SmugMug Website

I have opened a page on SmugMug to allow viewers to see recent photo shoots and purchase prints.

The link is http://rustytripod.smugmug.com.

As I enter retirement from the teaching profession, it is my goal to develop my photographic skills and make them available to those who have a need to capture the "Simple Memories" in their lives. Images will be a bit more laid back with candids, some photojournalistic styled shots, and the occasional or needed posed images. Memories arise from looking at photographs that capture with simplicity and honesty the environment and emotion that prompted firing the shutter.

As an example, I am posting a picture of a grand-nephew taken as he mugged while he decorated his grandparents Christmas tree. It is a simple and poignant image whose innocence tugs at my memories of that fun night.

Christmas Lights

I finally made it over to the temple to photograph the lights. After shooting many, many pictures, I decided that only five were worth saving.

Qunceañera

Finally got to attend and shoot a quinceañera. The celebrant was a former student at our school. Held outdoors on a cold December night, it was a wonderful experience. The "reina" was beautiful in many ways.

Nearly three months old.

Anna let me come over and take some shots of Janie Rose in her christening dress now that she is a bit older. I am not terribly pleased with the results, but I learned from the experience.

Winding Down

Tyler's wedding and receptions are now finished. The honeymoon is over and Tyler is headed back to sea as Samantha returns to her post-graduate program.

Janie Rose Brooksby has been born and blessed. She is beginning to keep her eyes open and wriggle around more. When she gets loud, one hopes to find a way to calm her down.

The school year is in progress...at least a work in progress. Much needs to be done. Fortunately, the first quarter is almost over.

Jacob soon will be settled near Nikki in Fort Dix, New Jersey and remain for a year.

And Fall is finally upon us. The evenings are becoming comfortable. Unfortunately, I am usually too tired to enjoy the tranquility of the changes.

Tyler and Sam's Wedding

Tyler married Samantha Wilcox Friday at the Orlando LDS Temple. It was a sunny, warm, muggy, dry yourself with a towel if you stay outside too long kind of a day. We had a good time in spite of the daunting schedule affected by the three hour difference from our usual Arizona time.

Janie Rose Brooksby

After seeing the doctor Friday, Anna made an appointment to have the baby rotated from the breech position on Monday if things had not changed by then. However, she felt the labor begin on Saturday morning and went to the hospital. The doctor and nurses manipulated that unborn child from the outside and finally got it into position. The labor continued, but not dramatically with the staff vacillating on whether or not to send Anna home to wait out the process. Shortly after I left, they gave Anna medication to move the labor along. Janie Rose Brooksby emerged at 5:42 p.m. on July 25. Our first granddaughter.

Babysitting

Anna had an appointment for an ultrasound to check the new baby. Thus, we got to take care of Adam and Joshua. The "swords" they brought with them needed a little "tweaking" with duct tape to make them safe. This gave me a little practice with the digital camera.

2nd Annual Scott Kelby Photo Walk in Phoenix

This was my second year of participation. Last week the focus was Tempe. This year we started out at the Roosevelt port for the light rail then worked our way downtown where we convened for lunch and sharing at Alice Cooper'stown restaurant.

The heat was daunting. The food was delicious. Sharing time with friends and other photographers was refreshing.

After loading images I was not impressed with my shots because I recognized that I had not used my camera to its full potential. I will try to do better next year.

Cats

The city wants to restore this train and has surrounded it with bars and fences, reminiscent of a jail. Posted are signs saying "Do not climb the fence" and "Stay off of the train". Cats don't listen.

Cats have been in our lives for a long time. Currently, we own three. Three others wer killed.

I get tired of them. The oldest, Salt, is quite smart and conniving. ZsaZsa is independent, but sweet. Greyscale, is a pain in the .... because he is lazy an opportunistic.

The neighbors used to blame our cats for the reproductivity of their cat. However, two of ours are females and the male has no interest in sex.(I guess he has been fixed. The girls did go under the knife.) Still, the neighbor cat keeps having kittens.

Friendly cats and kittens are enchanting and tempting. Nevertheless, I am learning to leave well enough alone. I am ready to travel without finding a cat sitter. I treat cats like grandchildren. I will pet them as long as they are able to go home with someone else.

Practice, practice, practice!

Yesterday at the Solomon Ward in Mesa, AZ. a few of us got to practice taking posed family shots.

The ward held a chili cook-off with families invited to participate in a free photo shoot. Two gals, Emily and Terri, did the brunt of the work, but I got a few shots off.

Emily's dad brought in some umbrella strobes that provided supplemental help with our strobes to overrule the ghastly fluorescent light in the cultural hall. The gal in charge arranged for western props, and we used quilts as a backdrop. I was quite happy with the outcomes although I did not get any "poppers" among my shots.

Here is one I was comfortable with:

Retire Maybe

If I can hold on, retirement will be a possibility next June. Not guaranteed, just a possibility.

First I have to survive the start of a new school year. This year we return in August instead of July. Well, a new grandchild is due in early August. SoldierBoy is due back from his third event in Iraq in mid-August. Then SailorBoy is saying his "I do's" in late August in Orlando, Fl. . Somehow, I am supposed to be teaching during all of this. One blessing from all of this will be that the 6 of us in our family will finally be together in one place for the first time in four or five years. Hooray for that promise!

Then, I face the task of enduring 45 long weeks with fifth and sixth grade students who have minimal to moderate interest in school.

At least I will have all of this time to prepare myself for the time when retirement is a reality and in which I hope to travel and do some photography before I go officially senile.