The Daily Photo

This is not the daily photo

2010-06-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

The daily photo has moved! Go to http://www.ashleydias.com/ to see the daily photo in its new location. No more posts at this location.

Clouds and Cellos

2010-06-01T04:15:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to the concert at Flag Pole Hill. It was the Dallas Symphony Orchestra playing some great American music. Of everything they played, the best were the fight songs of the military branches. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy listening to the orchestra play, it’s very powerful. At one point I laid back on the blanket and looked up to the sky while they played away. It was a good moment. I was relaxed and reverent – perfect for Memorial Day. This photo isn’t from last night, but the general feel was the same. The sun was starting to go down and a handful of clouds were scattered across the sky. Welcome summer time.

Red, White and Blue

2010-05-31T03:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Memorial Day. You know my favorite thing about Memorial Day? The flags. People fly their flags on Memorial Day. It gives me goosebumps. As a little kid, we would go out to the front yard with dad when he would put the flag up for Memorial Day or July 4th or any other good day for national pride and remembrance. Good memory. I don’t have a flag, nor a place to fly one really. But, when I do, I will. Enjoy the day, and take time to remember those who gave it all.

Parc Guell

2010-05-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

Came across this old pano a couple days ago when transferring files from my old computer to my new one. This is from the three crosses at Parc Guell in Barcelona. When I studied abroad there I remember I would often make the trek to the park just to soak up the view. One day, prior to my hike up to the three crosses, I happened upon a guitarist who was playing. I sat for a while and enjoyed, then bought his CD. When I need to feel peace, I find myself pulling up his album on my iPod.

This pano is manually spliced together, unlike the others I've shown you, which were merged automatically in photoshop. There's something nice about a manual splice.

It's in her name

2010-05-26T05:01:00.001-07:00

This is Cameo. I take lots of photos of Cameo, I can't help myself. She's real good around my camera. And, I've posted a pic of Cameo to the blog before. She is sweet, sweet. She and I play some serious frisbee together occasionally. Then we follow frisbee time with a treat, which is exactly what she is staring at in this photo. Trust me, those endearing eyes are meant for the cookie, not me.

LOST no more

2010-05-24T04:52:00.000-07:00

Meet the LOSTIES. Preston, Kemp (Michael), me, Lyndsay, Brian and Alli. Oh, and Oreo, the cat. This crew has pretty much watched every episode of the series together. And last night was the final episode. It was the end of an era. If you've never seen LOST then I can't explain it to you - it's just too out there to synopsize. The show had a smoke monster, a disappearing island, time travel, electromagnetic pockets, and so forth. Wierd stuff. But, the characters on the show were awesome. They were in constant struggle and always depending on each other. Which is proably what kept me tuning into it.

First Kings Five

2010-05-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago this summer I started down the path to architecture. I thought quite a bit about it through my junior year. After researching various kinds of engineering, I began to be drawn to architecture. This made sense because I had a love for both science and art. Choosing a college within the university was a looming decision, which I had toiled with in my head for some time. And, it was going to take no less than divine intervention for my decision to be made. Well, that's exactly what happened.

I remember very vividly the moment I discovered architecture was to be my path. My youth group had gone on a trip to West Virginia to participate in the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a mission of the United Methodist Church dedicated to helping rebuild homes in need of repair in the Appalachia region. The drive to West Virginia was long so we stopped in Knoxville on Saturday night at Fountain City United Methodist Church. We spent the evening there on cots, then woke up the next morning to attend the church service, before heading on our way. Since we stayed the night at the church we were naturally the first ones to the sanctuary the next morning. To pass the time before the service started, I pulled out the pew bible and started reading whatever I came to. As I was flipping, I remember thinking very clearly to myself how I'd like to read something about the building of a church - half-thinking it was a far-fetched wish that I might happen upon that in that moment.

With architecture on my mind so much around then, I had given ample thought to what type of architecture I would want to be a part of, should I head that direction. Sacred architecture was what stood out to me. Hence my wanting to read something in the bible about the building of a church. Just seconds after I thought that to myself, I flipped to 1 Kings chapter 5. My jaw literally dropped. That chapter is about the building of Solomon's temple. It goes on and on about the dimensions and materials and methods of building the temple. It speaks also to the massive labor it took to accomplish the construction. I was half in shock and half teary-eyed, because I knew I'd just been called. It was the most amazing feeling I have ever had. I wanted to tell someone, anyone. I looked side-to-side considering sharing the moment immediately with a pew mate. But at the same time I knew that only I was going to truly understand and appreciate how powerful an experience I had just had. So instead I began to carefully read the chapters about Solomon's temple, then I jotted on an offering envelope the chapter I had flipped to so I wouldn't forget that moment. I've kept that envelope since then. It's a beautiful reminder of that experience and the beginning of my journey in architecture.

And, the wing nut, well that was part of a devotional later in the week put on by the ASP staffers. The point of the wing nut devotional was that the two wings were symbols; one wing was to represent your experiences on ASP, and the other wing to represent your life at home away from ASP. And the circle between them was a symbol of bringing the two together. It was fun that night during the devotional, because I knew how I was supposed to bring my two wings together.

It's been a long road to becoming an architect - one that isn't over just yet either. Architecture is no cake walk, and I haven't always loved it. Despite the woes I feel every now and then on my road to getting licensed, it's a great profession that I thank God for bringing me into. I just hope I can make an impact within it one day, somehow.

That's my story. Thanks for hearing it.

Simply showing off

2010-05-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

The reason for posting this photo is purely to show off the capability of my lens (and, I guess, to continue to promote the awesomeness of Shae's wrangler). A Jeep Wrangler is not a big car, and a normal camera would not be able to capture this much of the car in one shot. But, my new lens is not normal. This lens will be fantastic for shooting landscapes, so I'm anxious to go to a place worth shooting. Landscape opportunities aren't exactly knocking the door down here in Dallas. Road trip?

It's a Jeep thing

2010-05-17T04:27:00.000-07:00

If you are in the market for a classic Jeep Wrangler, this one is for sale. This is Shae's Jeep that she is letting go of with some regret. It's a beauty. We went to White Rock with it on Saturday to take some photos for a craigslist listing. This was a fun shoot for me because I was using my new wide angle lens. The photo was taken at 10mm - or super wide - hence the "in your face" nature of the shot. The overcast light was perfect on Saturday afternoon for shooting a white Jeep. If the sun had been out, I would have struggled to get the exposure correct.

Happy Jeeping to whoever becomes the next lucky owner of this ride.

8 track heaven

2010-05-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

Speaking of music boxes, how about these classics? I've never owned an 8 track, I'm from the records-forward generation. But, I've heard plenty of stories about these guys. Mainly how the deck would get caught in the player and the tape would string out and lay to rest a good album.

I took this photo several months back when we stumbled upon an exhibit at a small gallery in Deep Ellum. The exhibiting artist was actually presenting his installation when we walked in. Imagine a room lined wall to wall with 8 tracks just like this. This guy was fanatical about his 8 tracks. They were like his babies. I found some I liked and snapped this shot. He had some serious classics in his collection, including as you see in the photo, Bob Dylan. And, in case you're wondering, my favorite Bob Dylan song is "Boots of Spanish Leather". It's a beautiful song and the lyrics are sweet. That song has the sound I hoped his son Jakob Dylan (from one of my favorites, the Wallflowers) could accomplish when he went solo. Unfortunately for Jakob, Bob Dylan is a tough act to follow, even if you have his blood in you.

When in Marfa

2010-05-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

Came across some old photos from Marfa last night. I don't believe I have shared too many from the trip to Marfa. The best way I can describe Marfa is it is a twilight zone, a blip in the state of Texas full of a bunch of old hippies and some strange art galleries. Oh, and a liquor store on the edge of town called El Cheapo. Just so you know, should you ever go to Marfa and need to buy cheap liquor, this is not actually a good place to do so. It's a fraud. Very expensive. When in Marfa you have to meet some locals, have them take you on a party bus to see the Marfa lights (pretend to see them, otherwise you're going to feel left out), watch the train fly through town at 70 miles an hour (because why slow down, it's just Marfa), and go to the Judd galleries, just to say that you did. Then get the hell out of there!

Land that I love

2010-05-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

Last night I was digging for some stuff I'd been wondering about, and I came across this little music box. I'm not sure it's actually a music box since it doesn't have a box at all, but nonetheless. I can't remember where I got this little guy or when, but I sure did enjoy finding it. It plays "God Bless America". There is definitely something soothing about rotating the lever of a little music box. I think I played this guy at least five times this morning. It makes really good sound, which you wouldn't expect from such a cute, small thing (he's only about 1" x 1.5"). A fun find for sure.

Double feature at the drive in

2010-05-10T04:43:00.000-07:00

Ever been to the drive in? I hadn't until Saturday night. A crew of folks went down to Ennis in celebration of Scott's birthday. It was quite the experience. The best way I can describe it is, it was like chilifest but much more chill. There's a big field, everyone slowly piles into the field arranging their cars (trucks) just so, then they set up however they want. In our case we had chairs. Some people, like the folks in this photo, had mattresses on the roof of their car, some had sofas in the bed of their truck. Little speaker boxes were all about the field, and before the movie started they played music over them - classic stuff, which reinforced the notion that you had gone back in time about 50 years.

The devil was beating his wife

2010-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I was studying at the coffeeshop (surprise, surprise) and it was raining out. After awhile I noticed that the sun started peaking through quite a bit so I decided to enjoy it for a moment on the porch. Turns out it was still raining even though it was sunny - which made me smile. When I was little I learned that when it's raining oustide and the sun is still shining that the "devil is beating his wife". Odd, right? Well, it's a common phase. It's a crazy phrase, but it's common, or atleast it's common to people from Louisiana. Ask a cajun if they've ever heard that phrase and they will say, "yup." Ask a non-cajun, and chances are you will get a funny look. Then you'll try to explain the phrase to the non-cajun, and you'll realize as you are explaining it how very crazy the phrase actually is.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me at the coffeeshop so when I wanted to document the whole devil/wife situation I had to resort to my iphone camera and the best I could get was this little puddle shot. About the time I was taking this photo, I realized there were two very prominent rainbows in the sky. Naturally I tried to document that too. The iphone doesn't capture nearly as strong a shot as my Nikon, but hey, it's still a memory. As I was taking photos on the porch, the one other guy out there started taking photos too. It didn't take too long before several other folks joined us on the porch gazing at the phenomenon. People really love rainbows. The two rainbows stuck around for awhile, well after I decided to get back to studying. Lucky for me though, I had a window view of the rainbows from my chair. Once the sun finally went down and the rainbows bowed out I decided to log on to facebook to see how many rainbow photos had been posted - as I suspected, there were more than I could count on my fingers and toes. And, honestly, most of them were far superior to my little shot here. Anyways, the whole thing was fun and a very welcome study break.

Skylines

2010-04-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Turns out I have a pretty stellar view of downtown from the roof of my garage. This photo was taken from the opposite direction that you typically see on a postcard. I think Dallas' skyline is best viewed from the southwest, across the Trinity River.

Skylines are great. I remember driving back from College Station and always getting excited as I was approaching Dallas. Then eventually the skyline would appear and I would stare it down endearingly for a while, until it was time to start throwing bows in the traffic congestion. At my last apartment I was too close to the skyline for my taste. To me, they are more impressive from further away. Not every big city has a great skyline either. Dallas certainly has a good skyline. Chicago, Seattle, New York all have good skylines. I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can come up with at the moment. Just might have to travel to find some more.

Sprouting Grass Moon

2010-04-29T04:03:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a tip from Scott I was able to take this photo of last night's full moon. I had no clue we were even near a full moon. So I clipped in my big kuhuna lens (the 70 - 300mm) and grabbed my tripod. This shot was taken at 300mm, or super-zoomed in. And, I'll be honest with you, I cropped it just a tad to get some of the black dead space out of the shot, but really not much at all.

After a little wikipedia-ing, I discovered that each full moon has a name, and there are right about 12 full moons a year, because they are 29.53 days apart. This months moon is named the "Egg Moon" in english. Other common names for this month's full moon are Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon, Waking Moon. Sprouting Grass Moon is by far the best name for this moon, if you ask me.

It seems each months names are associated with the season. April's names are all about renewal it seems. September's full moon name is Harvest Moon, and one of December's names is Frost Moon. July just might be my favorite of them all though, Thunder Moon.

Connected

2010-04-22T03:17:00.000-07:00

First of all, I can't take credit for this beautiful photograph. This photo was taken by Adrian while on his trip to Niger a couple weeks ago. He showed it to me when he got back and I was consumed by it immediately. Occasionally a photo will burn its way into my memory. This one did. I love it. I'll have to tell the story secondhand since I was not there taking the photo. Adrian said these girls came up and asked to have their picture taken. After he took the shot he said they looked at it on the screen and then ran off giggling "like little girls do".

My favorite part of the photo is each of their unique expressions (click to see it larger). I'm sure each girl's expression is a small glimpse into her personality. And, there is a beautiful bond in this photo. If you look close you'll notice that each girl is holding onto one of her friend's next to her. They are literally all connected to each other. I hope they continue to hold tight to one another as they grow up, because they will need each other. True friends are a gift.

Turtle, turtle

2010-04-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Turtles are great. Seeing a turtle usually makes my day. I actually have a little stone turtle on my night stand. They can teach us a thing or two about pacing ourselves and taking life in stride. However, these guys you're looking at were actually really fast swimmers. I kept trying to compose a shot with both of them together, but they were all over the place. Finally I got this one, but barely, because as you can see, the little dude is about to swim offscreen. I found this to be a new lesson - one will thrive when in the right environment.

Algae-bra

2010-04-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I was trying to study at the coffee shop and it was a lost cause. It was so loud and chaotic in there. It's not typically that bad, but last night it was apparently the place to be. Usually I would push through because the chances of me studying at home are slim to none. But, I did have to leave last night because I was unable to get through the mathematical junk I was trying to read. So, where is the best place to study mathy-stuff? I'm thinking that this Japanese Garden would be a perfect place. I like math, but math requires peace to process, and this garden was definitely peaceful.

One Mississippi

2010-04-19T04:48:00.000-07:00

This sort of shot has been a goal of mine for some time. I have always loved the milkiness of water when a camera's shutter speed is slowed down. The water begins to sheet over rocks like a blanket. This one comes from the Japanese Gardens in Houston. The conditions were right, I had a makeshift tripod (the rails of a wooden bridge) and good light, but not too much. The shutter was open for 1 second on this shot. I hope to take more like it, and maybe for a little longer shutter time and with deep blue water.

Where no man has gone before (without a car)

2010-04-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

This one is also a little older. I'm playing a little catch up these last couple posts on some photos that have good stories. If you can't tell, Preston is laying in the middle of Woodall Rogers Freeway in this shot. One weekend they shut the freeway down completely, so we casually wandered out to the middle of it by way of the Field Street exit. It was a little odd to be playing around in the middle of a dead six lane highway, and even more strange to lay down on it. At one point we thought we were going to get kicked out by a cop who drove up, but after some friendly conversation we were allowed to hang around a little longer.

Long live the Radio Flyer

2010-04-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I took this photo. I was volunteer shooting at an event for a local hospital when I captured it. This photo really makes me smile. Maybe because it is the epitome of a Radio Flyer. What is it about a red wagon that gets kids so excited? I remember playing in Radio Flyers as a kid, and I'm sure most people have a memory or two that involves one. The classic red wagon has been around since 1917, the first steel one, named the Radio Flyer, was born in 1930. Apparently, thanks to wikipedia for all of this information, Antonio Pasin the inventor of the Radio Flyer named it based on his fascination with the invention of radio and flight. Pasin probably had no clue when he created the wagon what a phenomenon it would become. These days you see all kinds of Radio Flyer wagons, but they still make the classic metal one, and if you're in the market it's Model 18. It is, without a doubt, a staple of American history.

Adios Texas Stadium

2010-04-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

We went out to the Texas Stadium implosion this morning at 7am. There were tons of people there, many more than I had expected would come. But, it was dubbed the Last Tail Gate Party, so plenty were there to honor the stadium the same way they had over the last 39 years. With the help of some nice guys/photography enthusiasts we met, were scoped out the best place to view and photograph the implosion. We had an outstanding place on the bridge over 183, but apparently we were in the "blast zone" so we were megaphoned away. We re-found a previous spot and set up just in time to watch it tumble down. Just before the implosion there was a short fireworks show, so they had some decent fanfare out there for the event. Here is a series of shots from the 60 seconds worth of implosion-action.

Coffee time

2010-04-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you know me, then you know I love my coffee. And, I don't drink it just to avoid a morning headache. I actually love to brew it, smell it, and drink it. The whole experience is great. But, in keeping with my personal philosophy of sharing makes things better, it is most definitely enjoyed most when shared. Some of the best memories take place over a cup of coffee. There is something about coffee that makes a conversation more genuine and a moment more endearing. Here are just a few of my more memorable coffee experiences.

Over the holidays I love having a cup of joe with the family on the back porch. It's usually cold so we take blankets out there and curl up on the loungers. Eventually everyone goes in for a refill then comes out for just a little longer. Time has a way of stopping when you're drinking coffee, so you always have to get a refill.

One of my more memorable cups came in the mountains of Big Bend National Park. Just before the sun rose over the mountains in the basin, we got up and turned on the stove to heat our water. We realized very soon that we had brought everything we needed to make coffee except something to make it with. We didn't have filters or a press, just coffee, mugs and creamer. It didn't take us long to realize paper towels were very similar in nature to filters, and quickly our dissapointment turned to excitement. We swore it was the best cup we ever had, as it was made with fresh mountain water and pure ingenuity.

Another amazing cup was while kayaking on Lake LBJ. We made our travel mugs to go early in the morning then jumped in our kayaks and set sail. Every now and then putting the paddle down to glide for a while and take a sip.

I remember in Barcelona ordering a cafe con leche from the corner shop near the Sagrada Familia then sitting at an outside table and sketching away. It was my go-to weekend activity if I had a moment to spare.

I've had my fair share of favorite coffeeshops over the years too. In College Station it was a toss up between Sweet Eugene's and Coffee Station. In Seattle, I loved my short drip at 6am by Lighthouse Roasters. And, here in Dallas, I've come to love White Rock Coffee. Coffeeshops are great little joints. They have good music, people coming and going, and the sputter of the espresso machines, all which make a great soundtrack. I do my studying at White Rock Coffee, I suppose because the energy of the place makes the studying semi-bearable. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Starbucks in the Crescent Hotel where I often walk at lunch just to get out of the office for a bit. These days, the gals working there start pouring my "tall drip with room" before I can say it. It's nice when someone knows your order. I think I started ordering my coffee as a "drip" about 8 years ago when I heard Dad order his that way.

In graduate school we all learned each others coffee orders pretty fast. We'd make a coffee run just before the coffeeshops would close. Sometimes we'd all go, sometimes we'd take turns going to get it for everyone. One night I walked up to the roof of Langford with Alejandro and we enoyed a few sips looking out over the College Station horizon.

Some recently memorable cups have been from the deck of the cabin in Ruidoso, with my brother in his new apartment, on the campus of Rice University after a tour of Houston, with a friend on a beautiful Saturday morning, and just the other evening while on the phone catching up.

All that being said, know that when I have coffee with you, I'm truly enjoying myself, and it's not really about the coffee.

The world is still not flat

2010-04-05T05:14:00.000-07:00

Check out the curvature in the photo. That is part of what I love about panoramic photographs, if they capture enough of the horizon you can see the slight curving of the earth. This particular pano is from a look out coming down the mountain in Ruidoso. It looks like a beautiful spring time shot, and from the looks of it you'd wonder if we had enough snow to ski on. Trust me we did, but you'd have to look the opposite direction from this to see it.

The synonym of God

2010-04-04T08:27:00.001-07:00

Since I brought up the subject of Ralph Waldo Emerson in my last post and with Easter being today, I figured it timely to share with you my absolute favorite quote from his first essays. This one is from the essay titled Love.

"Love is our highest word, and the synonym of God."

I could easily continue to share with you some of these fantastic lines, but I won't. However, I will suggest you read some of his work, as it is beautiful and timeless.

Become the tree

2010-03-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

When I look at this photo I'm reminded of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I don't believe I can explain why either. Here's a great quote from one of Emerson's first essays, History:

"A painter told me that nobody could draw a tree without in some sort becoming a tree."

Peek-a-boo, as promised

2010-03-26T05:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was talking to mom about some of my trip photos, and discussing what photo might go up next on the blog. And, she called me out and said, "you said today you were going to post the peek-a-boo photo tomorrow." She's right, I did. So, as promised, here is that shot.

These guys were too fun. They would walk a few steps then look at you. Slowly making their way to the corn. Very cautious and patient little things. I can't say I'd be the same way if I was a deer. If there was corn all over the ground, it would take major amounts of discipline for me to not just go get it. None of this peek-a-boo, take it slow stuff.

Hey Bambi

2010-03-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

Look at this little guy, he (or she probably) is so cute. These deer came out of the wood work when the corn got put out. I really wanted to pet one of them, but they wouldn't have it. They were very skidish if you would approach them, yet they would allow us to still be near them. I'll show you a photo tomorrow of one playing peek-a-boo.

Star trails, New Mexico style

2010-03-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed yet, I love to take star trails photographs. To me, it's a great way to remember a place. And, if you are able to take a star trails photograph where you are, then chances are that place is worth remembering - one of those places that makes you breathe a little deeper.

That is absolutely the case for this photograph. This star trails shot was born in Ruidoso, New Mexico at the Hensley cabin. A crew of us went up there to ski and relax (which we did quite well, I might add). Our last night was fairly clear, so I set up my camera on a tree stump behind the cabin and let the shot run for 26 minutes, facing straight up to the sky. I joked with Shae that this was the most comfortable star trails shot I have ever taken. After opening the shutter I went back inside the cabin and enjoyed the fire and good company (Usually, for a shot like this, I'm huddled up next to the camera in the dark and cold air.)

The trees in the foreground are a nice treat, and it's almost as if that tree stump was meant to be the tripod to this shot. I'm guessing that is a cloud in the right side of the shot, which I didn't see before starting the shot, since it was so dark out. Or, it could have been several small, light clouds, or simply too much light pollution coming from the moon that was off to the right. The moon was approaching its first quarter and put out a fair amount of light pollution that was captured in the shot - which I was thankfully able to reduce in photoshop. This one turned out pretty good considering the moon and cloud influences. However, we've already determined another one worth trying - off the deck looking to the north.

It was an awesome trip and I have more than a handful of photos and stories to share.

In your face

2010-03-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

It is almost inevitable that any "photographer" with a DSLR will take a photo of themselves shooting with it in the mirror. I have a two, and this is one of them. I turned this one into a black and white photo just for kicks. So this is what I look like when I'm taking your photo I guess. Intense, huh?

More new photos forthcoming next week. Get excited.

Let your air stream

2010-03-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

About a year or so ago Kate and Brian got married in Marble Falls in the country amid a bunch of airstream trailors. I showed you an HDR photo I took of this very airstream trailor soon after their wedding. Well, I've been doing some digging in the photo vault lately, since I haven't been getting many new shots to share. And, I came across this one. I'm probably going to very soon have it framed and at my desk because I really enjoy the color and light in it.

Airstream trailors are beautiful in a rugid sort of way. Some of them travel, some don't, but they are all classic. I remember this one airstream I always meant to go get a photo of in Bryan. I would go for long rides out on highway 47 and right as you made the turn from 60 onto 47 there was an airstream in someone's yard. It was a nice one, too nice almost, like it could stand a few more miles on its rubber. I never got a photo of it, but I imagine if I go for a football game next season it might still be there. In my mind I'd like the photo to be taken as the sun is going down, almost set, when the light will make the metal real blue and crisp.

So there you go, one airstream photo, and dreams of another.

Uncropped stove top

2010-03-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

It is highly unlikely that I will ever have a stove top like this again. These guys are slowly becoming a thing of the past. I guess I got bored one night in my old apartment and started taking photos of the burners with my macro lens. I actually like this photo quite a bit. It turned out to be pretty well-composed, and it is completely uncropped.

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, but I do not like to crop photos. To me, being able to capture a shot in the frame is part of being a strong photographer. Not everyone will agree with me - some might say that we shouldn't let the frame dictate a shot or something to that effect, especially since we have the ability to easily manipulate photographs these days. But, that's part of the challenge in my opinion, creating a nice composition with what you are given. That's not saying I haven't cropped my fair share of photos, I just prefer not to.

Who knew a burner could inspire such photographic philosophy and opinion?

Whale of a time

2010-03-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

How about a two-fer today?

Photo 1: This one I call the "pacific life shot" because it reminds me of those commercials. I kept saying how bad I wanted to catch a pacific life shot and eventually I was able to hit the shutter at just the right moment and get this guy. It's not a perfect shot, but hey you can't be too picky when you have about a second to snap.

Photo 2: I almost forgot about this photo. This fella was on our morning whale watch. Lucky for me I have a pretty serious zoom on my lens so I was able to lock down pretty close to him. We learned a few things about whales on the trip. They can apparently stay under water for about 45 minutes at a time, and occasionally have to come up for air - which is when you get the chance to see them. They'll float near the surface, blow out their blow holes, belly flop a couple times then they'll be gone. And when they're gone - their tail goes up and that's likely the last you'll ever see of them.

Deuce

2010-03-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

You can't climb by yourself. It just doesn't work that way. And, that's probably a big part of why I love it so much. This photo sort of captures the essence of climbing.

Their license plates don't lie

2010-03-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

Check out this photo from the whale watching boat. I still can't believe I saw a rainbow from end to end across the water like this. I'm not sure why, but the sky under the rainbow is lighter than the sky above it.

Blue boards are for rookies

2010-03-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

If you ever see someone on a long blue surfboard, they are a rookie. Or, they are teaching a rookie. So, when I went to rent a board on the beach, and the surf dude offered me the 11' blueboard, I scoffed and said with my (now-expired) surfer confidence, "I used to surf a 7'-2" hybrid but it's been awhile" so he kindly said, "well, how about the 10' white one?" (The longer the board the easier it is to catch and ride waves). So, Mr. surfboard-renter-guy could have very well let me run off with a "hybrid" and not catch a single wave, but he didn't. I suppose they can spot an amateur from a mile away.

When I got out there, to the bigger-small waves, I caught the first one (what really happened was it caught me). It felt pretty great, so great I think I actually flashed a hang loose sign while riding it - I'm not kidding, it was just a natural reaction, sort of like when Tiger Woods nails a putt and pumps his fist in the air.

Well, I didn't ride that first wave for too terribly long before falling off. Then I turned the board around to paddle out again, just in time for a rather brutal wave to pound the crap out of me. So much so that my board took off with the wave, then flew into the air, caught some wind then slammed back down to hit me on the head. It was in that moment I realized, I'm too old for this $%#@! So, I drug myself to the shore, thought about it, then walked down the beach to the kiddie waves - where my life was more in my own hands than the waves.

So, there you go, very likely my last surfing story. Or, atleast the last one that involves me surfing a board that isn't blue.

Local flavor

2010-02-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

There isn't anything truly special about this photo, it just captures a little of the local flavor in Lahaina at one of the small public boat ramps. For some reason though, it reminds me of my teenage years when I wanted to be a surfer chick, wanting to just hang on the beach like a local. I took the surfer-chick-thing so far as to buy a surfboard during college (I did actually surf in Galveston from time to time, by the way).

Come to think of it, I've wanted to be a lot of different things over the years, from one extreme to the other even. The other night dad and I were recalling how I wanted to be just like Tommy Moe (the famous 1994 Olympic alpine skiier). I remember telling dad, likely around the Winter Olympics, that I wanted to be a professional snow skiier and he said something to the effect of, "well it's going to be hard for you to practice here in Texas." Classic dad, I love it.

Well, I'm not a local surfer or a professional mountain shredder - these days just trying to become an architect and taking photos like this.

p.s. Happy Birthday, Andrea. Remember when we went to that shop and I bought the surfboard in Galveston on our mini-vacation? I don't think we even surfed it that trip.

Coastal opposite

2010-02-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

I have a few more Hawaii photos to post, but I wanted to share this Taiwan photo with you. The coast of Taiwan is a tad different from the coast of Hawaii. But, beautiful still.

Ukulele dreaming

2010-02-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

Turns out I have an obsession with ukuleles too, not just guitars. While in Hawaii I had my eyes on a real ukulele at this shop. I talked about it all week long, likely driving my family crazy with my dreams of becoming a ukulele player. I joked that not everybody plays the ukulele and I could become a phenomenon.

The ukulele is unique and you certainly don't hear it every day. Except in the current number one song in America, "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. Atleast I'm pretty sure it's a ukulele. You ought to listen to this song too, it'll make you smile.

I never got the ukulele, which is okay, because I have the story and this photo instead. Maybe one day I'll go for my ukulele dream, but for now I'll just air-ukulele to Train's new song.

More pano for your money

2010-02-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

Due to some harassement for "not posting enough" I am going to post more than one photo on this post. In fact, I've posted six panoramic photographs I've taken over the last couple years. Recently, I've found myself taking panoram photos while traveling. It's a great way to remember the wonderfulness of a place. So here you go, enjoy!

Big Bend National Park near the Chisos Basin looking to Mexico, 2009

Big Bend National Park on the Meadow Trail, 2009

Chicago on Lake Michigan, 2009

Northern Taiwan coast near Taipei, 2010

Looking towards Maui island, 2010

Sunset towards Lanai and Molokai islands, 2010

These are each about 30-40" long when printed. Maybe one day I'll have them printed and mounted.

The last resort

2010-02-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

There is a small church in Lahaina, Maui with this sign atop its roof. And, if you listen close to the Eagles song "The Last Resort" you'll hear them sing about it. This song is beauitful, and it is at the top of my favorite songs list, right up there with a couple James Taylor songs. I suggest you listen to it if you don't know it, it's one of those that will find its way into you (I've posted it below).

The lyrics about the church go like this:
"We could leave it all behind, and sail to Lahaina,
Just like the missionaries did, so many years ago,
They even brought a neon sign that said Jesus is coming"

This song has several strong messages. But, the one that really speaks to me is how they sing about paradise here and paradise up there, aludding to heaven as the last resort - the ultimate place to be.

As long as I've been enamored with this song I've been enamored with this church's sign - in fact, I think mom and dad introduced us to this song while driving to Lahaina and past the church during one of our first trips to Maui. It was a thrill to see it again this time around - especially so close to the beginning of Lent.

He's coming soon.

Sets in the west

2010-02-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

It takes a lot of discipline to not take a photo of a sunset, and really, why try? The sunsets and colors have been outstanding as are the drinks we've enjoyed while watching them. This is across the channel to the island of Lanai.

Somewhere over the rainbow

2010-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

The rainbows in Hawaii are, without a doubt, stunning. They pop up when the misty rain from the mountains comes along. And, unlike what I'm used to, they stick around for awhile. This particular rainbow was visible for over an hour it seemed. It's been quite relaxing here in Hawaii, especially when I consider the weather back home. I have a handful more photos to share from the trip so stay tuned.

Presidentially traditional

2010-01-29T05:04:00.000-08:00

This traditionally built pavillion is in the garden of Taiwan's first president's home. While in Taiwan we visited the grounds of his home and it was all stunning to say the least. I'm enamored with traditional Chinese architecture, so needless to say I love this photo. This is actually a very large pavillion. If you notice in the bottom left of the photo I captured the head of fellow wandering about near it. At first I was bummed he made it into the photo, but then I realized how he helped expressed the scale of this structure. It's big, bigger than the photo suggests.

I think this photo would look nice framed with a wide white matte. Maybe I can find some wall space for it.

Moped city

2010-01-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

You better keep an eye out when in Taipei, because if you don't you might just get run over by a moped. They are everywhere. The funny thing about the moped drivers is they all congregate at the front of the line at red lights. Then when the light turns green they all take off. Sometimes there are as many as 60 of them taking off at once. I joked that it seems like a real-life mario cart game. And, check out the signage in this photo. It's like that practically all over the city. Times Square has nothing on Taipei.

A new Taiwan facade

2010-01-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

Here's another side of Taipei, a more polished side as compared to the previous photo. We went for dinner this evening with our associate architects near Taipei 101 (previously the tallest building in the world). That district has some pretty outstanding new architecture. I love the building from this photo. The facade is treated as a canvas. But, what I really enjoy about this photo is the golden rings in the foreground. These were from an installation at the entry for Johnnie Walker.

Ni hao from Taipei

2010-01-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

Ni hao (and if you really mean it, KNEEEE-hooow!) means hello. That is officially 33 percent of my Mandarin speaking capabilities. I went for a walk last night to grab some photos of the area next to the hotel. There is a night market which is where this photo was taken. It's actually much more crowded here than this photo suggests. And, there is no law in Taipei concerning signage, therefore it is everywhere. I have no clue what this says, and honestly I'm not sure any Taiwanese know what it says either, likely because they simply don't read it.

What's really suprising about this photo is that there is no one in it. I'm incredibly amazed by that because there were actually tons of people around. Tons of people are around all the time actually. It's almost shoulder to should everywhere you walk.

More soon.

Cameo appearance

2010-01-09T06:17:00.001-08:00

Meet Cameo. Cameo is my friend Shae's dog. Cameo is a sweet pup with a lot of spirit. And, she loves, loves to play. When I looked after Cameo a little while back, we would play frisbee in the backyard. I think "frisbee" might be Cameo's favorite word, because she sure perks up when you mention it. And, she's good at it too. I would sling that thing pretty good and she's be right up under it when it came to the ground. But, when my arm was as numb as Colt McCoy's and it was time to go back inside, Cameo would look at me like, "we're not done, are we?" So, of course, as she'd hoped, we'd play some more.

Cameo also seemed to have fun when we played a little photography game. That or she was simply intrigued with what this massive gadget was that I was sticking in her face. When the shutter would click her head would cock a bit and she'd sniff at the lens. I used my wide angle lens for this photo. I believe I had it all the way down to 18mm (which for you shutterbugs is similar to 28mm on an old 35mm.) So, it was pretty wide, which let me get all of her body in the shot while being fairly close up to her nozzle. Unfortunately, that lens can't focus at such a close range. But, I enjoy the photo nonetheless. However, since taking this photo I've been considering buying a new lens (it's like my version of buying shoes, there is always a great new one to have). The one I have in mind is the AF-DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8 G ED. It would basically give me the the focal distance capability of my macro lens with the wide angle view of a fisheye.

Thanks Cameo for the photoshoot!

Mockingbird's eye view

2010-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

I love White Rock Lake. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before how much I love it. I love running it, cycling it, sitting on the benches next to it, and of course, photographing it. This photo is from atop a hill at the end of Mockingbird Lane. This was another of Ish and I's destinations the other night when seeking long-shutter photos. The reflections from the lights on the houses are nice in the water. And, generally this is a calm photo, much like the lake itself.

Nada Gran

2010-01-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

A couple nights back, Ish and I went on another photography retreat of sorts. This time we tried for long shutter shots. We've both always loved the Granada Theater sign on Greenville Avenue, so we made our way there and set up the tripod. People were buying tickets and generally disregarding us as we did our "photographer thing". It didn't take too long to get a couple good shots of the Granada. I particularly like this one because the composition of the shot switches the way you read "granada".

And in case you are curious, Granada is a city in southeastern Spain, and apparently an excellent city to name theaters after.

Ornamentation

2009-12-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has come and gone. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the Christmas tree. Mom did a great job on the tree this year. I spent quite some time just looking at it and photographing all of the old ornaments. They all tell a story. Each ornament on the tree came from someone, somewhere and for some reason it remains on the tree each year. From the babies-first-Christmas ornaments and the what-can-we-make-out-of-construction-paper-and-glitter to the vacations-here-and-there and this-is-just-plain-pretty ornaments.

Mom knows this ornamnent here is my favorite, along with its two compadres. These little guys were Mom's ornaments to take to school when she was little. Back then they weren't the fanciest or even the prettiest maybe at the time. But, they have stuck around all these years, and if you ask me they have aged quite beautifully into timeless ornaments that she and I both love. Many things seems to get better each year - including Christmas itself. I cherish it more each year.

Decaffing myself

2009-11-19T05:50:00.000-08:00

Over the last several months I've managed to hype up my caffeine intake to inappropriate levels. So much so that I get a little shaky if I don't get a cup of joe at the right interval of the day. It's bad. It's grad school bad. And, it's completely unnecessary. Therefore, I'm in the process of trying to cut back a little bit, and it's proving very difficult. Wish me luck and that I can get the shakes to shake off.

There's a spirit can ne'er be told

2009-11-18T05:05:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago today, at 2:42am, the Texas A&M University Bonfire fell. With it, fell twelve of our Aggies. It was a tragic story followed by controversy and cancellation. Many pleaded Bonfire should come back in honor of those twelve. And, many pleaded for the very same reason that it shouldn't. I never had the chance to see Bonfire, and I wasn't even an official Aggie when the stack collapsed. One year I went to the off-campus Bonfire, but I knew, just as everyone else did, that it just wasn't the same, not even close. For my generation, the days before the Texas game, when Bonfire used to burn, became a time of rememberance and reverance - a different kind of spirit was on display. And, after the Bonfire memorial was built in 2004 we used to go out at 2:42am on November 18th and quietly stand next to each other while we remembered those we had lost.

The twelve we lost that day will never be forgotten, their spirit lives on very strong in the hearts of very many. Texas A&M is very special for many, many reasons - most of which I wouldn't be able to rightfully explain. But, to me, our biggest and best tradition is remembering each other - keeping each other's spirit alive. No other school remembers each other with as much care and passion as we do.

Swanky panky

2009-11-16T04:53:00.000-08:00

Check out Preston's backyard. He lives downtown in the midst of buildings not trees. But, really to Preston buildings are just as good as trees, so it's perfect he lives here. His place is great, but my favorite part of it is this, the swanky pool deck. It reminds me of one of my favorite architects, Luis Barragan, who used thick colored planes to divide outdoor space and water features. I enjoy this photograph because of the color from the long exposure. It's quite a bit overexposed, but that's okay.

Fourteen

2009-11-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's my favorite number. Well, one of them. I have several favorites. People tend to have several when they love numbers. And, I love numbers. As a kid, on road trips to Louisiana for the holidays, I would kill time in the car by adding, subtracting, dividing, or multiplying the numbers from the time on the dashboard clock - just playing with the numbers and finding patterns. When the time switched to the next minute I would do it again. It was terribly nerdy of me, but I had fun doing it.

Fourteen has always had a special place in the math section of my heart. And, fourteen happened to be my number in volleyball in high school. I was willed the number fourteen jersey from Leslie when she graduated - everyone knew how bad I wanted to wear that number.

It's a beautiful number if you ask me. And, I still get a little excited when the time is 1:14, or I can park in spot 14, or I have 14 unread emails, or it's the 14th day of the month. What's your favorite number?

Deep in the heart of deep ellum

2009-11-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

Here's one more from the photography retreat (beware, I have a handful left from this retreat, it was quite sucessful). We were leaving the statues and headed to a patio bar for a beer, after all we'd earned it, traveling all over Deep Ellum for our photography adventure. But, before our beer we took a parting photo infront of this mural. The wall of this building spelled out none other than "deep ellum" with images of everything from the famous Dallas pegasus, freed slaves, streets of dallas and Chuck Norris. Yes, Chuck Norris. You can't see it in this image, but off to the right the M in ellum has a big image of Mr. Norris. Walker, Texas Ranger.. you are apparently very important to Texas and Dallas heritage. I imagine that's what Ish and Preston are laughing about in this photo.

Rockin' out

2009-11-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Here's another statue guy we came across during our retreat. I think this guy was my favorite of the three. He's just waiting on his train the DART rail deep ellum stop. And, such a cute smile he has. We hung out with this fellow for a while. Being around him just makes you a little happier. Apparently he sits near to where the old Good Latimer tunnel used to be, so he is leaning on an old piece of concrete from that tunnel.

Walking tall

2009-11-04T05:12:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I went on a photography retreat with Preston and Ish. We had a blast going all over downtown and Deep Ellum taking photos. In Deep Ellum we visited the new installations of the traveling man. There are three statues, and this is the biggest of them all. We spent a while taking photos up of him and taking photos of ourselves in his reflection. I love how he's got the little bird in his hand. It was a spectacular day and the weather was amazing, without a doubt the best Saturday I'd had in a while!

The quarterly photo

2009-10-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

So why have my posts dropped off on The Daily Photo? Do I dislike photography now? Am I tired of writing? No to both questions. In fact I really miss photography, and am soon going to make an effort to get back out there. So, then what is it? I've actually been launching and managing our new blogs at work. Even though you haven't seen it, I've been getting my fill of blogging. Our first blog at work is a firm culture blog - it's really starting to take off. It's called HKS Trace Paper. I suggest you read the first post to understand why we named it trace paper - you may recognize the writing, as I wrote that post. It's a fun blog, you may enjoy keeping up with it!

We're also launching a second blog specific to healthcare named HKS Smart Healthcare. That one launches on Monday. I'll tell you more as it gets rolled out.

All that said, I still have no excuse to stop photographing and sharing those stories. I'm ready to return!

Shanty but endearing

2009-10-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

If you ask me, this piece of architecture is just as fascinating as the new shiny buildings going up in downtowns all over the country. This little building has a story, lots of them probably. He's a little rough, that's an understatement I know. But, he's charming even still.

Get your grid on

2009-09-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

How about a revival of the blog? Last weekend Alejandro, Leanna and Amy came to visit Preston and I in Dallas. We are all of the *architecture-world, so naturally we all wanted to go visit the Nasher Sculpture Center designed by star-architect Renzo Piano. As you might expect I took my camera with me in hopes of making someone else's art, my own art - photography can be a bit of a thief sometimes, which is precisely the case in this photograph. This is a cool photograph, but thanks to the art not my camera skills! I have plenty more photos of some really cool sculptures and of the building, so stay tuned. I'll post them I promise.

*funny story, when Alejandro, Amy and Leanna showed up on Friday night, they were all wearing black t-shirts and jeans, and guess what, so were me and Preston. What's with architects and black shirts?

Limes and Friday

2009-08-07T05:16:00.001-07:00

It's Friday! Friday is such a good feeling. I plan to infuse my Friday with limes (in drinks and after work, of course.) May you find a some limes in your Friday as well. Cheers.

The Great Chicago Sky Fire

2009-07-29T05:02:00.001-07:00

Okay, can you bear one more Chicago photo? Hope so, because this is what you're getting for today! This photo is from the locks between the river and Lake Michigan. I think there is about a 3 foot difference between the two water bodies. How about the sky in this photo? It's as if the sky is on fire. Don't say fire too loud in Chicago, though.

Read here for a little bit more about the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Massive city-wide fires such as this one, greatly influenced architectural codes in the future. Fireproofing of exposed structure, fire and smoke wall ratings, duct dampers, and life safety egress are just a handful of subjects architects must be concerned with today.

Trumping the clouds

2009-07-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

You're looking at the Trump Tower in Chicago. It was designed by Skidmore, Ownings and Merrill (or SOM to the alphabet-soup architecture folks). It certainly makes a statement in the Chicago skyline. It's incredibly tall, so much so that the sky opens up for it in this photo. I have to admit, it kept my attention while we floated past it in the river boat.

The city of bridges

2009-07-27T05:06:00.000-07:00

This is Chicago from Lake Michigan. I was able to take this panoramic photograph this weekend while I was there for a work trip. At about 4pm we finished up with meetings and a group of us bought tickets to the architectural river boat tour. During the tour they take you out on to Lake Michigan, where I was able to snap this. Actually this is about four photos spliced together in photoshop.

Chicago is an amazing town. I knew it would be from everything I learned in school and from all I'd heard from people who have been or lived there. But, seeing it in person really drove it home that it's a great city. This weekend was only a tease, so I need to plan a return soon.

On the boat tour we learned many facts about Chicago, including its many nicknames. Of course everyone knows the windy city nickname, but what about the city of bridges. A river runs right through the heart of downtown Chicago, so there are bridges that span the river all along it. Even the elevated train crosses the river at some points.

Duck, duck, goose

2009-07-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

This is my little duck friend from White Rock Lake. He and all his buddies were hanging out by the sail boat marina. Unfortunately he had a bad leg, and I think I scared him a little by being around. But, he couldn't get away very fast because of his injury. Poor fella. As a result I got a pretty good close up of him. Hope he healed up fast, he's good looking for a duck.

Stinzfest 7

2009-07-16T04:01:00.001-07:00

I went down to San Antonio last weekend for Stinzfest 7. What in the world is Stinzfest 7, you ask? Well, it's the Stintzi family's annual music fest. Really. Bands with Stintzi's and bands who know the Stintzi's show up to jam in the backyard. The event has really started to become a serious deal, so much so that it demanded a sign this year. When I got to San Antonio, papa Stintzi asked me to make a sign. So with a little bit of cardboard, some white spray paint and some home-made stencil letters, we busted out this sign. I may not be able to play the guitar, but I did rock with this sign.

Rock solid sail boats

2009-07-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I love White Rock Lake. It's Dallas' little haven. And, who knew you could take a photo like this in Dallas? You don't usually think sailing when you think Dallas. But, the lake is always good for some unique scenary, like sail boats, kayakers, cycling teams, and fishermen.

Tomorrow morning I'm running the lake with a coworker. I actually haven't run the lake in months, so I'm really looking forward to it. And, this run is going to be in the early morning, which is always a beautiful time to be on the lake. Quite often White Rock has a bit of fog over the water in the morning, well it did in the winter time, we'll see about that in the summer. Either way, it'll be nice to see the sun come up over the still walter. So off to bed soon so I can get up early for an outstanding start to Friday.

All dogs go to heaven

2009-07-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

My family's sweet pup was put to sleep last week. Kelly, or Kel-bel as we tended to call her, was 17 years old. She had both leukemia and liver disease, so it was her time. It was very hard for us, it still is in fact, even though we knew it was for the best. She was a member of our family. There are more memories with her a part of our family than there are without. Kelly was without a doubt the most loving and lovable dog I have ever known. So for everyone who loved and was loved by Kelly, I'll share a few memories.

We first got Kelly when Kyle and I were little kids. Kyle had wanted a dog for quite some time. He pleaded his case for months. Then finally one weekend Mom took Kyle and I to west Forth Worth to pick out a pup. When we met her she was only days old. Mom held her in her palm while Kyle and I looked sweetly on. She literally was no bigger than Mom's palm, and we joked she looked more like a white rat than a dog.

Then about six weeks later or so we went back to pick her up. She had grown, but was probably still no bigger than a small pineapple. We had set up a cardboard box with pillows and blankets for her ride home. I remember she had a timid look on her face, looking back at us from the little box. The whole way home we brainstormed ideas for her name, then we finally settled on Kelly just as we reached Kelly Boulevard near our house. It was perfect.

Kelly was a beautiful, beautiful dog with a true smile and sweet spirit. She also had amazing amounts of energy, almost to the end.

Playing chase. We all used to play chase with Kel. It usually started around the kitchen island. You'd jump at her and she's pounce back, spreading her front paws and staying low. Then you'd jump at her again, she'd pounce then take off in a dead sprint around the island. Often the game of chase made its way into the den. Finally she'd get so worn out, her tongue would be hanging out of her mouth. The game would usually end with her jumping into Mom or Dad's lap for refuge.

Dad's chair. Kelly loved sitting with all of us. Anyone who would rub her belly in fact, she loved sitting with. But, when night time fell you could be sure to find Kelly snuggled up next to Dad in his chair. It was just as much her chair as it was his. That was her spot.

Morning kisses. When Kelly was young, Mom used to bring Kelly up to Kyle and I's rooms when it was time for us to wake up. There was no more sleeping in after Kelly was let loose in your bed. She would get so excited, jumping all over you, franticly kissing your face, until you had no choice but to wake up. It was sure to put a smile on your face. My friends even remember Kelly doing that at sleep overs way back in the day.

French fries. It became a long standing tradition years ago that Kelly would get a special treat after getting groomed. We'd take Kelly (and ourselves) for a small fry at McDonald's after picking her up from the groomer. I think Mom continued this little tradition with Kel even after we went away to college.

Shake. I think it was me who decided Kelly needed to learn to shake in order to recieve a cookie. We finally got her to shake after training and training. It was cute. Eventually as she got older she stopped shaking for a cookie as much; either she had just had enough of our silly antics or we stopped making her. Every now and then when I'd give her a treat, I'd ask her to shake, and she'd humor me.

Pool races. Kyle and I discovered one summer that Kelly loved to race in the pool. We'd position ourselves at the end of the pool and say, "ready!" and she'd bark, "set", and she'd bark, then we'd yell "go!" and we'd both take off. Kelly would run along the edge of the pool to the other end, alway beating us there. When we finally arrived she lick the pool water off our face. The funny thing about this was, Kelly wasn't a barking dog. Occasionally she'd bark if something caught her attention at night in the yard, but not much really at all. So when she'd bark at us in the pool, it was really like she was talking to us.

Rolling over. Kelly loved everyone, and when the doorbell rang she used to get so excited. The door would open and she's wag her tail crazily then roll over for her visitor to rub her belly, then she'd pee a little from the excitement. Thankfully she stopped doing that as she got older.

I remember bathing Kelly and she'd look so skinny when all her fluffy white hair was wet. She was so cute. Then you'd go to blow her dry with the hair dryer and she would bite at the air. It became like a game. When she was young she took over one of Kyle and I's stuffed animals, and made it her baby. The poor dog was terrified by thunderstorms. And, she bucked her kennel early and made her bed my bed, then eventually Kyle's then Mom and Dad's. She was so sweet.

There are so, so many more stories about her, these are just a few. She was without a doubt the best dog our family could have. We miss you, Kel.

Can I call ya Eddie?

2009-06-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

Meet Edmund, my new ride. I bought Edmund a little over a month ago. He's a BMW 328i coupe and I love him. My Jeep's transmission gave out a while back and I decided it was probably time to go shopping, as the old Jeep was about 8 years old. It was tough to trade in the Jeep, he'd been my car for so long. But, it didn't take long at all to move on. Eddie has a black leather interior with a poplar trim, it is quite beautiful inside. He's a 6-cylinder and has 230 horsepower, which is plenty as far as I'm concerned. And, he's pretty photogenic, if you ask me.

Once in a yellow light bulb

2009-06-22T04:51:00.001-07:00

If light bulbs represent ideas, then do yellow light bulbs represent great ideas? Sounds good to me. I don't have much to say about this photo. Ironically, I have no idea what to say about it. But, I like it, so there you go.

Storm of stars

2009-06-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

Last night we had an amazing storm. And when I say amazing I mean amazingly powerful. It was a line of red and purple on the radar that swept across the metroplex. Winds in some areas were 60 to 85 miles an hour. So of course, as I'm watching the news coverage, I decide to watch it roll in from my balcony. The clouds were beautiful as they slid across the sky. The wind started to pick up. I dont think our winds in uptown were over 40 miles an hour, but they were still strong enough to knock over road barriers and construction junk. I could smell the rain with the winds. Then in perfect sequence came the rain. Just pouring down from the sky. Watching it reminded me of this photo. Then it got a bit heavy and I had to call it quits.

This is a different star trails photo than my others. It doesn't have as much curvature to it because I didn't point the lens towards the north star. So this one reminds me of rain since its trails are a bit straighter. Last night's rain wasn't quite as peaceful as this, but some days when it rains, it rains like this. One of those rains where you want to be on your porch with a glass of wine or coffee, hearing it thump the ground.

MP3s just don't have the crackle

2009-06-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

I've decided it might be time to go retro. I need, yes need, a record player. We listened to records all weekend, including this one (which is Paul Simon by the way.) I love playing records. And no, I'm not too young to know what a record sounds like. I'll admit it, my first (and last) record was Michael Jackson's album "Bad." Bad, I know. I remember recieving it one Christmas when I was about four. If my memory serves me right, the case was white with a photo of Michael Jackson and the word Bad written in red. Ok, so it's not really my last record. I bought a James Taylor record when I was in Barcelona on study abroad, which is very appropriate if you read a couple posts down. And, I'm pretty sure I stole Hotel California from my folks.

Anyways, listening to records reminded me of how great it is. You have to place the needle carefully on the spinning record. It pops a couple times then starts to sing, crackling every now and then. It's good for the soul.

Reason #78143 why I love Texas

2009-06-08T04:22:00.001-07:00

Would you believe me if I told you this was Texas? Well it is. And get this, this place is only 20 miles outside of Austin. We went climbing this weekend, and it was amazing in every way. I've climbed recreationally for years now, but I've never climbed outdoors. Andrea has recently taken up outdoor climbing so she took me on my first outdoor climbing adventure this weekend. On Saturday we went to a place in Austin called Seismic, then on Sunday we came here to Reimers Ranch. We had to hike our way back to the walls and on our way we had to pass through this. My jaw dropped when we got to this spot. It was beautiful and peaceful. Reimers reminded me of both Costa Rica and Big Bend. I joked to Andrea that this was the child of the two. It had characteristics of both, and those are two of my favorite places on earth, so naturally I fell in love with Reimers.

Climbing outdoors is thrilling. Unlike the gym, you have to find your way up the wall, whereas in a gym you follow marked holds up the wall. And in outdoor climbing someone has to set the climb. So, Andrea would lead the climb for us. Lead climbing means you take the rope with you up the wall, clipping into anchors along the way to secure you at certain intervals on the wall. Once you get to the top you clip the rope into the caribiners in the rock at the top. Whenever you are climbing away from an anchor to another you are at risk for a decent fall, double the radius to the last anchor you bolted into in, in fact. The anchors are placed fairly close to each other, but a fall would still be pretty serious, so therefore lead climbing is very serious. I'd like to get good enough to lead climb one day, and I'm certainly hooked on outdoor climbing now.

Thunderbird

2009-06-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

The Thunderbird Motel is in Marfa, Texas. I've told you a bit about Marfa. It's a twilighty place run by a bunch of old hippies. This motel was actually renovated several years back by a well known Texas design firm, Lake Flato. To me it's Las Vegas vibe meets small New York lofts. But, it's well done and it's where we stayed when we visited a couple years ago. I obviously love the sign. I've seen photos of this sign by other photographers that are quite a bit better though. I took this photo when they sun had already gone down, but one of the best I've seen of it was when the sun was still setting and the sign lamps had just come on. That photo has lots of pinks and greens and oranges in background behind the blue sign. Maybe I'll have to go back and try again.

Carolina in my mind

2009-05-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

I woke up the other morning before my alarm, which is always a wonderful thing. I stretched my arms out and enjoyed the sun that was streaming into my bedroom. As I was stretching I smelled for my coffee that had already brewed itself. As I found the smell I smiled because this was an amazing morning for no other reason except for what I just told you. I put on a little James Taylor and drank my coffee, forgetting for just a little while that I had to start getting ready for work. Why did I put on James Taylor? When I am relaxed and calm I start to hear James Taylor in my head. No joke. But, it always sounds better when he sings it through my radio than when I do in my head.

This photograph is from another recent James Taylor moment. James starting playing in my head while sitting over the water watching the sun go down behind the clouds at Lake LBJ. Carolina was in my mind during this one.

May we find a little James Taylor in every day.

*James Taylor wrote Carolina in My Mind while in Spain. He said even though he had a home in Spain, he was a little homesick. So he wrote about what he missed so he could remember it.

Hopkins hiatus

2009-05-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

The blog is a little thin these days. I'm spending a bulk of my personal time finishing my fellowship paper for work, which will actually be self-published in book format. I am studying the evolution of Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medicine. It is an incredibly facinating story but also a lengthy one to tell. So what time I usually can spend photographing has been limited lately as I've been pounding the keys.

Just so you know, I'm going to post at least once a week until my fellowship is complete in June.

Two is better than one

2009-05-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

This is a brilliant idea. A double chair. No, not a love seat. A double chair; connected but not one. I love these slat chairs, but I'd never seen two together like this. They are like chairs for friends. I think it is Ecclesiastes that says two is better than one to which I absolutely concur.

Hey there little billy goat

2009-05-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

This is my buddy "Baby Goat". We met down in Marble Falls. He is very sweet and loves the camera. He may have thought the camera was food, which is why he looks so interested in this photo. I took this photo during my getaway to the Outdoor School this weekend which is where Andrea works. There is no city to be found out there, and it is incredible. The Outdoor School brings in schools from all over Texas each week. During the week they teach them what they wouldn't truly learn or appreciate in the indoor classroom. I'm sure kids love being out there, I sure did.

Real simple

2009-04-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

I was at the grocery store standing in line the other day when I succumbed to the temptation of the abundant magazines. Real Simple was the magazine that I just had to have. Turns out it was a good buy and I enjoyed it quite a bit. But, the most enjoyable part of the magazine was all the photos. They had done many set up shots to accompany their articles. The photos were fun, colorful and engaging. Real Simple inspired me to set up a shot of my own. After a trip to Crate & Barrel for a green placemat, digging around for my old tea cups, and some tree flowers from outside I was on my way to a magazine-style photo. I find this one calming and it's been promoted to my desktop background.

One for the cookbooks

2009-04-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

There are two kinds of people in this world (don't you love that phrase). Those who can cook and those who can't. My brother is one of those who can. We had dinner last night and he cooked the most amazing dish. I had wanted to photograph the meal so he suggested making this dish because it has such good color. And, indeed it did. Let me talk you through it. Top the salmon with almonds. Bake the salmon and flat puff pastries in the oven for 10 minutes. Top the puff with pesto sauce, sliced tomatoes then the salmon. Kyle said your first bite needs to have all layers in it because that's the best flavor. He was right, all of that together is an awesome combination. We added a little au gratin to the side and a sauvignon blanc and had our feast.

Well done, bud. I'm way impressed.

Love you some Earth

2009-04-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day. Everybody is lovin' them some Earth today. I wonder, what is one supposed to do on Earth Day though? Plant a tree? Talk about one's new Prius? Share websites via Twitter about how to be more green? I'm not really sure.

In my case, my small celebration of Earth Day consisted of looking back at my favorite photos from around the world. On this blog I share with you all my favorite photos, quite often they are outdoor photography of some sort. These outdoor - or Earth photos I suppose - tend to be my absolute favorites. Well here's another one I love. This one hails from Costa Rica, in the rain forest. Looks a bit Japanese doesn't it? It's not, I swear to you it's Costa Rica, I've never been to Japan. But, in my quest to see the Earth I just might visit one day. I'll let you know.

So if I could I would frame this photo, wrap it up, and give it to Earth with a note that says, "thanks for being awesome. -ash"

For the children

2009-04-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

I enjoy this photograph for many reasons. One is, when I look at it I am reminded of how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing. So, you are probably wondering, what are we looking at? This is a photograph of the mocked-up ICU patient room for the children's hospital I am on at work. The three folks in this photograph are the heads of pediatric ICU, the cardiovascular ICU, and respiratory therapy. They were discussing, as is the point of the mock up, the best location for various elements of the rooms; i.e. the location of medical gases, brackets, monitors, etc. Somewhere in the discussion someone would always say, and I don't think they realized how often they said it, but someone would go, "but these kids, they are really sick." Every debate and decision they had about how things should be in the room or their units was always about the kids.

So, when I look at this photo I'm reminded of what a great thing I am getting the chance to be a part of, even if it is only in an indirect way.

One year later

2009-04-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well I missed it. About a week or so ago was my one-year blog anniversary. Not that we needed to share a cake or anything, but I should have posted some celebratory photo marking the occasion. So instead I'm posting a photo from Uptown Dallas. Dallas is my photography home base these days, whereas a year ago it was College Station. Oh how they are so different, but in good ways. Cheers to the jems I've discovered in Dallas, and those I've yet to find.

In the presence of greatness

2009-04-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

You are lucky when you get to see the world like this. This photo, very similar in some ways to the face of God post, is very special. I vividly remember taking this photo. We were driving back from the hot springs in Big Bend. The drive is a good 30 minutes to the Chisos Basin campground. We had the music up and the windows down. The sun was starting to retire for the day and you could hear the wind flapping on the windows as we sailed through the park. No one was talking. We were just one with the moment. Eventually I couldn't help but take a photo of what were seeing. It was amazing. If you don't believe when you see the world in this way, you may never believe.

Cutting edge

2009-04-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to offer my favorite jewelry designer some free advertisement. This is my treasured necklace from KONZUK. Mom and Dad gave me this piece for Christmas last year. I had been in love with this necklace, and for that matter most of KONZUK's designs, for quite some time. It's cetainly not traditional, and I hadn't seen anything like it before, which might be why I liked it so much. Every time I wear this necklace I get loads of wows. Looks like I may be a trendsetter after all. Hardly, but every now and then I just might be at the cutting edge. Speaking of cutting edge, I'd love to see how they craft these pieces.

And, just so you know, they have more than stainless steel designs. They have pieces made of concrete and PVD coating as well. Sounds a bit ruggid, but it's not, they are very elegant, in a Manhatten sort of way.

Piñata days

2009-04-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

Remember taking a swing at the piñata when you were little? How it made you smile, hoping you'd be the one who exploded the goods. Wouldn't it be great if we adults could take a whack at a piñata from time to time? Just for the sake of it. In fact, Wednesdays should be piñata day around the world. There's casual Friday, how about piñata Wednesday. For kids candy and toys spill out, for us maybe twenty dollar bills and free vacation days. That very well might get me crawling around on the floor. Check out the girl on the right. She's using her party hat as a bucket. Such youthful innovation.

Just for comparison

2009-04-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

This photo was from a slightly slower shutter speed, and is probably a more accurate depiction of what it feels like out there. That's Junior again about to take off after a caution. The car on his left is the pace car. Re-starts after a caution are almost as fun as the beginning of the race.

Baseball, apple pies, and NASCAR

2009-04-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

There are few things more American than going to a NASCAR race, which I did on Saturday. It was a completely unique experience and overwhelming too. The cars almost make you dizzy as they bolt by, you can smell the gas, you can most certainly hear the zing as the pack makes its way past the grandstands, and you feel the rumble. And if that's not enough to keep you entertained, you can bring your own beer.

The race we went to was the Oreilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. 200 laps equals 300 miles. Our seats were directly over the start finish line, about 30 rows up, just high enough to see the cars around the entire track. This is Dale Earnhardt Jr. in car 88. Everybody loves him. I saw more "Dale Jr." jerseys than I could count at the speedway. I took this photo with a my fastest shutter speed, because if I didn't they were only a blur.

I think everyone should go to NASCAR once, but bring your ear protection, you'll need it.

Drink of choice

2009-04-03T04:48:00.000-07:00

It's Friday which means Happy Hour. What's your drink of choice? For me, it varies depending on where we're going and what we may be eating. If its sushi it's a vodka tonic, if it's burgers or crawfish I'll order a beer, and if we head to a swankier joint wine might be the choice. Variety is nice. Happy Friday all!

One cool kiddo

2009-04-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

One more from the party. It amazes me how used to the camera kids are, and how naturally they act with a lens in their face. This little girl inparticular is very natural, and cool at that. She's not at all phased by my camera nor impressed by it. There were so many different personalities at the party. One little boy sat at the kids table all party eating the jello oranges. Other kids quietly explored trying to satisfy their curiousity. Some were energetic to put it politely (my photos of them are usually blurred because I didn't have time to focus on them.) Every time I venture into a new arena of photography I quickly realize the challenges specific to it. If you aren't careful, all of your kiddo photos will have adult's legs or arms in them; the parents seem to always be near to catch or grab or coax-along their kid. I lucked out in this one, no parent's legs, only a cool kid with a birthday hat.

A warm embrace

2009-04-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

I was asked to shoot at a first birthday party on Sunday afternoon. I had a blast photographing all the little kiddos. They have so much energy and trying to keep up with them with a camera is no easy task that is for certain. This was one of my favorites from the whole party. As the tutu probably suggests, Miss Pink is the birthday girl. And, the little fellow was most likely her favorite guest. These two immediately hugged when they saw each other. Then they hugged some more. It was terribly cute.

Earth houring on the roof deck

2009-03-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was Earth Hour night. I think Earth Hour started last year. It's never as cool as it sounds. The idea is for cities, every city anywhere, to turn off their lights for an hour. That might actually be a cool thing to see if it happened in totality right? Well, it doesn't. But, we had a little roof-top watching party at Corgan's roof deck on Saturday night. They have a stellar view of the skyline so naturally I got some great photos.

I remember last year we were at Langford on a Saturday night working on our final studies and someone made a big deal about Earth Hour. All the lights were turned out at Langford (which never happens) so we took a break and went out to the mall in front of the building and goofed off a bit taking photos then got back to work.

Oh, Earth Hour, at least you are a catalyst to some fun times.

Escalator from Purgatory

2009-03-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

There's the stairway to Heaven, and then there's the escalator from Purgatory, which is where I found myself for 16 hours on Wednesday. If you are up for a traveler's nightmare story keep reading. So Wednesday I was headed to Birmingham for meetings with Rachel and Adam. We all boarded the 8:40 flight after fighting with traffic to the airport, so naturally it felt good to be on the plane and on our way. About half way there the captain comes on the speaker and says we are headed back to DFW because of a fuel line issue. We could have made it to Birmingham, but they wanted to fix it in Dallas. So, we banked and headed home. Ok, so we miss a few meetings, it's out our control.

We get booked on the second flight of the day which isn't until 3:30 in the afternoon, which makes us debate whether to stay at the airport or go back to the office to work a couple hours there. We decided to sit tight and work at the airport. 3:30 rolls around and the plane coming in for us gets diverted to Austin due to weather and fuel. It had been circling too long. Then 20 minutes later it gets cancelled. So, American Airlines kindly books us on the next flight at 7:30. Again we decide to sit tight and wait, no need to get out in the weather or the rush hour traffic.

So, we head to find a new place to sit, preferrably a bar with something to quench our thirst and frusteration. We take the skylink to the new Terminal D, which is very nice and spend some time at a mexican food joint. At this point, we are pretty delirious and giddy, everything is funny. And we're having a good time, making the best of being stuck in our own home airport, shocked at American Airlines* lack of care for our horrible day (If I had to hear, "again we apologize for the inconvience.." don't apologize, give me some miles!)

Well things got less horrible as we dediced to supplement dinner with margaritas. After dinner, recharging our phones and computers, and general airport down time we headed to our gate, which turned out to be the first of two gates for this 7:30 flight. Naturally, as we had come to expect this flight was significantly delayed and we got moved to the other end of Terminal D, where we had been at the mexican food place. So we packed up and strolled with the masses to our new gate. Finally, finally, at 9:30 we board our flight. I'm practically falling asleep until I hear the captain say, "Folks, this flight crew started this morning in LAX and then went to Monterrey, Mexico and we are approaching our flying time cap. Taking you all to Birmingham would mean we would be flying illegally, so we're looking for a new flight crew." Mr. Captain and I had two different types of days, he was tired of traveling all over and I was tired of traveling nowhere.

Hello jetway, as we unboard for the second time that day. Eventually, at about 11:45 we boarded again, and we're in the air just before the new day began. Landing in Birmingham at about 1:45 and to the hotel by 2 or so. The three and half hours of sleep we got were quite the tease before our long day of meetings. Anyways, it all makes for a good story. And this photo is of the escalators that decended us into the airport we thought we'd never leave.

*Rachel, Adam and I are in the process of creating a children's book documenting the story. We're hoping the copy we send to American Airlines will drive home how ridiculous our day turned out to be and be in very understandable terms.

What remains

2009-03-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

When buildings go up it's fascinating, particularly to we architecture folks. But, it's almost more fascinating when they come down. It always makes me wonder why it's coming down, and wonder what is planned to replace it. This pile of brick and other building parts used to be a building on McKinney Avenue. This poor little building had it coming, as the large condos, hotels and office buildings soared up around it in Uptown, it was only a matter of time before it would be deemed a nuisance. Just behind this pile of bricks is the Dallas skyline, an interesting comparison which I captured some photos of. But, this photo I like best, just a pile of brick in the sky.

Shoes for the aisle

2009-03-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

As you might suspect this is a wedding photo. I've been wanting to post this one for a while. It comes from Pam and Andrew's wedding back in December. Before the wedding I explored several wedding photographers' websites to see what kind of photos professionals were taking and what seemed to be the "most have" photos. Well, photos of the bride's shoes were one of those must haves. So while Pam was getting ready I stole her shoes and put them on the window sill for a little bit of natural lighting. It didn't turn out too bad.

Looking for zen

2009-03-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

Today there will be zen. Even if it takes a couple extra gigs of RAM. I will be zen with Revit. If you don't know what I'm talking about read my post "Not responding" to be brought up to speed. Maybe I need a little rock garden at work, so I can rake my computer blues away with sand and tiny pebbles. Here's to another day.

Not responding

2009-03-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

What a day, what a day. I came to work this morning and I really felt like I was making some head-way on what I needed to be doing. I was feeling some "project zen" as I told my friends at work. I probably shouldn't have said anything or at least knocked on wood when I did because this afternoon my computer began to act up, as it tends to do about 4:30PM. Well, Revit (for those of you who don't know this, Revit is the building information modeling program we use at work), Revit decided it wasn't in the mood to work anymore and checked out for happy hour. I got the dreaded "Not Responding". Oh really, Revit? I despise that phase.

What if we humans used that phrase? Someone asks you a question and you say, "not responding." Ya, that would go over real well. So, why do our computer programs say this to us? Why not, "We're having a little trouble right now" or "can I get back to you on this later?" or hell even, "Now's not a good time." We all have our moments, I get it. But, the "Not responding" that just pisses me off.

Well, as you would guess, Revit never decided to come answer the door for me. So, I had to shut it down. And with it went a couple hours of my "very-zen" work (that's right, I didn't save for a while, trust me I'm aggrevated about that too.) But, okay, no big deal, I did it once, I can do it again, and the second time around it will be much faster, but sheesh! Needless to say my afternoon was a complete 180 from this morning.

So, what did I do to put my troubles behind me?

I made breakfast tacos.

It ain't easy being green

2009-03-16T05:19:00.001-07:00

This weekend, for many, was all about St. Patty's day celebrations. While they were wearing green and drinking green beer I was studying green principles for my Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam. Oh how I was so bummed driving down McKinney Avenue on Saturday when I went to grab lunch. Everyone had been to the parade on Greenville and was now making their way to the pubs, and I was only a few hours into a long day and night of studying.

But, my redemption came Sunday morning when I passed the test and can now call myself a LEED accredited professional. I think I'll have a green beer on Tuesday (St. Patrick's Day proper) in celebration, now that I've earned it.

So, why the photo of bamboo? Well, bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource. Rapidly renewable resources are defined by the U.S. Green Building Council as those with a lifecycle of 10 years or less. Bamboo is used to create flooring and other building materials. In short, it's green.