As of this past weekend, the office has officially been moved to its new home in Lawrence, Kansas. The house move will follow in a few weeks so we’ll be commuting in the interim.
There are lots of shots that I always intended to take in Topeka but never got around to them. For instance, I have an open invitation to photograph the State Capitol from a downtown dweller’s rooftop penthouse but there has always been some form of construction in the way and the time was never right. Other shots have withered away because I just never made the time for them. Sad. It seems it’s hardest for me to capture what is nearest to me.
On my last day of officing downtown, I had a quick shoot in the 700 block of Kansas Avenue. As I walked back to the office afterward, I made the time to go to the rooftop of a newly built parking garage that I had been wanting to scout for unusual skyline views. I found some interesting angles on the Capitol and this view of a lone car on an adjacent parking deck also caught my eye. I’m not sure why but it felt like it somehow fit the feeling of my last day in the city.
Filed under uncategorized, photography, ramblings, misc. and architecture. |
Again, my apologies for the limited posts and all of the other ways that I’m neglecting my friends and family. Progress is moving along at the new house but it’s taking a lot of our time right now. Along with the work that we’re doing to ready the old house for the market and the “real work” that we have to fit in to pay for all of this, let’s just say it’s been busy. Real busy.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. We may be starting to move in by the first of August. Don’t worry, change of address cards will be in the mail shortly. Oh dang! I have to get those made, too!!!
Painting the outside of the old house today. Since the ladder has to rest inside the neighbor’s fence, let’s hope they keep the dog inside…
Bear with me. Normality (such as it is) will return soon. Oh — and I almost forgot. Yes, I am excited about the new Nikon D700. I barely caught the news of it in all this chaos but what I’ve seen so far looks great.
Filed under uncategorized, ramblings, nikon and misc.. |
I saw some great high-end properties while in Myrtle Beach last week but — I have to say — what I loved most was some of the outrageous road architecture that lined the main drag. I could spend a lifetime shooting things like the Big Crab restaurant above (with a line out the door like that it has to be good!) or the many over-the-top miniature golf courses they have. Seriously — multi-story miniature golf courses! Maybe I could get a grant…
Filed under photography, travel, architecture and south carolina. |
It seems like I just arrived in Myrtle Beach and it’s already time to leave. Tomorrow morning I’ll be catching a flight home. Today, however, was a full day of touring with a great stop at Brookgreen Gardens where I snapped this frame. Soon after the skies opened up for an afternoon thunderstorm but I think the overcast skies actually made this shot work better.
Myrtle Beach has been great. I’ll try and post more photos when I get a chance but I know the next few days/weeks will be devoted to trying to get the new house/office ready for occupancy. I’ll post as often as possible but, even though travel will be scarce for a bit, it’s going to be a busy summer.
Thanks to all who made this trip and meeting of the SATW Freelance Council such a success! I enjoyed meeting all of the new faces as well as catching up with old friends. See you all next time!
Filed under travel, landscape and south carolina. |
I flew back from Michigan on Saturday, spent Sunday mowing both the old house’s and new house’s lawns as well as doing a few other chores, and am now back at the airport to fly to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, today (Monday). Hopefully internet connections will be more bountiful on this trip and I’ll be able to post a few images.
The photo above is from our last day in Bay City, Michigan. The stormy sky seen here cleared up for a great boat ride out to Charity Island where we were fed a fantastic meal of fish and steak grilled outdoors next to an old lighthouse and stunning views of the lake. These excursions can be booked by the general public and are well worth it. Possibly the best steak I’ve had in a decade or more.
Filed under photography, travel, landscape and michigan. |
Sign spotted today in the window of a restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I don’t know what else to say.
Filed under travel, humor and misc.. |
It’s been another busy week but one filled with good news. Not least of which was that the above photo of Native American dancers at the Cortez Cultural Center in Colorado earned me the “Photographer of the Year” award from the Central States Chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Thanks, folks!
All good news on the new house front as well. The inspections haven’t turned up any horrifying secrets and we are scheduled to close next week. Various contractors have already been lined up to meet us at the house soon after. We only have a week to get some bids going before we head for Michigan for a week of shooting and story research. I’ll be home for one day after that before catching another plane to South Carolina where I will be giving a presentation on digital photography workflow and image management. Hopefully, by the time I’m back from that trip, we’ll be ready to get things moving on the new house in hopes of moving in later this summer.
Filed under photography, travel, ramblings, satw and colorado. |
Sorry for my absence this week but it’s been hectic to say the least. I’ll (hopefully) appease you with another weather shot from our stay on Mt. Magazine in Arkansas last weekend.
While we were away, the sellers lowered the price on the house we had had our eye on. We already knew about the lower price and were supposed to take another look inside as soon as we got back in town but now the whole world (okay, maybe an overstatement) knew about it and we were worried that someone would put in an offer before we had the chance.
Anyway, long-story-short, we got home and saw the house again on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon we were putting in an offer and by Wednesday we had ourselves a deal. Things still hinge on the results of a few inspections — Friday’s sewer scoping was lots of fun — but it’s looking good. It’s great news but it has made a busy week even busier.
Still haven’t had a chance to even look through the Arkansas shoot yet. Once I do, I’ll post a few more here.
Filed under photography, ramblings, landscape, misc. and arkansas. |
All during dinner I was watching the weather outside the windows of the dining room of the Mount Magazine Lodge as the clouds descended. Storms are moving past to the north and tornados have been spotted in the area of Ozark, Arkansas. It looks like the most severe weather will miss us but it’s still a bit rough out there. I’d just about given up on getting any twilight shots tonight when the mist cleared just enough to show the trees across the road from the lodge. I grabbed the camera and ran outside for a few last shots of the day. Some of my favorites as it turns out. The low clouds were blowing through very fast and the visibility would rapidly come and go. I thought about going back inside for the tripod but noticed the trees were rocking back and forth so it really wouldn’t have helped. I cranked up the ISO as far as I dared and did the best I could hand-held.
Filed under photography, travel, landscape, hotels, night photography and arkansas. |
Scott Riddle, of Riddle’s Elephant & Wildlife Sanctuary, takes in elephants that would otherwise have difficulties finding homes and gives them a great life here in northern Arkansas. These are amazing animals, highly intelligent, and it’s great that there are people like the Riddle’s looking after them.
Filed under travel, tourism, arkansas and wildlife. |
