Last of the peppers

Although I'm still getting tomatoes the pepper side of the garden is about done. I have several still "on the vine" so to speak but the bulk of production is almost over. I really hate to see that, as I like to grow stuff. It really makes my wife shake her head...

These are some of the last that I'll have and I think their color is remarkable.

I will have to take up the elephant ear bulbs after the first frost and put them in the garage in dog litter for the winter. They will go in a large plastic bin with a top that I seal for the winter. Not only have the bulbs grown new bulbs but also have continued to increase in size themselves individually. I didn't mark the name of the bulbs last year so I ended up with variations in every pot. I'll probably have the same outcome next year.......chance is wonderful. I would like to put out some tulips this year but I don't want to lose the potting space for peppers and cilantro. My sage will need to be repotted in the spring as well as my oreagno which has prospered over the last two years in a large pot. Grow baby grow...............

Fall may be in the air....

After a very long summer here in Oklahoma land I'm glad the season is drawing to a close. It is just too hot.  However, it's been a very prosperous summer with more work done on our outdoor studio area.  I eliminated a really underused area to the south of the pond and created an area that offers a couple of posing options I didn't have before. With the emphasis that I have placed on my commercial work photographing architectural interiors/exteriors and product photography, this space may not be used too much.....but at least I have it to offer clients should I need it. This should complete all renovations of the environmental area. I'll be marketing to some new clients the rest of the week so I may be somewhat silent for a week or so. However. I will keep you posted.
Have a great time next week and we will be in touch......

Several years ago...

I had a fun challenge with an account several years ago with the problem of getting an image of a printing press that was very large and could only be photographed on location-in the plant. This company rebuilt presses and this was the first they wanted photographed......no one else had been able to do it. Typical excuse...not enough lights.

There is more than one way to skin a cat so to speak and I reverted to the old technique of painting with light. I had the company build a 16 foot wall behind the press on the back and on one end. I suggested using styrafoam board for the wall due to cost and ease of use, and paint it white. This hid the rest of the plant and by having them wet the floor with water I not only bounced the light but also got rid of an ungly cement floor. I used one had held light and finished to job in about 4 hours. It was fun.

Another job well done and problem solved.

A note about The Challenger....

I just thought of a note about The Challenger, Mickey Thompsons land speed car. Mickey was my wifes' cousin and he was murdered by a former partner in his multiple business enterprises. He had a son Danny that carried on with the dream of smashing the land speed record. This past year Danny took Challenger to the Salt Flats and breaking the standing record. His total speed was 442 miles per hour combining the two required runs. Danny upgraded internal parts of the machines motors and other parts but kept the same design that Mickey created.  The Challenger has a new home in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.

This summers peppers...

As most followers know I do plant peppers and tomatoes in the spring primarily because I like to eat homegrown veggies. I built raised beds last year and they worked well and this year I added some mushroom compost in the spring. That stuff is a great addition to the sandy soil we have here. I think that a couple of more years of adding it will make the dirt similar to the soil I had in Missouri. The tomato plants are still producing as are the peppers so we will probably be in good shape till the first frost.

As a new addition I also have potatoes in two containers just to see if I can grow them. They can't be harvested until the first frost so don't hold your breath. It seems like a really dumb idea growing them as cheap as they are in the stores but if there is a difference in taste I'll put in a larger bed next year.
Obviously as most people know tomatoes are radically tastier if home grown. John Denver was right.

These are some of the garden treats from this year.

Touching base...

I've been really busy getting ready for some Senior Portrait sessions. Did some work on the outdoor studio in preparation and am pretty much done with it. Later today I will post another page showing how some of the previously shown commercial images were used by one of my clients. It's always good to get a "tear sheet" from my clients to add to my portfolio. It really adds credibility to my sales attempts. It really solidifies my "Sure I can do it.." statements I give my clients. Stay tuned...

That time of year...

I guess it has become somewhat of a habit over the years to post my first crop of tomatoes and following tradition.....these are my first ones. It is also my first in years to be picked before July 1.
I'm looking forward to a bumper crop !!!

I started the plants from seeds I had purchased from Baker Creek Seed Company in Missouri.
They are non gmo and taste like the tomatoes I ate as a kid. It's going to be a great summer !!!

Completed second job for my new Client-----------

My new client is an interior designer was that was invited to decorate a room in the historic Harwelldon House for a Designer Showcase that was held recently. This room is in the basement of the house but has the feel of a normal ground floor of a home. The chest was carved and I think was made of mahogany. The chairs were covered with a very fine leather, really top line appointments.

I sure love my job. Watch for more interiors as she has told me that she has several kitchen installations she has done for clients recently.

A new account.........

I have just started working with a new account, a company that is a designer of ultimate kitchens. What a great partnership. With the opening of their new office, I produced images that were used in their promo piece and will photograph their show kitchen in a designer showcase home.

Update..........

The main problem with my back was "fixed " but yet it wasn't. I still have intense pain on occasion with my right thigh and calf but it is somewhat of an improvement over where I was with it. I'm going to have another MRI at the end of the month to see what the next procedure will be. Hopefully not another back surgery.

Business is taking a back seat to my medical issue but my commercial accounts understand and are waiting for me to get better to schedule more shoots. I have a couple of "Must Haves" that I'm shooting but that's about all I'm scheduling. You really don't appreciate walking until you can't.

I'll write more as I progress. Keep the faith.......

Vanished.....

Well....as the Grateful Dead sang "it's been a long strange trip...."

In November my right leg started to act a bit strange at the hip. Having undergone hip replacement several years ago on my left hip I assumed the right hip had gone by the wayside. One doctors appointment later and two cortisone shots the pain persisted. One more doctor consultation and an MRI and it became apparent that I had back issues with bulging disks. I went in for surgery in February and had surgery on my back. I was in the hospital two days and returned home with the notation that I shouldn't do any work for several months...I was told not to lift any more than 10 pounds...pretty limiting. I couldn't climb stairs and walking was an issue due to weakness and PAIN.

Which brings me to the issue of Hydrocodone. My doctor had prescribed it to me to get through the pain that accompanied the operation which, was pretty high. I was on the mend and figured a week ago Monday that I really didn't need the pills. I had heard of the warnings about the possible addiction to Hydrocodone but figured that I would recognize the issue if I was having a problem. I stopped on Monday and Tuesday was a day I'll never forget. Deep depression, doubts of self worth, amazing thoughts that kept me in bed all day and totally trying to sort everything out. Wednesday I realized that it was the withdrawal from the drug. I now see what the warnings were all about. The drug will slip up on you and nail you to the wall without you realizing anything is wrong.

I will never again take that drug-it is unforgiving and will take hostages for life if you are not aware of the potential.

I'm getting back to work on a limited scale this Thursday as I am photographing the Mayor of Carthage Missouri, Dan Rife. I have several portraits of the Mayors of carthage dating back probably 40 years. I guess the tradition continues. It'll be good to get back to the ol' stomping grounds again.

Missing Mike

As some of my diehards may have noticed I’ve been missing. Last summer when I was 16 I decided to  finish the backyard”studio” area. I finished the landscaping and laid down about 2 tons of river rock to finish it off. That included several areas that had very large “rocks” for client seating areas as well as several walls. Needless to say I’m glad I was 16.

I’m 18 this year and around October of last year I started to have some strange feelings in my lower back. First noticed them in October and they got worse. I went to the Doctor who replaced my knees and left hip joints......I ran miles after work for years and played racquetball all to stay in good shape for a decade or two........go health !!!!! After an x-ray or two the verdict came in. I had 5 bulging disks that were needing attention. I was sent to another doctor that gave me two injections with the idea they would help remove the pain. They did........for a day or two. Around the first of February I could hardly walk without extreme pain so another trip to my regular doctor. He put me in tough with  a surgeon that specialized in back problems and we had a consultation scheduled for March 6th. I was dying in pain. In desparation, Karen, my baby baby, wife, lovey lovey, called the office of the surgeon and asked if there were ANY openings before the 6th. They called back with an appointment as someone had cancelled. He took a look at the x-rays and scheduled me for last Tuesday.

I checked in at 5:30 in the morning was in the operating room at 10:30, out by three, and in my room. There was no pain. Later that day he came in and said there was a cyst that was rubbing on my spinal cord that was causing the problem. I was actually able to walk a bit and checked out the next afternoon. I was in the hospital a total of 36 hours. I am going to have to wear a back brace for 6 weeks but that’s fine there is no pain.

I now understand back issues !!!!! I have not really been able to work much with the back issue but I’m ready to start it all up again. I love my job !!!!

St. Louis..

We were in St. Louis several days ago and in our wanderings we ran across several interesting features in one building. These are a several windows and part of a door. There will be more to follow soon. Click on the image and it will get bigger.