Completing a challenge...

Adding and eliminating visual references to imagery is part of the job as a photographer.
I took this image of a power generating facility and decided to see what I could do with it.
It was looking pretty shop worn so I decided to shine it up so to speak. I really like the results.

The Rebuild...

As I said several months ago, I was working with a company that rebuilt equipment used in the oil business. Here are the before and after pictures of the machine they rebuilt. Really fine precise work that entailed rewiring, rebuilding, customizing, and reshaping different parts of the original machine. I love this type of assignment.

A Master at work...

Over the years I've had the privilege of meeting individuals with hidden talents. Being from a family that depended on wood ( as lumber that was sold by the carload by my father ) I seem to have  a built in propensity for the love of wood. My desk is made from the wood from the walnut trees that I grew up with in the front yard of our home in Carthage, and I have always marveled at the grain and color of the many varieties of wood from all over the world. I have had several friends that have been able to wield their creative forces through wood with amazing results.

One of my instructors in College, John Walker, created amazing sculptures with wood in the most unexpected ways. He made a series of different foods from different woods that were absolutely fabulous. Cherry pie with cherry filling flowing onto the plate, other foods all of them actually appearing to be real, with the exception that they were wood. He captured the kinetic energy within each piece. Bill Harmon, a cabinet make in Carthage could turn wood into anything and brought out the personality of a pre-ww-I airplane propeller for me through his use of the right varnishes on it.
Jack Fix took some wood I had in the basement of the studio that was probably close to one hundred years old, and made a spinning wheel for his daughter.

Jim Vander Lind, now retired from the University of Tulsa, is another guy I would have never expected to have an affinity with wood. I met Jim through the Sunrise Rotary and saw some of his work and was amazed. Because we were having to harvest a few trees from the front yard of the Carthage home, and of course the fact that I couldn't use it all, I offered him some, actually...all he could take. Jim and I rode up with a friend of his in another vehicle with a trailer and they loaded up.

The image here is Jim liberating a bowl from a piece of wood. His work is flawless and I'll soon post an image or two from the results of his working with some Morgan Walnut.

OOPS..............................

Life can be hard ......even for Santa..........

Have a great Holiday !!!!!

PEACE...........the end..

After the Japanese musicians, acrobats, and dragon dancers finished their performances Peace Wave, the Americans, took the stage and ran through our performance which consisted of some original songs finishing with Amazing Grace sung in Farsi and English which was a hit. Backstage I looked at Quigley and he commented that we, our group, really needed to get out of Baghdad as we had no hostages at that point and the scene was starting to look pretty dicey. As the words came out of his mouth the opening cords to the Beatles song "Help" flowed through the arena.

On the Japanese side of the group there were four guys that wore leather pants and jackets, had Ducktail hair and were accompanied by their "manager". They spoke NO English. Peering through the curtain these four guys were playing and singing the song in perfect English and sounded just like the Beatles. It was like an open invitation that we accepted as we gathered in front of the stage and started dancing. Once we got out and started we started to wave the Iraqi audience down to join us and we rock and rolled with them until about two in the morning.

The Iraqis in charge were a bit taken back by the event but were powerless to do anything other than watch. They were videotaping the entire event and about two they started to try to shut it down. Before they could though our Peace Voice ( The Japanese ) and Peace Wave ( The Americans ) Banner was flown to the roaring sound of "Johnny B. Good." We wanted to have Peace and retrieve hostages.

We loaded on to buses and were taken to the Japanese Embassy where we finally had dinner and were able to relax. There were two American Professional wrestlers that were part of the Japanese group that were a big hit when they took on a couple of Iraqi wrestlers, Captain America, and G I Joe. Interesting conversations into the morning.

Stairway to Heaven in Baghdad

As promised last week I'm adding some never before scenes from The Sports and Music Festival in Baghdad. This Festival was our chance as Peace Wave, to secure the exit from Baghdad all of the Japanese hostages that were being held by the Iraqi's one month before Desert Storm. I went to the soccer stadium one evening to watch some matches and encountered one of the Japanese participants
that was a National hero among the Japanese Kite makers.

As I walked into the stadium I saw, what I can only describe as, "a stairway to heaven".  A kite train is one kite attached to a line that holds many more along the line. Ascending out of the stadium was the train of 500 kites being flown by this Japanese gentleman. I can't tell you how overpowering this sight was. I have never seen such a display of power in my life. Perhaps you need to be a kite flyer to appreciate this sight, but for me, it was awe inspiring. The next day on the floor of the Palestinian Hotel where we were staying the same man was painting on a sheet of rice paper. As his brush flew over the paper I saw him create an image of a Geisha  holding an umbrella and looking at the viewer. He took this drawing and made a rectangular kite which he gave to me as we were passing through customs in Japan.

We attended several of the events before our games in Volleyball, Basketball, and of course the Music Festival. The line up in the photograph of the arena is of the Japanese Judo team preparing to start their match. Tomorrow or by this weekend at least, I will post the image of the ending celebration of the Festival. It was a moment of excitement and proposed promise, that was all inclusive throughout the arena.

Maple Leaf Portraits...a Tradition continues....

Well I'm packed up and ready to travel to Carthage Missouri for the annual Maple Leaf Festival and

facebook.comthe Morgan Studio Portrait sessions. The One Shot started close to 33 years ago as an outgrowth of our St. Ann's Portrait sessions. We always held it on the Friday before Maple Leaf weekend and after completing the Portrait sessions for the morning and afternoon classes I opened it up to families of the attendees of the school. It has blossomed since and  is has allowed many families to be able to watch their families grow up on the walls with a Morgan portrait. I've included a few shots from the past. 

Proof.....

The outpost of saucers........... I've noticed we weren't the only home in the area that has been invaded....there are several outpost around us....this may take a homeowners association meeting to discuss options..............

NEWS FLASH !!! Martians in the front yard !!!!

I looked out this morning and saw their habitat constructions......constructed quickly overnight.
I have evidence that I'll get on the web this afternoon if not sooner. A complete colony. This looks like just the start. Check back !!!!

Fall is here......

Today was my day to get outside.....I took the day off. I guess I hadn't realized with the heat that Fall is here and I found the proof under my feet. I can remember as a kid collecting pockets full of found treasures like this that, inevitably, if not for my Mom would have ended up in the washer. I guess all kids are the same...everything I did had never been done before, and each day held surprises just for me. Looking back I can see my Dad talking with his friends about time gone by and what they did as kids, in days made just for them. They too had their own pockets full.

Senior Portraits continued....

Every Senior deserves something different in terms of imagery. Primarily this can occur in location, lighting, attitude, or a combination of all of the listed factors. This is the one of the reasons for my required  consultation with the client and their parents. The last thing in the world I want to do is to create a line of "look alike" Seniors. Yet it happens all of the time as I look at my clients billfold portraits of their friends from other studios. I wouldn't want it if I was a Senior, and I won't deliver that type cookie cutter images to my clients. A typical session with me will last two to three hours, sometimes broken up into sections to capture the right light for the different areas where I photograph.  To be continued...................

Senior Portraits.......

The heat has finally stopped and with the oncoming rains from the Hurricane it is going to be a great Senior Portrait Season. My Seniors have always been distinctive primarily due to the fact that I only use a background once for each client. It belongs to them. I started this policy in the early 80's for two reasons. I wanted my Seniors to be distinctive  and I always wanted to keep myself continually searching for more challenges. I love this type of challenge as it keeps me at my best and every client image is different. Over the next few postings I will show you some images from the past as well as new clients after they make their selections. This is going to be fun........

Another story from Byron...

As many of you know, Byron Morgan and I had a company in the film business that was to produce some of his scripts in the late 70's and through the 80's. It was Byron that was responsible for getting me involved in the rescue of the Japanese hostages in 1990 that were being held in Baghdad. The story of that adventure is in an earlier installment here on the blog. I woke up yesterday with John Paisleys' name in the forefront of my mind. This is the story I got from Byron......

Byron went to California to partake in a program which was called Life Spring,  a series of self awareness classes and exercises. In the classes bonds were built between members present and Byron connected with John Paisley as well as several other individuals. Byron explained to Paisley that he was a writer/producer for NASA and Paisley said he worked in D.C. also. They exchanged phone numbers after the event so they could reconnect when they got home. Byron told me that he tried several times at the number Paisley gave him but was consistently told that there was no one there of that name. Byron was perplexed as one of the main points of the Life Spring event was honesty. Byron eventually wrote off  the meeting as "the way it was".

One afternoon Byron received a call with the other end of the line stating that he was John Paisley, and they needed to have lunch. Byron accepted and at the meeting Paisley told him that he was sorry he didn't reconnect but he couldn't because of his job. As far as anyone was concerned he didn't really exist, he worked for the CIA. Because of this and his responsibilities with the organization, he didn't reply to Byron's calls. Paisley went on to say that he had retired and now was free to meet, which they did on several occasions as they both had military backgrounds.

I was talking to Byron one day and this is where the story came from. I had seen in Time Magazine
that a body had been found a few days after a boat washed ashore in the Potomac not far from the Russian Embassy. It was the body of John Paisley and it was reported that he committed suicide. Because the body had been in the river for several days identification was made by dental records.
Byron went to the funeral and noticed three distinct groups attending, Friends, CIA, and a Life Spring group. Byron had a lingering set of questions concerning Paisley's passing. It was ruled a suicide with with a gunshot to the head. Byron thought that IF it was a suicide, Paisley would have burned the boat as part of the sendoff so to speak, and Paisley was shot in the back of the head. A few days after the funeral the Dentist that identified the dental records retracted he assessment. he didn't think the teeth matched Paisleys' records. Byrons'  assessment of the whole thing is that Paisley jumped the fence and joined the other side. Paisley was pretty idealistic according to Byron and may have thought he could have changed the course of history by his actions. We'll never know.`

The light......

I had an interesting series of conversations with a photographic friend of mine over the course of a week or so and it got me thinking. He was pretty blunt in the statement that the most recent images he had seen on the blog were low contrast and not much color. I disagreed in most cases, not offended, just thought it was a matter of inexperience and lack of vision on his part. I say that after looking at his images, large 30x 40's and smaller shots in bright light of race cars, tulip fields, and flowers. His eye saw a different subject in a different light. I will admit I shun direct sun but have used it to my advantage many times. I just like the quiet light. I'll do some more images today and post them today or tomorrow. Come back to see if you notice the difference.

And the Winner issssss....................

Ok................I love the muted color and the black that seems so soft. It's all in the lighting.

I'm satisfied.

Mushrooms revisited in white.....

Ok....I tried it again on the white background with  different"subject". A little broader smile this time but I still feel as though the black may be the way to go.

New Mush..they're everywhere !!

In spite of the devastating heat we have been having Mushrooms still continue to pop up. These came from a neighbors yard which could make them felony mushrooms as I didn't ask if I could take them......check out the police blotter if you don't hear from me. I tried the white on white instead of black and I don't think I'm truly happy with the result. I think today between sessions I'll try it on black with maybe some different lighting. Stay tuned in.....

Fire !!!

It seems as though I'll never learn..with the fires  50 to 75 miles away from us I didn't photograph the sky. It was absolutely amazing. The smell of burning wood with a tinge of man made material floating  through it, greyed the sky into a yellow green grey patch which can only spell disaster for someone. The sun was a faint light glowing white through the fog. I'll never forget the sight.

The new family.....again

We have had an amazing number of rabbits in the back yard ever since we moved in. I looked out yesterday and there were 4 hangin' out and as I looked at them I noticed they were nest building. These are some of the shots I took for the record and I'll keep you posted on their progress.  

Moving grass....

Several years ago we were in Paris walking through one of the parks. I spotted a clump of long grass/weeds and really liked the color in the late evening light. I decided to use a slow shutter speed to add to the "look" of the image. As I was photographing it I was reminded of a shot I made in 1986 with my 4 x 5 on the Washington coast. It is perhaps the best reminder of time I have made. Once again a slow shutter speed with waves breaking over a fallen tree. The water falling off the log became a moment in time we never see............in fact, speaking of never see.... I had left my dark cloth on the end of the tree that I photographed .......and I didn't "see" it until about ten years later as I looked at the print.  ( Go Ansel....) I'll try to get the image scanned and let you see it.

Great lookin' Peppers

Love salsa...like peppers and these are going to taste great.........I really like the light.

Sleeping Walrus........

Another day...another look. I see what the problem was with the veggies that didn't want to be photographed. It was all attitude and perspective. I was looking at them in the wrong light....no pun intended. These are not zucchinis, OR cucumbers.....I lost the seed pack and really not sure, but leaning to zucchinis, these are Walrus's disguised as veggies. Case closed....

Maple Leaves...

As promised a couple of days ago the Bonsai Maple leaves. These are actually the Godzilla mutation of leaves. I have neglected to trim the branches of this tree because it was hidden under the wisteria and they just kept growing. Generally the leaves are small and petite but these got away. I promise to do better......

Black & White-Mushrooms in the yard

I had to mow the yard last week as we don't have enough goats to keep the grass in check. As I started, I noticed a mushroom that had sprung up a few days before in the front and decided that it would be a good exercise to check out my metering with the grey card. I picked it and photographed it in morning light the next day. I have a distinct love for the taste of mushrooms and like the look of them when exposed properly. Hope you enjoy the images.

Stay tuned for some Senior Portraits as the booking are starting to roll in. Enjoy !!

On a mission...

Today I'm going out to continue filling out my new book of images that will deal with the city of Tulsa. I've been collecting the images I have over the last several years but not with any reasoning involved...it's just what I do...collect images. I've played around with some treatments and kept some straight....it all depends on the images. Here are a couple and I'll keep you posted as to the progress.

Sold OUT !

Just thought I'd pass the word that my Alaska book has sold OUT ! I'll probably go into a second edition soon but I'll look out for any inquiries before I do. I have another image book in the works so I really don't want to spread myself too thin. These are a few of the Alaska images that I like but didn't make the book.

On a Commercial Job...

I often refer to Commercial Jobs assuming that everyone realizes that a "Commercial Job" deals with industry. The shoot could be for a "Glamour Shot" of a product, an image for an annual report or print advertising, a video for a client for television, a portrait for client for print purposes or a Board of Directors, or even a before of after shot of something being revitalized for clients. As an example of the before and after shots....I am shown here in a machine shop photographing sections of a very large machine that is to be rebuilt by my client. It is huge and will take three months to totally rebuild. The financial saving to my clients client is remarkable, and the rebuilt machine will be like brand new for considerably less than a new machine would cost. I'll let you see the rebuilt shots when we photograph them. I love my job.

Rainy New Orleans

I just got back from a stay in New Orleans, and it only rained twice. I lived there in the Mid-80's and it is a City with a unique soul. The people all have a musical step and a light heart, which is what you need to survive there. A friend of mine, Joe Bergeron, a photographers photographer, his wife and Karen and I met and had dinner in the quarter one evening. It was great-the food was amazing-and company fabulous.

When it rains in New Orleans, the toads chock there is so much water. We were at Brennens, just arriving and the sky let loose. You can always spot the tourists....they're the ones that run looking for cover. We watched the rain and listened to the thunder....we had a great time. I love the light during, just before or just after a storm. It is soft and "clean".

Long time gone....

I am sorry for the delay in resuming the blog but I have been incredibly busy. Here are some shots from one of my last commercial shoots. This assignment was to collect images for one of my clients to use in future announcements concerning activities drawn around Memorial day. It was a fun shoot and the day was perfect.

Memorial Day...

WOW !! What a time it's been since I last wrote in my blog. The most recent project I've been involved in was a commercial assignment with one of my long time accounts, Memorial Park Cemetery. It is one of the finest cemetery's in Tulsa and has been an account of mine for years. Commemorating those that have passed  that served in the Armed Forces, Memorial Park made Memorial Day a time of recognition.

The grounds have several areas and monuments dedicated to those that gave their life for our country.
The event was staged near the WWI Veterans Memorial with the Tulsa Community band furnishing the music and several military dignitaries present. The attendance by the public was amazing and I captured some fabulous images of the event to use in next years advertising of the event.

Well it's been a long time gone so to speak with a lot of water under the bridge. I forgot my password and just remembered it ......so much for senior moments. I'm pressed for time now but I'll get some images up in the next few days and let you know whats been happening. Hang on....it'll be worth the wait.

Spring has sprung..

Although it didn't seem as though we had a Winter, and the threat of a final frost is always around in March, I think we are in for a long Summer with a very short Spring. Late last Fall I started to design the back yard into " Studio" areas. When I was in Carthage I had done the same thing with different areas in town which gave me exclusivity with my imagery. In doing this I kind will serve several different purposes.

I like to create environments for shooting that are multifunctional, meaning that as the days light changes, so does the look of the area in which I'm shooting. This also will work with the season. By pre-planning the "lighting " look, I can create a formal studio lighting outdoors and not be stuck with a bunch of accessory reflectors and an assistant that doesn't understand the look I'm going for. I can also "Style" the look for the area through different textures and colors. The yard is being terraced so I will have different levels to use giving me more angles to take advantage of. This is going to be fun, and really expand my capabilities for creating images exclusive to me. Just looking at the images it will be readily apparent  that it came from me.

A recent session

Sorry I've been so silent-business has been keeping me away. I had a fabulous Executive Portrait session last week with two of my clients. They are a couple that are in closely related businesses. He is a Headhunter fulfilling Executive positions around the country, and she is a resume writer of amazing skill. She is publishing a book on achieving success within the job market and needed a portrait for the cover, and he needed an update on his professional portrait.

Because of the old say concerning first impressions, it is very important to put the best foot forward so to speak. We successfully did this with these portraits. I was approached several months ago by an individual that was in charge of a seminar concerning job hunting and it was explained to me that IF I would show up with my camera lights and background I could probably shoot 20 individuals at $ 10.00 a head. For the ten bucks that were expecting a retouched head shot file, and I could net $ 200.00 !!
I promptly turned the offer down for several reasons. The primary reason was time/money/quality.

In the session I had with the couple above, we took basically three "looks". One session individually,
and one session together for a total of three sets of images. The total number of shots taken were 78.
From the 78 images, there were 16 that had possibilities and of those there were 6 that were very good and three that reached the top of the ladder.

I retouched the three and delivered the images to my clients. The time factor was close to four hours and the billing was between $ 300. and 400. dollars. To deliver these portraits for any less than this would be senseless. The software necessary, equipment cost, and time are what compile the costing of this type of event. My clients realize that their imagery IS a first impression so they come to me first. I appreciate their knowledge of marketing and desire to stand out above the crowd. It was a really fun shoot.

The ticket into Lebanon....

We continued our conversation concerning the trip and expectations. He outlined that the main goal was to establish work for the population that was largely adept at hand work, but overall lacking in formal training using modern machinery. We continued talking for an hour or so and I asked a simple question,
" Would I fly into the airport in Beirut or elsewhere ?" There was what seemed like a longer than normal pause and he slowly answered.

Prime Minister Hariri was really liked by all the religious factions, my soon to be more distant, friend said, and as a gesture of good faith he would give me a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" to keep in my billfold. I guess I had a look on my face of disbelief as it was immediately explained that IF there was an altercation and I got caught up in the action, all I had to do was to give the GOOF JFC to my captors and they would let me go. I asked rather discretely, how would I get into such a situation...??? I was THEN told how I would get into Lebanon.

It seemed the only way to do it was to travel to Israel, leave my passport there, and be taken into the country by the Prime Ministers friends. BUT !! No worry !!! You will have the GOOF JFC !!! How much safer could it BE !! You don't really need a passport..Show the card.....YOU'RE FREE !! Have you ever had you life pass before your eyes ?? What m I doing here, I thought. Images of shot up walls. burned out cars, empty streets, and the evening news filled my immediate open brain spaces....the conversation didn't end then, but very soon after.  My travel agent had given me the pictures of the city, some letters signed by Hariri, and a business card....I headed home. We didn't converse again. Several years later I came across the business card and called the number. It was answered by a man and I explained who I was and referenced our conversations concerning the trip. There was a long silence on the other end....who is this ??...came the voice.....I don't think I know you......click. It was the number on the card, and a new mystery. What if.....

An unexpected invitation...missed opportunity ??

I woke up this morning very early thinking about an offer extended to me shortly after I returned from Baghdad in 1990. I had been in the local news with interviews of the trip and had been talking about it to various groups....the noon time entertainment so to speak.  I was sitting in my studio in Carthage when the phone rang about 10:00 and a man introduced himself explaining that he had heard about my trip to Baghdad and wanted to meet with me in Tulsa to explain a potential business proposition. The deal clincher was that he'd buy lunch and really didn't explain much more than that. He did say that it had great financial potential and we could work together and do well. We set a time and location to meet, and in a couple of days, we got together.

I met him at the agreed location and I listened as he laid out the proposition. At that time Rafic Hariri
 was the Prime Minister of Lebanon and Hariri was a relative of this man's wife's family. Beirut, the capital, was known as the Paris of the Middle East due to its financial center status, and extensive fine architecture. Fashion was on a high note and life was very predictable.  I didn't know much about the politics of the region other than it was rocky and religiously oriented.

The gentleman explained that a coalition of the different religious sects the Sunni's, Shi'a, and Maronite Christians were held together by Hariri, and although there had been recent problems with them getting along, Hariri was still respected by all parties. The rival factions had pretty well torn up Beirut as evidenced from the photographs he had taken several weeks before when he was in the city.
Sides of buildings missing, bullet holes in everything, and streets that were impassible.....due to burned out cars.While there he had met with several commissioners within the government and they asked him to try to arrange a representative to travel to Beirut to meet with them and Hariri to set up manufacturing businesses within Lebanon to get the people working and economy stable. He wanted ME to go.

He thought that I would have contacts within the business and manufacturing community and some "pull" ( After all....I helped secure the release of hostages...) and get a company or two to set up a manufacturing base in Beirut and employ the people. In addition to having the ground floor opportunity to start the new industrial revolution within the country, I would be well greeted by the government representatives and Hariri, and would be given the standard gifts of swords, rugs, and assorted other items well worth over one hundred thousand dollars whether my efforts succeeded or not. I was still listening.  ( To be continued )

A few January ducks......

The weather has been really strange this winter. Almost like Spring everyday....but there's still February and March. I found some ducks this morning that seemed to be oblivious to the month. The images seems to have a Japanese feeling to it, a "print" quality.

Alaska, The Book

I will receive my proof of the Alaska book I am publishing on Tuesday. Needless to say I'm more than excited. The book will consist of 40 pages ( 20 pages, 2 sides ) of images I collected this last fall while in Alaska. All of the images are in color and the book is 12" x 12" ....perfect for your coffee table. I have several images that are new favorites and one especially, of the wake of the ship. It is almost mystical to say the least. This is sort of like waiting for the secret decoder ring.....is it here yet ?? I'll keep you posted.

The Maddest Guy in Kansas......

Running down the Blue highway headed west we were on high alert after seeing the Dinos and the Pasture Sculpture. This trip could probably get to be even more interesting. Kansas is flat. The longer you drive the more you realize it....I'm keeping the car between the Barditches Kieth. Up a head traffic seems to be slowing. Some people are getting out of their cars and walking the fence line where there seems to be some type of movement on top of the posts. There is a slight breeze. Some just moving by in their car....looks to go on for three quarters of a mile. Hot Damn ! Another Roadside attraction !!!

I drive a bit and see we are receiving messages from the fence. The messages aren't squeeks.....they are shouting at the top of their visual lungs ! KICK OUT THE SCHOOL BOARD ! NO MORE ILLEGAL TAXES !!!!! on and on. This guy was mad at everyone. Using the farmers tools of display, people were constructed from plowing disks, Smaller round disk head, larger round disk body,and scrap iron arms and legs. Ears were sheet metal as were the noses. Everyone had BIG ears. These "people" were stationed on the hedge fence posts holding a sign that read of the problem of concern the creator had. Being extremely creative he would take cans, slit them giving them wings, and mount them on rods so that as the wind blew you could read complete sentences as the cans turned. The most amazing part of the 3/4 mile Fence of Complaints was that it was about half a mile out of a very small town. Individuals were named by the plow shear "people" and gossip was rampant on the sides of the spinning cans. There were all sorts of accusations, implication, and just plain bitching. Today I'll locate the video of it and drop in some snippets. It will be worth the return to see.

I believe I'm correct in saying though, that several years ago a tornado ripped through the town destroying everything, probably even the 3/4 Mile of Complaints.
Strange things happen.

Don Quixote rides again !!!!!!

As I said yesterday we were traveling the"Blue Highways" across the flatness of Kansas on the way to Denver. We had marveled at the dinosaurs in the front yard of a farmhouse that were true works of art and I really thought they was cool and unique. Didn't expect much more from the long flat.......just keep it between the bar ditches...thank you Kieth Hall. Bar ditches are the proper name for the drainage ditches that run along country roads...Kieth says so. Radio playing and cruising and suddenly to my right in the middle of a field, I spot a Cubist Buffalo.

Buffalo brown in color, and an angular shape as if Picasso had drawn it, the buffalo seemed to be running across the field. Closer visual inspection revealed a Cubist Indian riding a Cubist horse, shooting Cubist Arrows from a Cubist Bow. There are a lot of angles to the story.........I slowed down.

Taking in the total view of the pasture I realized that I was driving beside another Kansas Field of Art ! There was a Windmill which was patterned after the ones you see in Holland, WITH A GUY IN FULL ARMOUR RIDING A HORSE CHARGING AT IT....DON QUIXOTE !! There were 4 excellent sculptures running down the hill, Pan playing his flute led the group with a boy doing cartwheels, a girl skipping, and a boy pushing a hoop with a stick. He was taking the children from the village. Absolutely astonishing.

All of this really makes me remember some of the people I attended College with.I was always amazed by the sculptors vision and talent for making the vision reality.
Whoever made these sculptures thankfully had the foresight and talent to capture the visions and make them real enough to share them with strangers on the road. What a great gift.......and totally unexpected.

Tomorrow.........the maddest guy in the world.........or at least in Kansas.

Roadside Attractions

Ok...the hacked hassle is over ...all passwords have been changed and the computer cleaned out....HOW SCARY IS THAT !!!!

Going on the road again soon as I have an account that has encouraged me to travel to their town and produce some Senior Portraits for friends. I love the road trips because Karen and I travel the "Blue Highways". They are the blue roads on the map that always take longer and have more character. We've seen some pretty amazing stuff.

Highway 54 west out of Nevada Mo for instance has the Not so Famous Yellowstone Park. Passing down the road, headed west, we suddenly notice dinosaurs in a field to our right. We stop. I think it was a Sunday as no one was home in the house, we knocked, so we looked around this farmers front yard. I didn't realize that two oil pans from a V-8 could make a dinos' head. Camshafts are neck bones, the disks from an old plow make great scales.....it was amazing. He must have had 25/30 life size (I guess) beasts around his house. Obviously he had several things going for him. A great imagination, mechanical ability, time, and an understanding wife. I'll try to locate the pictures....Loved that trip. Don Quixote's coming up along with the Cubist buffalo.

Frustration !!!!!!

GOT Hacked !!!

A new challenge. My email got hacked yesterday and evidently bunch of junk got sent out in my name. I am sorry if you received any of it and some changes ere being made concerning my email address. I will keep you posted. Hopefully this won't happen again.

Mike

If your mail is returned due to a bad address call me and I'll give you the new one that should be up after today. 918-760-1575

Last weekends Senior Session

I have spoken in the past about relationships that have been built through my career with clients and their families. Last weekends session is a good example. I had received a call from a former client asking me to photograph his son for his Senior Portrait and also include the family. We scheduled the session for last Friday. As the Dad was growing up in Carthage, the location of my first studio, I photographed his family and even HIS Senior Portrait. Soon the wedding bells were ringing and I photographed his wedding in Dallas, I as I remember. A few years later I did family portraits in Hawaii for them and we've kept in touch since. I was pleased to receive his call about the session, it had been years since I had seen the family. These portraits are the a few of the results of the session, it was a good time.

The Cityplex Towers

Every now and then old visions come together and can be made into reality. The planets align so to speak. As we were coming home from the store it appeared as though the moon, in its' full state, would be able to be seen rising between the towers of the Cityplex, which is basically across the street, west of our home. I grabbed my camera and tripod and drove down to the parking lot to gain a vantage point. What's seen in the minds eye is seldom the case in reality. ( Refer to Platonic Ideals ). I drove behind the building and due to the location of an electrical service transformer, a fence, a few vehicles, and the close quarters with the street, building, and other unexpected items, there was no way I could get the angle I needed. I don't give up easily so I walked to the northwest through the parking lot. The moon was rising and it was getting darker and I was losing the western fill light. You never notice how fast the sun fades unless you need it. Tonight it was sinking like a rock.

I found a location I liked and banged off a few exposures. The designer of the building was using his head in the design of the top of the building. He extended the "reach" upwards of the corners of each wall to visually extend the height of the building. Pretty foxy idea. In the photograph this effect is even more visible than it is if you look at it from the street. Great building, fun to shoot.

5000 !!!!!!!!!!

I just checked my stats on Google and amazingly enough this blog has been up less than two years and has been read by five thousand people. I find that truly remarkable, and I thank you for doing so. There's more coming at you......

Yesterdays Senior Session...

We had a great time ! I may have mentioned yesterday that whenever I photograph a Senior Session I try to get the whole family involved.....it worked again. We got all combinations, Mom & Dad, Brothers, the boys friend that moved from Dallas to Tulsa and the boys, and the entire family. The session took four hours but it was truly worth it. We primarily worked outside and casually as that was the preference but the locations made the difference. On bright days, as yesterday was, I have to scout primarily secondary lighting, and sometimes that in itself can be a problem. I've been in Tulsa long enough to know where I think the light will be right for virtually any location I select. This quality of light changes throughout the day, and with the seasons with the shifting of the sun from North to South. I must have a gazillion options.....I haven't used that word since I was 10. Tomorrow I'll Load some images.

New Images.....

I just confirmed a Senior Portrait session with a client of mine from Pratte Kansas. I have photographed the family for years starting with the parents Senior Portraits, Wedding, and family portraits in Hawaii. We will dedicate Friday to the session and it should be a kick. The weather is projected be in good shape and I have some really interesting studio shots in mind. I have some sites that are exclusive to me and quite frankly, I can't wait. Of course I'll include family portraits within the session both inside and out. I'll post images from the session next week.

New Expectations

Every new year brings the usual resolutions of new things to do, start, finish, or move on. This year will be different. Before the magic day when the slate was wiped clean, I had a thought on working smarter and intend to follow that thought throughout the year. I've been a believer in positive thinking for most of my career and would wait for things to happen as I had projected. As I have grown older I have noticed that nudging the process really doesn't hurt any. In fact....duh...you have to. The decision makers need to be reminded that I have a service and vision that can make them enhance their products and increase sales.

I have noticed one particular industry here in Tulsa that is responsible for adding millions of dollars in sales to the economy and employees a thousand or so employees. I can help these companies become more visible as to location and style. I have really not seen any great images of them in their advertising and have test marketed two of them with outstanding success. Stay tuned for the results....the marketing plan goes into full swing next week with the first mailing to the prospects.

The new year .......2012

I did something I today I thought I'd never do and have struggled with quite frankly for years.
I boxed up my RB67 Camera, 4 lenses, three backs, filters, and prism viewer and sent it to NY to find a new home. My film days are getting very close to being over. I still have my Linholf 4 x 5, lenses, and film holders but they are probably shaking in their boots. That set may be next.

The digital revolution has been so encompassing that virtually no present media source has not been changed. First it was sound, then printing, now imagery, still and motion. All along the path the computerization of processes have leaped out of the bushes and complimented the production side of the creation. Not only in time savings, but creative innovation has been expanded.

This brings into the forefront the question of education and taste. It seems as though anyone can be a "photographer". Snapping a bunch of shots and then selecting the "best" doesn't really fill the bill. The nuances of the trade, from lighting, preconception, finishing, and client designed imagery, actually are the keynotes separating the pros from the wanna be's. But there we go, a client MUST be able to see the difference or the professional hasn't lived up to the expectations of the client OR his peers. I have a truly great profession that has allowed me to fulfill many of my life dreams taking me places that I thought I'd never see, meeting people that have been truly amazing. Primarily because I knew I could produce what I said I could in terms of imagery. I generally know in advance what I want as an end image/product and how to get there. That is becoming the lost art of photography.

When I'm looking for a certain feeling in an image I figure out in advance what the conditions should be like in a given environment to get me there. Then I need to figure out location, how to light for that location, the "style" of my client and time to shoot. This is why, during my consultations with my clients, I have so many questions. If I don't know what THEY want, how can I satisfy their wishes ? I love my job.....

The pieces fall into place

In May of 2010 I made an entry called "Lucky Breaks" on my blog. In it I referenced Byron Morgan and the trip we made to Florida to discuss a film project we were wanting to start concerning the salvage of sunken treasure from ships that went down a couple of centuries ago. Byron had made a connection with the man that brought the first gold to the surface from the Atocha, one of the largest finds to that date of gold. Mel Fisher had given him 11 treasure maps as part of his payment for the years he had spent searching for the Atocha with Mel. We were going try to put together a Series for television of efforts to extract gold or silver from these wrecks.

This gentleman knew his stuff and had all of the necessary experience to head up the divers and one of the maps had given up "milk creates of silver" from its location. There was only one problem....it seems that he had made the mistake of delivering a boatload of pot to Bebe Rebozo and was convicted of dealing by the government. According to our new head diver, a deal had been struck with the government (Nixons), for the diver to plead guilty in return for a slap on the wrist and a week or two in the slammer...all to protect the fact that the pot was to go to Rebozo.

Quite frankly speaking this didn't make much sense to me at the time. Why would the government want or care about Bebe Rebozo, who I had read was a "small time player in questionable deals". Made no sense. But with the revelations last week concerning Nixon and Bebe, it sure adds some more mystery.

The Vortex in Alaska....

As I mentioned in my last post I had seen a gathering of rocks at the base of one of the glaciers I'd seen in Alaska similar to those at the vortex in Sedona. This waterfall was coming from the glacier and was marked by someone. In retrospect I can remember feeling the same when I saw it as I did when I saw the pilings in Sedona. An effort from someone to "mark the spot", they had been there.

The Vortex....

We went out to Sedona Arizona recently and have been there many times. Sedona is, as far as I'm concerned, the most typical example of "The West" I envisioned as I grew up. Tall mesas, desert, cactus, and Native Americans in abundance. The air was clear and vistas remarkable. One of our "missions" on this trip was to go to the Vortex's, of which there are around five said to be in the area. I didn't know what to expect. Rumors of energy, enlightenment, and peace within each Vortex, and even some with powers that applied to men more so than women and vice-versa. We were able to even find a map listing each location and a brief description of what to expect....we hit the road.

Vortex number one was at the top of a pretty tall mesa, and somewhat of a challenge to get to. Once on top we had a great view, air was fresh but......felt no energy. We climbed down, and consulted the map. Number two.....sort of an instant replay...nice area.......no buzz.

Number three was located in a State Park, we paid our entry and started to walk along a well worn path. Really nice stream, I took a few shots, and we continued to walk. As we were getting near a bend in the path I noticed a stack of rocks, one on another about a foot tall. My mind flashed back to one of the Glaciers I saw in Alaska last September. To the side of this massive sheet of beautiful ice was a structure of rocks bearing a resemblance to this foot high piece. The one by the Glacier was about 5 feet tall. Kinda strange...but remarkable.

We rounded the bend and walked into an open area with a pink sandstone base rock and an incredible view of Cathredral Rock and the stream that ran beside it. There were about 60 people moving slowly going through the motions of Ti Chi. I stopped in my tracks, The last time I had seen this was early in the morning as I was leaving for Baghdad in Tokyo, Japan. Groups of people were in a flowing unison of motion communing in the spirit of exercise. As I surveyed the area I noticed that some were sitting with their arms folded and heads bowed, others were sitting with their legs crossed and arms out-streached, silent and looking toward the rock that loomed in front of the stream in the distance. A man was playing the flute and the sound seemed to fill the entire area. Depressions in the red sandstone were filled with water which reflected the blue sky.........and there were more stacks of rock.

We progressed across the sandstone and wandered down a path that ran next to the stream. The further we went, the more stacks appeared. We had found the Vortex. I can't possibly tell you of the feeling of being surrounded by the statements made by the piles of rocks. There were thousands of them and each one was made by someone, powerful proof of their existence. The quiet was, on reflection, almost total. The sound of footsteps, quite flute, the water bubbling, and the wind was about all I can remember. Nature has taken its course with some of the stacks, blowing them down, or rain causing them to slip, or an animal brushing against them causing the structure to become just another pile of rocks. I really don't believe there was any human intervention in the collapse of the monuments. They seemed too precious. I became a believer in the Vortex from this trip, and I feel certain that they are all over the world. They aren't an avenue to another place per se, but instead I think, a communication between individuals speaking the common language of humanity. "I Am"

Old friends.....

This is a gathering of a group of Taylor Wilsons' friends that I shot several weeks ago as part of his Senior Session. Like the one I took in 1967 of my friends around the old steam engine...in years to come this portrait group will become more valuable. Good job guys......

THE FROGS........

In the late 70's early 80's some of you may remember the studio car I drove, a 1951 Chevy Panel truck. I had bought it from a friend of mine for $ 500.00 and at the point of purchase it had no interior, was a 6 volt system, was a very bad color of yellow/brown with a primer front end. The name "Video Van" stuck. I had great visions for it and all my Dad could say was "How much did they pay you to take it ?'He lacked my positive attitude and visual nature. I had the front end rebuilt to take care of the shimmy that I experienced when driving over 30 miles and hour. Had it rewired and converted to a 12 volt system, brakes, and then a trip to the body shop. I will be eternally grateful to one of my heroes, Frank Saferight the owner of Grundys Bodyshop in Carthage Mo.

Frank is one of the old guard of the street rod community of the Joplin, Pittsburg, Carthage area. He has owned a great collection of rods over the years that are and were classics of perfection. I knew he could complete my vision and in fact, offered some touches to it that really set the mark. He suggested that we recess the gas filler and put a flap over it to clean up the look. He also came up with the color scheme which was, the only choice for the vehicle. The Body was a dark metallic brown and the fenders and running board were black......I set off the wheels with Baby Moons and chrome rims. Damn it looked good.

We carpeted the entire interior and installed two "coach chairs" for the driver and passenger, put in the stereo and I was ready to rock and roll. I drove the car for about 4 years and have some fond memories. Perhaps the most memorable was "The Night Of the Suicidal Frogs". I had been contacted by the State of Missouri to video tape the damage caused by the extreme flooding between Kansas City and St. Louis during the massive storms that hit the state. While traveling with a representative between locations one night, in one of the massive downpours, we experienced a very STRANGE event.

As we were driving along, barely able to see through the rain, we kept hearing sort of a slap/splat that increased with the amount of rain that came down. The van had pneumatic wipers which were pretty remarkable in their inefficiency. If you increased your speed the wiper quit working until you leveled off at a "cruising speed. Translation.....to see where we were going there were occasions when I had to stick my head out the window. OK.....blinding rainstorm, hilly road, head out window, and seeing hundreds of bullfrogs leaping to the safety of the high ground road, only to encounter.........The Video Van...SLAP/SPLAT. It was not pretty.

The reason for the story is the memory was brought up when I photographed Larry Coopers 50's era truck that I shot last weekend. It's a great ride, it wears him well, and the location was perfect. I sure love my job.

Lexus !!!

Tulsa is fortunate enough to have several remarkable automobile dealerships that really are visual masterpieces. The Mercedes dealership shown in a previous post is just part of a larger complex that houses cars of great delight. Perhaps I'll show the rest of the complex in future blogs. Because of the lighting and placement of the Lexus dealership I saw great potential. These are the shots from two outings that I feel really capture the essence of the style of the dealership. The interior of the showroom is outstanding.It was a really fun shoot and accomplished all I wanted to do.

Coffee Table BOOK-Reserve NOW !!

Over the span of my career I have photographed almost everything you can think of. My sensitivities toward light, color, shape, and design have been sharpened through the experience. When film was the only resource I would limit the number of exposures I could take on an "expedition" to keep it interesting. I further limited myself by shooting in 4 x 5 inch sheet film and lugging my view camera around. I would only take out 6 sheets and generally came back with 4 being exposed. It was really expensive to process and print so I had to be really selective and right on with my exposures. It was fun and I have some remarkable images.

I was in Washington State recently with my wife Karen and we took a "walk" to "Pony Bridge". Making a really long story short, it was a rugged hike but the scenery was fabulous. I have decided to publish a coffee table book with my favorite images in it from the excursion. The books will measure 12.5" x 10" and hold 20 pages - 40 sides. I will start editing tonight and by Monday should have all of the images placed in the book. Because I am able to design the placement of the images with in the book, the vision and style in it will be totally mine. I am really looking forward to the publishing of the book and the cost will be $ 168.85 inclusive of tax and shipping. I am presently taking pre-orders now. Should you wish place an order please call me at 918-760-1575. The trip was exceptional and imagery amazing. This edition will be strictly limited to 50 copies and this is the first of several that are in the planning stage. The print to the right is from the trek and the contrast between the submerged log and the leaves with the reflections off the water caught my eye.

Mercedes

I had a great time photographing a yesterday. There are several ways to expose a shot to achieve different results. I wanted to highlight the showroom and exterior of our Mercedes Dealership to associate the location with the brand. The building is very good looking and part of a grouping of different brands basically under the same roof. I love the look and there is one more coming as soon as the weather cooperates. Light is everything and quite frankly it may be Spring before I'm able to accomplish what I know I want due to the seasonal location of the sun.

Peppers

I make a killer salsa if I do say so myself. Every year for ages I've put out several varieties of hot peppers to put in the blend. Tomatoes have been somewhat of a challenge primarily due to the hot summer this year and last summer was just plain strange. Last year the tomatoes didn't set on until the end of September so I picked them just before the first frost, green as they could be, and let them ripen in the kitchen. We had fresh really great homegrown tomatoes through November. It looks like this year may be the same. I have make a greenhouse, to use the term loosely, and they should be able to stay on the vine through November. They are finally setting on. I picked a few peppers this morning and they just looked too good to put in the freezer without a portrait being taken of them. I guess I'm a bit compulsive....

Shake, Rattle. & ROLL !!!!

Ok, I'm home from a shoot, in the kitchen doing really nothing....and the floor seems to be moving....
Not a really a big deal but something is happening....reality sort of shifts....something IS happening but I don't know what. Karen comes in and looks at me and calmly says "EARTHQUAKE"....I look at the shamrock plant we have growing in a pot on the chopping block. It's shaking........more shaking....then it subsides.
Check Earthquake off the bucket list........

Checking in !!!!

What a wild month !! I've been working on launching a new type of advertising using Quick Response Codes and it's been pretty complicated. I have formed a new company division with a good friend of mine and it is called SquareRules.com Google it to see what we are doing with it. I have spent some really late hours researching the possibilities and potential of the codes and we have jumped in with both feet.

The codes may be scanned with a smart phone and deliver information listing all kinds items of particular interest to a companies clients, from specials, to maps of locations, hours, video introductions, and overviews of services. It is really a Dick Tracy moment. I have a code for my blog which will soon be followed with one for my website. The square beside this paragraph is the code for a company that writes resumes for clients. To read it go to the itunes store and download the Tapmedia QR code reader app. It's free and will open the QR door for you. Believe me, once you do it you will see the codes everywhere. Enjoy the knowledge.......it's been out there and you probably didn't notice.

Getting ready for the Maple Leaf

I've been incredibly busy the last several months with several projects and portrait/commercial assignments. This evening after I finish with the project that has taken the most time, I'll start addressing the first mailing to clients concerning the Maple Leaf Portrait Session I'll have on Sunday the 16th. I always look forward to the event for several reasons, I see friends that I generally haven't seen for a year, the weather is always good, and I love the portraits. This has to be the easiest way to update family portraits. It is fairly quick, the setting is fabulous, and the pricing is very good. What a great way to wrap up a fun weekend like Maple Leaf. I will be at 401 Belle Air, East off of Grand Avenue for the sessions. Reservations aren't necessary, and we will be photographing between 10:00 and 4:00. I hope to see you there.

Maple Leaf Portraits !

Time is passing so quickly that I seem to be constantly on the run. Sunday was a classic example. We went to Edmond OK to celebrate our sons 40th birthday and it hit me. Next year on October 1st, Morgan Studio will be 40 years old. Like the grateful Dead said "What a long strange trip it's been." I would have NEVER anticipated the career that has evolved, or that it's lasted so long.I have been the recipient of a totally fabulous,challenging, fun career.

This is not to say that it hasn't been an up and down trip. Economic challenges, gas wars,faulty economies, good times, friends, professional upgrades, and the constant wanna be's that get into the mix. It has all just in reflection, made it a good time.

One of the most visible constants has been the "One Shot" special that I started as an extension of the One Shots I did with a local preschool starting around 1976. We started the first ones during Maple Leaf week. The morning class would be one day, the afternoon class another. On the Friday before the "Big Game" at the high school and the Parade the next day, we would have families meet me at the preschool for one shots with them. Out of nowhere it became a tradition. You can go into virtually any home and there will probably be a one shot image with my name on it. What a great time.

The tradition continues on Sunday October 16th. Meet me at 401 Belle Air, just off of Grand Avenue, on the northside, and we will be set up for the One Shots again.
The badckground is fabulous with maple trees, pine trees,hedge,and weather worn fencing. We will start photographing at 10:00 in the morning and quit at 4:00. I'm sending out mailings with the pricing in a few days so if you don't receive one call me and I'll forward one to you. As usual the portrait packages are ordered and paid for on the day of the shoot and you should receive them in approximately
10 days.I'll upload a few images tomorrow....hope to see you there.

The Wedding...

WOW !!!! The wedding was fantastic !! The Bride was stunning and the Groom looked great. I started several hours before the wedding shooting the exterior of the family home where the Bride grew up. She was to be married on the front porch and it was perfect. Hanging baskets, the area for he string quartet, the unity candle, and a white "runway" for the Bride to walk up from the the circle drive. I was in my element. The sky was of and on overcast and there was a forecast for rain around four in the afternoon....the wedding was to be at six. I reflected on the power of positive thinking....it's not going to rain....it's not going to rain...

Through the organized chaos activity started to move in the direction of a wedding happening. The Groom, his Mom and Dad and several of his groomsmen appeared and we started to shooting. We used window light and some additional sources from my light packs for other groupings. We finished the family from brothers and grandparents, and I looked to see if the Bride was ready. She was and as I requested, she had not put on her veil. We photographed her with all of her attendants, parents and grandparents. It was fun but the clouds continued to build outside. Continued tomorrow...

The Wedding...

I have a special wedding coming up this weekend in Missouri. We're doing the whole nine yards, the rehearsal dinner and the wedding the next day. This is a special one as I have watched and photographed the bride as she has grown up. In fact she refers to me as " Uncle Mike". She is stunningly beautiful, and her soon to be husband is quite a guy. He works at St. Johns Hospital in Joplin and quite frankly was on the ground during and after the tornado that struck such pain within the community.

Her family was one of my first clients in the 70's and one of the most memorable. We worked outside and inside and in fact I have referred to them in a previous note on the blog Nine Ten Eleven. It will be a fun two days and I'm looking forward to it. Stay posted for some great imagery.

A fabulous Senior session

Yesterday I had the first of two sessions with a really great Senior. Taylor is a Senior at Jenks High School and is a member of the outstanding Jenks Football team. We shot fairly early in the morning and it went really well. Taylor is almost a natural and the "looks" he gave me were solid. The session took a couple of hours and was pretty smooth. At one of my locations I had suggested it just didn't look right, it didn't make visual sense...so we didn't take the picture. I'm of the opinion that if it doesn't look right to me than it won't get any better later. I've posted a several from the first session and there will be more to come. Great job Taylor !!!

The Aha Moment...

Last year I told you of my "Aha Moment" I recorded in the mobile studio that came through Tulsa. I would think that by now you have seen the advertising of the"Aha Moments" on the tube for Mutual of Omaha. All kinds of stories are given by people for 28 seconds concerning an "Aha" moment in their life. I just received my edited version from the Production company in California and thought I'd share it with you.Copy the following link and paste it in the address line and it ought to get you there.Enjoy.. http://ahamoment.com/moments/137

It was a good time.

Web site done........

Just finished tweeking the web site ...check it out at morganstudiointulsaoklahoma.com and let me know what you think..

Thanks,

MM

Been gone ...........

Okay...pardon the lapse in communication but for the last week I've been designing my long awaited update on my website. It's really been like pulling teeth because there was so much to learn and I'm pretty picky-I knew the "look" I wanted. I'm pretty much there but I have are changes I need to make in several of the screens, primarily in additional images I wish to show. It seemed like every time I turned around there was something to tweek........then I had to find out how to do it. It was fun but a very steep learning curve. It will take 48 hours for it to get posted AROUND THE WORLD......who'd a thunk.....but when it's up I'll send out a blanket note.

Never say never continued..........

We partied on the L1011 all the way back to K.C. and it was a ball. Although we didn't see the launch, we had been there and that is something I'll always remember. A year or two later I was asked to be part of a three person Show to generate funds for the Methodist Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida and I jumped at the chance. The show was to be up for a week with a black tie opening on the first night. It was held on the top floor of the Hospital that was totally glass walled. Pretty snazzy......

I drove down in my restored 1951 Chevy Panel truck....the Video Van...it had a lot of room. I spent my first day in Jacksonville setting up the show and pricing all of the work. I had large prints, small prints, color and black and white. It was a pretty good representation of what my "personal" work was all about. What was really surprising is that I sold out ! I would have NEVER thought that would happen. On the second or third day I had read in the paper that there was to be a Shuttle launch that day. Only because the sun comes up in the East did I realize the direction to look. I was on the top floor of the hospital in the gallery looking toward Cape Canaveral when a rocket seemed to jump above the trees in the distance and streak toward the sky. This machine didn't rise as I had ever seen one rise on television. Because the cameras would focus on the rocket almost exclusively the viewer is robbed of the actual speed of the climb. That rocket was makin' hay. I have never seen anything move so fast. My vantage point on the top floor, gave me a crystal clear view of the rocket until it disappeared into space.

There are images I'll never forget, some of people, places, and events dear to my heart. I don't think I'll ever forget that mental picture of a leap into Space......as we said in the 60's,
"Farm Trout".

We have a problem..........

"We have a problem" came firmly from the speakers set throughout the area. Other than the screeching of the gulls that were flying around, you could hear a pin drop. I really don't remember what the problem was but I do remember my mind racing options of staying overnight again, hiding in the bushes till morning, ( I think that could have had Federal Implications ) or waiting to see what the final deal was. The mission was to be "scrubbed", put off a day or two to fix what ever was not right. We gathered as a group and were boarded onto buses and taken to the airport.
Once we got on the Plane and in the air the pilot announced that although we didn't see the launch in person, we were going to party ! The stewardesses paraded down the isle in t-shirts proclaiming that "I saw the launch of Americas First Space Shuttle" accompanied with full trays of drinks. LET'S PARTY !!! was the given command, and we did. It was a fun but disappointing flight back to K.C. We didn't see it blast off......I knew I'd never have that chance again. I've heard that you should never say never........( to be continued )

The Launch.....

Looking back, it was such an unbelievable time. Half a mile away was Americas crown jewel of our space program poised for launch. The sun had come up and birds were flying through an unmolested sky, no clue that they had the front row seat to history just like the rest of us. It was kind of like waiting for your magic decoder ring that was to come in the mail. I really wanted to see a rocket BLAST OFF !! There was a huge digital readout of the countdown flashing in the viewing area and we could hear the conversation between the Astronauts and Mission Control as they went through the pre-launch check out. Key system 7 ....Check...etc. I felt the buzz of the moment and I can remember thinking how unbelievable it was that I was there, how could I have been so lucky, and never would I have ever assumed that being that close was even possible. We were all such optimists. If the rocket had blown on the pad I really feel as though it would have not been pleasant for any of us. Until you see it in "real life" you have no concept of the size. It was just an amazing marvel of construction and ingenuity.

As the morning progressed there were a couple of delays with a switch or relay acting up and the digital clock would pause until the repair or glitch was repaired. Then the numbers would start moving. The crowd was really like a bunch of people relaxing at a picnic. Some in shorts, some in long pants, and it seemed everyone had a black NASA ball cap. I guess that made us "official". The countdown proceeded and it seemed that more glitches started appearing. NASA can fix them.....they can do anything. The launch vehicle was being fueled and the vapors bleeding off sending a white cloud from the hoses. Excitement was building. Of course we had no idea how long it took to get everything ready......the schedule seemed to be progressing. Conversations between Mission control and the Shuttle were continuing....then a longer than normal silence. It was starting to get hot and clouds were coming in. It was quiet. The clock was stopped, we were standing around, grouped in clusters talking, or laying on the ground. The speaker cracked with the voice on Mission Control....... ( To be continued.)

End of an amazing era...

I was in my office this morning and looked on my wall and noticed some things that I really hadn't paid much attention to lately. It's rather remarkable that I had "forgotten" about them with the latest news and headlines concerning the Space Shuttles' last voyage. I've noted in previous blogs that I've been extremely lucky in life both through the friendships I've made and events I've witnessed or been a part of. In 1980 one of my friends and the owner of one of my commercial accounts, Art Swenson, alerted me about a fund raiser the Kansas City Philharmonic was having. One of the movers and shakers in K.C. had come up with the idea of filling an L 1011 airplane with passengers to fly to Orlando the day before the first launch of the Columbia, Americas first Space Shuttle, and witness history in the making. The plan was to fly from K.C. to Orlando, check into Disney World, relax, have a social hour, dinner with a talk about the space program, and then be turned loose on the park for a night of having fun. We were cautioned however, to get to bed early as the wake up call would be at three am and we would depart Disney for Cape Canaveral an hour later. They would wait for no one.

As a kid I had been mesmerized by flying, rockets, and the Space program, starting with the hearing the testing of rocket engines at "Rocketdyne Industries" which was several miles from a Boy Scout camp I attended in the summer. We could hear the roar of the thrust of the engines during the tests and my imagination conjured up images of men in space suits conducting the tests with clipboards and some kind of thruster packs on their back. It was SPACE......RIGHT !! Suddenly I was in Florida, about to witness the launch of Americas' first Space Shuttle.....how could this be. I couldn't sleep.

We left Disney World at four as promised, but what style. We consisted of a motorcade of Limos, lead by a pair of Highway Patrol cars in front of us, using both lanes heading for the Cape. Obviously someone had really thought this out because as we drew nearer to Cape Kennedy and the launch site, the traffic slowed and then stopped. This was a California style traffic jam. The Patrol cars did the only thing they could to keep us moving. The entire motorcade switched onto the other side of the four lane, the lanes coming FROM Kennedy, where there was absolutely NO traffic, and we sailed onto the site.

Daylight was breaking and we were let out of the Limos, and gathered in the Launch Vehicle Staging area. We got a tour of the facility and then were escorted to the V.I.P section about a half mile from the launch pad. In the short distance the Columbia was poised pointed to the sky.

( to be continued )