Speedlites

Just for Fun- Sunrise

2011-04-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Taken with my Samsung Moment camera phone.

Ciao!!

Just For Fun

2011-04-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Eyes in the skies.

Ciao!!

Day 59- #201

2011-04-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

Quaint.

Ciao!!

Day 58- Sunrise

2011-04-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Camera phone, converted to black and white. YUCK! Horrible photo, but the only one I took today. Geeeez!!

Ciao!!

Day 57- Telephone Line

2011-04-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

An attempt, albeit relatively poor, at minimalism.

Ciao!!

Day 56- Smoke Break

2011-04-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from a bike ride to light up the pipe.

Ciao!!

Day 55- We Need Rain

2011-04-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

And all we got were some drizzles.

Ciao!!

Day 54- Garden After

2011-04-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

Garden after Spring planting. Whew!! Lots of work!!

Ciao!!

Day 53- Garden Before

2011-04-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

Garden before Spring planting.

Ciao!!

Day 52- Killah

2011-04-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Probably gettin' into the yard work a little more than I should!

Ciao!!

Samsung TL500

2011-04-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Testing out my new Samsung TL500. First shot: outdoors, f/5.4, ISO 200, 1/180, fill flash.

Boo enjoying his first margarita mocktail. F/1.8, 200 ISO, 1/6 sec. Handheld. No flash. Nice image stabilization.

Decoration in Mexican restaurant. Handheld, f/2.7, ISO 200, 1/10 sec. Handheld.

No sharpening applied to any of these photos.

First impression? Fantastic!!

Ciao!!

Day 51- Stinka

2011-04-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Vanity license plate frame for the woman on the left...'Stinka'

First published shot of a photo from my brand new Samsung TL500. Lovin' this thang!! After three months of research, I decided on this carry around compact. F/1.8-2.4 fast fast fast Schneider glass, so it's amazing in low light. Tilt/swivel AMOLED hi-res screen. Great resolution from a 10 MP sensor. LOTS more to come!!

Ciao!!!

Day 50- Rrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiip!!

2011-03-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry, baby! That's was an accident. I wouldn't want to embarrass you in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Ciao!!

Day 49- Cyclops Tanks Robot on Guard

2011-03-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Starting to enjoy black and white photos more and more.

Ciao!!

Day 48- Halo Reach

2011-03-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Cole engrossed in assassinating enemy soldiers and watching firey skulls fall to the ground.

Canon 7D with 70-200mm f/4 L lens. Nikon SB-25 off camera right through a diffuser. Zoom 50, 1/8 power. Triggered with Pocket Wizards.

Ciao!!

Hard Times

2011-03-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

Sign of the times?

Ciao!!

Aging With Grace

2011-03-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Two sage elderly gentlemen photographed during their daily routines.

Ciao!!

Day 47- Hangin' with The Masters

2011-03-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Buenos dias from the southwest side of Houston, Texas! The 4th largest city in the good ol' US of A. Live from the beautiful Ayva Center, it's the 14th stop of the 2011 Flash Bus Tour, starring David "Strobist" Hobby outta Baltimore, MD and Joe "Numnuts" McNally, outta New Yawk City, NY. I had, by choice, a back row seat for this Fantabulous Flurry of Flash Fanatacism. I was not disappointed.

The Flash Bus

Truth be told, there is no real Flash Bus. It's just a large placard that they place in the parking lot. Betcha didn't know that! Here are the real buses for Mr. Hobby and Mr. McNally respectively. Both were strategically hidden in the corners of the parking lot. Can't fool me!!

Mr. Hobby's Sweet Suite on Wheels

Mr. McNally's Flashy Bus

Houston, We ~~Have~~ Had a Problem
The morning started out with Mssrs. McNally and Hobby scrambling for larger projection screens. With the help of some Houston folks who got the Tweets, problem solved. Gotta love us!!

The Crowd

The was a large diverse crowd in attendance.

We think the guy in the solid blue shorts is wanted for failing his urine test.

The Venue

The beautiful and "always ready for your wedding or party time celebration" Ayva center on Richmond Avenue. Notice the beautiful silks hanging from the ceiling.

Over 80 Nikon flashes at once. We Canon folks got screwed....AGAIN!!

The Playas

Does it really get any better than this for off-camera flash photography? I think not! Each of these ~~playas~~ gentlemen has his own philosophy. Hobby; he's a dedicated manual guy(although he *hints* at trying TTL flash). McNally; Manual be damned(unless he's forced into it by background flashes screwing up the TTL reading with pre-flash). It was fun to watch an compare the differences.


Mr. Hobby checks the wind speed and direction for proper lightstand sandbag placement.

Mr. McNally "assumes the position"

The ~~Seminar~~ Ceremony

There was brief mention in the media frenzy before the tour began that these two fine gentlemen might be getting married. We in Houston were sooooo honored that they chose our fine city for the ceremony.


Joe removes his veil and David warms his palms and drools

Notice the strategically placed "TFB" sticker to help the newlyweds remember what they were doing when the were wed.

Enquiring minds want to know whether their wedding night was one of "full manual" control, "ISO horny," or was it a night of "wide open" (r)aperture.

The Goods

I can tell you first hand that these fine gentlemen put on a show like no other. Much is to be learned, much laughter to be had and I for one am re-inspired to "be one with the flash."

Joe showing off his street creds.

Both men were kind enough to shake my hand(weird infected sores and all(and without even flinching)), and engage me in conversation. You won't meet two better all-around good guys with no pretense. The world needs more like these gents.

The Conclusion

A day chock-full of fun, fantastic speakers, people flashing and a load of freebies and great deals for $99?? Are you kidding me?? Pay your money and just do this!! You'll be glad you did!!

Larry Wyatt (Twitter- @beauxtx1)

Day 46- Daily Brain Exercise

2011-03-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

For lo', these many years, I have done a crossword puzzle at lunch each weekday. The IPAD has made it even cooler.

Country music, crossword and Chinese food. What have I got to complain about?

Ciao!!

Day 45- God Bless America

2011-03-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

While she may be tattered at times, the United States of America is still the best country on the planet!!

This is an old Winnebago motorhome in the parking lot of the local Walmart. Livin' and sleepin' in style in Houston, Texas!!

Ciao!!

Day 44- Dude! Where's my Watch??

2011-03-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Dude realizes, during a cigarette break at Best Buy, that someone has stolen his watch. I wonder if his car is safe.

Ciao!!

Day 43- No Parking

2011-03-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Scleroderma is calming down. Back into the swing of things.

Ciao!!

Just for Fun- Ride 'em Cowboy!!

2011-03-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ride 'em cowboy at the George Ranch, southwest of Houston.

Ciao!!

Just For Fun

2011-03-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

This is the first real animal photo that I took a few years ago. it's from the Houston Zoo.

Ciao!!

Some Recent Portraits

2011-03-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

These are some recent portraits taken while on vacation in Florida. All are taken with off-camera SB 25 flash, balanced with ambient sunset and positioned by my ever-faithful and loving voice-activated light stand, my wife. Flash triggered by Pocket Wizard.

Just for Fun

2011-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

This Scleroderma s kickin' my arse to the point that handling a camera would be difficult. So, for a few days I'll be posting pics I've taken recently until it improves.

Say hello to Mr. Mule. I named him Francois. Good name, I think.

Ciao!!

Just for Fun

2011-03-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mamaw playing an old Baldwin piano. She can still tickle the ivories.

Ciao!!

Day 42- Morning Sun

2011-03-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Mamaw's house is the town gathering place. She literally knows everyone!!

Ciao!!

Day 41- On The Farm

2011-03-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

An old truck on a farm owned by some friends in Daytown, Florida.

Exposed for the background and on-board flash on the truck, which was under a cover.

Ciao!!

Day 40- The River House

2011-03-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Cole and his Mamaw(great grandmother). She is holding an Easter lily that he picked for her.

She's 86 years young, raised 8 children and is an amazing woman! It was an honor to be in her home.

Love you, Mamaw!!!

Ciao!!

Day 39- Luke Sunnin'

2011-03-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Luke The Wonder Dog catchin' some Florida sunshine on the porch in a rocker.

Ciao!!

Day 38- Country Folk

2011-03-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the country and congratulations to the Mortlocks.

Ciao!!

Day 37- Daytown, Florida

2011-03-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

There is one commercial building in Daytown, Florida and that's the post office. This was our first day visiting Cheryl's family. What a wonderful group of folks!!!

Ciao!!

Day 36- No Pets Allowed

2011-03-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

The first day of Spring Break and on our way to Florida. This rest stop in Alabama didn't allow pets, bt we thought we'd make a photo of our favorite 'pet,' Cole.

Ciao!!

Day 35- Dizzy

2011-03-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

I love the lens flare in this photo. It was intentional, as was the blur on the arms of the ride. It took three shots to get it correct. It's an amusement park ride.

Canon 7D. Canon 70-200mm f/4 L USM lens. ISO 200, f/32, 1/40th sec.

Ciao!!

Day 34- Graphic Abstract

2011-03-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

Any idea what this might be?

Ciao!!

Day 33- Sunset Over South America

2011-03-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Lit with a ring light, camera left. Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens. I like the 3-D textures that the side light creates.

Ciao!!

Day 32- Cowboy

2011-03-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the western theme, here's a shot of the young cowboy.

Another photo and lighting info after the jump.

Read more »

Day 31- At the Rodeo

2011-03-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Took Cole to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo last night and had a blast. He rode the mechanical bull and did a nice job and had fun. See the results of the ride and how the ladies reacted to him after the jump.

Day 30- Poem for My Son

2011-03-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

In 2002, I wrote a poem for my then 2-year old son. This is a portrait of him make from the words in that poem. Be sure to click on the photo for the larger version.

This is the entire poem:

My Rainbow

In every life, a miracle arrives

A gift sent from heaven above

Mine is a rainbow, a brand new life

Graced by unconditional love

A million adventures for you await

But none as important as these

Learn how to give and to create

Of comfort, a provider be

I pray the Lord will keep you safe

And ever questioning why

Marveling at the beauty of life

And why stars fill an evening sky

Do not regret your choices, my son

Be they good or bad, you’ll see

Lessons taught are not undone

If we learn, we’ll better be

I wish you peace in every way

That indifference may pass you by

Fear not the future and live for the day

When you are a better man than I

Someday I will leave and forever be gone

To be in heaven with a watchful eye

But never forget that my love lives on

Until we’re together again on high

Love,

Dad

December 2002

Just for Fun

2011-03-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

Just for fun....playing with post-processing and made a triptych(three-paneled picture). I like it!!

Ciao!!

Day 29- Vitamin See

2011-03-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoying a nice lunch with our son today as he valiantly staves off scurvy!!!

Click on the photo for a larger version.

Ciao!!

Just for Fun

2011-03-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Captured yesterday with a Canon 7D with 135mm f/2.0 L prime lens.

Click on the photo for a larger version.

Ciao!!

Day 28- Legion

2011-03-04T18:25:00.000-08:00

Went on a photo walk today. Got some nice pics. Cheryl liked this one the best, here it is.

Back to some speed light work with set-up shots this weekend.

Ciao!!

Day 27- Awakening

2011-03-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

Very foggy this morning before a cold front comes through on Saturday.

Ciao!!

Day 26- Colores Bonitos

2011-03-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

Beautiful colors of a building shot after eating lunch today.

Ciao!!

Day 25- Sunset Shadows

2011-03-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken in the back yard this afternoon close to sunset time. I love how the afternoon light cast these complex shadows on top of the complex arrangement of the fence, including all the knots.

Ciao!!

My Old Photography Blog

2011-03-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

I started this new blog for two reasons. One is that, for some reason, I can't log onto my old blog. The second was to do a 365 picture a day challenege.

If you'd like to look at the old blog, it's called Ordinary to Extraordinary and can be accessed by clicking on that link.

Ciao!!

Day 24- Guest Room

2011-03-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Definitely not the best photo I've ever taken, but the afternoon light shining through the sheer curtains was irresistible.

Ciao!!

Day 23- Zombie Mom

2011-02-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like mom's at it again! We gotta refill that lithium prescription....and SOON!

Lighting info after the jump.

Read more »

Day 22- Negativity

2011-02-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

I had an idea about negativity. Something about which I am very negative. This is the end result.

Photo and lighting info after the jump.

Read more »

Just for Fun- A Boy and His Dog...

2011-02-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

...and his IPAD, and his Pillow Pet, and his bluetooth headphones. Can you say spoiled rotten!!??

Just for Fun- My Beautiful Bride

2011-02-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hubba hubba in high key!!

As always, click on the photo for a larger version.

Day 21- [Insert Provocative Photo Name Here]

2011-02-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the photo for day #21 of my 365 picture-a-day challenge. I like it the most of all the photos that I've made to date. It is begging for a provocative name, however. Please give me some names in the comments section and I'll pick the best one and name the submitter in an update to this post.

Photo info and an alternative attempt after the jump.

Read more »

Day 20- Thought for the Day

2011-02-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

I love eating Oreo cookies and love listening to Barbara Jordan, so I thought I'd combine the two.

Canon 7D on aperture priority, f/2.8, 400 ISO, white poster board background and LED ring light. Very simple.

Now I'm going to eat some Oreo cookies!!

Just for Fun

2011-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Fun photo of my wife and son using the ring light that I recently purchased.

Day 19- Hook 'Em Horns

2011-02-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

It's 1:18 on Thursday morning. Went to bed at 9:45 last night hoping for a nice long restful sleep. But NOOOOO!! Mr. Scleroderma decided that it was time to play...so, after a 45 minute breakdown, where my loving wife consoled me, here I am posting the photo I made last night.

Boo loves the Texas Longhorns. We got him these slippers this past weekend. So in honor of the Great Nation of Texas, I post this photo tonight.

Shot with Canon SD1200 IS on auto with on-board flash. Boring? Yes. But I wanted sleep.

Day 18- C Dog

2011-02-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is C Dog, better known as my 10-year old son. He's lookin' pretty gansta, but he knows that any attempt at the gangsta life will bring down the wrath of the parental units. I gotta admit, he does look cool though!

As always, click on the photos for a larger view.

Lighting info and more pics after the jump.

Read more »

Day 17- Speed Cleaning

2011-02-21T22:13:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at timelapse photography.

It's in low-quality format to save on bandwidth. Pretty fun and easy process, actually. More videos to come!!

Just for Fun- Three Generations

2011-02-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

Cheryl recently took possession of her Granny's cedar armoire. She wanted a photo of it and wanted to represent the three maternal generations. This was the result. The armoire was Granny's, the dress on the right was Cheryl's mom's and the flowers and dress on the left were Cheryl's.

Lighting info and setup shot after the jump.

Day 16- World's BEST Mom

2011-02-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN???

Police are still searching for the driver of the vehicle.

(No children were harmed in the making of this photograph. BOO-YA!!!)

More information after the jump.

Day 15- Winter Tree

2011-02-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

This is our winter tree. It will be changed to a Spring tree in March.

This shot is straight out of camera.

Just for Fun

2011-02-19T09:07:00.000-08:00


Boo Warhol Style

Day 14- Something Wicked This Way Comes

2011-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

We had a strange winter fog roll through this evening. Perfect conditions for some sort of photo noir experiment.

Lighting info after the jump.

Just for Fun

2011-02-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

Found a shed on a church parking lot this afternoon on a short photo hunt. I like the texture of the wood and the rust.

More photos after the jump.

Day 13- Shutter Lock

2011-02-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

In homage to my Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. It's affectionately known as the "nifty fifty," and for good reason. Everyone should have their brand of nifty fifty in their camera bag. It has great color and contrast, phenomenal bokeh and costs about $90. It's wonderful for those low light in-home celebration photos.

The setup for this photograph was exactly the same as for the product shots in the light tent.

Time for a long weekend. I'm trying to come up with something unique for the President's Day celebration. Mind warp time.

Day 12- Exhaustion

2011-02-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

These are my slippers.

I have scleroderma. I am exhausted. Praying for a better day tomorrow and a good night's sleep tonightt.

That is all.

Day 11- Low Cost Light Tent

2011-02-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite lens. It's a Canon 70-200mm f/4 L USM. It's super smooth and slick as oily ice!! I shoot everything from portraits to sporting events with it. It's light, focuses as fast as lightning and is sharp as a tack.

It was shot inside of an inexpensive light tent that requires no DIY skills, other than opening a package. A set-up shot of the light tent and another product photo of an item I'll be selling soon, after the jump.

Day 10- Painting a Heart With Love

2011-02-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

I had an idea Sunday and my Valentine helped me carry it out tonight. A Special Valentine's Day ~~photo~~ gift for y'all.

Lighting info and another derivation of the idea after the jump.

Just for Fun

2011-02-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a casual family portrait, without me, of course, in front of the fireplace and winter tree. We decorate the tree for each season.

Lighting info after the jump.

Day 9- Beautiful Flowers

2011-02-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

Cole gave these flowers to his mom today as an early Valentine's gift. He's such a playa!!

Set-up information and picture after the jump.

Numnuts and Strobist

2011-02-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

My two favorite photographers are David "Strobist" Hobby and Joe "Numnuts" McNally. And wouldn't you know it, they've decided to ~~get married in San Francisco~~ travel around the country together teaching about flash photography.

Just for Fun

2011-02-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Just for Fun

2011-02-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

I decided this morning that occasionally, I'm going to post photos that I've taken that aren't part of my photograph a day project. So here's the first installment.

Lighting info after the jump

Day 8- Camera Tossing With Flash

2011-02-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Day 7- Early Valentines Day Dinner

2011-02-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Day 6- Luke the Wonder Dog

2011-02-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

This is Luke the Wonder Dog, a rat terrier we adopted a couple of years ago.

Lighting info after the jump.

Day 5- Yeah, That's My Bag.

2011-02-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

My doctor's bag and some equipment on a desk in our loft. Pictures, from left to right of my parents and Godparents, my first communion(I was a good Catholic altar boy), and finally my parents. May God rest their souls.

Lighting info after the jump.

Day 4- Any Guesses?

2011-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Day 3- It Was the Butler......In the Dining Room......With the Lead Pipe???????

2011-02-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

Canon 7D with "nifty 50" lens(I love this lens) with Nikon SB26 flash sitting on the bed, pointing at the book at 1/16 power. The flashlight wasn't even turned on. Triggered with Pocket Wizards.

Much love to my wife for being my guinea pig. Although, she is a voracious reader!

Day 2- Hi-lites

2011-02-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

Cole got a haircut today and he even decided on a shorter style AND he let his mom put some hi-lites in. Lady Killa!!

Day 1- On-board Versus Off-Camera Flash

2011-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Day 1 of 365 days of photos. It's going to be a ~~ridiculously long haul~~ wonderful learning experience.

This is an abstract shot of my acoustic guitar, straight out of camera.

Lighting info after the jump.

Photo A Day

2011-02-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

Along with many other avocations, including woodworking, I am a photographer. I have literally thousands of $$$$$$ worth of photography equipment. The problem lately has been motivation. I've been watching videos, reading blogs and reading books until I'm now sick of doing those things. It's time to GET BUSY making pictures.

Sooooooo.....as motivation, I've committed to taking and posting a photo a day on this blog. I'll use off-camera flash whenever possible. And I'll be as creative as I can. My lovely wife is the more artistic one, so I'll tap her for inspiration whenever possible. She is not a photographer, so I'll handle the technical side and she the design side.

I'll also post tutorials as often as possible. I'll even include some videos when I think that they'll illustrate techniques better than photos. We use flash in all of its forms; from unaltered on-camera flash to multi-light off-camera set-ups.

I hope this blog inspires you to get out there and push the shutter button.