"Little Prairie On the House"

Yesterday, Daddy took Kathlena and I to see the Little House on the Prairie Play at the Hobby Center starring Melissa Gilbert as 'Ma'. To read more about our outing see my post on my family's blog. We went out to the Cheesecake factory (in the Woodlands) for dinner with three other Father/Daughter Couples. We had dressed up for the occasion and had our pictures taken outside when we had eaten our fill. The timing could not have been better, the lighting was just perfect, and for those of you who have been to Market Street the place is very beautifully built and lends itself to portrait photography.

 I love how the picture below turned out, it was taken just far enough away to capture the sign...but nothing else. This is definitely my new favorite group shot...too bad I didn't take it. Thanks to the unnamed lady who took this picture for us. :)

Then we took some Father/Daughter(s) shots:

I like the tight shot on this one...

...and the wide angle on this one. 

I love how the pole on the right formed such an appealing composition.

Thank you Daddy, Kathlena and friends for a wonderful evening together!

New Year's Eve Part 2-Fireworks

...and now for the Fireworks!

Once Again, I used the bulb setting, and a tripod. The hardest part was guessing where the fireworks would be, how high they would fly and whether or not I was quite level in the darkness.

The Sparklers had to be my favorite, I used the bulb setting to capture all the light movement over the period of several seconds. I love the picture below, the sparkler just lights up Andrew's face behind them as he looks on in wonder.

 Oops! Dropped the sparkler!

And now, for the Grand Finale!

New Year's Part 1- FIRE!!!

My family started off our New Year's celebration with a bonfire in our backyard. I used a tripod and the "Bulb" setting to capture the light from the fire.

Cool panorama right? Haha, not so much, it's called a black background which blends with the edges of the picture, making it appear wider. :D

Ever wondered what it would look like if you threw a smoke bomb into a fire?

...I Love Bonfires...

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at my great-grandmother's house in Venus, Texas.

My Great-Grandmother with Calvin.

The kids table:

Playing Baseball...

Once again, I used some unusual angles

Venus Texas, one of the best places on earth to fly kites.

I focused on the kite, allowing the sun to go white and the landscape to go dark.



Using the Rule of Thirds:

WARNING! Lots of Running Involved. Not for the faint or weak of heart.

...Wait a Minute!