Shrimp Boats

Sometimes an image is just an image until something happens that adds more importance or interest to that photograph.  The oil spill in the Gulf has been on all of our minds periodically in the last couple of months as the spill keeps growing in scope and severity.  But as time goes by and other things of critical importance hit the news cycle like “Tiger Woods father 16 illegitimate children and 7 are being raised by wolves! More at 10pm” we start forgetting about what is happening.  Who cares if the CEO of BP is sailing on his yacht over the weekend, and who cares if Obama makes another speech from some beach that he has never been to.  What… do we expect them to be out there pulling booms across a swamp?  Neither of them knows anything about oil drilling or oil cleanup.  We love to get pissed, blame people, and then get distracted by some other shiny object.  But really, they can’t actually do anything to stop this.  They have to rely on much brighter people to do that.  We need to remember and think about the people and places this affects.  There are people who captain those shrimp boats that provide us with all of those delicious shrimp.  And there are beautiful places out there being made much less beautiful right now.  I don’t have any answers unfortunately….. I am just sad about the mess of it all.

Past Featured Photo:

Rock and Tree

I slammed on my brakes and swerved to the shoulder of the road.  My wife asks “what’s wrong!?”  “Oh nothing, I just have to get out and take a quick photo.”  After scurrying up a 50ft rocky incline this is what I saw.  We were just west of Cody, WY on the highway between Cody and Yellowstone National Park.

This photo may say a lot to you, or nothing at all.  On the surface this is a photograph of a unique interaction between a rock and a tree and how one affects the other.  I often wonder when this rock infringed on this trees personal bubble.  I doubt it happened when the tree was just a small sapling, but maybe not.  Regardless, it is hard not to start projecting the human condition onto this tree.  An inspirational speaker might tell you we could learn a lot from this tree.  This tree has persevered through a catastrophic event and has continued on against all odds. 

Personally I like this photo for both the uniqueness of it, and for the symbolic nature of it.  It is hard not to read into this image and pull out your own meanings.  That is the point of Art right?  What does this image say to you?  If you would like to learn more about any of my other images please drop me a line.

Past -FEATURED PHOTO:

South Padre Sand Dunes

South Padre has become a special place for me over the years. I first visited the island with my father and grandfather about six or seven years ago.  They are avid bird watchers and if you know about bird watching, you know that early spring in southern Texas is the place to be for the birds.  I tagged along to spend time with them and I also knew it would give me ample time to take photographs.  I have since visited with my wife and close friends, it is a great place to visit and relax.  I would avoid the spring break time of year unless you are in to that kind of thing.

Many photographers will find their composition and wait for the light to be just right. Light is obviously one of the most important elements of my photography; however I seldom wait more than a few moments for the stars to align.  I usually am struck by something unique, unusual or just plain beautiful while wondering around by paying great attention to small details and how they relate to things around them.  This photo is all about the relation between the tall grass blowing in the wind echoed by the wispy clouds in the background.  I liked the way the grass mimics the shape of the cloud and you can see it happening in the dunes that fall away into the background.  It is simple but I find it quite elegant.  It is a rhythm happening among the land and sky and you can imaging the nearby sea would be following the same rhythm.