Foolin' Around

These few pictures all suggest - to me at least - that if you enjoy what you're doing, and don't mind spending a lot of time experimenting, you can snatch something worthwhile from an otherwise so-so photo effort.

This is a picture of my brother-in-law, Stan, at home in San Antonio. I'd liked the composition of this portrait, but the photograph on its own just seemed like any other snapshot with nothing much to distinguish it. So I played around with it for a while and came up with this, emphasizing the composition and tonal balance.


This one was a demonstration I did for Gillian when I upgraded and gave her the superseded version of my editing software. The "herd of bunnies" are actually all the same rabbit, browsing for something to eat at the edge of my patio in Georgia. As I often did, I shot the pictures through my office window while sitting at my desk.

I don't think she uses the software much, if at all, but perhaps she will eventually.


When I was visiting Kip in Arizona last year we took in a Navajo powwow late one afternoon. What should have been an excellent photo opportunity turned out to be somewhat disappointing. The audience surrounded the dancers and other performers, which was fine; but the performers and speakers faced east to address the crowd. Shooting into the sun didn't produce any good pictures, and changing my vantage point gave me a great view of their backs. And, not having brought lawn chairs with us, I found my endurance lacking.

The dancers did turn around occasionally, so I came away with a few pictures - none of them of particular note. So again, I played around with what I did have for a while and came up with the study above, which I really like.