California Dreaming

What do you do with a plane ticket and no place to go?  That was my Dilemma so decided to do a trip down memory lane to Los Angeles.  But it was over 53 years since I arrived and nearly 47 years since I left. A LOT of places I used to hang out had changed or were gone.  So I did a truly unique (for me) trip. I was a Tourist in what used to be my home town.  Day one was south of the LA airport.

Painted Churches March 2018

This painted church's ceiling was the only one that was painted directly onto the clapboards  The slats and painted ceiling behind the hanging lights and thuribles was amazing.

Thurible at St Mary's

Chandelier at St Mary's

Ceiling Detail at St Mary's

St John the Baptist Catholic Painted Church

Friday, March 9, 2017 the HIP photography group from Houston, Texas arranged for a 40 passenger bus to take a tour of four Painted Churches in central Texas.  It was a great group of people looking for interesting photo ops.  I know I'm not the best photographer in the group (quite a few professional photographers in the group), but I am very happy with the photos I was able to take.  I'm not going to group them by church, rather by subject.  After the first church, when everyone went into the church, I stayed outside to take exterior photos.  Then when they were coming out, I went in.  Even though there were only 40 people, locations could crowd up.  So, into the graveyards.....

Angel at St John the Baptist Catholic Church

This view gives perspective & location

I was captivated by the detail of her dress

Franklin & Duncan AZ

I love the "Blue Highways".  They are the roads no one travels except for the locals and the crazy old folks that remember what it used to be like traveling across America in "the old days" before the Interstate system.  These are roads are GOOD roads taking you out into the heart of any state's un-seen beauty.  I got off I-10 just west of Lordsburg, NM on Highway 70 toward Globe AZ.  Two little towns that barely make it on to any map are Franklin and Duncan.  Two more "have to turn around" photo shoots are posted here.  What a wonder and surprise.  Take the back roads folks!  You will not be disappointed.  SOCC (Straight out of the camera).

Franklin Stone House

Duncan Bakery

Tucson May 2017

Over Memorial Day weekend I went to visit my Dad in Tucson,  AZ to celebrate his 94th birthday.  Of course I drove, doing my normal sprint the first day (getting across Texas is an all day affair) and then a meander across New Mexico and Arizona, rolling into Tucson in mid-afternoon on the second day of travel.  I took plenty of photos so the next couple of posts will be in no particular order or tie together with any real cohesion.  So here we go.  Along the highway west of Deming I did the famous screeching stop to photograph this Vista with Trees.
This was in such an desolate area and yet it was "civilized" by the windmill, tank and trees.

Along the Morning Highway

Houston Cistern

Deceivingly Bright Entrance

West Wall View 

Sunday I joined the HCP on a field trip to a very historic place in Houston.  We were 17 photographers going into the old Houston Cistern.  We had an hour to photograph to our hearts content.  Well, in a cistern there is not a lot to see and you starting getting REAL creative, looking for something, anything, to photograph.  The staff was very organized, moving the group from wall to wall so that "people" were not in our captures.  We started out in awe!!  Then, as a photographer, you had to become more and more creative to get something besides columns and dark water.  Here are six photos as I progressed around the 4 walls.  First the entrance!

South Wall Walk Way

South Wall Exit Ladder

East Wall Ceiling & Post

West Wall Stairway to the Pool

Friday evening Barbara, Saundra and I went into Houston to work on our sunset and on-camera flash skills.  We were standing on a bridge when a drone came over in front of us, wagging its "wings", moving around and then taking direction from Saundra to move into our pictures.  We finally spotted the pilot and waved at him over by the skate park.  In a few minutes the drone was right behind us!  WHAT?  Then we realized that Pedro, the pilot, was standing right next to us.  It was really a cool experience that added joy and fun to our photo shoot.  Thank you Pedro.

First Sighting - Drone at Dusk

Hovering before Liftoff

Pedro - Our Pilot for the Evening