Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Awe...some Mondays


 Recently a local apartment developer completed their third project in our area, a 500 unit complex. To celebrate the grand opening, they commissioned a group of artists to do this sand sculpture. It took four people a week to complete the project and it is impressive.



 The theme is a family taking a vacation in Northwest Arkansas and driving by some of the local attractions.

The family is driving by the Tyson chicken. Tyson is one of the largest food producers in the world. You really don't want to get behind a chicken truck on a two lane road.

Once the sun goes down and the lights come on, the sculpture takes on a whole new look.
 
Day or night, no display in Northwest Arkansas is complete with out an Arkansas Razorback.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Skywatch Friday

A sand sculptured Arkansas Razorback against a crystal clear Ozark sky.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Wordless Wednesday - Chihuly at Night

 Back in July and August I posted several articles about the Chihuly glass exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Part of the exhibit was "Chihuly in the Forest" and it is still on display. I thought that the pieces were beautiful during the day, but they are spectacular at night. Here are a few examples.

And if the Chihuly glass exhibit isn't abstract enough for you, then...

Just wiggle the lens during the exposure.


Sunday, October 22, 2017

Awe...some Mondays - Homecoming 2017



This year the two younger grand daughters attended high school homecoming. The one on the left is a sophomore and the one on the right is a senior. Note, the senior is in 5 inch heels while the sophomore is in Converse tennis shoes. 

Our daughter and son-in-law with their home coming girls. It is a tall family. Our son-in-law is 6'-3" and our daughter is 5'-10". So...with the heels the senior is just over 6'.

All of the siblings were available for one photo. The oldest grand daughter, on the left is a senior in college and was home on fall break while little brother is in the 8th grade.
 
And what's the best part of home coming! Getting a kiss from two of my princesses, of course.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Skywatch Friday

Indian Point Cove on Table Rock Lake, near Branson, MO. One of my favorite places to relax.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Skywatch Friday

For some reason, Autumn seems to have some of the best sunrises and sunsets. I just need to get out there more often and capture the images. Have a blessed week-end.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Awe...some Mondays - Steel Horses III

2017 Bikes, Blues & BBQ
  Anybody who knows me or has seen much of my photography knows that I like to fill the frame with details, especially when it come to mechanical things like cars and motor cycles. This year is no different, so here is Bikes, Blues & BBQ up close and personal.

 Some of the best details are found on the rides in the parking lot. Who can resist old school pin stripes. When I was a teen, I used to practice trying to do pin striping. I was never this good.

 There are few things more impressive than a sparkling clean motorcycle engine. Everything is out there for you to see. They are just beautiful.

 Of course, the tank is where the real art is displayed on most bikes. I like everything about this work. I is clean, simple and complex, all at the same time.

 Some bikes are outfitted with fiberglass saddle bags and they have been given the name "Baggers" by the biker community. This is an enlarged canvas for the painter to do his/her work. This is one of the best flame jobs I have ever seen.

 Some of the metal work on these examples for rolling art are more creative than the paint jobs. This is an outstanding example. The location of those exhaust pipes will keep your buns warm on a cold winter night.

 One of my favorite displays was a VW based rat rod. Yes, that is a VW hood, and the motor in the back comes from a bug also. I'm not sure how many other parts are beetle inspired but this was definitely a unique ride. Yes, this is a car and not a bike. You may see more of this in a different post. Have a blessed week.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Skywatch Friday - Unclouded Day

One thing I like about autumn is the crystal clear quality of the blue in the sky. I think it is unique to this time of year and will soon provide an awesome background for the changing colors of the foliage a little later in the season.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Fun With Filters - Barn Find

Have you ever wondered "What if?" Of course you have. I took this photo last year. The barn is located about 20 miles from our house. I was looking through these images the other day and when I came across this one I said, "What if I convert it to grayscale and put a little texture to it."

The results surprised me! There are some free filters from On1 that run in PhotoShop and PhotoShop Elements. Once I converted the image to grayscale (black & white) I stacked a couple of filters on top and this is what happened. There are times when a grayscale image seems to convey more of the soul of the subject in the photo than color, but this is ridiculous. I may have to do a whole series on barns in grayscale. To get the full impact of the post processing, just click on the image to enlarge.