Still life...

Here are a few quick photos of a vase in our family room. The light and the texture dried arrangement piqued my interest...hope you like them!

Vegas, umbrellas, and buildings

Debbie and I love Vegas!

The shows, the restaurants and now we have some friends that live there...all is good in Vegas. One of our friends celebrated her 50th birthday in Vegas and we were invited. I couldn't help taking pictures of some of the buildings and the umbrella art displayed at the Venetian Hotel.

The one thing I tried is not to take the picture that I believe the typical tourist would take. For instance, just before I took the picture above another person was taking a picture of the Planet Hollywood neon light...I choose a building under construction across the street.

This picture was more about the artificial feel of people dining at an patio cafe -- in reality it was inside the massive Venetian shopping area. The good news...the people all seem to be engaged in their own world.

The following pics are of the umbrella art...the light, colors and shapes just begged to be photographed.

This next picture I like was accidental...going up the escalator taking random shoots and I caught another person taking a picture with a different perspective...

Here is one more of the umbrellas....I like the soft colors.

Spring in the desert 2

Here are some of the many pictures I just took out in our yard the last several days....unbelievable color, texture and light. I am not sure I can add any real words that will add value to these pictures. Hope you enjoy.

A couple of sports pics...and a minor rant.

Sorry for the lapse in putting up some of my current photos. I will make up for it by giving you two posts.

The first post is a bit of a rant about the restrictions on taking a pro camera into a professional sporting event. I have added some of my photos from the NCAA final eight tournament in Phoenix Arizona - 2009.

First a bit of context...there are apparently concerns by sporting events that taking pictures with a "professional" cameras is a problem that must be stopped at all cost. If one has a camera with interchangeable lenses...that is bad. However, if one has a camera termed as "point and shoot (P&S)" or camera phone that is okay. I have not yet received a good explanation by the stadium folks other than pro cameras are not allowed.

Their reason may be that the pictures will be used illegally for profit by unlicensed individuals, then maybe I would understand and I would then say that all camera's should not be allowed. If the reason is size and interfering with the audience then I would say that most of the P&S cameras have one more annoying function over and above a professional camera and that is the dependancy on flash. A good pro camera can operate in stadium light without a flash where a P&S almost always requires a flash to make a reasonable picture.

I understand there are individuals that have and will use photos for ill-gain and they make it hard for the rest of us that just love the thrill of taking a great shot. I for one will be very happy when (if) this rule is no longer in place.

Spring Training!!!

Baseball and a camera....meant to be together! Spring training is here and in Arizona...it is the place to be!

Here is a few pics from a couple of spring training games taken a few weeks ago. The spirit of baseball can best be seen in the face of a child...

Spring training is not just about the sport, it is just as much about entertainment and the experience. In our visit to the new Dodger complex in Goodyear, AZ there was a Mariachi band playing by the lake.

Once in the game...it is the thrill of capturing the play...

Ultimately, spring training is about fun....

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