I spied this couple almost immediately as I got out of my car at the equestrian photo shoot. The woman in particular had that sophisticated equestrian look to her. I waited until after I said hello to the other members of the group to go over to them to ask if I could take their photo.
I predicted rightly that they would assume I wanted take photos of their faces and start to turn to face me so I stopped them before they could by saying I wanted them exactly as they were and that I was going to take the photo from the back.
‘The Observers’
Not many people get that idea, it is pretty alien to most people, and to most photographers. But I got the shot and that is what is important.
There were 2-3 kids playing on this bar for a quite a while. I waited quite a while until there was just the one girl and she was in just the right pose with just the right horse walking by. I wish I had a chair while I was waiting but it is always worth it for the right shot.
This week will be a number of photos from an Equestrian competition I photographed in Inola, OK.
This is a pretty straight portrait. I waited for her in the shade of the arena knowing that the very bright sunlight behind me would make for a great glow on her face and in her eyes.
I was feeling antsy on Sunday morning of our parent’s weekend at Baylor University. I hadn’t run that weekend, the walking I had done was the slow type that is bad on my back, there had been a bit too much shopping and I had grown bored. Sunday morning I finally just took a photo walkabout on my own from the motel towards Baylor not sure of what I would find.
What I found was the Armstrong Browning Library, a repository of material from the archives of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the poets.
‘The Bronze Poet – All’s Right With The World’
The sculpture out front and the surrounding flora and fauna gave me an opportunity to get lost in the visual world, looking at details that I new would combine to give some meaning. What meaning I did not know, but I knew it was there, nonetheless.
I actually don’t know if this is a sculpture of Elizabeth, but I think it is. I do know I climbed up on it so I could get images looking down on her face instead of up. Iiked knowing that cars driving by and people walking by were looking at me holding her hands and hair and shoulders while I leaned far enough away to get a shot or two.
While we were in Waco, TX visiting Baylor I followed my wife and daughter around while they went shopping at a place that had multiple little spaces within it, sort of like an antique mall but with contemporary items.
This little spot did have older more antique type things and I was struck by the beautiful light flowing over the dress and table. I did just a slight bit of arranging to clean up the composition a bit then took the shot.
It is amazing how many opportunities arise when you have a camera with you, if you only but look with an eye for it.
We were all amazed at how well this man was eating during the Baylor tailgate party! He was not smearing his face paint at all, he was barely even touching his lips! I loved the afternoon sun hitting his yellow pate like that and just had to get a capture of it!
This sculpture was part of our tour of ‘creepy’ sculptures’ by our daughter as she showed us the Baylor campus at night.
The Tim Burton Angel
We all thought the angel seemed to come straight out of ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ by Tim Burton and we all agreed that my oldest daughter, R, would love it.
I actually think it is a pretty powerful rendition of an angel, certainly better than the millions of kitschy, sappy and syrupy angel figurines found all over the world.
Today you get a double treat of tattoos at the fair!
I noticed the black straps surrounding the tattoo and was intrigued by the writing that was only partially showing. I asked her if I could take a photo and she was very happy to allow it.
‘Wings at the Fair’
I gave her my card and told her if she needed any other photography to give me a call. Her friend piped up and they were from out of town, working one of the booths in the expo building selling shammies I think.
But she said she gets around so she would keep my card, just in case.
I was eating my required fair meal of italian sausage and notice this couple talking at the table in front of me.
The guy was clingy, wrapping his arms around her again and again, kissing her cheek and generally seeming to want to possess her. She on the other hand simply sat there eating and talking, never once turning to him.
The wind blew her hair and I notice the star tattoo. I went up and asked her if I could take a photo of it and the guy butted in and answered quickly and authoritatively, ‘sure you can’. I looked to her and she said ‘yes’.
I later saw them walking towards the parking lot and he still had her wrapped up in his arms. It didn’t seem to be a good type of wrapping.
What a perfect walkabout find at the Fair! A beautiful African American woman was standing at a food booth and there was that ‘gotta stop moment’ when all the world fell into perfect harmony.
‘Composition in Fall’
This was an instant favorite of mine before I even looked at the results a few moments later. It couldn’t have been set up in a studio any better.
