Not much doing today so I took my camera and walked around downtown Jackson. I got the itch yesterday watching a very dull art film about a guard in a museum who described paintings to a guest he had come to befriend. He described scenes from his city the same way he talked about the pictures.

Every time I wander around downtown I see different things. Sometimes black and white seemed to work best---the day was monochromatic. In any case, it was a pleasant way to pass an otherwise gray late December day.

The old post office fascinates me.

Two iconic structures.

Reflections in the windows downtown.

This is a miniature chair in a store window.

Another reflection.

Cinnamon Sticks

We went up to my sister's place on Little Olin Lake for Thanksgiving. The day itself was wonderful with a marvelous meal, lots of chatter and laughter, and all framed by a gentle, lake effect snowfall which dropped six inches of powder on everything. This morning was cold and the snow fresh so I ventured out for a few shots. The scenes were pretty much monochromatic, but I left the color in a few.

I've been busy hunting deer for the past week or so and haven't even touched a camera. So I decided to take a short walk out to Cascades. Not much happening --- even the Geese were away.

I find milkweed pods endlessly fascinating. So many shapes and textures.

This mallard was preening but here I caught him mid-stretch.

We're entering a tough time of year for photography in Michigan. Maybe when the snow flies.

A Name Change

The blog hasn't changed, but the name has. The journey west is over, but the journey continues. Since this is a convenient place to post photos (with better resolution than FB), I hope to continue to use it from time to time.

This afternoon I took a short walk around my neighborhood with a long lens and captured these isolation shots of fall leaves and colors. On the walk a couple passed me and asked if I was taking pretty pictures of fall colors. I said I hoped so, but I was really taking pictures of pretty fall colors.

Oak leaves typically don't go red.

These crab apples are about an inch in diameter and looked like cherries. They covered the tree.

Nice walk. This is a most wonderful time of the year.

October 8, 2013

I just finished the post-processing on the trip, which is a good thing because I have to shoot my niece's wedding this Saturday and I'll have a whole bunch more to do. I thought I'd give you a couple behind the scenes look at what it's like to take pictures with a group.

What we saw.

What the bear saw.

What we saw.

What the model saw.

 Here's few more just for grins. The bear was a real comic.

 

And the cougar was just like any other cat.

Then we went to the Flathead Lake Lodge on the Averill Ranch.

 

What a working boot looks like.

Never had cowpunchers like this in any of the westerns I read!

Of course, there's a lot more images, but you have been more than patient looking at all these. The blog may continue, perhaps under a new name. Heading West was appropriate for the trip. Perhaps, "There and Back Again" -- that sounds vaguely familiar. I'll think of something. Until then this is...