Blog Archives

fireworks, stars, and trash

This was fun – we found a place out on the very edge of town where people congregated to shoot fireworks and we spent at least an hour out there watching all the fun. I took 805 photos, deleted all but 52 of them because they were (a) just dark empty sky; (b) blurry only not in a good way; or (c) stupid. And of those 52, I edited TWO of them.

So congratulations to this photo for beating some pretty tough odds. This one made the cut because it had a lot going on that told the story – lots of fireworks all at once, tail lights streaking by, headlights cutting through the smoke, fireworks trash in the parking lot, and a light sprinkling of stars.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 7.4.2025

the night shoes

Eight years ago (already!) my friend Al and I met in LA to take a weekend photography class with the incredible Sam Abell. It was a lot of work, a lot of learning, and some photographic successes.

The class took a late afternoon field trip to Union Station where we composed-and-waited to our heart’s content. Then some of us explored nearby Olvera Street, where we arrived just as the shops were shutting down for the day.

Olvera Street
Los Angeles, California
photographed 2.18.2017

ice flower

The same year local farmers grew sunflowers there was an early-season ice storm. The ice made this lone flower look almost like a windmill.

Here’s a couple of things about sunflowers as a farm crop that AI thought I needed to know; I cannot vouch for the veracity, so my apologies if I’m just spreading rumors.

  • Soil Health:

    Sunflowers have a deep taproot that helps with soil conservation by improving soil structure, reducing compaction, and bringing nutrients from deeper soil layers closer to the surface. 

  • Pollination:
    Sunflowers are attractive to pollinators, beneficial insects, and birds, making them a good choice for biodiversity. 

Lubbock County, Texas
photographed 10.27.2020

franky

There is something heartbreaking and endearing about homemade cemetery markers, and I have never seen a fancy granite (or whatever) carved stone that I liked even a little bit.

And I am sorry for the loss that Franky’s family experienced.

unnamed cemetery
Cedar Crest, New Mexico
photographed 7.1.2016

a fair abstract

Looked back through some old stuff the other day and found this, which just shows that even when I didn’t know what I was doing with a camera I was still trying new stuff. (I mean, I am going to assume I meant for this to be blurry, but maybe it was just a mistake?)

South Plains Fair
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 9.23.2014