Totally Rad Hippie Bus

Hippie Bus, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Old VW Textures

I had a great time taking pictures of old VWs when we had to pick up Kevin's 1976 Volkswagen Type II Bus from the shop. There were a lot of old Buses and Beetles that must have been there just for parts. There were also a few that were being repaired and/or restored. I saw a shiny light blue and white van and a beautiful orange car, but those aren't as interesting to photograph, now are they?

Check these out on my Flickr page to see them separated and much larger: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orchidphoto/

We Had a Storm!

We had a hail storm today! There was also a tornado warning. Tornado warnings I'm used to, but hail I haven't seen in awhile, maybe not since I left north Texas.

I really hope my car is ok. It didn't last very long, but it was crazy while it was going on (I know some of you think this is really weird if you live in a stormy place).

The first photo is the pile of hail that built up next to the back door. I risked life and limb, and camera, for this shot. Those dime-nickel sized suckers can hurt when they smack into your head.

The second photo is from the front door looking into our main road. There was so much hail on the road, it was amazing.

Study in Lines

Study in Lines, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Sometimes you just get lucky with timing and lighting.

Spade and Soil

Spade and Soil, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

I've been digging up weeds, and Kevin's been working on a little garden in the backyard. I was chillin' outside with Denali and noticed the spade shining through all the dirt.

I decided to take a shallow DoF because I like the texture of the soil in the middle.

Checkered Bowls

Checkered Bowls, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

This is an attempt at a still life of my bowls and plates. They're so colorful and bright, and I tried to capture it with natural light coming through the kitchen window at the right.

Walmart Flasks!

Walmart Flasks!, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Did you know Walmart sells flasks? I didn't either, until this random end cap next to the pork rinds. Unbeatable price of $3.88; get yours today!

(taken on camera phone)

Cate's Birthday '09

Cate's Birthday '09, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

We finally celebrated Cate's birthday like 2 weeks after her actual birthday. She's been going to a sushi place called Kenobi, here in Austin, TX. It's a really cool place with great food, and we had a great time!

Check out photos of Kenobi by Cate at www.catescott.com.

Magic Wand 1

Magic Wand 1, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

These 2 photos are close to identical, except for the focus point. They're a tiny bit off since I was holding the wand in my left hand and the camera in my right hand, crouched down next to the back door.

I wanted to get the little rainbows spread by light coming through the crystal. I took several shots I didn't care for, several 'meh', and then I got this idea. These are the last 2 photos I took, and they came out just how I wanted.

P.S. Yes, it's really a magic wand. It says so on the tag.

Magic Wand 2

Magic Wand 2, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

I'm thinking these should have gone in the same entry. I automatically sent them from Flickr, and I don't feel like messing with it now. Oh well, surely my readers are smart enough to find 'Magic Wand 1' to see the description :)

P.S. Yes, it's really a magic wand. I can smite you with it, so watch out.

Out Sick

I know y'all have been missing my blog (haha). I've been knocked out with some random illness that made me sleep about 3/4 of every 24 hours. I've hardly been on the computer much less taking photos. Hopefully I'll get something today!

Hand-Painted Bike

I took photos of this cute painted bike on campus one morning (before the time change!). I've been playing with Poladroid too, and I thought this would be perfect for it. I like the little fingerprint smudge it added at the top.

Rain Bokeh 3

Rain Bokeh 3, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Even MORE bokeh. Rain is fun! This time I was sitting in a left-hand turn lane with a green light, hoping no one would come up behind me while I took a photo :) It's not really focused anywhere, so there are circles plus a lot of other color shapes.

Rain Bokeh 2

Rain Bokeh 2, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

More bokeh from drops on my windshield, but this time I tried to focus on the drops.

Rain Bokeh 1

Rain Bokeh 1, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

It's raining! I can't believe it. I hope it keeps raining for awhile so we can have water to play in this summer.

Anyway, this is bokeh from the rain on my windshield this morning, focusing past the rain drops. I like how the circles are broken up.

Jasmine Blooms

Jasmine Blooms, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Our two jasmine plants just started blooming. The flowers are so cute, and it smells really good.

I used a Gaussian blur, Screen Mode, Opacity 50% layer to give a little softer, glow-y feel.

Parking Garage Bokeh

Parking Garage Bokeh, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

This is my second attempt at bokeh, so don't be too harsh please. The first attempt was miserable, and no way was I going to post any of it.

Obviously this would have been better with a tripod so I could use a lower ISO. However, I was walking to work from my car, and I don't carry a tripod everywhere.

The lights are from a parking garage on campus. The orange circles are from the lights inside the garage, and the other colors are from the outside staircase.

Dancing Curtain

Dancing Curtain, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Johnson City, Tx Series #8. It was a windy day, and I noticed this curtain fluttering in the wind. It really fascinated me for some reason.

Generally I'm terrible at capturing motion, so I was pleased at how well these came out. They are in order from left to right, top to bottom.

Pipe Guy

Pipe Guy, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

I am so proud of myself - this is the first time I've ever approached a total stranger and asked to take his/her photo!

I was walking from my office at a university to my car, and I saw this kid out of the corner of my eye. I thought, is that guy smoking a pipe? I looked again, and sure enough he was.

I have fond memories of my Papa smoking a pipe. It smelled so good. I still love the smell of the smoke.

When I first saw the photo at home I wondered if I should have given him some kind of direction on how to look. But by the time I had cropped and tweaked the color balance, I decided I liked it. After all, that was his exact expression the whole time I talked to him, and why would I change that?

Happy Birthday Cate!

I wish you were here, but I'm glad you're having a great time in Vegas!

Blue Grooves

Blue Grooves, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

Since I started this learning experiment of photographing a lot of different things, I've been suddenly noticing things around me. It doesn't happen everyday, unfortunately. That sure would make doing this blog easier!

So one morning I reached for a cotton ball in my "peacock" pottery jar. I randomly closed in on the detail of the lid. I wanted a macro to really show the texture in the lines and grooves.

Afternoon Dragonflies

Afternoon Dragonflies, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

As I was laying around being lazy, I glanced down at the end table. There another of my dragonfly candle holders was glowing in the afternoon light. I really tried to capture that glow.

I have more photos I've tried to edit to post, but I'm not liking them right now. More photos coming up this week!