The world of photography opened to me as a child in the late 1920's when I was presented with a little red Kodak box camera. The Big Depression limited funds for film and to have film processed, and it was always a real treat when I was allowed to buy a roll and to see the final results. Over time the camera choice progressed to a Pentax MX 35mm camera which I used for many years.
Actually I knew very little about the principles of photography, simply snapping whatever interested me. And then in 1977 I read a newspaper article about the organization of a new camera club. I decided then that if I were to be taking pictures the rest of my life, I'd better gain some knowledge beyond the point-and-shoot. And so I joined and became a charter member of Metro Camera Club. I quickly became involved in photographing family, people, landscapes, my garden, inanimate objects, - whatever piqued my curiosity. Photographic insight developed to the point of setting up a dark room and enjoying that activity for a number of years. I have only recently dismantled the dark room with the digital world moving me in yet another direction. The photos here have been scanned from slides.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I lived ten years in wintery Minnesota, and unbelievably in the first years in Oklahoma City, actually missed some of the beautiful snow scenes there. On one of the occasional snows in Oklahoma City, I was enjoying a walk in Will Rogers Park and came upon the Holly in the Snow.
The Balanced Rock is in The Garden of the Gods in Colorado. Coming upon the scene I wondered how many decades would pass before weathering would inevitably finally dislodge the rock.
The Building is a truly intriguing building in Victor, Colorado. Despite the seemingly "store front" appearance in the shot, it is a complete building but built on a slant and not with the usual 90 degree corners. Other shots taken at the time do show the entire building.
A trip to the zoo yielded the Owl and Peacock pictures. Often bird and animal photography requires a quick shot to capture the subject; but there are instances, when time and patience are needed and often a change of position for better angle shots.
It took a good bit of patience to wait for the peacock to turn facing me in his full array.
The owl also persisted in turning his back to me for lengthy periods of time.
My philosophy is to shoot whatever you like and enjoy regardless of another's opinion of it's worth. I believe that photography encourages and enables one to see the world with a different and expanded point of view - seeing things perhaps otherwise completely overlooked - a new light, an object, an expression - truly an expanded universe.
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