Be There!!


Those who follow me on Facebook or Google+ have seen me post a few times about this event.  Well, the date is quickly upon us and if you live in the Dallas area and are looking for something fun to do on the night of Saturday August 27th, please come out and join the fun.  If you enjoy music, art and an energetic atmosphere then you'll have a good time.

A few people have asked me what this event is really all about.  In short, its an art/gallery night with live music.  I am one of the league photographers for the Dallas Derby Devils, the woman's flat-track roller derby league.  Gallery Night is the opportunity for myself and other derby photographers and artists to display their roller derby related work from the past year.  Of course this isn't an event limited to people in the derby community.  Its open to everyone and anyone who wants to come out and it's free to attend.  There will be live music from a band called "We're Not Dudes"...  which you really just have to see to believe.  I'm not going to spoil it, but they're good!! There will be snack foods and drinks and lots of very friendly folks to meet and talk to.  And of course all the art is for sale.  So if you see something you really like, you can make it yours!

So there you go.  Mark your calenders and clear your schedules.  If you have any questions about this event feel free to contact me.  I'll be there all evening and I hope everyone stops by my wall to view my derby photos and say hello.

See you this Saturday night!

Model Mayhem


I recently had a great "vintage" session with a model name Sarah.  Long ago I created a profile on the site Model Mayhem.  This is a place where photographers, models and touch up artists can find each other for work or to build their portfolios.  Shortly after updating my profile, I was contacted by Sarah saying she wanted to get some updated shots for her modeling portfolio.  We met on a rather hot evening near the new rail station in town and walked around using whichever locations we found interesting as a back drop.  I brought along fellow photog friend Greg Scott to assist me with lighting and holding the reflector.  Even though the light was a little harsher than I would have preferred, I felt we still got some nice images.  It helped that Sarah was comfortable in front of the lens.  I look forward to shooting with her again in the future.  

River Adventures


This was taken on my recent adventure, a 20 mile canoe trip down the Brazos river here in Texas.  When I signed up for this group trip, I didn't know I would be the odd numbered person in the group and the only one going solo.  So this meant I had to paddle my own canoe alone for the 20 miles.  At first I wasn't sure if I'd be up to the task.  But once I got out on the river, my canoe skills of years ago came back to me.  By the end of the first day I was efficient and keeping up with the group.  This photo is of our campsite on one of the sand islands on the river.  Its was a really cool campsite.  We cooked our dinner down by the shoreline, enjoying a nice evening breeze.  But as night fell, the breeze stopped and the heat was rather smothering.  We also had the amusement of two raccoon's swimming out to the island at night and going through our trash and canoes.  Hah!  One got into my canoe to look around.  But he knocked an ore down, which scared him and sent him running.  By the end of the trip we were hot, tired and hungry.  But it was a really fun experience and I hope to return with some of my good friends to take them down the river.  Perhaps in the fall... when its NOT 105f!

Derby Time!

This is my friend and one tough derby fanatical chica, Sarah "E-Lemmonator" Lemmons.  She plays the position of Jammer in Roller Derby.  Which means it's her job to go really fast, get around the opposition and score points.  She does this very well.  I felt this action shot really shows the speed she exhibits during a bout.  One of the things I like most about Sarah is how before a derby match starts she's all laughs, smiles and jokes.  But once the whistle blows and she's on the oval track... look out because she's all business.  She plays the game with passion and lots of emotion.  I admire her for that.  

NIKE Missile Base


One of the benefits of joining a group with a similar interest is sometimes you get access to things you might not on your own.  This would be the case in me getting access to the now abandoned NIKE Missile Base.  I was able to get this access along with the rest of the Denton Camera Club.  Someone in the club somehow met the current owner of the property.  We all met out at the base on a warm, humid Saturday morning at 7am.  We had free roam of the property, which was once the barracks and administrative offices.  About a mile away was the part of the base I really wanted to see... the launch pads and underground control center.  But, I was happy to be shooting this part as well.  Our club spent about 3 hours wandering around, snapping photos of anything of interest.  It was a really fun time and I could feel the photo-mojo flowing!  I felt I came away was some very interesting images. I hope to one day return to this location.  Or perhaps visit the other part of the old base.  

Ryli Dylan

This is singer/song writer Ryli Dylan.  Interesting story on this shoot.  I happen to be perusing Craigslist looking for used camera gear I might need, when I came across a posting by Ryli.  She said she was rebuilding her website and needed new quality photos taken.  Id never done a portrait session for a music talent before, so I quickly fired off an email volunteering my services.  I felt it would make some nice portfolio filling.  The next day Ryli replied and notified me she was looking at me and 3 other photographers and would discuss with her family and then let us know.  A day later she called to notify me everyone she showed my website to liked my photography the best and she wanted to do a shoot.  It didn't take long to set things up.  She had a location picked out and friends ready to assist us.  Ryli was a natural in front of the camera.  She better be since she performs on stage on a regular basis!  Both her and I were really happy with the images from the session.  I hope to I get a chance to work with her again.  It was a lot of fun.

BOOM!!

Ah 4th of July in America.  Wouldn't be complete without a nice fireworks show.  Just like the past few years I headed down to the local large college with friends and family to watch the show.  UNT puts on a nice one each year.  I went there wanting to capture something a little different than the normal fireworks photo's you see everywhere.   During the explosions, a couple stood in front of me, partially blocking my view.  At first I was a little frustrated over it.  But I kept shooting.  I then looked at my LCD screen to see I had caught them moving back and forth during the long exposure.  This looked very cool to me!  Something I hadn't quite seen before in a fireworks shot.  Exactly what I was going for.  Again proving my theory, no matter what happens... just keep shooting.

Hanging Out

Yes, even when I go out with friends to just shoot some pool and have fun... my camera isn't far from me. When Brian invited me out to shoot some pool at a dark, local hole in the wall bar, I knew that would be the perfect setting for the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens.  Oddly enough no one even batted at eye at me walking around shooting photos while playing pool.  I like that.  I tried to capture the feeling of night life in these photos.  Either way, they were fun to shoot.

The 13th Stranger

Despite putting it on the back burner I am still working on my 100 Strangers Project.  This is Candie.  She had come to town along with The Done Deals (the band from the previous post) to support them.  I saw her sitting there talking to just about anyone and being the opportunist I am, explained my project and took her portrait.  As you can see, she was more than willing to strike a pose for the camera.  I really loved her smile and tattoos.  She really had a lot of character which made for the perfect subject for this project.  Thank you Candie for playing along! 

The Done Deals


Doing a little blog catch up here.  Back in June I got the chance to setup a Canon Speedlight inside a local bar called Banter and shoot the band of the evening.  The Done Deals come from Paris Texas and came to Denton for the evening to perform.  They're a really good band if you are ever in the North Texas area and get the chance to see them.  From a technical aspect, these are probably the best photos I've ever captured inside Banter, which is known for its cave-like lighting.  I hope to shoot there again in the near future.