Skyfire 2

One more photo of the Tubac skyfire!


-- Posted from my iPhone

The sky was on fire!!!

Tubac Arizona 2009 - Sunset:

There are many things to love about Tubac; at the top of the list would be the magnificent sunsets!

This leads to a question....is there any real photographic talent in shooting a spectacular event of nature? I think the answer is (as in most cases) yes and no. Yes there is talent for some basic reasons:

• It takes talent to know where the camera is at the time of the event
• It takes talent to know that the window for shooting sunsets is short and one better hustle to get the camera to take the shot
• It takes talent to point the camera in the direction of the event
• and it takes talent to press the shutter.

Seriously, the real talent is in the composition of the photo. It is taking a look at the scene, picking out the vantage point and the area that speaks most to the photographer. It is the color, the texture, and the contrast of the key areas that bring the viewer into the photo.

This was a special evening in Tubac and of the many photos, these are some of my favorite shots. Never sure a camera and a sole photographer can do justice to the full experience of a night where the sky seemed to be on fire.

Hope you enjoyed the pics...I know I had fun taking them. Please check out my smugmug site here!

Cactus flower and friends

Hi....

Here are some recent pictures of a hummingbird, a huge cactus flower, and some other plants...

We have a table center piece that has these dried plants and the way the light comes into the room adds a real cool look and feel. It is hard for me to resist taking the picture!

Ligtht, texture, and color made me take this picture.

Hummingbirds...what a wonderful bird to watch...taking their pictures is not very easy to do. However, provide some sugar water and or a bright red bottle brush plant...and the task becomes a lot easier.

Our cacti this year have grown so much, so fast! Especially exciting is this one flower that just started growing about a week ago.

This picture is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Right behind this version is the one below in black and white with high structure. I love it!

I have been listening to many podcasts lately and the suggestion is for a photographer to really focus on one style of photography. With this blog, maybe my style is all about nature....but I am not convinced yet. So for now...off to take pictures of many things. Look for an update soon.

Be sure to check out my site!

Old Mission - Tubac

Interesting places close to home? Time to grab the camera and take some shots. Down the street in Tubac Arizona is the old mission at Tumacacori National Historical Park. Not the best time of day to take pictures -- smack dab in the middle of the day. This did not stop me...here are some pictures of the mission and one pretty large resident bug.

As you can see, many interesting angles and shapes. Imagine if this was at sunset or sunrise and how different the lighting would be...

Check out the bug...I say it was 2 or 3 inches, my wife would say less than an inch. I don't like bugs...not sure why I thought it would not attack me if I had my camera.

The next two photos are of old vintage bowls or pots from the 1800's. Love the shades of brown and the shapes.

Hope you like the pics...I enjoyed taking them. Check out my site for more pictures.

Jazz Hats...

Sometimes we go to a familiar event or location for a specific reason...like the annual jazz concert we go to in Southern California each year and all is as expected...great music, good people, hot weather. However, sometimes a camera helps one to look at the usual in an unusual manner.

This is the case this year. In looking for a theme my eye kept being drawn to the wonderful hats throughout the event...here are a few...

I wear a hat and it does not look this cool...

I could have easily done a theme of pictures on sunglasses...some great ones at the concert.

Hope you like the pics...check out my site for the rest of my pictures.

Bob Ochoa Photography