.
A fighter trainer without a gun? This was during a period of temporary insanity during which the prevailing wisdom was future air-to-air combat would be an exercise in hosing off missiles at one’s adversary.
It occurs to me that the morning of 01 July 2009 was about the ONLY day I could have got this shot – with the sun lining up with the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft. . . Canon 5D w/24-60mm Sigma DG.

2009-07-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hammocks - Yucutan Penninsula, Mexico

Hammocks - 21 March 2008 - Yucutan Penninsula, Mexico. Panasonic LUMIX DMC LX2

2009-07-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

Jacob's Ladder - Globe, Arizona

Jacob's Ladder - 14 November 1999. At Besh-Be-Gowah in Globe, Arizona, a 2-1/2 year old Jacob had a great time wandering through the ruins - and he was very brave about climbing the ladder up to the second story of the pueblo. I was right behind! I was right behind as he came back down too. Leica M-2 w/25mm F:3.5 Canon

2009-07-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Cemetery - San Carlos, Arizona

Cemetery – San Carlos, Arizona. I worked 1.5 years at the HIS facility at San Carlos, “surrounded by Apaches.” Near the end of a ToD, I climbed up the hill to visit the cemetery that overlooks the hospital. Most of the people buried here are veterans. If I’m ever around on 4 July – I’d like to shoot it again with flags on all the poles. Nikon FE2 w/24mm F:2.8 Nikkor

2009-07-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Railing Shadow - Circleville, Ohio

Railing Shadow - The play of shadows and light are a favorite object of my shooting. This was on my out of a visit to the ophthalmologist – kind of a playful image. Olympus 35RC.

2009-07-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

Blue Gate and Blue Door

Blue Gate and Blue Door - The top photo was in Taos (2008) while the bottom photo was in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2003). There must be a catalogue standard blue color for New Mexico window frames, doors, and gates. . . It's a signature color for the state. Both photos Nikon FE2 w/Sigma 35-70 Sigma

2009-07-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Slidewalk - Denver, Colorado

Slidewalk – Mile High Airport – Denver Colorado. I was moving along and thought to myself – “A long exposure of this would look really neat.” I quickly made and exposure reading and placed the camera on the slideway belt. The result made it look like things were really hustling along. Asahi Pentax SP w/20mm F:3.8 Auto Vivitar.

2009-07-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Grain Elevator Office - Collins, Montana

Grain Elevator Office - Collins Montana. The two fellows on the right in the bottom photo are grain truck drivers. The other two fellows work at the facility and were kind enough to let me hang out for about an hour. Panasonic Lumix DMC LX2.

2009-07-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Bridge at Old Man's Cave - Hocking Hills Ohio

Old Man’s Cave - 13 October 2003. It was one of those fall days when even a puff of wind would bring down sheets of leaves. . . This place had changed dramatically since I was last there in 1981. There are more elaborate bridges and tunnels. It was absolutely overrun with people. If I ever go back - it will be in the spring during dogwood season, with a LONG exposure setup to render the tourists as smoke-like spirits flitting along the trails. It occurred to me that the last time I was at Old Man’s Cave - I was using a Pentax Spotmatic with a brace of Super Takumar lenses. . . just like today. That was a little eerie. Pentax SP w/35mm F:2.0 Super Takumar.

2009-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Mesa - Northern New Mexico

Mesa – Northern New Mexico. This was shot about twenty miles north of Espanola on the road to Chama, New Mexico. To this day, it is one of my favorite scenics. It was taken with a modest zone, focus 35mm camera with auto exposure capability. I cropped it to give a panoramic effect. Click on the image. Olympus Trip 35

2009-07-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Taos Mission Church

Taos, New Mexico

Taos Mission Church – 28 July 2008. After breakfast my son and I drove down to the San Franciso Church. This time, the light was excellent – and I spent about 45-minutes just wandering about taking images of light and shadows interplaying with adobe. Nikon FE2 w/35-70 Sigma.

2009-07-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

Spider Woman Rock - Canyon de Chelly

Spider Woman Rock – Arizona – 25 June 2000. This morning I drove from Chinle, Arizona over to the Third Mesa to see a corn dance.
I watched, with all the other Hopi villagers, from the roof of a building that overlooked the ceremonial area.
There had always been Kachina dolls in my house while I was growing up. Soon the ceremonial area was filled with 70 to 80 of the real thing. The ceremony lasted about thirty minutes. I just watched and listened - trying to remember every detail. The combination of regalia, drum, bells, dancing and chanting was ( for myself anyway ) is difficult to describe. Because the singers were wearing Kachina helmets - their voices resonated.
The Kachinas tossed fruit and corn into the audience.
I was regarding an orange - thinking I should give it to a passing elder. She held up her hand and said, “It’s been blessed - You should eat it.”
I waited until late this afternoon while watching the shadow of Spider Woman Rock creep up the canyon wall.
That was one great orange.
Nikon FE2 w/35-70mm Sigma

2009-07-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Morning Commute - I-70 Eastern Ohio

Morning Commute – For a few years, I regularly worked at a hospital in eastern Ohio. Frequently, as I drove over to work on I-70 I’d get to drive through some great atmospherics. One morning I tried to capture the mood. Olympus 35RC

2009-07-20T15:49:00.001-07:00

Tulsa Fire Alarm Building

Tulsa Fire Alarm Building - 18 July 2009. This is a pretty cool old building - built in 1931. It was on my shooting list for Tulsa, Oklahoma. There's an amazing amount of great architecture in this town - and I've scarcely touched the surface. This was also my first experience using a Garmin navigation system. I had a list of addresses to feed into it. Each place I got done shooting - I'd put in a new address, and off I'd go. It was amazing! I've got to get me one of these! All photos, Canon 5D w/24-60 Sigma SG, 105mm F:2.8 Super Takumar and 200mm F:4.0 Sper Takumar. Click on the image to get a bigger image - the detail on the front is amazing!

Below is the entry in Wikpedia for this building.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Fire_Alarm_Building

2009-07-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Office Door - Globe, Arizona

Office Door – Globe, Arizona. On a day off I wandered around downtown Globe, Arizona. The blue of the door caught my eye first. . . Then there was the sign. I knocked – but nobody answered. . . Olympus 35RC.

2009-07-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Takeoff Abstract - St. Louis, Missouri

Takeoff Abstract – I shot this using a primitive digital point and shoot camera while my plane took off from Lambert Field, Saint Louis, Missouri. The neon blue makes me think of the very first album cover for Weather Report. Sony DSC P30 Cybershot

2009-07-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

Lincoln Premiere - Hulbert, Oklahoma

Lincoln Premiere - Just west of Hulbert, Oklahoma I encountered a 1957 Lincoln Premier. There were these clear plastic ducts running down the sides of the rear window – probably plasma conduits leading to the matter-anti-matter reaction chamber in the trunk to power the Stardrive. Utterly ridiculous car. Panasonic Lumix DMC LX2.

2009-07-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Bird Handlers - Cincinnati Zoo

Bird Handlers - Cincinnati Zoo - June 2009. If you ever visit the zoo in Cincinnati, the bird show rules. Nikon F3HP w/70 to 200 Sigma.

2009-07-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Bison - Browning, Montana

Bison - Browning, Montana - 09 July 2009. Since October, I've driven up and down this same stretch of road between East Glacier and Browning Montana past the Blackfoot Bison Range. This morning was the first time that light and angle was good. The herd was drifting over a grassy ridge with the mountains of Glacier National Park as a backdrop. Canon 5D w/500mm Tamron SP.

2009-07-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

Red Bus - East Glacier, Montana

"Jammer" - Glacier National Park - July 2009. They were built by the White Motor Company in Cleveland Ohio, painted Mountain Ash Berry Red and are still kept that color today. There was an entire fleet of 33 buses built for the Park back in 1936 to 1939. The unique name “Jammers” comes from the old days when drivers could be heard "jammin" on the gears of the bright red buses as they drove around the park. The buses of today are basically the same vehicles, having been completely renovated and restored by the Ford Motor Company at a cost of over 800,000 dollars. Originally buses had canvas tops, and were made of oak and covered with a metal skin. Today, all the buses have refurbished interior and exterior structures, automatic transmission, power steering, and dual propane/gasoline engines. The canvas tops and original charm remain. Tourists feel as if they are riding in the style and grace of the 30s. The vintage buses stretch 25 feet long and hold 17 passengers.On each tour a Jammer welcomes tourists the same way it's been done for over 90 years with the “roll call”. The buses have a unique canvas top, which rolls back allowing all 17 passengers a commanding view of the spectacular scenery within Glacier National Park. Not a bad way to go! Canon 5D and Panasonic LUMIX DMC LX2.

2009-07-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Letter

The Letter - (Click on the image to read) It was read in the film Saving Private Ryan and represents, in my view, the most eloquent and heartfelt expression of condolence and respect put to paper. There are times when I read this that I cannot hold back the tears. Canon 5D 24-60mm Sigma DG.

2009-06-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Matchmaker - Circleville, Ohio

Roundtown Players Theatre

Matchmaker - That's my sister-in-law on the right.
Equipment - I have no clue. Might be late 60's Pentax, mid 80's Nikon, or mid-Pleistocene Leica. . . I just don't remember.

2009-06-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Tulsa Union Depot - Tulsa, Oklahoma

After some initial thrashing – I found the train depot. When I first pulled the Canon 5D out of the Domke and took off the lens cap – I had to wait about five minutes for the glass to warm up and the condensation to evaporate off the front element. I shot a couple frames outside – then decided to look at the interior. It was a disappointment. There is virtually nothing on the inside to identify the space as a passenger rail terminal. The Jazz Hall of Fame is nice – but not particularly photogenic. By the time I came back outside, the sun had finally shifted to light the front of the building. For more information on this building:

http://www.tulsapreservationcommission.org/artdeco/buildings/index.pl?id=5

This must be a great venue for jazz concerts!

All photos Canon 5D w/17mm Tamron, 24-60mm Sigma DG, 105mm Super Takumar and 200mm Super Takumar.

2009-06-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

Boston Avenue Church - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Boston Avenue Church - Tulsa Oklahoma - 24 June 2009. Completed in 1929, it blends traditional church design and modern "skyscraper" techniques. To my eye it looks like something one would see in Minas Tirith. I half expected Gandalf to come striding out the door. Canon 5D w/ 200mm F:4.0 Super Takumar, 105mm F:2.8 Super Takumar, 24-60mm Sigma DG, and 17mm F:3.5 Tamron SP.

http://bestoftulsa.com/landmarks/boston_ave_church.shtml

Then there were the three guys. . . Large statues on the side of the building. They had beams coming out of their hair – so I gotta’ figure these are pretty heavy hitters – God, The Son, and the Holy Ghost: The ultimate Power Trio - Masters of matter, space, and time – manifesting as human beings in flowing garments (I’ve no problem with that part as a social convention). What intrigued me was – they were all three on horseback. . . Now – what do the three most powerful entities in the universe need with horses? Transportation? They can manifest anywhere in the universe - at any time – in any form . . . Why climb on the back of some big smelly animal and ride it around? It made me wonder. . .

Then I learned they are the equestrian Circuit Riders, the early Methodists engaged in spreading the Good Word. Two of the three riders represent historic individuals, Bishop Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist bishop and Bishop William McKendrie, while the third figure, the one in the center, is symbolic of all the other men of God who did His bidding from horseback.

This building cap, from a distance looked like it would appear natural with shafts of lighting or slithering clouds of burning plasma coming out.

2009-06-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Tattered Flag - Chillicothe, Ohio

Tattered Flag - Chillicothe Train Station - 18 August 2008. I've no idea when the last passenger train rolled through this place, but it was evidently festooned with flags and banners for some event. . . and now only these little flags dangling from beneath the eaves of the platform remain. Panasonic LUMIX DMC LX2