Look Closely

OK so Baden Powell, the founder of scouting , said that if you are to be a good scout you have to be the first in the group to notice something new or different. Well I have been in scouting practicing that little thing for many years but must admit that sometimes things do just flat out get past me. I mean here I am out for a walk on Saturday on a street where I have walked at least 30 times before and I notice for the first time these three manhole covers, well I have actually noticed them but never really looked at them. They were no more than 12 feet from each other and this is the first time that I read their titles. Now I am going to be reading manhole covers every time I go over one, provided I can see them quick enough.

Saturday Walk #1

I have posted before on my blog how you can live anywhere and always find something to photograph without having to go very far. Well last saturday I was on a walk around my neighborhood to deliver some wedding invitations so I took my camera along with me. I was gone about an hour and saw an incredible number of things that I could have taken but decided to save it for later. Here are 5 of the 65 that I did take.




I had fun and returned with some more images for my blog.

I never forget an image, well almost never

Some people can always remember a name or a face or a story from their childhood, etc. Well I have the ability to remember almost every image that I have ever taken and I think I am reaching close to 500,000 of them. Actually I don't always remember them all especially when I have taken 1,200 t0 1,500 of them each time I do a wedding. But here below are five that I have taken and the years are between 1969 and 1974. I have taken so any of campfires that I now start to get them mixed up but the candles were taken in early 1973.I have been playing taking pictures now for a lot of years and I still have just as much fun as I ever have if not maybe a little more.



This was our yard light that was installed by our home on the family farm. It wasn't there when I was growing up so I knew my way around in the dark pretty well however I sure could have used it just after I graduated from high school because I upset a skunk one night while walking out in the dark. This yard light would have at least helped me see it first.

Utah Beauty

You might think this is a national monument in Utah called "Bryce National Park" or "Cedar Breaks National Park" but it isn't even though parts of those parks look a lot like this. This is actually in Fish Lake National Forest further north than Bryce's and Cedar Breaks. It is always interesting to me how many places in Utah look like the National Parks. I love it and sometimes wish I could photograph all of them and then have a contest to see who would recognize their back yard versus a National Park. It would prove rather interesting I think.

I love sunsets

If there is one thing that has always been an attention grabber for me it has been sunsets. They can always seem to look so much alike and yet they are all very different. I guess what I enjoy the most however to trying to guess which clouds will change color next as the angle of the sun changes in relation to them and the earth. Yes and even in somewhat cloudless sunsets such as these there is still something that catches my attention and holds me somewhat spell bound until the sun is completely down and even then for several minutes after until the skies blacken totally.


I will always look around as well since the area where the sun is directly in front is not the only area that is constantly changing with it's setting.
And then of course I like to get down and see through whatever may be between me and the sun, It always makes for some good pictures as well.

A little light streaking through the sky

I enjoy trying to photograph the fastest streaks of light that I can see. Of course taking pictures of lightning is fun but my reflexes are not nearly fast enough to just click the camera and catch each strike, so I just point the camera where I hope the next strike will take place and then hold the shutter open for thirty seconds unless one strikes first. The night all of these were taken I was lucky.  (Note: Some of these may have been posted before.)

Wedding Fun

Look closely and you can see that the same little decoration shape is photographed with one of the brides flowers. The clear one almost blended into the rose while the silver one stands out. I was just trying to find new ways to remind the bride of some of her decorations from her special day.