Ozark Photos

After Hours - Fort Scott

2011-09-08T21:11:00.002-05:00

The Nu Grille

The Buffalo Grill

Fort Scott, being a smaller town gets quiet after about 6pm. When I drove in town the other night from attending the Four States Photo Enthusiasts Meeting in Joplin the other night it struck me that it would be fun to photograph Fort Scott after hours or when the lights come on. What I didn't count on is how colorful after hours could be. Hopefully this will be the first of a series.

An Evening With Mr. Graham

2011-08-29T22:23:00.005-05:00

About 6:30 this evening my friend and co-worker Steve texted me that Mr. Graham was over and visiting with them. Steve and his wife Kendall purchased the old Stout house here in Fort Scott and are restoring it. Mr. Graham was the son of one of the ladies that worked for the Stouts and he grew up in the home's "servant" quarters although he says he felt like a member of the family. He is a wonderful story teller and at 90 is a jewel of a person to be with. I was able to catch a few shots as he pondered and recalled the stories of his past. The final shot shows RK with Steve and Kendall.

It was a wonderful evening and made me long for the days when my grandparents were alive and we sat around hearing their stories. Everyone has a story to tell if you will just take the time to listen.

Return to the Xeriscape Garden

2011-07-18T23:32:00.004-05:00

Teresa and I were able to spend a little while at the Master Gardeners Xeriscape Garden in Springfield. Long-time readers of this blog will know this has traditionally been one of my favorite spots to shoot. Even in the blistering heat of an extraordinary hot Missouri summer this garden is beautiful.

I hope you enjoy!

Ozark Photos West

2011-07-11T23:11:00.003-05:00

I thought it was about time to show everyone a summer view of my little house in Fort Scott. We are enjoying it immensely to the tune it is taking away a lot of photo time! This is a view from the back corner through the rose garden to the newly renovated screen porch. I fear the little white porch on the back is next. That will be a little more involved job for yours truly.

Scenes Around Fort Scott: 1

2011-07-09T09:51:00.003-05:00

Miller Feed is just west of downtown on Wall Street. Fort Scott's iconic brick streets provide a nice leading line into the feed store. I know this is the place to go for your animal feed as everyone at work talks about going there!

The image was finished using Silver Efex Pro.

Up Close and Personal

2011-06-15T00:05:00.002-05:00

I had an opportunity to play with my macro lens the other day around the house in Springfield. The fuzzy images are the result of bringing a cold lens out on a really warm and humid day...it fogged up! A secret technique. Don't tell any one!

The bottom image is a lichen growing on my fence. The others are ferns and Queen Anne's Lace growing in the backyard.

Joplin Tornado - Two Weeks Later

2011-06-13T20:38:00.002-05:00

Looking West down 20th Street

The Battered Joplin High School

Driving North on Main (Hwy 43)

Saint John's Hospital

Teresa took these pictures as we drove around Joplin after the library event (see last post). This is two weeks after the tornado. Already there are signs of recovery amidst the destruction. For one thing the streets are clear. All major streets are open, but neighborhood streets are closed and guarded. Debris removal is the primary task right now but construction and repair is already very evident.

Volunteers are everywhere. The response is great. FEMA seems to be doing everything right this time. Temporary housing is already arriving. Processes seem organized. It will be exciting to see Joplin rise again. Every indication is that she will rise to the occasion and emerge perhaps stronger than before.

Take some time to go to Joplin and spend some money there. Most of the city remains and they could certainly use the $$$ to rebuild.

I am proud to be an Ozarker and I am even more proud of Joplin.

Joplin Tornado Recovery - Library Volunteers

2011-06-12T22:45:00.002-05:00

The May 22nd F-5 tornado that hit Joplin destroyed most of the East Middle School. The librarian at that school was able to save about a half of the collection and members of the Southwest Area Region of School Librarians pitched in to sort through, clean and determine the condition of the remaining collection. Teresa is a part of this group so I thought I would join in. I only had a few minutes to snap some shots of the work being done as I had to keep up the flow of boxes of books to about 30 librarians. It was a remarkable day at the Spiva Library on the Missouri Southern State University campus.

After we finished there Teresa and I took a driving tour through Joplin. All I can say is it is remarkable anyone survived this storm. Such total destruction on a scale I have never seen before. Many of you will remember my visits to Greensburg, Kansas after they experienced an F-5 tornado and this destruction is as bad and complete as that.

Teresa was able to snap a few pictures as we drove through but with people struggling to survive and work I just didn't have the heart to stop to take pictures. Didn't seem appropriate.

Take care and God bless Joplin.

Fort Scott National Historic Site

2011-02-28T23:11:00.002-06:00

It has been a long winter. Sunday it finally warmed up into the upper 60's and the weather was very mixed. Driven by inspiration from the Student Association of Photographers seminar I just attended at Pittsburg State University I ventured forth and the photography angels smiled on me. As I drove the 5 or 6 blocks to the fort a brief rain shower ensued and then the sun briefly broke through. These are the images that were captured.

Simplicity - Observations

2011-02-13T18:36:00.002-06:00

I know there are a few of you out there who wonder what happened to me. Well, I am still alive and kicking. Changing jobs and locations has changed my entire focus on life to some degree. That is what I want to discuss today.

I have noticed a strange trend in my life since I have moved to Fort Scott. I have much less of the temptations of acquiring stuff. In fact, I find myself even inclined to get rid of stuff, which as you recall from an earlier posting is essential. The funny thing though is as I get to know people here in town I notice that many if not all of them accumulate more money that stuff. Many of the people here are debt free even to the point of having homes paid off. How did I find this out? They just say that is the way it is. So the question I ask coming from a city where everyone is trying to keep up with everyone else is why? Are people in larger cities more likely to buy things, bigger and better because the neighbors have something? Do they see others buying things more and decide they need to have them? Is it because it takes more effort to get the extras of life?

It is probably all the above, but I think it is more likely that we realize we don't need all that stuff. Perhaps it is enough to talk to your neighbors and enjoy just the simple satisfaction of a conversation about the weather, or to laugh with those around you. Perhaps we realize the best time spent is that where you work in your yard or sit on the front porch and enjoy the passing of the day.

Either way I do like small town living...there is plenty to do and there is time to enjoy life.

More to come...

The Great Blizzard of 2011 - Aftermath

2011-02-09T21:48:00.002-06:00

These photos were taken the morning after the great blizzard and represent the first pictures I have really gotten out to take of my new hometown of Fort Scott. Notice the lack of people in these shots. It was cold and early. Work was closed due to the 16 inches of snow we received. Road crews were busy and I felt in their way. Every residential street in Fort Scott had already been plowed. Impressive.

The Great Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-01T18:11:00.003-06:00

Well this certainly isn't the most artistic picture that I have ever posted here but it is the only one I have taken of the Great Blizzard of 2011 that is clobbering the nation today. Work let off early and I got to come home to our 130 year old home. It is warm and cozy. I understand now why it has been around for 130 years. The stories these walls could tell.

I read today a post by my blogging friend Victoria which I found very interesting given my interest in tiny houses and alternative living. You can read it here if my link works.

Take care and stay warm everyone.

Update on a Front Porch of Our Own

2010-10-18T21:29:00.004-05:00

These are some shots of the interior of our soon to be new house. Amy says I can't have deer heads though.

I had one of my good blogging friends email me today about how the house was coming. It is on track to a close at the end of the month. It passed all its inspections with flying colors and I thoroughly enjoyed my day crawling all over her.

The trick on the new house is that it will be half the size of our current home. That means yours truly has to get rid of a lot of stuff. It will force me to examine my various collections and say goodbye to some things. We have adopted the philosophy of keep the best and get rid of the rest. This week we made our first steps in this regard utilizing Craigslist to get rid of our large theater seats and a huge treadmill. We have one more large item to get rid of and that may be difficult as it is a large screen TV. No space for something like that and no one wants one. I even wonder if I need a TV, oh yeah Fringe, okay maybe I do need one.

Most of my train collection will probably have to go or be replaced by a garden railway. Books are always a problem. I have never met a book I didn't like. This is one trend that will have to stop. I will have to learn to live with less to enjoy the open expanses of this home.

Over the coming months I will periodically share my transition to lean. Maybe I will even become leaner as I work over the new house. A side benefit of a front porch of our own?

A Front Porch of Our Own

2010-09-25T08:09:00.002-05:00

Long-time followers of Ozark Photos will know that I made my mark on Blogdom with my front porch series. Aside from a couple of stories I ran on Ha Ha Tonka State Park this series may have been the most followed of the blog.

Times change and opportunities arise. I accepted a transfer to Fort Scott, Kansas recently for my company. Teresa and I decided we wanted to live in an old house before we actually became too old ourselves to live in one. Off we went to Fort Scott getting the good fortune to get hooked up with Elisa Hessong as our realtor. She, just like any good realtor assembled and scheduled the list of houses we requested but also threw in one she had just listed. We went through our complete list and I was getting a little disappointed as we drove up to the one Elisa had thrown in for us. I knew I was in trouble the minute we pulled up. Teresa’s eyes had this glow in them I had not seen for many years. A white picket fence surrounds the house like a thousand tiny sentinels. We entered the gate and climbed up on the porch. I looked around and smiled. It was a quaint little porch on a quaint little house. Entering the house we found it to be almost ideal. I discovered it was almost as if I had come home as we went through it. There were things about it that were familiar. My thoughts kept going back to the ancient farm house my grandparents owned for so many years near Lamar; so many similarities, so many memories. We finished the tour and we began our drive back toward Missouri and everything we talked about came back to that house. We looked at more houses a couple of weeks later and came back to this one with Kate. She loved it too.

So here we stand today on the verge of owning a 130 year old house. A contract not yet closed on but it looks like we have found Ozark Photos West. For a time we will be in two places but I have a feeling we have found a front porch of our own.

Our Fair City - Downtown Springfield on an August Night

2010-08-07T23:53:00.002-05:00

This is a shot of Downtown Springfield from Mill Street on a hot August evening. Teresa and I had an enjoyable evening exploring the sites along Mill and Water Streets.

Stockton State Park Marina - Near Stockton, Missouri

2010-08-04T22:04:00.003-05:00

A very quiet Friday afternoon at Stockton Lake. Stockton is well known for its' sailboats, but it appears most of them are tied up waiting for their owners to show up for the weekend.

Drury University's Stone Chapel

2010-08-02T22:11:00.003-05:00

Three views of Drury's Stone Chapel. Teresa was on her quest for scavenger hunt entries for this months camera club meeting and I was just taking pictures. It was fun to finally just take pictures. I have been leading field trips this year for the camera club and have spent a lot of time taking care of details of the trips rather than taking pictures.

Riverdale on the Finley River, South of Nixa, Missouri

2010-08-01T12:12:00.004-05:00

Before Tonal Contrast

With Tonal Contrast

This is old mill site I call Riverdale on the Finley River south of Nixa. I had a blogging friend, Cris, who told me about this after I posted photos on Linden Lure. Two years later I went to find it!

The only problem with this spot is it is virtually inaccessible with no parking and no trespassing signs every where. Still it gave me a very "Ozarks" shot. I shot this from the road after parking in a no parking spot! :)

I played with high tonal contrast on this one. Let me know what you think.

Okay, Mark and Clayton, I have added the original picture just before the tonal conversion so you can see what it looked like prior to the conversion.

Prairie State Park - Liberal, Missouri

2010-08-01T00:16:00.003-05:00

There is something very lonely about this picture. Teresa and I were at one of the trail stops and this UPS truck went by heading toward park headquarters. Reminds me a little of the movie Castaway, wrong company of course, but it still reminds me of it.

The World Wide Photo Walk - 2010

2010-07-24T23:27:00.003-05:00

Pictures from today's Springfield section of Scott Kelby's World Wide Photo Walk. The top picture is the adventurous group that followed me through the old industrial district of Springfield. Anna was our model for the day...she did a great job!

Wood's Prairie - Near Mount Vernon, Missouri

2010-05-02T21:41:00.001-05:00

The Indian Paintbrush is in full bloom this weekend!

The Big Read - Author Richard Peck

2010-05-01T12:07:00.004-05:00

Last night Teresa and I went to see the final program for this year's big read. Among those featured was author Richard Peck who wrote "A Long Way From Chicago" which was this year's Big Read for the Springfield-Greene County Library System.

The first thing I want to say is the program was packed! It began with local historian John Rutherford who talked about Springfield in the 1930's to give the participants an idea of what life might have been like in the time the book was set. John did a great job and did you know Amelia Earhart once lived in Springfield when her father was seeking employment with the Frisco? I didn't...I also discovered that one of the greatest premeditated police murders was committed by a bunch called the Young brothers. No relation!

Next came the Willard South Acting Group who did a reading from A Long Way From Chicago. What a talented bunch.

Then Richard Peck spoke. What a speaker! He talked about how he became an author and how he gets ideas for his writing. You talk about inspirational.

The pictures above are of The Library Center under some wonderful storm clouds and the fading light of the day, author Richard Peck and Teresa who is a teacher/librarian and then the Willard South students just before their reading.

It was a great event! Thanks to the Springfield - Greene County Library for putting it on.

Inexorably Busy Lives

2010-04-23T22:47:00.003-05:00

Kansas Veterans Memorial located on the Pittsburg State University Campus taken during the Southwest Missouri Camera Club field trip in February

Well it has been quite a while since I have written a post for Ozark Photos. So what has been going on? Well to be honest quite a bit in our inexorably busy lives. Our oldest daughter married in January, our youngest graduates in May and begins college. I am the field trip chairperson this year for the Southwest Missouri Camera Club for which I have had high goals for both the number and quality of the trips we do. Then there is my burgeoning portrait practice of which I have been working hard on. This, unfortunately, leaves little time to write and share with you all.

Most of you who are followers of Ozark Photos know I have been working on portrait work a lot lately which has given me an intense satisfaction. I know most of you who stop here do not particularly care for portraits unless they help tell a story of the Ozarks. What you really want to see are more sites of the Ozarks and the stories of the people of the Ozarks.

With that in mind I am going to try and put a shot in the arm to this blog. I know many people say that and then things just kind of die out. This site has long been a part of me and the photographer I have become. I came here the other night and thought long and hard about the lack of activity for a while. As I was thinking about that I scrolled down to see what was going on with the counter on this blog and was shocked to realize even though people are not leaving comments there are a huge number of people hitting the site. Then I realized I was disappointing my readers by not posting so often. So I made a commitment in my mind to renew my resolve to document this wonderful region of the country called the Ozarks.

I wish to state my sincere appreciation to one of my readers and the Springfield Blogger’s Association who in my absence nominated Ozark Photos’ story “The Many Faces of Ha Ha Tonka State Park” as best photo story of the year. I haven’t even checked to see if or how the results came out. It doesn’t really matter. What does is I was deeply touched by this nomination and it has been a large factor in my thoughts about the future of Ozark Photos. So whoever you were that nominated this site thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really appreciate you, the reader, and I will work hard to bring you more of the quality of stories that “The Many Faces” was.

So what are my goals for Ozark Photos in the coming year? First and foremost, I want to present clear and concise photographic stories of the people and places of the Ozarks Region. Secondly, but not less important is I want Ozark Photos to be a conduit for people with photographic interests to discuss the hobby and travel to sites where you can learn more to improve your craft. I hope these goals coincide with yours and as always stop by leave your comments and stay awhile. Welcome to the Ozarks.

Siegels Final Position - Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

2010-04-01T22:17:00.002-05:00

Every year our local camera club goes out to Wilson's Creek to work on photos for their calendar. I have participated for a couple of years but did not manage to do so last year. Last Saturday evening we went out and I thought we were going to get rained out. I took this photo at the southern most part of the park at a place where they do most of their demonstrations. I liked the wet benches after an early spring thunderstorm went through.

Emily at Wilson's Creek 2

2010-03-31T22:49:00.002-05:00

My favorite picture of Emily at Wilson's Creek. I overlooked this shot when I went through the last bunch...because the skies were not as menacing. It was like overlooking a diamond.

Emily at Wilson's Creek

2010-03-27T22:53:00.002-05:00

Emily is a wonderful young woman who is helping me out with an upcoming camera club field trip in June. We went to Wilson's Creek to practice and get to know each other. She did a great job for her first time at modeling.

Strobists Meet Up

2010-03-06T21:58:00.005-06:00

Teresa and I attended the Strobists Meet Up here in Springfield today and it was great fun! I am attaching a link to Young Photography you can check out the rest of the pictures. The models were great and it was hard to take a bad picture of this bunch!

Return to Ha Ha Tonka

2010-02-14T18:50:00.003-06:00

It is a new season and there were remnants of a snowfall so when Amy and I were returning from Westminster College the other day we took a slight detour at Camdenton to re-visit one of
my favorite photo locations. It was a cold gray day, which I liked, but Amy stayed in the car as I trudged through about four inches of snow to get some shots. I love this place in the winter when the leaves on the trees don't hide as much of the castle.

Southwest Missouri Camera Club Field Trip to Jordan Valley Park

2010-02-03T22:34:00.003-06:00

Some pictures just tell a story...it was closing time and everyone has just turned in their skates.

One of the more proficient skaters with some form!

Hard landing in the snow?

Some of the other club members shooting. We were able to get into the team boxes!

Train Chasing...Again

2010-01-31T19:15:00.003-06:00

We were blessed with a few inches of snow and I got invited out to shoot train pictures with Charlie Dischinger, who is a noted railroad photographer. He showed me a couple of new locations along with giving me tips on how to make better rail shots.

MSU at Night

2010-01-20T22:16:00.003-06:00

We completed our first camera club field trip yesterday. We shot the MSU (Missouri State University) campus at night before the rain set in. I enjoy night shoots and look forward to a few more this year.

The Wedding

2010-01-09T20:08:00.004-06:00

My little girl got married last Saturday. I have been busy all week working by day on year end financials and by evening on wedding pictures. Kate did a great job of planning and implementing her wedding. I would say if she could do the same thing in business Bill Gates better watch out. We all had a wonderful day and I am finally getting rested up!

Congratulations Kate and Nathan!

Once In a Blue Moon

2009-12-31T21:07:00.003-06:00

If I understand it correctly the term "Blue Moon" comes from the event when a full moon occurs two times in a single month. Well tonight December 31 the full moon has occurred once again in a month. The next time this occurs is 28 years from now, hence the term "Once in a Blue Moon."

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you have a great 2010 and get to take many great pictures!

New Orleans Abstract?

2009-12-29T21:28:00.002-06:00

This shot was taken at sunset on Christmas Day in New Orleans. I was in my usual perch in Old Algiers on the west bank of the Mississippi looking across the river. I have decided there are a lot of big corner offices in that building!

Memories of Blogging

2009-12-28T22:06:00.012-06:00

Taken from the Main Street crossing in Drexel, Missouri looking south along the Kansas City Southern mainline.

We watched a movie tonight called "Julie and Julia." I am sure most of you are familiar with it. It the true story about a woman named Julie Powell who as she is about to turn 30 is struggling with her life and desires and so at her husbands urging decides to write a blog about what she loves...cooking. She decides to do a 365 day project to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I readily recommend this movie.

I had all but decided to give up this blog in favor of the new Young Photography blog, but in reality there is room for both. This one being my fun blog and the new one being more of my business blog. Speaking of business. It has been quite good lately. My daughters and future son-in-law Nathan have also helped in that they have become my "marketing department" and have designed business cards, a vehicle sign and even a t-shirt for Young Photography. Thanks guys!

So bottom line is 2009 was a sad year for Ozark Photos and this blog was sadly neglected. I propose that 2010 will be much better and recharged. But be sure and watch this blog as well as Young Photography for my work in 2010. I look forward to another wonderful year as a photographer. It seems strange to call myself that but yes I do finally feel comfortable saying that I am a photographer.

Let's make 2010 a great year for photos and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

Blanket Ministry at River Bluff Fellowship

2009-11-25T01:05:00.004-06:00

Tonight was the last night of our Fall 2009 Life Group with River Bluff Fellowship. The little girl in the top photo has a ministry she wanted to do to supply blankets to people in nursing homes and who couldn't afford them so our group decided to join in as our final celebration meeting. Above are a few of the pictures I took and there are many more on my Face Book page.

This will be a rare posting so be sure and follow the link to Young Photography to see what is currently going on in the Ozarks!

Times Change

2009-11-08T20:57:00.004-06:00

I am working on a transition which is why I have been so quiet lately. I have had some confusion between myself and another fellow camera club member who now goes by the name Ozarks Photos so I have decided to begin closing this blog in favor of a new one more descriptive of myself. It just goes to show that no name is sacred. You can find the new blog here . Please come take a look.

Springfield Roller Girls Oct 25th Bout

2009-10-29T06:25:00.003-05:00

Some of the shots I took at the recent October 25th Springfield Roller Girls bout with Kansas City and Tulsa.

Fall At Little Cedar Lodge

2009-10-23T21:17:00.003-05:00

Here are some shots of the incredible fall color at Larry and Carol's home near Jefferson City. As soon as I got up I grabbed the camera and scouted around thier home for some great shots. They have such an incredibly wonderful place. Makes me want to live in the country.

Fall Photo Walk Pictures

2009-10-18T21:46:00.004-05:00

All these shot were taken either on or near the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge in Springfield.

The day started out with light rain but cleared for a bit and then became cloudy and cold again. We had four of us walking and had a model, Erica along so we could practice our portrait photography skills. I hope to post those pictures at Ozark Faces soon.

The Santa Fe Depot in Strong City, Kansas

2009-10-12T22:20:00.002-05:00

A reminder of a glorious day gone by. The old Santa Fe depot in Strong City, Kansas still stands proud along side the busy Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainline.

Simplicity

2009-10-07T20:32:00.002-05:00

I liked this combination of colors and goods next to a gas station in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas.

Chasing Windmills

2009-10-05T20:23:00.002-05:00

This shot was taken on Day 3 of my Kansas journey. I spotted a windmill farm south of Kansas Highway 400 while I was driving along and thought it might be fun to try and get some pictures of these huge beasts. Little did I know the journey would help me make some additional discoveries.

My first discovery was that my CRV is a pretty good off road or should I say barely a road vehicle. Mud was the first obstacle I faced trying to get close to these windmills. What a wonderful drive though. Kansas is anything but flat. It was fun getting back in the boonies so to speak.

I finally found the windmills and they were really going. But even with a heavy wind the blades on these behemoths only turn so fast. I wanted my pictures to reflect the fact that these guys were not standing still. I closed my shutter to F/22 and put on a polarizing filter to slow the shutter speed as much as I could to get a blur on the blades. I wish there was a way to capture the sound of these windmills whirring around.

The second discovery was made when I left the windmills. But for that one you are going to have to wait.

Sunrise in Emporia

2009-10-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

Most of you know of my great love for trains. Well, the first thing I do when I get to a new and exciting photo location is scout out the railroad facilities. I look for the possibility of action (active trains) layout (how will the light be at different times of the day) and atmosphere (does it give me a "railroady" feel). When I drove into Emporia after a long day on the road I immediately got excited. A major transcontinental mainline, east west orientation and good location with the signal bridges and three tracks. All I had to hope for was a terrific sunrise. Well here is the result. One of many shots from the morning.

Welcome to beautiful Kansas. It is much more than just interstate and endless flat sections.

Going Home

2009-10-01T23:30:00.003-05:00

Dawn comes to downtown El Dorado Springs, my hometown. This is the second in a series of photographs I am doing of my old hometown. I hope to eventually capture it in all seasons.

I love going home. Now that my parents are gone it is more difficult to get there at opportune photo times such as dawn. This trip found me leaving at 4:30 to arrive at sun up.

Sunrise on a New Day

2009-09-19T16:17:00.003-05:00

These are some more shots taken at Springfield's Nathaniel Greene Park at sunrise. These shots were also taken with the Olympus.

Nathaniel Greene has been the subject of a lot of vandalism and theft. The Master Gardeners put in a lot of effort here only to have thieves steal their plants and damage their hard word. As a result the Park Board has closed the park sunset to sunrise and is in the process of installing security cameras.

It is a shame this country is becoming this way. Our Church has lost 2 air conditioning units and 2 massive planters this summer.

It seems the way of Representative Williams, Kenye West and Serena Williams is getting to be the norm now. As a recent USA Today headline said "What Happened to Civility?"

September 11th, Morning at Nathaniel Greene Park

2009-09-11T23:29:00.004-05:00

On this the 8th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks it is good to remember each day begins with a new dawn.

These shots were taken this morning at Springfield's Nathaniel Greene/Close Memorial Park. They were taken with my new Olympus Camera, the E-3. It is a wonderful camera with built in image stabilization and a very high quality fast lens. I am very pleased with it. It will not replace my Nikon but it will be a workhorse for sure in my toolbox.

Reflections on A Rainy Day

2009-09-05T22:36:00.005-05:00

On my Ipod: Good Bye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John

A couple of times this afternoon it rained and I loved it. You see I was on the back porch sipping my customary Diet Pepsi, with a book in hand and listening to a new CD I picked up today at Sam's. The CD was Elton John's Greatest Hits 1970 to 2000.

I had thrown these new CD's on my 5 disc changer and was dropping between songs from the 1970's to current. I was literally caught between this time and a time many years ago when life was simpler and more carefree. Music does this to me. I guess that is why I enjoy it so much. From this music you can get your mind off of current day struggles and tribulations and go back to the time when you had your first date, first love, learned to drive, went to college, started that first job, got married, had your first child. Music is a placeholder in life. Music is a time machine.

I am glad I took my little trip...

Final Shots of the Springfield Roller Girls vs. the No Coast Derby Girls Bout

2009-08-29T21:23:00.002-05:00

These are the last shots of the Roller Girls I will post for this bout. There is another coming up in September and I hope to get to that one. These are loads of fun.

More Shots of the Springfield Roller Girls vs. The No Coast Derby Girls Bout

2009-08-28T23:02:00.004-05:00

I am posting some more of my shots of the recent Springfield Roller Girls bout we attended. These is a lot of fun to go too and there is even a tailgating party in the lot of Skateport before the bout!

Support your local Roller Girls!

The Winner of the First Annual High Noon Photo Contest Is...

2009-08-23T20:11:00.007-05:00

Barb with her Sun Through the Trees at Noon entry. I had four judges assign a 1st, 2nd and 3rd to the pictures entered. 1st = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points and 3rd = 1 point. The print with the highest number of points one.

I liked all the entries, but Barb's stood out for the fact that it literally sceamed that it was high noon!

Clayton's Man with the Ipod came in second. Stephanie's Wet Girl and Mark's Water Fountain tied for third and Mark's Spider Web was fourth.

Barb's grand prize is a copy of Joe McNally's new book "The Hot Shoe Diaries." Barb, you will need to send me your mailing address by email.

Thanks to everyone who participated. I enjoyed the images. You can see the images at my Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozarkphotos/. For easier viewing click on the High Noon Set on the right side of the page.

High Noon Update #2 - Entries Are Posted

2009-08-21T18:33:00.002-05:00

All the High Noon Entries have been posted at my Flickr account see this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozarkphotos/

As you can see there were not too many entries but the ones entered were great!

Route 66 - Honey, Can I Buy This Train Set?

2009-08-19T21:55:00.004-05:00

Teresa and I left The Route 66 Cafe the other morning we headed west on Route 66 (aka College Street) and it merges into Chestnut Expressway. We traveled about a mile down the road and Teresa actually spotted the little black locomotive sitting on a small stretch of track at Thomas Steel Company. I quickly spun the car around and headed back for the top picture.

Bill Thomas, the 81 year old owner of the company, spotted me and asked if I was interested in purchasing the little locomotive. He told me the tale of how he purchased the little locomotive from a mining operation near Rolla along with several trucks for cars. Mr. Thomas, who renovated the little engine, is in the second photo and the passenger car he is building is in the third photo.

The little locomotive is 3 foot gauge or narrow gauge. If you have ever ridden the Durango and Silverton or Cumbres and Toltec in Colorado you have ridden on a 3 foot gauge line. 3 foot gauge means there is only 3 feet spacing between the rails.

Please, Teresa, can I have this train. Oh yeah and I need about a 100 acres to go with it.

High Noon Update

2009-08-18T19:46:00.001-05:00

I am sure my participants are eagerly awaiting the results of the High Noon Photo Contest. I have unfortunately gotten side tracked due to a couple of real shoots. I will post the entries on Flickr and announce the winner over the weekend.

Route 66 - An Ozark Treasure, The Route 66 Cafe

2009-08-16T14:55:00.005-05:00

Teresa had been wanting to try this cafe, so the other day with one of her teaching friends she stopped into The Route 66 Cafe. They both loved it and they got to meet and talk with the owner Victoria (top picture). Needless to say that is all I heard about Friday evening and Teresa is not an "eat out" person. So I am thinking in my head "this place has to be fantastic."

I suggested we try breakfast there Saturday morning and Teresa was ecstatic. Wow, she was right. I would say I had the best breakfast "out" that I have ever had. I tried the special which was ham steak and eggs and Teresa had the banana nut pancakes. Now, let me tell you about my ham steak and eggs. The ham steak was a true ham steak, thick and juicy; cooked to perfection. The eggs are fresh brown eggs from a local farmer. No processed eggs here and they were delicious. Add to that a generous helping of hash browns and biscuits and gravy, I literally rolled out the door in heaven. Teresa's banana nut pancakes were large and thick again with a generous topping of banana and nuts which were caramelized (I have no idea whether I am using the correct terminology) into a sauce laying on the pancakes. Add to this thick maple syrup and it was like eating a luxurious desert.

We talked to Victoria and asked if we could take some pictures for my blog. She agreed and here we are.

We are definitely huge fans of The Route 66 Cafe and Victoria. If you are ever in Springfield stop by and see her and tell her Mike (the photographer) sent you. You can find the cafe if you travel west on College Street from Kansas Expressway or east from Scenic. It is located next door to College Street Baptist Church. She is not open all the time so take a look at the middle picture for the hours. Four stars out of a possible four in my book!

Springfield Roller Girls vs. the No Coast Derby Girls

2009-08-16T00:44:00.005-05:00

Long time readers of this blog will know that I have managed to get hooked up with roller derby for some time now. I love taking pictures of roller derby! It is really the only sport shooting I regularly do.

I want to thank Brandy, Jessica and Kelsey for letting me know about tonight's event.

These women are tough and play hard. But I hope you see through these pictures and others that follow that they also really enjoy what they do.

Morning Arches

2009-08-14T21:48:00.003-05:00

This is the Business 65 bridge near the Branson Landing. The morning fog was just about to burn off of Lake Taneycomo.

Fun with Nick and Dallas

2009-08-13T22:56:00.004-05:00

We (and I mean we) had a great evening with Nick and Dallas the other night. Nick and Dallas are our good friends and they wanted some new photos. Dallas, you will remember, if you are a follower of my other blog, has been featured in Ozark Faces. Kate was trying her hand at Teresa's D50 and she shot the bottom picture. Which shows Tubby (me) in the KC Royals cap shooting away while Teresa applies some flash with my SB-600 speedlight covered with a Lumiquest Softbox III. My photowalk attendees will recognize this parking garage.

The top shot was taken in the home studio before we went downtown. For more pictures of this wonderful couple go over to Ozark Faces.

I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Alabama Silhouette

2009-08-10T22:41:00.003-05:00

Another shot of the Alabama. This one strikes me as she might of looked sailing around Guadalcanal in 1942 with her massive sixteen inch guns ready silhouetted against the morning sun.

We have a busy week coming. A photo shoot tomorrow night and a senior shoot on Sunday. I am excited!

Lake Taneycomo

2009-08-08T22:55:00.004-05:00

Summertime in the Ozarks means lakes and going to the lake. This is a common sight here in the Ozarks. This was shot from the Branson Landing parking lot on Lake Taneycomo. The time is about 8:30 am before the fog completely burned off about 15 minutes later.

Cafe du Monde

2009-08-04T22:24:00.002-05:00

A must stop at Jackson Square in the French Quarter. I have finally become a coffee connoisseur since we began going to Riverbluff Church. This was good coffee even though the temperature was in the mid nineties!

My Algiers Ferry Buddy

2009-08-03T19:04:00.002-05:00

This young lady came and shared a window at the front of the Algiers Ferry with me when we rode from the West Bank to Downtown New Orleans. Isn't she a doll?

Time is running out on the HIGH NOON PHOTO Contest. Get your entries in now for a chance to win Joe McNally's new book The Hot Shoe Diaries. Entries are due on August 15th. See this link for details http://ozarkphotos.blogspot.com/2009/05/announcing-first-annual-ozark-photos.html

At Anchorage for Rememberance

2009-08-02T16:55:00.004-05:00

The U.S.S. Alabama was built for a war that began 68 years ago. She was launched as one of the fast battleships of the South Dakota Class which included the South Dakota, Alabama, Indiana and Massachusetts. As the Japanese proved conclusively at Pearl Harbor and other places in December of 1941 the battleship as a design was being replaced by the aircraft carrier. During the Second World War these ships provided fast cover for the US carrier tasks forces which early in the war may have at times counted one or two operational carriers and in the end counted near 100. The battleship's days were numbered and after the war gallant ships were scrapped one after another. Only a few survive today, thanks to citizens of the States they were named for. Texas, Alabama, North Carolina and Massachusetts organized grass roots efforts to purchase and display their battleships. The ships of the Iowa class, America's largest and finest, were retired only recently. The Missouri sits in Pearl Harbor Hawaii next to the sunken Arizona. The Iowa is still in mothballs awaiting a home. The Wisconsin and New Jersey are on display on the East Coast. As far as I know no other battleships survive afloat in the world, their massive guns forever silent. Ships with names like Warspite, King George V, Nagato, Richleau cut up by the scrappers torch.

We have a duty as a freedom loving people to preserve our history. In a time of recession and/or depression it is easy to cut funding for our history, parks, and infrastructure. Our children do not care any more and I fear in a few years important elements of our history will disappear. Only these photos will remain and each of these digital files will rot out of existence if we are not careful and print our photos for non digital preservation.

Please consider teaching your children about history, for many of us it means we have to develop an interest in it and learn about it. Please print your best pictures, especially the ones that capture important moments in your families history. Digital images are wonderful but fleeting. They can disappear as fast as a heartbeat with a hard disk crash or a change in file formats. How much did you have saved on 5.25 inch floppies which can no longer be used by most of us. Have you heard of CD rot? Most CD's and DVD's only have a limited life. Will software be available to read this information 10 years from now if they can be read at all?

Remember you are responsible for history. Our grandparents captured it through Kodak pictures and letter's saved and journals kept. What will our grandchildren have to remember us by?

Gulf Islands National Seashore

2009-08-01T00:30:00.005-05:00

What the Gulf Coast's shoreline may look like if man didn't disturb it.

One of the inhabitants of Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi

The effect of Katrina on the trees at Gulf Islands NSS

On of the places we stopped on our trip along the ravaged Gulf Coast was Gulf Islands National Seashore. It was the girls favorite just because of the "little" critter (8ft) in the middle shot.

We stopped at the visitor's center which is in Mississippi. Unfortunately we could not make it to the actual islands but the lady manning the visitor's center said there was not one thing left on the islands after Katrina except the historical old stone fort.

World Wide Photo Walk Springfield Winner

2009-07-31T23:14:00.004-05:00

I am pleased to announce Josi as the winner of our Springfield Photo Walk Competition. Her photo will go on to the World Wide competition for a chance at the Grand Prize!

I really struggled with selecting a winner as there were so many wonderful entries. I normally am not a fan of the HDR style either but this picture and its composition and color kept grabbing my attention.

Congratulation Josi!

Check out other pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1153880@N20/pool/

World Wide Photo Walk - Part 5

2009-07-31T00:15:00.004-05:00

More photos of the action on the World Wide Photo Walk. One of my favorites is the last one of Josi in the empty parking garage.

Mark's comment back on part 3 made me realize I didn't take a single photo of the end of the photo walk when many of us sat down and had lunch at Springfield Brewing Company. It was fun watching everyone sharing their screenshots and getting to know one another.

World Wide Photo Walk - Springfield Missouri Part 4 - A Guest Post

2009-07-31T00:11:00.002-05:00

Another shot of our intrepid Lesley who was our model for the Photowalk. This beautifully framed shot is by Viktoriya and was sent to me to share with everyone. Thanks Viktoriya!

New Orleans 2009 - A City Recovering

2009-07-30T17:54:00.003-05:00

New Orleans is alive and well. Now granted, it still has a long way to go, as I saw when we traveled out I-10 East, but there are throngs of people there and the city looks vibrant again when you drive in after dark. The Quarter is full and bustling. People are smiling. Cash registers are ringing.

There is still a lot of work to do. I wondered why the government has not spent millions of stimulus funds on the South to rebuild. It seems to remain neglected even under new leadership. Too many other promises I guess. The Gulf Coast of Mississippi is a wreck, but the people I saw were happy and in high spirits. Only now are things beginning to be rebuilt on a very limited scale. Mississippi is far worse than New Orleans.

Our drive along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi was a startling wake up call to me that we still need to pray for many Americans struggling to come back home.

World Wide Photo Walk - Springfield Part 3

2009-07-29T23:50:00.004-05:00

Due to my recent trip to New Orleans to take care and visit Teresa's mom, I am seriously behind on this blog and giving an update on our photo walk. I have received 50 entries which I am now responsible for judging and turning one lucky winner into Scott Kelby for a chance at a grand prize. From what I have looked at each and every one of my photowalker's pictures is a winner in thier own way and I deeply appreciate the time and care each one of them put into their pictures.

There has been some activity with the High Noon Photo Contest, but not much. I will be setting up a Flickr page to show all of these entries soon. The deadline for entries for this contest is August 15th. You can find guidelines at

http://ozarkphotos.blogspot.com/2009/05/announcing-first-annual-ozark-photos.html

I will get some more pictures posted soon and thank each of you for continuing to check on the ever faltering posts to Ozark Photos.

World Wide Photo Walk Springfield, Missouri: A Special Thanks to Lesley!

2009-07-19T22:32:00.002-05:00

One of our photo walkers, David Strong, brought a young lady who volunteered to be a model for our photo walk. She did an absolutely fantastic job and was totally outnumbered by photographers 40 to 1. She held up well and I took this shot at Springfield Brewing Company at the end of our official walk.

World Wide Photo Walk - Springfield, Missouri Part 2

2009-07-19T21:43:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite images from the World Wide Photo Walk. Have you ever tried "leading" a bunch of Photographers? It is like herding cats! It was truly wonderful, looking everywhere seeing photographers and seeing people coming together and talking photography and seeing friendships form. We had lunch and seeing everyone excitedly looking at their view screens on their cameras was a truly rewarding experience for me.

World Wide Photo Walk - Springfield, Missouri

2009-07-19T15:49:00.003-05:00

I wanted to get a quick posting with the group photos of our Springfield World Wide Photo Walk. We had a great time and it just seemed to reinforce my belief that photographers are some of the friendliest and most helpful individuals around. In our Springfield group we had participants from as far as Columbus, Kansas; Harrison, Arkansas and even New Mexico!

Fellow walker David Strong even brought a model, Lesley, who was immensely popular and was the center of a lot of attention. I am working on my overall pictures of the photo walk; I shoot in Raw so it takes me a while to process photos, and will share those soon!

Thanks to all who participated and I have already noted that several have posted thier contest pictures!

Springfield National Cemetery - July 4th

2009-07-12T16:02:00.002-05:00

A quiet moment at Springfield's National Cemetery on July 4th.

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T08:10:00.005-05:00

I hope every one of my US readers has a great 4th of July. This flag is taken on my home pole today. It is the Grand Union Flag, a replica of one of the earliest US flag designs which, of course, paid homage to our home country. I personally love this design.

North Yard at Commercial Street

2009-07-02T22:39:00.003-05:00

We are having a plant shutdown this week. Due to some work the maintenance guys are doing we started work an hour later than usual Wednesday morning so I went down to Commercial Street to do some train shots. No active trains but I had some fun shooting the rail cars in the North Yard.

A Long Absence

2009-07-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the long absence. I have had a severe bout of non creativity which still continues but is gradually improving. I wanted to remind everyone of the "High Noon Photo Contest" , be sure and read the post below to be involved.

This is a clematis from the Master Gardener's Demonstration Garden at Nathaniel Greene Park here in Springfield. It was taken early in the morning.

Front Porch Friday Addendum

2009-06-19T22:24:00.002-05:00

Now this is a front porch designed for comfort! Taken with my new Blackberry when Teresa and I were walking back to the car from the Springfield Cardinals game tonight.

Front Porch Friday - Rendezvous Style

2009-06-19T06:06:00.002-05:00

Even tents can have front porches and they are very evident at a rendezvous event. It is part of the fabric of the event to sit out and get to know your fellow redezvousers.

This will probably be the last formal Front Porch Friday since I haven't gotten out to take pictures well and the response has not been what it used to be.

2009 Finley River Rendezvous in Ozark, Missouri

2009-06-13T22:45:00.010-05:00

I took Friday off and Teresa and I cleaned our closet, garage, attic, and shed. We worked on more stuff today. Gee whiz am I tired! But it was not all work...I got to play just a little.

There were so many things going on this weekend. Blue Grass Music at the Ray House at Wilson's Creek, Civil War Days at Hulston Mill and the event shown above which was the Finley River Rendezvous in Ozark. I had to pick one so we chose this one as we didn't get to give it justice last year when we snapped some shots on Sunday afternoon. This year I wanted to give this event my front and center attention and I was really pleased with some of the pictures I got. The rendezvouers were very gracious welcoming Teresa and I to take pictures.

The top two pictures are some overall shots of the site in the Ozark City Park. It was about 9 am so the light was already pretty harsh but there were some opportunities as you will see here and over at Ozark Faces. I loved the lines in the third picture.

We have so much going on! We are down to 2 openings in our Springfield "World Wide Photo Walk. If you are interested in going be sure and get over to http://worldwidephotowalk.com/springfield-mo-usa/ to register for this event. Participation is limited to 50 and incredibly we have reached 48! I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at this event. We have a lot planned for the walk so there should be something for everyone.

Activity in the High Noon Photo Contest is picking up. At first I thought Mark was going to walk off with the prize but he has some competition now. Be sure and let your readers know about the contest.

If you live in the Springfield area be sure and either stop by the Finley River Park in Ozark tomorrow or take a drive to Greenfield for Hulston Mill's Civil War Days. You will be glad you did.

Morning at Nathaniel Greene Park

2009-06-10T21:53:00.004-05:00

This was taken early in the morning at Springfield's Nathaniel Greene Park. I have been taking some time to take some early shots before I go into work. The light is magnificent when you hit the right day.

Don't forget about the High Noon Photo Contest described below. So far I have had very little participation. Is this too tough of a competition?

http://ozarkphotos.blogspot.com/2009/05/announcing-first-annual-ozark-photos.html

Old Ship Models...

2009-06-09T06:15:00.003-05:00

Another Polaroid scan of 35 years ago! This is a Lindberg model of the German Battleship Tirpitz shortly after I completed it. My friend Danny and I used to sail our models in ditches after rains!

This ship has survived many, many years on Danny's grave. I check on it and him every time I go to El Dorado Springs and pass the small cemetery where they rest. It is battered and worn but so far no one has taken it or thrown it away.

For The Love of Star Trek 2

2009-06-07T17:21:00.002-05:00

This one reminds me of the current movie poster...

Ok, no more until tomorrow! :)

For The Love of Star Trek

2009-06-07T15:25:00.002-05:00

This is probably the strangest picture you will ever see me post here...

Most of my long time readers such as Mark and Lori will know that I am an avid Star Trek fan. I took this picture about 35 years ago hanging an unpainted AMT model from a clothes line and snapping away with a Polaroid. Both the model and the Polaroid are horrendous, but I loved the angle of the shot I captured. I scanned the Polaroid last night and was attempting to isolate and turn the cloudy sky black but got to this stage and thought it was pretty interesting so there it stayed.

Going through the old Polaroids was a bunch of fun, just goes to show I had an interest back then at 15. I wish I had pursued it!

Coach Ricky Simms, Jr. 1974 - 2009

2009-06-06T21:22:00.005-05:00

This post is dedicated to the life of Coach Ricky Simms of Study Middle School. Coach Simms was the ISS teacher at Study and coached the 8th Grade Football, Basketball and Track programs there. We learned this week that Coach Simms passed away leaving many devastated students. Today Teresa and I attended his memorial service at Deliverance Temple here in Springfield along with about 1,000 other teachers, students, former students, administrators and family.

Coach Simms will be remembered for his love of the Study students, his smile and his competitiveness. He and his 8th grade football team brought Study the City Championship for the first time in 38 years this year. Judging from his teams emotions at today's service he was not only a good coach but a good mentor to these young men.

Coach you will be missed.

These picture were taken a few months ago at the Hillcrest Junior High City Basketball tournament. These pictures were hanging on Coach Simms office wall and were in the video shown at today's service. I only wish I had taken more.

Downtown Hartsburg, Missouri

2009-06-02T21:44:00.003-05:00

Teresa and I almost missed this beautiful little town close to the Missouri River. It is on the Katy Trail State Park and is about 5 miles off US 63 between Jefferson City and Columbia. This was a "High Noon" shot and I was very fortunate to have some lovely clouds as a background. I used my polarizing filter in my NIK software to help highlight the sky.

Be sure and check out the High Noon Photo Contest post below. This is the type shot you can get at high noon. You just have to carefully work your angles and composition as the light can be very harsh. Often though a photo opportunity will present itself and you would be amiss not capturing it while you are there.

Announcing the first annual Ozark Photos' "High Noon" Photo Contest

2009-05-30T05:00:00.007-05:00

Photo taken at noon in Springfield, Missouri

What is the High Noon photo contest?

Noon light, especially in the summer, gets very low marks for quality. So what I have decided to do is challenge the readers of Ozark Photos to go out between 11 am and 1 pm in their local time to take their best shot. I realize you readers in the Southern Hemisphere may have an advantage here since it is winter. Oh to have those long shadows! The contest will run from June 1st to August 15th. Your pictures must be taken between these dates. You will submit your entries to me via my email address ozarkphotos@sbcglobal.net . You may submit low resolution images or watermarked images if you wish. I will collect your entries and along with a couple of other local Southwest Missouri Photographers we will judge the entries after August 15th and come up with First, Second and Third place winners The first place winner will win a copy of Joe McNally's newest book The Hot Shoe Diaries.

Why am I doing this?

First off, because I think it will be fun. Secondly, I would like to get this blogging community that I have enjoyed so much for the last 3 years active again. Thirdly, I think mid-day light gets a bad wrap.

Who can participate?

Any reader of Ozark Photos. Of course, that number has dwindled of late so you need to go to all your blogging friends and tell them about this contest for it to really work and for us to see some really creative noon time shots.

What do I need to turn in and how many times can I enter?

You need to turn in a jpeg image preferably no smaller than 550 by 600 pixels. Please also submit a description of what you did to get the shot. Also make sure you have your name in the body of the email. If you are the first place winner I will request your mailing address to get your prize to you.

You can submit one shot each week during the contest.

Anything else I should know?

Obviously, I can't change what mother nature does so you may get lucky and have a cloudy day. That works too. Pictures do not need to be in a particular category. Portraits, landscapes, flowers, macros all qualify. The picture must be taken outdoors to qualify. Studio work is cheating! :)

If you come up with questions post them on this entry or any of the updates so everyone can see. I am sure I am not thinking of everything.

Good luck and most of all have fun! Let's see how creative we can be with noon time sun. Tell everyone you know, the more that participate the more we will learn from one another. I will give periodic, probably weekly updates if people really get involved.

The Log Cabin Porches of Nathaniel Greene Park

2009-05-29T18:57:00.004-05:00

Friday's sure seem to roll around fast! I was at lunch today and realized I had no new shots for "Front Porch Friday" so I drove to Nathaniel Greene Park. The harsh noon sun was not much fun, but hey sometimes you don't have choices.

I have seriously been thinking of running a challenge to the one or two people still reading this blog. It is going to be called "High Noon" and will consist of shoots taken at the lunch hour when the sun and hence light is the worst. I am thinking about running it through the summer and even giving a prize for the best picture. Any takers? We will have to work out the logistics...let me know your thoughts.

First Baptist Church Hartsburg, Missouri

2009-05-28T22:09:00.002-05:00

Now for a shot of the whole Church. You can see where the stain glass window fits in now. This was one of the most interesting old Churches I have shot. Architecturally, it had many interesting lines, details and angles.

In the Light

2009-05-27T21:12:00.002-05:00

This is one of the stained glass windows in the First Baptist Church of Hartsburg, Missouri. I pushed the exposure on this one, which wasn't too hard since it was about 2:30 in the afternoon. Then when I got home I pushed it even further in Photoshop. I like the way it turned out. What a beautiful little Church this was sitting close to the mighty Missouri River.

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-25T23:26:00.001-05:00

Thank you to those who served.

Easy...A Commentary

2009-05-24T09:33:00.002-05:00

I found out last week you can no longer go into your local Staples store and purchase an "Easy Button". You must now order them online. What happened to easy?

Well that is my deep thought for the day.

Memorial Day Weekend 2009

2009-05-23T22:28:00.004-05:00

Teresa and I had to attend a funeral today. Normally funerals are not something I enjoy going to, but going on Memorial Day weekend was pretty neat. And before you guys wonder what I am doing taking my camera, well Teresa took hers first! Seriously, we were invited to bring cameras...Has anyone ever taken photographs at a funeral before? Hmmm, maybe I have found a new niche.

Attending a funeral of someone who has served in the Military on the Memorial Day weekend really brings home what Memorial Day is. I hope you have a good holiday weekend and remember what Memorial Day is all about.

Sorry No Front Porch Today

2009-05-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is a scene from Antonito, Colorado and the archives. I have been so busy getting the Springfield Photo Walk set up there has been no time for taking pictures. The scene above was taken on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. If you get a chance go out to Colorado and take a ride on it.

The Springfield Photo Walk Page is Up and Running!

2009-05-21T06:07:00.003-05:00

http://worldwidephotowalk.com/springfield-mo-usa/

The Springfield page for the World Wide Photo Walk is now active. Go to it and click register now if you want to participate!

Announcing the Official Springfield, Missouri Location of the Worldwide Photo Walk

2009-05-19T17:32:00.007-05:00

http://worldwidephotowalk.com/

I am proud to announce here at Ozark Photos that Teresa and I are the official organizers of the Springfield, Missouri location of Scott Kelby's Second Annual Worldwide Photo Walk.

The World Wide Photo Walk will take place on Saturday July 18th. We will soon be determining our time and locations. The Photo Walk will last approximately two hours and we will conclude at a local eating establishment to compare screenshots and get to know one another. Each Photo Walk is limited to 50 people and I will be asking for reservations at my email address ozarkphotos@sbcglobal.net very soon.

There is absolutely no charge or fee to participate in the Photo Walk. You can be a amateur or professional or anywhere in between.

I am looking forward to ironing out and announcing the details so watch this site. Visit the link above for more general information.

Beginnings...

2009-05-19T06:02:00.002-05:00

A shot from my photo session with Britany, Greg and Daniel. Daniel is my first newborn photo shoot. I caught this tender little moment between Mom and Daniel when we were setting up for another shot.

Front Porch Friday - Flying the Colors

2009-05-15T06:04:00.003-05:00

A front porch shot from Old Algiers which shows the colors flying. I never said whose colors! There were several homes with flags flying that were not the US flag, reflecting the diversified heritage of many of us. I collect flags and have been know to fly the British flag during democratic administrations or the Canadian flag when there is a lot of snow on the ground (makes the neighbors feel colder) :). But mainly I fly historic American flags, and they generate a lot of questions and discussion. When I had a flagpole at our old home, my neighbors would come over to visit about the newest flag that went up and I would tell them what I knew about the history of the flag.

Take a few minutes to go out and fly your colors this weekend, whatever those colors may be. Now where is that British naval flag I have?

Camera Club Field Trip to Woods Prairie

2009-05-09T10:38:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be traveling across the prairie's of yesterday in a covered wagon or on horseback with no farms or towns along the way?

An explosion of color!

The camera club took a field trip to Woods Prairie near Chesapeake, Missouri today. Here are a couple of shots to remind you what the prairie may have looked like at one time before our ancestors began plowing the land. Woods prairie is owned and managed by a local conservancy group.

Kay Johnson, local wildlife photographer, wild flower expert and all around great guy led us on this trip. Invariably he had to answer all of our questions!

Front Porch Friday...A Little Front Porch

2009-05-08T23:22:00.003-05:00

Believe it or not this front porch shot was taken from Walnut Street during Artsfest. I spotted this charming little house from the street and just knew it was my next "Front Porch Friday" shot! I speculate it started life as a garage or on the site of a garage.

Barely made this one, thirty three minutes to spare. Have a great weekend.

Artsfest on Walnut Street 2009

2009-05-03T17:40:00.010-05:00

Despite cool and cloudy weather this year's Artsfest was crowded, at least on Saturday when the rain stayed at bay.

I was fascinated with this wind sculpture. It and the others on display reminded me of that lady's yard on the movie "Twister." If you don't remember it maybe it is time to rent that movie again! :)

Teresa and I had a great time. I have to take her with me or I would probably have ended up buying something. I love this stuff. We concluded our visit to Artsfest listening to Lee Ellen Starks in concert! As my brother is fond of saying, "Life is Good."

Speaking of my brother be sure and check out his travel blog in the links to the right. He is on another adventure and it is alway fun to see what mess he is getting into and what is for dinner on the trail. Leave him a comment and tell him Mikey sent you. You know it gets lonely on the trail.

Oh and the baby pictures are now posted on Ozark Faces. Let me know what you think.