Fog

This past weekend, after sleeping over at my sister's house for a night of board games and Madlibs, I woke up early Sunday morning to fog. Usually fog doesn't last very long and has cleared by mid-morning. Luckily for me, by the time I drove home and grabbed my gear, it was still overcast and foggy.

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Cardinals & Bikes

Last weekend I decided to drag my camera out with me when I made a trip out to the Loop and Botanical Gardens. While at the Botanical Gardens, I caught some Cardinals outside the climatron. Sadly, every time I would get close enough to get one without twigs in the way, they'd fly away.

The Cardinal in the shot below, in particular, made me want to open up Photoshop (something I don't do a lot of) and test out my skills at removing the twig in front of the Cardinal, that for me, is ruining the shot. I may still try my hand at removing it.

While chasing after the Cardinals, I was also able to catch a shot of a Junco and a White Throated Sparrow (the one that has the pretty yellow markings above the eyes).

At the Loop, what caught my eye was a more stationery prey: graffiti and chained-up bicycles.

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Evansville, Illinois

Last Monday a friend and I decided to drive down towards Evansville, Illinois in the hopes of spotting some eagles. We hiked up the levee to look at one the native eagles nest and made our way around Evansville. While we spotted several eagles (hawks and herons, too), I got more bird watching done than photo-taking. I did find an interesting old red barn and some graffiti on one of the levee gates.

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Happy Holidays

Time has gotten away from me this season! Over Thanksgiving weekend, I went up to visit family in northern, Illinois. Amidst the holiday chaos of family, friends, and burnt ham, my grandma and I snuck in a quick drive around the back roads.

We found some interesting looking barns, and a an old cemetery up the road from my aunt's house.

I haven't had much time for a photo outing before this week when I went to Mt. Vernon with a friend. I haven't done much urban exploring lately, so it was a nice break from the monotony (I've spent most of my holiday break cleaning).

I hope everyone had a great holiday.

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Dew drops & Graffiti

This past Saturday I woke up to a cool, foggy morning. I've been waiting for a good fog to set in for photos, but I was surprised at what caught my attention.

It wasn't the fog itself, but the dew drops covering the fallen leaves and clinging in perfect droplets to a few of the spider webs I came across.

After spending about an hour walking around spying for anything dew covered, the fog had lifted and I decided to take a drive. I headed toward Collinsville, Illinois, taking to back roads that lead under the infamous "gates of hell" (AKA spray painted rail road trestles).

These have always interested me over the years, so I couldn't resist getting my camera out when I ran across them again.

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Vintage Senior Session

The one thing I enjoyed most about the homecoming photo shoot a few weeks ago with Madeline was the same thing she brought to our senior photo session this past weekend: her fashion sense. I have a soft spot for all things vintage, and the energy Madeline brought with her outfits made the shoot that much more enjoyable.

We started the shoot off at the railroad tracks with a classic vintage outfit, complete with matching luggage, and ended the shoot on a more casual note with Madeline posing with one of her horses.

Madeline was a pleasure to work with and I look forward to the family photo sessions I have planned for this month. If anyone is interested in scheduling a photo shoot, I have a few spots open in December and am currently booking sessions for the beginning of the year.

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Tulsa, OK

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Country Treasures this past weekend! I finally found some time to edit the photos I took while urban exploring in and around Tulsa the weekend before last.

The bridge above was a great find, and I ran across a few odd items while walking around underneath, including a broken fork and a monarch butterfly.

I'm looking forward to another senior photo session this weekend. I've also been meaning to make my way downtown, and maybe even visit the St. Louis Zoo. I definitely plan on enjoying the beautiful fall weather while it lasts!

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Tulsa Engagement Session

Last weekend I went down to visit a close friend and finally met her fiance. And what better to do over the weekend than an engagement photo session?

It was great exploring Tulsa, and hopefully I will get to editing the urban exploration photos over the weekend. The first location we went to was a spiral staircase (middle photo above) that I instantly fell in love with.

This weekend is also the Country Treasures Show at the BelleClair Fairgrounds in Belleville, IL.

Tomorrow, Friday the 21st:      4:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturday, October 22nd:         10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday, October 23rd:            10:00am - 4:00pm

Mention this blog post to get 10% off your entire purchase. Hope to see you there!

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Homecoming

Last night I did a homecoming photoshoot with Edwardsville High School senior Madeline.

When Madeline chose the Wildey Theater for the location, I decided to bring along an antique videocamera I had for a prop, and got us into the upstairs where they have a cabinet grand piano.

They also have an organ that was recently donated (apparently one of the original organs from when the building was an opera house). The organ wasn't there the last time I shot in the upstairs of the Wildey, so a revisit may be in order.

During the shoot, we had a few bikers drive by revving their engines and hollering at Madeline. Her response (a fit of laughter) made for a great shot.

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Butterfly House October 2011

This past Sunday I went to one of my favorite spots: The Butterfly House at Faust Park in Chesterfield, MO. I took a friend who'd never been there before to see their October Owls and Orchids exhibit. All month long, the Butterfly House will have over 10x the number of owl butterflies, from 150 of them to nearly 2,000.

I caught this creepy crawler on the left in one of the terrariums at the Butterfly House.

But by far the coolest thing was the boy with a butterfly resting on his head. I asked if I could take his photo and this was the result.

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